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GNC: Head, shoulders, knees, and gut

I hope that song doesn’t hang around in your head all day like it does in mine. My only excuse is that we sing that song a LOT in kindergarten.

So, what does GNC have to do with all this? As a Fitfluential Ambassador, I had the opportunity to try some products from GNC and post a review here. I’m fairly new to the world of supplements and it is for that reason that I signed up for consideration for this campaign. Most of my adult life,  I have taken various vitamins usually in the form of a multi, B complex, C, and lately, D3. And since I have to watch closely for gluten, my search for vitamins has been….interesting to say the least.

GNC (General Nutrition Centers) sent me 3 supplements.

1. Ultra 25 Probiotic Complex 

Photo Apr 04, 5 58 37 PM

Suggested Use: Use 1 pill daily to promote healthy digestion and immune response by replenishing the good beneficial bacteria. Additional servings may be needed with antibiotic use, illness, lactose intolerance, and when traveling.

In my own words: This was extremely helpful in 2 situations.

  • After I had a wicked 3 day adventure with the classroom stomach virus, this helped me recover quickly. Nobody feels like chowing down on a steak and cruciferous veggies a few hours after the symptoms pass. But I returned to normal eating habits within 2 days. By normal, I mean a lot of protein and complex carbs from fruit and vegetables.
  • After a gluten contamination, I could definitely tell a difference in how my system responded after taking this probiotic. I seemed to bounce back very quickly which is important since dehydration is a risk with gluten contamination.

    Will I continue to use? Yes. I will continue to take daily and especially when we travel for the month of June.

    2. Tri-Flex Comfort

    Suggested Use: Use 1 pill daily to help with joint pain, stiffness, and mobility.

    In my own words: Achy joints in shoulders, knees, etc can benefit from using TriFlex.

    This does NOT contain glucosamine or chondroitin. This may shock you as it did me, but after further investigation, it uses the same 2 main ingredients in  newer lines of products from other joint mobility and joint function products. Undenatured Type II Collagen is found in the collagen we already have.  Hyaluronic Acid is the molecule that makes up our own joint fluid. Since both of these are already found in the body, these should be easily absorbed and utilized in the joints.

    About a year ago, one of my knees began making popping/cracking noises every time I squat down. It also has a tendency to get really stiff and achy. After two weeks of using this, the stiffness and achy feeling is gone. The noise is still going on, but I can live with noise. My knees are crucial for running and they feel loose (in a good way!) and healthy.

    Will I continue to use? Absolutely!

    3. Meta-ignite

    Photo Apr 05, 6 45 29 AM

    This is the one that I was most surprised about simply because I actually used it and it did everything it promised.

    Suggested Use: Use before a workout to ramp up the energy and increase the caloric burn before, during, and after your workout.

    In my own words: 3pm slump, headed to the park to run, take 2, see you later dripping with sweat and 10 dusty miles behind me. These gave me a clean energy (as opposed to a druggy, jittery, out-of-body experience. Don’t ask me how I know about those. I was young and stupid once). HOWEVER, I only used these before a running or crossfit workout. I felt like it gave me an edge in the morning to rip through the reps. But I felt they benefitted me more for running after work. I wish I could say that my change in diet has propelled me to insane energy highs that last 24-7. I can say that it is much easier to get out of bed each morning and eating the right foods does help the brain fog and lack of concentration. But 4pm after teaching a lot of students is still difficult. These pills with pepper, caffeine,  and cinnamon help with just getting to the gym or the park.

    Will I continue to use it? Yes, although not every day or every workout.

    For more information:

    GNC: Website

    GNC Twitter #RespectYourself

    **I received these products from GNC through Fitfluential, LLC for review purposes. All opinions are my own**

  • Katrina

    Wednesday 10th of April 2013

    I would definitely recommend the TriFlex. My husband took these with me (we bought another bottle!) because his knees are much worse and much more noisy than mine. He was a skeptic at first, but while they are still noisy, they feel less sore.

    I'm also going to invest in a couple of other GNC products. I've seen a lot of great reviews lately!

    Rachel @ painfreekitchen

    Monday 8th of April 2013

    The Triflex looks interesting. I had a water skiing accident about 3 years ago that I never got checked out. So to this day, if I run it starts to ache a lot. I might give the Triflex a shot. I've been thinking about investing in a few supplements from GNC anyway :)