This is a sponsored post for Review Wire Media on behalf of CocoaVia™
March is a perfect month to enjoy a delicious chocolate smoothie that is sweetened with the wonderful taste of cran-raspberry. This month is heart health month so indulge in a creamy chocolate smoothie that is good for your heart. Yes, chocolate, specifically dark chocolate, can be good for your heart as it contains cocoa flavanols. Dark chocolate contains these heart-healthy cocoa flavanols but I discovered a cocoa supplement that has more cocoa flavanols per serving. This CocoaVia™ daily cocoa extract supplement contains 450 mg of cocoa flavanols in every serving. To get the same mg of cocoa flavanols that have heart benefits, you would have to eat 8 servings of dark chocolate. For most people that amount of dark chocolate would be half their calorie intake for the day.
The benefits of dark chocolate come from cocoa flavanols. Studies have shown that cocoa flavanols promote healthy blood flow, which helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to your heart and brain. Unlike dark chocolate, CocoaVia contains 450mg of cocoa flavanols in every serving – minus the calories, fat, and carbs.
That amount of dark chocolate pieces would leave me feeling sick. I would rather enjoy a heart-healthy chocolate smoothie that has a delicious chocolate taste. One delicious CocoaVia™ package not only adds chocolate flavor to this creamy smoothie but studies have shown that it has some amazing benefits for the heart. I won't expand on the scientific research about Cocoa Flavanols but I will tell you about my experience with this heart-healthy supplement.
Use code MKB30 to save 30% on CocoaVia
It all started with a delicious smoothie
The first time I tried a CocoaVia ™ product was in my morning smoothie. I like drinking smoothies for breakfast as it is an easy way to get protein and superfoods into my body. I always make my smoothies with protein powder and fruit along with different superfoods and supplements. So adding the CocoaVia ™ supplement was simple to add to my blender. I added the Cran-Raspberry Drink mix to my smoothie that also had a scoop of vegan chocolate protein powder and one cup of frozen strawberries. If I had frozen raspberries, I would have used those instead of the frozen strawberries. The powder supplement mixed well into my daily smoothie and made it taste so delicious. The CocoaVia Cran-Raspberry drink mix added a sweet cran-raspberry flavor to my chocolate smoothie and it was so yummy. After I finished my sweet creamy smoothie, I did my usual work on the computer. I noticed that I was able to think better when I was writing. The CocoaVia supplement is supposed to promote healthy blood flow through the body which can help your body perform better.*
The Cran-Raspberry powdered mix has a refreshing, fruity taste and can also be mixed directly in water or juices. So this variety is convenient to take on the go. The one stick pack has only 20 calories per serving, so that is great for those who are watching their calories. I like that this supplement is plant-based and delivers 450 mg of cocoa flavanols. I also love that it supports brain, heart and total-body health. This delicious drink mix is also dairy-free and plant-based so it is suitable for a vegan or vegetarian diet. The cocoa extract mix does not contain any wheat but it is not certified gluten-free.
CocoaVia stick packs are available in other flavors if you don't like cran-raspberry. These easy to mix packets of cocoa flavanols come in Sweetened and Unsweetened Dark Chocolate and Original flavor. The chocolate flavor mixes have a bold and rich dark chocolate flavor and are perfect to add to coffee, milk, protein shakes, yogurt, and oatmeal. The Original Flavor powdered mix comes straight from the cocoa bean and has a unique herbal taste that is similar to black tea and doesn’t taste like chocolate. So CocoaVia ™ recommends adding this one to flavored drinks or coffee. Like the Cran-raspberry CocoaVia ™ stick pack, these packets of cocoa flavanols are low in calories and contain 450-mg of heart-healthy cocoa flavanols.
Could it help my workout?
A couple days later, I decided to try the CocoaVia ™ capsules. The CocoaVia ™ capsules have the same amount of cocoa flavanols, 450 mg, as the CocoaVia ™ packets and don't need to be stirred into a liquid or food. I like that I was able to just swallow them with a glass of water. I took the CocoaVia ™ capsules 15 minutes before I went to the gym. It was night time and I did not want to drink anything with caffeine in it for energy. I was not tired but I also did not feel like I had any energy to work out. So I was hoping that the CocoaVia ™ would give me the energy to lift weights. I did my usual 30-minute weightlifting routine and noticed that I was breathing better. I also noticed that I did not need to take rest breaks between my sets. When I lift weights, I like to combine HIIT with my exercise so I will do a fast rep of ten lifts and then a slower rep of ten lifts. Then I usually take a 30-second break between these reps. I noticed that I only needed 15 seconds between reps.
I felt more energetic
When I finished my weights, I noticed that my husband was still working out so instead of my usual check my email while I wait for him, I decided to hop on the stair climber. I still had energy in my body and enjoyed 5 minutes on the stair climber. Yes, if I have energy and good music, I enjoy working out. The CocoaVia ™ gave me energy that night. It must have been the increase in nitric oxide levels that the cocoa flavanols gave my body.*
*CocoaVia ™ facts(from product website)
1. The cocoa flavanols in CocoaVia™ supplement have been shown to promote healthy blood flow – ensuring that your entire brain remains nourished and can perform at its best, every single day.
2. Scientific studies have shown that cocoa flavanols increase nitric oxide levels in your body. Nitric oxide is a super-molecule that contributes to the health of your cardiovascular system.
3. Cocoa flavanols, the foundation of CocoaVia™ daily cocoa extract supplement, support heart, brain, and total body health by promoting healthy blood flow – which helps your body perform at its best.
4. This cocoa extract is the key ingredient in CocoaVia™ supplement, and thanks to the Cocoapro® process, we use the freshest cocoa beans possible to make this extract. In fact, we are one of the few companies that can actually trace our beans back to the Indonesian farmers who grow the cocoa.
5. CocoaVia™ is a brand of daily cocoa extract supplement that delivers 450 mg of cocoa flavanols in every serving. Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated that the cocoa flavanols in CocoaVia™ supplements support brain and heart health by promoting healthy blood flow.
CocoaVia ™ will be a daily supplement
I was amazed at how CocoaVia ™ helped me perform with my writing and my exercise. This healthy blood flow from the cocoa flavanols is something that I like. So I will be using this healthy heart supplement on a daily basis as I like performing at my best. I will be using the CocoaVia ™ Supplement in the morning before I run. The Cran-raspberry flavor would be so simple to mix up in a glass of water. The CocoaVia ™ capsules are also easy to take when I don't want a sweet drink. One thing that I need to take into consideration with the CocoaVia ™ supplement is the caffeine that naturally occurs in the cocoa extract. Caffeine personally tends to keep me awake at bedtime if I consume it after 3 PM so I will not use it for night time gym visits. If you are sensitive to caffeine, I would recommend taking the capsules earlier in the day so you are able to fall asleep in the evening.
Benefits of taking CocoaVia ™ daily
I just love this information that I found on the CocoaVia ™ website as it helps explain how the supplement works to benefit the heart, brain, and body.
Heart Health
The Cocoa Flavanols in CocoaVia™ increase your body’s natural pool of nitric oxide, keeping your arteries flexible and blood vessels healthy. This promotes healthy blood flow throughout your body and helps you maintain healthy blood pressure levels.
Brain Health
By promoting healthy blood flow, CocoaVia™ helps your body deliver a high level of oxygen and nutrients that your brain needs to function at its best, helping you achieve optimal brain performance.
Total-Body Health
By increasing nitric oxide levels, CocoaVia™ helps support every organ, muscle, and tissue in your body, giving you sustained energy throughout the day and providing a great pre-workout boost. With healthy blood flow, you’ll also experience perks like healthier, more hydrated skin.
Use code MKB30 to save 30% on CocoaVia
Healthy Heart Cran-Raspberry Strawberry Chocolate Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 cup of water
1 scoop of your favorite chocolate flavor protein powder
1 packet CocoaVia ™ Cran-Raspberry, Cocoa Flavanol Drink Mix
1 cup of frozen strawberries or raspberries
Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.
19 comments:
Never heard about this product before. I would like to try this the shake looks so delicious
This smoothie sounds amazing!! I am gonna have to make one for myself!!
I love fruit smoothies, especially with chocolate! I really do need to look into cocoa via. I keep seeing it around. And now that it's getting warmer I think I'm ready to start doing smoothies instead of tea.
I just love smoothies! It's been ages since I've had one so I"ll be making this for sure. This looks so good.
That sounds delicious! I love fresh berries In my smoothies
This sounds delicious - I'm a HUGE fan of berry based smoothies. Combine that with all the benefits, and this is a total win! Can't go wrong...
This really sounds delicious. I'm all about heart healthy recipes!
That looks amazing. I love having smoothies. I'm going to have to give this one a try too.
Yum! This looks so delicious. I love the combination of chocolate and strawberries.
I really need to try CocoaVia. I really like the benefits. This smoothie looks delicious.
Smoothie! I never say No to a good smoothie and I am always looking for new tastes!
I've never heard of CocoaVia, but it seems like a product that would be right up my alley. Love all the benefits. Will definitely check it out!
This is so awesome! Such a healthy and delicious smoothie!
I’m not a big fan of raspberries, but I’ll substitute them with something else. This is a healthy smoothie.
I love a good smoothie and this sounds so good. I have never heard of CocoaVia but it sounds like a great product.
YUUUUM, that looks so good! I'll have to try it out sometime. Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us!
Looks so very delicious! I would SO have it right now!
CocoaVia sounds like a fantastic suplement. We love smoothies and make them quite often. Thank you for the review. This sounds like a suplement that I would buy.
All the ingredients here are my favourite. I am gonna make it today.
Post a Comment