Pro Circuit Organik Green series: we tried!

It is often said that there are not enough 24 hours in a day to accomplish everything we would like, and I totally agree! I hold a full-time position that leads me to make several round trips between Sherbrooke and Montreal, in addition to getting involved in various ways in my entourage – including my collaboration with Signé Local. Through it all, I try to maintain healthy lifestyle habits by making thoughtful food choices and trying, whenever possible, to include high-intensity workouts four to five times a week in my routine, in addition to go hiking on the weekends.

I am not vegan or vegetarian, but I set myself the goal in 2017 of reducing my consumption of animal proteins, mainly for ecological reasons. I am therefore constantly looking for new ways to diversify my diet. I was very happy when I was offered to test the products from Pro Circuit's new Organik range.

Credit: Pro Circuit Nutrition

THE STORY

Pro Circuit is a family company established since 1992. It is the first company manufacturing dietary supplements in Quebec and one of the first in Canada.

Proud of its country of origin, the Pro Circuit team has been discovering local, Quebec and Canadian ingredients to develop its formulas. She wants to encourage local producers and reduce her carbon footprint. This is why she has, among other things, opted for the use of Jerusalem artichokes as a source of fibre. Indeed, this ingredient comes from a Quebec farm. This is also the case with hemp protein, spinach and oat grass. When local supply is not available, in the case of, for example, maca, spirulina and acai, the company then opts for non-GMO and organic products.

A local company that offers quality products that suit my lifestyle, while prioritizing local supplies, no need to tell me more: I'm sold!

Here are the results of the tests that I carried out, with my sidekick Maxime, over a period of one month.

For reference, Maxime is a young man in his thirties, who plays hockey two to three times a week and generally trains twice a week at home.

PRODUCTS TESTED

VEGAN + GREEN protein

VEGAN + GREEN protein was designed to provide people with easy-to-use and multi-function products. Protein can be used after sports, as a recovery protein, as a smart snack or simply for the desire to increase our intake of fruits and vegetables more easily.

In addition to being made with plant-based, organic, non-GMO, soy-free, gluten-free, lactose-free and peanut-free ingredients, the supplement contains four sources of protein: Canadian hemp protein, yellow pea, quinoa ground organic Peruvian origin and brown rice. In addition, papaya digestive enzymes have been added to the formula so that the product, especially for proteins, is better metabolized. It is therefore a small boost for faster and more effective assimilation.

Maxime and I tested the three flavors currently available, Exquisite Cocoa , Natural Vanilla and Plain . Although our favorite flavor is both Exquisite Cocoa, we enjoyed the taste of each product. While Maxime normally only mixes them with water, I prefer to mix them with almond or coconut milk for a creamier texture. As for the plain flavor, I used it as a protein in my morning smoothies.

We are in love with the product for the following reasons:

Perfect as a lunch on the go or as a snack on the go between meetings;
Excellent pre-workout support and post-workout recovery aid. Maxime even noticed that his legs were less sore after his hockey tournament;
Good alternative to meat proteins that we both try to diversify in our diet.

Green Farm

We also tested Green Farm – Antioxidant in strawberry and rhubarb flavor and Green Farm – Total Green in natural mint flavor. These are natural GREEN food supplements rich in organic fruits and vegetables, algae, herbs and digestive enzymes.

These are the products I was most reluctant to start with, since I had never taken green supplements before and already eat enough fruits and vegetables daily. However, I was intrigued by all the superfoods that are in the composition of the mixtures.

I have to admit that from a taste point of view, the Greens weren't really in my palette at first. The Green Farm – Strawberry Rhubarb Flavored Antioxidant is the best tasting in our opinion. Although Maxime appreciates the taste of Total Green with natural mint flavor , I had a little more difficulty liking it at first. I tried mixing it with water, juice, milk, smoothies, but couldn't find a mix that made me want to consume more. I finally decided to dilute it in more water and that's what allowed me to finally enjoy it (hallelujah!).

Apart from our small reservations about the taste and appearance of the mixtures, I still believe that Green Farm products are excellent products for increasing our intake of green foods. Not to mention that the Green Farm-antioxidant version is an excellent natural source of antioxidants – helping to protect our body and allowing the prevention of several diseases.

WE love :

The energy supply provided by the products;
The rapid integration of green foods into a diet low in fruits and vegetables;
The many benefits of the foods that go into the composition of the formula.

We like less:

The taste and visual appearance of Total Green

Organic soaps

Because it is just as important to take care of your body as your health, Pro Circuit Organik has also developed two organic bar soaps for the body that we had the chance to test. The first, a revitalizing and calming soap is composed of chlorella, moringa, oat grass, olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil and eucalyptus essential oil. The second, an exfoliating and moisturizing soap , is made from rooibos, moringa, olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil and balsam fir essential oil. I personally loved the revitalizing and calming soap which leaves the skin soft after use. As for exfoliating soap, I generally prefer sugar-based exfoliants, which are gentler on the skin, so I found the bar exfoliator a little too harsh when using, but still functional. Maxime, for his part, really appreciated it.