Product Review: Zipfizz

I don't think I have done a review on this blog. I constantly give my opinion on various products to my friends (I have often been accused of being a walking commercial for some product or another), so why wouldn't I do it here? So here goes...

I am not a big coffee drinker. When I drink it, it has to have a ton of milk/cream, sugar and/or flavored creamer. Coffee, to me, is a social drink. I will drink a latte out with my friends or on a lazy morning on vacation. I don't make it. In fact, when we have company and Kenny isn't here, I stress a bit making a pot of coffee. That is his thing.

So when I started getting up at the crack of dawn for running, I needed something to wake me up and get me... um... moving. In the past, I have been a morning soda drinker (I know...I know). I knew that a Pepsi before a run wouldn't be the best idea. But what could I drink that would wake up my mind and body and get me ready for my run?

My friend, Jen, suggested I try Zipfizz. I did and I'm sold. Here is what the website says about Zipfizz:

Zipfizz is an all-natural, great tasting energy drink-mix powder
that delivers a powerful charge of micronutrients to the body's fuel
system. It contains no ephedra or other artificial stimulants. Most
people experience an immediate, revitalizing burst of energy after
taking Zipfizz.

Zipfizz is healthy energy in a tube! Give your body a rush of
vitamins, minerals and key amino acids to protect the immune
system. Zipfizz has created an advanced formula that provides a significant amount of vitamins, fewer calories, lower carbohydrates,
superior taste, variety and unique packaging! Simply put, it's
different because it's good for you!

Use Zipfizz as a morning or afternoon pick-me-up, or enhance
your training by taking it before, during, or after a hard workout.
Because Zipfizz contains no sugar, users will experience an
increased energy level for up to 4 - 6 hours with out the sudden
"crash" associated with other energy drinks.

I buy my Zipfizz at Costco in a package of thirty containing three flavors. The flavors used to be citrus, pink lemonade and orange soda. My favorite is the citrus and I am bummed that the Costco pack now has eliminated the citrus and replaced it with grape. The grape tastes OK, but not as good as the citrus, in my opinion. The grape and orange taste a bit like Crush soda, while the citrus and pink lemonade are more on the Crystal Light side.

What I like about Zipfizz:

• It is a little like soda, but it has a bunch of vitamins, including a ton of B12.
• It contains electrolytes. It has almost as much sodium as Vitalyte and eighteen times the potassium as Nuun. It also has all the other minerals, as well.
  
• It agrees with my tummy in the morning.
• I like the taste, for the most part.
• It comes in really convenient little tubes. They are so easy to pack and I can take them anywhere (purse, running bag, pocket). Unlike coffee, all I need is a bottle of water. It will be perfect for Ragnar!
  
• It really does what it says and gives me energy. I never get the jitters like coffee can give me and I have never experienced a crash like I do with a traditional energy drink like Red Bull.

What I dislike about Zipfizz:

• It is a bit expensive. It is cheaper than most energy drinks. But at just under a dollar per serving, it is much more expensive than coffee (unless you buy your coffee at Starbucks).
  
• Sometimes the flavors seem a bit sweet. Now that the citrus isn't in my Costco pack, I don't have much option when I am in the mood for something a little more tart.
• Some people say that there is a "vitamin" smell to it, especially when it gets warm. I have never noticed.

So if you aren't a coffee drinker but still need something to get you going in the morning, I would definitely recommend Zipfizz. It is tasty, convenient and it gives me great energy to start my day.