Hey friends! This afternoon I'm sharing a guest post from YBC Ambassador Amber Gebhardt. Garden of Life invited YBC to a Bloggers' Summit in West Palm Beach but since I was in Europe and Lauren is moving out to Colorado, we sent Amber. I've known Amber for years (she used to be a student of mine when I was a Spanish teacher!) and she's really into fitness and health, so I knew she'd be the perfect ambassador. Hope you enjoy! xo Candace
Hello everyone! My name is Amber and I was asked by Candace to attend the Garden of Life Bloggers' Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida recently. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to meet 10 incredible intelligent bloggers from all over the country! Every single person I encountered on this trip, especially the people who work at Garden of Life, were some of the most humble, honest, and friendly people I have met. Over the past two days, I had a blast and have learned so much from this company and I can honestly say I trust and back their products 100%. All of their products are 100% certified organics and non-GMO, but they are so much more than that. They refuse to have anything BUT organic materials in their products and the company personally knows their organic farmers, which showed how truly genuine this company really is.
Live GoL model posing with their new Dr. Pearlmutter products coming out at the end of this month!
We tried a number of new products and I was really into the Raw Fit Protein (they have unflavored and chocolate) and I personally prefer the unflavored powder. The protein powder is organic plant based protein so the texture is a little gritty, which I honestly didn't mind, it was just very different from the regular whey protein I am used to. Mixing the unflavored protein with some almond milk and a handful of berries is a perfect post-workout meal that I thoroughly enjoy! Also, after I have been taking the Raw Fit Protein more regularly, I have noticed a drastic difference in the way my body feels and how it's able to digest. After comparing Whey Protein with Raw Fit protein, I realized the whey has several cons - it's pasteurized at a high temperature, and most importantly, the whey protein products are not organic, nor are they grass-fed. The Raw Fit, on the other hand, consists of organic sprouted brown rice and several other grains. I noticed that when I consumed GoL's organic products I have just so much better.
Sneak peak of one of the new products by Dr. Pearlmutter- an organic citrus prebiotic fiber which is a new favorite of mine! You can blend the prebiotic fiber with water to make a yummy shake and they come in a couple different flavors (unflavored and citrus is what we tried). Personally, I loved the citrus flavor because I'm a sour-loving girl - it was so good I even took some for the ride home.
After this experience, I will highly recommend GoL to ANYONE. From their Raw Protein (the Vanilla is now on sale!) to their Probiotics, I have been thoroughly impressed with their transparency and commitment to knowing where each ingredient comes from and ensuring that they only source the best.
Catching up on YBC in the hotel room
It wasn't all "work" though (ok, none of it was really "work") - GoL brought in doctors who explained which protein is right for us based on our needs, educated us on the importance of organics and antioxidants, and even created a fun “Amazing Race” for us where we ran around their office floor for clues and prizes. But yeah, it wasn't all "work" - we got some down time, as well, which I spent hanging out with the other bloggers and catching up on the latest from YBC.
High tea
We also had a high tea arranged for us where we dressed up in our best Downton Abbey inspired costumes (haha!) and got to know each other a little better over tea and treats.
And of course I got to soak up some sunshine because #Florida. I brought one of my new favorite bars that's packed with natural and organic antioxidants. It's sweet and chewy and just hits the spot. Overall it was such a great getaway, and everyone in this company really went all out for us bloggers and I can't thank them enough for this opportunity.