Tag Archives: biohacking

FitVine Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Review

Going Mom and I shared a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from FitVine Wine the other week, you can read my review here. We both agreed on it being easy-to-drink dry, yet crisp, white wine good for almost any occasion, but our thoughts differed on FitVine’s Cabernet Sauvignon.

FitVine Wine, cabernet sauvignon, healthy, drinking, alcohol,

FitVine describes their Cab as follows:

Classic Cabernet nose of currant, lavender, black licorice and a hint of new oak. Rich purpose soft tannins wrap around flavors of cedar, boysenberry and coffee, chocolate with a hint of leather. Full flavored, clean taste with a smooth finish.

As mentioned in my review of their Sauvignon Blanc, I’m no connoisseur, but I have trained my palate well enough to know to stay clear of Boone’s Farm. Upon pouring the freshly opened bottle into a glass, I quickly picked up on the subtle hint of currant. I sipped, tipped my head back, and took a light breath while holding the wine in the back of my throat and could taste a dry, slightly earthy flavor.

FitVine Wine, cabernet sauvignon, healthy, drinking, alcohol,

The aftertaste was the same leaving a pleasantly clean finish. My verdict was that I enjoyed everything from the first sip to the last. To me it’s a good wine to have with chicken or a steak at dinner. Or, as I prefer, on its own after dinner.

Would a sommelier offer this to someone at a fine dining establishment? Most likely not, but I’m not one for fine dining, I enjoy cooking at home, and I’ll happily choose FitVine Wine’s Cabernet Sauvignon on the rare occasion that I drink.

My wife, on the other hand, was not as pleased, saying it left a “weird taste” in her mouth. Like me, she’s no connoisseur. so she can’t explain in wine terms like what the tannins were like or how earthy undertones rolled off her palate in the wrong way, but she knows what she knows. As the husband, I’ve learned not to question still push my luck sometimes, so I insisted on another glass. Seriously, who can turn down this face?

FitVine Wine, cabernet sauvignon, healthy, drinking, alcohol,

Not Going Mom, that’s for sure. Good thing, because she ended up at least enjoying it more and admitted she’d drink it again. Phew, as a lightweight I need my wife to help me share a bottle…..over the course of a couple days. Hey, told you I was a lightweight!

With their fermentation process resulting in less residual sugars, higher antioxidants, less sulfites, and grapes with no pesticides, FitVine has just what any healthy, active individual would want in an alcoholic drink. The less sugar means a drier wine, so if you like the sweet stuff, don’t expect it to be here. But we could all use a little less sugar anyway, so give it a try!

Having had the Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc thus far, I am positive the average person would content with either choice depending on their preference for white or red wine. If you’re not a wine lover, go for the Sauvignon Blanc, chances are it’ll surprise you.

Last in the lineup for my wife and I to try is the Chardonnay. As always, once we do, you can read about our thoughts right here. Be sure to check out FitVine for yourself and be sure to connect with them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

FitVine Wine sent me their wine free of charge in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way.

Forget Power Naps, You Need a Coffee Nap!

I’m sure we’ve all heard of power naps, but what about a coffee nap? If not, you’re probably thinking the words coffee and nap simply don’t belong in the same sentence. Well, unless you’re saying “Geez, I drank too much coffee and now I can’t nap.” I thought the same thing at first, but then I read about this conflicting yet science-backed nap which turned me into a believer.

coffee nap, coffee, nap, caffeine, biohack

It started with a study performed to find a way to tackle driver fatigue/sleepiness and found that consuming caffeine right before taking a 15 minute nap worked much better than napping or having caffeine alone. This means that if you like to nap, investing in some coffee pods will help make it easy to get your pre-nap caffeine. Nowadays, you can purchase coffee pods from a wide range of different stores. Some retailers and manufacturers like SS Nutra even allow you to purchase wholesale coffee pods in bulk. Ultimately, buying coffee pods in bulk is a fantastic way to stock up on your coffee supplies while also saving money. So, what exactly is the relationship between coffee and sleep all about? I could re-hash what I’ve read on the topic, but figure the Sleep Junkies do a much better job than I, so, please read and learn:

Why is it so effective?
The reason it works so well is because it takes around 20 minutes for the body to respond to the effects of caffeine. By taking a short nap immediately after consumption, the stimulant effect kicks in just as you are waking up. Not only will you feel revived from your power nap, you’ll also have the added benefit of the caffeine boost.

How to take a caffeine nap
You can use this technique any time, but it’s most effective in the afternoon to combat the the mid afternoon energy slump. It’s a great productivity tip for work and works wonders for drowsy drivers. If you don’t like coffee you can use a caffeine supplement – the kind of pill that students use to cram all night before their finals.

1) Find a suitable environment to take a nap.

If you’re at work, try to find the most relaxing environment, somewhere quiet that you’re not going to be disturbed, ideally with dim lighting, and not too noisy. A comfy sofa or armchair will do. Useful nap-cessories are  foam ear plugs, an eye mask or maybe you could even splash out on an Ostrich pillow

2) Grab your favourite caffeine laden beverage or pill.

Coffee is ideal, as are caffeine supplements like Pro-Plus etc. Coke and Pepsi are no good, they don’t contain enough caffeine. The scientists used a dosage of 200mg but you can experiment on what works best for you. Also watch out for sugar drinks, you might get a glucose-rush that prevents you from napping altogether.  Use this caffeine chart to pick your poison.

coffee, nap, coffee nap, caffeine

3) Set your alarm to go off in 15-20 mins.

This is very important because you need to wake before you enter deep sleep. If you nap for too long you could end up drifting off into a slow-wave sleep pattern and run the risk of felling groggy when you wake up. Also you want to wake up before the caffeine hit kicks in. Watch this video on the science of napping for more tips.

4) Don’t delay, take your nap straight away.

Now the easy part. Kick off your shoes, get your head down and enjoy a nice relaxing snooze!

After reading, I was sold. I have yet to test it myself since I’m not a napper to begin with, but maybe for our next long distance road trip, I’ll put this to practice. I’m confident working and stay-at-home parents alike could put this to good use in order to keep up with our non-stop miniatures running circles around us. You can read more from Dave Asprey, a long time biohacker and creator of Bulletproof Coffee.

As a self-proclaimed budding biohacker, I find this very interesting and love delving deep into the science of natural chemicals and how they work for or against us when consumed. One area I’m seriously into is the use of Nootropics which are very similar to smart drugs used to enhance cognitive function, mood, learning, and energy without prescription drugs and very little negative side-effects.

With my newfound interest, prepare to see future posts on nootropics to help with anxiety, energy, motivation, and brain health. As a parent, I know these will be extremely beneficial in helping to manage a full day of stress-inducing issues at home, work, and even on the playground. I’m currently testing a few on myself and will report back soon.

Will you give a coffee nap a try?

Have you tried already?

Are you into biohacking or interested in nootropics?

Big thanks to Sleep Junkies for the informative post on coffee and napping……together!