Too Much Information, But Some Of It Is Good

I've recently been invited to try out some new products and share my opinion and I have to say that these couldn't have happened at a better time.

Remember when I wrote about my mishaps with fiber and regularity - how could you forget really? Anyway, let's just say that moving, not being able to eat regular meals and eating way too many Subway sandwiches have not helped the situation.

Enter Fiber One's new chewy oats and chocolate fiber bars. With nine grams of fiber (35 % of the daily requirement) and only 140 calories per bar, they are an easy way to get a fiber boost, you know, if you need one.

They taste like your basic cereal bar, much better than the fiber wafers that Metamucil makes. They're more gentle and natural than a laxative and I can say with certainty, they get the job done. I would highly recommend this product if you're pregnant or if, like most people in the US, you don't get enough fiber in your daily diet. 

Okay, now that I've totally put everyone off with my talk of bodily functions, let's move on to beauty products, shall we?

Did I ever mention that I have a skin condition called Ichthyosis? It literally translates from Latin as fish scales on the skin and basically it means that my skin cells don't shed in the normal rate or fashion. It causes the most extreme dry skin that if left untreated without heavy duty prescription moisturizers and exfoliators will literally leave me looking like a catfish and makes it more difficult for me to regulate my body temperature so as a result I'm always cold. Fun stuff.

As a result, I have to use a prescription lotion every day that contains 12% lactic acid (tingly!) to help remove the skin cells from my epidermis. In addition, I have used or at least tested literally every over the counter moisturizer on the US market and I can tell you which ones really work and which ones are crap.

My daily routine consists of applying prescription lotion all over my body after a shower, followed by at least two over the counter moisturizing lotions. The whole slathering and rubbing process takes at least 15 minutes. I figure over a lifetime, I'll spend over 7,000 hours of my life just applying lotion.

So, when I was asked to road test Keri Lotion's new Nourishing Shea Butter Moisture Therapy, I jumped at the chance. The lotion, which smells almost just like the original Keri Lotion product, is light and pleasant. It's a bit thicker and creamier than original Keri, but, for me anyway, it absorbs quickly into the skin and leaves no greasy residue whatsoever.  The test then becomes how long it holds up without having to reapply and the answer is all day, rare for an over the counter lotion and a great find for someone with extremely dry skin like mine.

I would most definitely recommend this product to anyone with problem dry skin, or those who live in cold climates and need extra moisture in the winter time. It would also be great as a hand cream or for flaky areas like feet, elbows and knees. And as an added bonus, although this observation is not in any way scientific, I've been using the lotion for a month, am in my ninth month of pregnancy and have yet to develop any stretch marks. Huzzah!

And lastly, I recently tried a box of Nature Valley's new Oat's & Honey cereal. Let it be said that I take my cereal very seriously, partly because of the fiber issues listed above, but also because I feel breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Normally, I look for a cereal with at least 6 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber per serving, otherwise it doesn't fill me up and I'm hungry again in an hour. With 4 grams each of protein and fiber, Nature Valley doesn't quite meet my requirements, but it tastes great and if you're not as picky as me, you will probably love it.

It has really crunchy flakes that don't get soggy in milk and bits of granola bar in it. This is definitely a healthy alternative to sugary kids cereals, but still sweet enough that kids will like it. It also comes in Cinnamon.

So there you have it; three products you can use and a little too much information about my personal hygiene habits. What more could you ask for on a Tuesday?   

Comments

[mamatulip]

I just bought Oliver some wipes and discovered that they were Shea Butter wipes. They smell *so good*...they made me want to get Shea Butter lotion for myself, since my skin is terribly dry. But lotions and I don't always jive; I hate feeling greasy or having slippery hands for hours afterwards. I think I might try the lotion you're talking about!

[Chris]

A nap. I could ask for a nap. ;)

[Violet]

I loved the Fiber One bars (which I 'imported' on my last US shopping trip) until I realized they contained high-fructose-crack. Bleh. They were so good! GRRR!

Having said that, I found out about them on a blog written by a friend whose son was having "fiber issues" and who is pregnant, herself. He eats 1/2 a bar each day, and she eats 1.5 and both of them are VERY.. erm.. happy with the results.

They are SO tasty!!

[Tink]

They won't let you tell us how you REALLY feel will they? ;)

You know I'm kidding. I miss you. How's that bun in the oven doing?

[Jessie]

I've been wondering about that nature valley cereal. I'll have to try it out, now that you've given it a good review.

I just spent the week across the state from you, and it was wonderful. Everyone down there moves so much more slowly than up here in the great white north, and it made the trip incredibly relaxing. Not to mention the weather was incredible, and I'm no longer ass white like I was before I headed south. Unfortunately my husband didn't take me up on the offer to move us down there.

[Jerri Ann]

I wis? someone would send me products to review (my letter actcer g is sticking and my c is going occ w?en I ?it t?e letter becore g

[V-Grrrl]

Good thing you're in hot, humid Florida with that skin condition. I can only imagine what torture Ohio was for you!