For many of you, New Year’s Resolutions are constructed during the beginning of January. You’re wrapping up the calendar year, unwrapping the last of your holiday presents and thinking about ways to improve your life. New year, new you… right?
For some of us, however, the concept of a year is much different. When we leave high school, or college, our live change dramatically. Growing up, before we ever come near the strenuous weight of adulthood, the year is based on school. Most schools run from August/September until May/June. The summer is that vacation which we all yearn for throughout the nonstop hustle and bustle of the year. As a former physical education teacher at Los Angeles Unified School District, I know that feeling all too well.
Fortunately, for all of you getting ready to start the new year, we have quite the treat for you. We’ve sampled, what feels like, countless products over the years. You’ve only read about a small fraction of those items, since we generally don’t even bother writing articles about those that fail to earn our support. We try to keep it positive, with a straightforward approach, about what you should have in your pantry.
People always ask me what I eat and/or drink. They’re usually a bit surprised to find out that I don’t consume alcohol. While I might have a Mexican Coca Cola once in a blue moon as a total treat, and an occasional Arnold Palmer when we go out to eat, I generally drink milk (cow, soy mainly) and water. As you’re all probably aware, I mix supplements into my water, such as creatine, pre-workout, intra-workouts, amino acids, etc, and protein powder into my milk.
That is my routine… until now.
When I recently took a trip up to Optimum Nutrition’s manufacturing plant outside of Chicago (no, they’re not compensating me for this article) they gave us samples of a bunch of their new products. There were quite a few that I had no desire to taste again, because as a food blogger and critic, there are so many factors to take into consideration. Even though they’re healthy, they also need to have an enjoyable flavor profile and texture. A lot of protein-based products have awful texture, especially the beverages.
This product not only passed the test for exceeding standards in this health-food industry, it was and still is one of the best drinks I’ve ever tasted in my life. I’d never found a health-based drink that could compete with Mexican Coca Cola, which is my gold standard for soda. If I could choose to have one ice cold beverage because I enjoyed drinking it, regardless of the nutritional value, it would be…
Optimum Nutrition’s Juicy Cherry Amino Energy.
Again, that isn’t some link that will give me kick back. I know the struggle of eating nothing but healthy food and wanting to drink that two liter soda in order to enjoy flavor. There has never been a competitive option like this. When a bunch of us (bloggers, trainers, critics, etc) visited ON’s HQ in Chicago, a handful of those individuals were interested in taking a bunch of products home. Not me… I just wanted ALL of their Juicy Cherry. Sure the other flavors were pretty good, but imagine how unbelievably perfect this drink had to be for me to consider it in the running for best drink ever.
Go buy a few cases, throw them in the fridge and whenever you need a bit of energy, or you’re looking for a cheat meal, take one down. And if you don’t like it, stop reading our articles and taking our advice because I’m sure your taste buds are dead. I see no reason to ever go waste a ton of money at Starbuck’s, on a drink loaded with empty calories, in order to get some energy when this drink exists. The GOAT. Use ON’s Juicy Cherry to stay hungry and fit.
Great! Thank you!