BodyBugg Food Frustrations and Ribose

So I’m trying to follow the menu on the nutrition plan for the Body Bugg system but the foods are so far out from what is practical for me and my current lifestyle.  I need foods that I can grab and go.  When I try to adjust the menu plan, the button for customizing plays hide-and-seek with me.  Sometimes it’s there, and sometimes its not.  Frustrating.

I ordered a new shipment of ribose powder for myself and some friends who want to try it.  I love how it works for me and am anxious now to spread the love.

I had thought about going to the gym this morning and attacking that elliptical monster on my own, but laundry calls and I have to be at work by 11am.  So much to do, so limited on time.

A Recharged Life

As I approached the half century mark, I found that my energy wasn’t what it once was and it was harder for me to get excited about starting new projects. Since I started drinking green smoothies regularly and adding a scoop of ribose to my morning tea, I have felt a return of energy, enthusiasm and vitality. Now that I am past the aforementioned “half century mark”,  life has gotten more fun and interesting. I feel like the caterpillar who thought life was over and suddenly woke up as a butterfly!

Ribose Update

I’ve been adding a scoop of ribose to my chai tea every morning and feel much more energized and awake than I used to when I started my day by drinking a pot of coffee!  Some days I only get about four hours of sleep at night due to my work schedule.  On those days I often have a second scoop a little later in the day.  I know, its very important to get the sleep hours in because there are other benefits, besides energy, that we get from sleeping, but for right now, I do what I gotta do.  I really like the fact that the energy I get from the ribose is not a buzz, like from caffeine, nor do I experience the crash that comes after a sugar rush.  Its very subtle and helps me to be in a better mood at work and perform better as well.

Smoothie with Ribose

Today’s green smoothie was about 2 cups spinach, 1/2 cup blueberries, 2 bananas, 2 scoops ribose and a tablespoon of Green Food supplement powder,  ice and water.  Mmmmm.  This was enough for 2 people.  My partner felt tightness in his muscles at the end of the day and thought it might be ribose-related so I won’t give him anymore for awhile.

Trying the Ribose

So this morning I used the ribose powder to sweeten my chai tea with soymilk.  I added one scoop (1/2 tsp.) which contains 2200 mg of ribose.  Then I had some oatmeal and, before leaving for work I made some macha tea, added steamed soy and  used 2 scoops of ribose for sweetener because the macha is quite bitter.  I went through the whole day on high energy without experiencing a crash.  I need to relax now and get to sleep because I have to be at one job from 6am – 10am and the next job from 11am to 8pm tomorrow.  The 6600 mg was probably too much and tomorrow I will cut back to 2 scoops and see how that goes.

Liquid Vitamins and Ribose Supplements

Found a wonderful store for nutritional supplements called Willner Chemists during my New York stay.  It is located at 100 Park Ave., NY.  I picked up some ribose there to give it a try and also picked up one of their catalogues while I was there.  They have a website: www.willner.com.

In the store I found ribose being sold in two different types of packaging, with 2 different brand names but the same manufacturer.  One package focused on athletes and the other focused on people seeking longevity.  The larger container was the better value but I went with the smaller container as I have to try the product out to see how my body responds to it.  I bought it as a powder so I have more control over the dosage.  I tasted it on my fingertip and found it to be quite sweet.  When I get back from my trip I will probably try adding it to my green smoothies.

Earlier in the day my partner and I went to Brooklyn for his birthday lunch at Peter Luger.  On the way there, we stopped in at a vitamin and nutrition store (Echo Drugs) to get some liquid vitamins.  I figured that since my stomach was still feeling  a bit week from the bout with stomach flu, I might be better off with the liquid vitamins than with the large vitamin/mineral pills that I normally take. The liquid will probably also digest more easily.  Picked up a bottle of Source of Life Liquid Vitamin and Mineral Supplement.

As soon as I got back to the hotel I opened the bottle and discovered that the liquid is green.  The outside of the package says:  “Delicious new, tasty flavor can be enjoyed straight from the bottle or mixed with your favorite beverage.”  What a relative word – delicious.  Gack!  I immediately washed it down with some water.  Must admit though, that I was feeling much better a couple of hours later.  My energy is coming back and my illness seems to be fading away.  Good thing because Joe has already picked his favorite NY restaurant as our dinner spot for tonight.

A further look at the bottle and I see that it contains spirulina, alfalfa grass juice, and barley grass juice.  Hence the green color.  There’s also ginseng and bioflavonoids and other healthy stuff in there so I guess I will take it again tomorrow.

Ribose

Have you heard of using ribose as an energy booster?  Ribose is an energy source produced by your body, which can also be purchased as a nutritional supplement. It is a simple sugar contained in every living cell.   It is the simplest molecule used by the body to build and restore energy.It has been used to treat people with chronic fatigue related disorders.

I have seen test results that seem to indicate that ribose is effective with fibromayalgia and chronic fatigue but it does nothing to enhance athletic performance (as some companies have claimed).  Ribose is relatively new to the energy scene so long-term effects are uncertain but it might be worth giving it a try in the short-term.

The 4-Week Trial by Dr. Mehmet Oz
Ribose works by restoring energy production centers in the body. To test its effect on you, try taking 500 milligrams three times a day (mixed into coffee, tea, or a smoothie) for 1 week, and then up the dose to 5 grams three times a day for 3 weeks. If you feel peppier, great. But a word of caution: Ribose sends some people into major energy overdrive. So listen to your body, and taper back as you feel necessary.

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