Good Health is Under Way!

For as long as I remember I've struggled with my weight. I have this perception of my body that is probably very skewed, but being overweight is part of that problem. My weight is the result of a hormonal imbalance (I was diagnosed with PCOS in 1998) as well as my difficulty with emotional eating. When I'm sad or depressed I turn to the ice cream and potato chips.

Wait. Let me rephrase that. I used to turn to the junk food. Over the last few years I've gradually learned to eat healthier and cut out all the garbage (but I confess: when I was pregnant, I didn't care what I ate, I was hungry ALL the time).

Now I read labels and count calories and squeeze in cardio and weight training whenever I can. I'm feeling good about myself and taking on new challenges (like training for a 5k! Who knew?).

Recently I had the opportunity to try several health food products. The first is a health drink called UNDERway. It's an appetite suppressant supplement drink that suppresses your appetite naturally and quenches your thirst. It's filled with HeroFiber™ (a super fiber) and vitamins. One bottle of UNDERway delivers the equivalent of 9 grams of fiber nutrition which is nearly a third of your daily recommended requirement of fiber content. And this drank is only 20 calories.

The Acai-Pomegranate drink is my favorite. I like the taste and it quenched my thirst just as expected. I will say that I slammed the drink after a work out and had a bit of a stomach afterward, but I'm thinking this is because I was a bit dehydrated. I'm so used to drinking water and maybe my body was in a bit of shock to drink something so flavorful. UNDERway also comes in Grape and Orange flavors as well.

The other products are part of the Smart for Life program. I sampled oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies, chocolate mountain cupcakes (SO, SO GOOD!) and carrot cupcakes that were delicious and filling, made with the same HeroFiber.

At first it was hard to get used to the flavors because I'm so used to eating food that is super sweet. These desserts are actually good for you. My favorite are the Smart Crunch. I can't describe as anything like I've tasted. They are gooey but crunchy and definitely cure my crunchy cravings.

My husband tried the Momma's Chicken Noodle soup and loved it! He said it was the best "diet" soup he'd ever tasted. And the Smart Bagels are so darn good. I wish I had two packages of those!

After trying the products, exercising and getting enough rest, I lost 5 pounds over two weeks. I'm not sure if these products are the reason, but I do know they motivated me to be healthy.

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I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of underWAY and Smart for Life and received samples of the products to review.

The Moment I Knew

When I discovered I was pregnant with my first son, I was so excited (and shocked!) that I saved the positive pregnancy test. I put it in a plastic sandwich bag and stored it our bathroom closet. My husband thought it was the grossest thing a woman could do. The funniest part about it was that I made a remark that I should create a keepsake box and market them to other women who may have done the same thing I did. The laughed and called me crazy.

People, I could have been a millionaire, because the brilliant people at e.p.t have crated a pregnancy keepsake and scrapbook card for women to save their positive pregnancy tests! And can you believe that 67% of women do save them? They do! I'm not crazy (I know this because I saved the tests -- yes, more than one -- from my second pregnancy, too!).

Each moment I saw that positive sign my heart filled with joy. I was so happy to be pregnant. As someone who suffered infertility, I didn't think it was possible for me to conceive. The tears of pain were finally washed away by new tears of joy. I was blessed with two beautiful boys. They are the light of my life.

Telling my husband was more fun. I remember calling him at work to share the news (because I can't pee on a stick with him anywhere near me -- it's a crazy fear of jinxing things). He thought I was joking.

"We're pregnant!" I shouted.

"We're what?" he asked.

"PREGNANT! I just took a test!" I exclaimed.

"Are you sure your pee isn't screwed up? Maybe it's giving a wrong reading..."

You can sense his shock, right? Even thought the e.p.t. was correct, my husband insisted on getting a second test at the doctor's office. When they drew my blood he was freaked out, but not as freaked out as when they called later and confirmed that we were indeed having a baby.

"I'm gonna be a father...!" he said. "Holy cow."

We're so lucky to have our sons and I'm so glad I saved those tests. I bring them out every once in awhile, just to remember the excitement of those moments!

Now, if only my husband had listened to my idea, I'd be rolling in the dough right now! Kudos e.p.t for cashing in and creating this keepsake!

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I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of e.p.t and received an e.p.t. keepsake case and a $20 gift card to JustGive.org to facilitate my review.