Stuff We Like

Gluten free, artificial color free, and kosher. Contains 130 calories and 3 grams of protein per 17-cracker serving.

Dropping wheat-y foods like bread and crackers from your diet is a good way to control appetite and deflate that spare tire around your waist, even if you're not worried about the big gluten monster. But many of the healthier wheat-free products taste, well, wheat free... and healthier. The texture is just all wrong.

Not Blue Diamond Nut Thins. These gluten-free crackers are made mostly from almonds and rice, and they'll definitely satisfy your cravings for crunch. – Chris Shugart

Made with grass-fed clarified butter. No preservatives, no artificial flavorings, no diacetyl, no trans-fat, no hydrogenated oils. The bag contains no chemical coatings or plastic.

Popcorn actually has more polyphenols (healthful plant chemicals) than fruits and vegetables. Problem is, most microwavable popcorns use plastic coated bags containing all sorts of nasty chemicals. Not Quinn Snacks. Their compostable and recyclable paper bags don't contain any chemical coatings, plastic, PFC, heat-concentrating susceptor, or PFOA.

Each bag comes with a separate pouch that contains real, grass-fed, clarified butter that you mix into the finished product. The taste is impressive – not too salty, not too buttery. Just perfect. – TC Luoma

Paleo, vegan, organic.

It's not just fancy cocoa. It's made with reishi mushroom, which has become known as an adaptogen. Many people swear by its sleep supporting, stress relieving effects. Each packet has 500mg of red reishi mushroom (ganoderma lucidum) extract.

How does it taste? Darn good. It's lightly sweet with a hit of cinnamon. At only 25 calories a serving, it makes a great "snack" after dinner when you're normally tempted to reach for something you shouldn't. – Dani Shugart

Gluten free, vegan, kosher, and non GMO. Made with organic chickpeas. Contains 50 calories and 3 grams of carbs per serving.

Most of the big-factory tubs of hummus you find in stores contain soybean oil, but real hummus is made with olive oil. Well, Lilly's is real-deal hummus. It's handmade using kettle-cooked chickpeas (not canned), olive oil, sesame tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Simple, clean, and tasty.

Each of these lunchbox-sized containers has two servings and they're shelf-stable, so you can toss one in your gym bag to eat later without refrigeration. And try this: Blend equal parts hummus with almond or regular milk, then add salt and pepper. You've just made a killer salad dressing. – Chris Shugart

Bioavailable. Digested and absorbed quickly. Improves joint, ligament, and tendon health. From grass-fed and pasture raised sources. Paleo.

Lift hard and heavy for long enough and your joints, tendons, and ligaments will start to bark at you. If your elbows and knees are yapping, collagen will help. In fact, recent studies have shown that collagen works better than glucosamine and chondritin. I just toss mine into protein shakes, oatmeal, or even baked goods recipes.

– Chris Shugart

Supports heart health and cognitive function. Supports the defense of mitochondrial DNA. Works synergistically with CoQ10. Supports the generation of new mitochondria (mitochondrial biogenesis).

Most people haven't even heard of the tiny cellular organelles known as mitochondria, but they constitute roughly 10 percent of our body weight. Too bad so many of them deteriorate or die off as we get older. If we can coax the body into growing more of them, we could theoretically double our life span, get rid of a whole bunch of diseases, and improve our strength-endurance by miles. One thing that's been shown to make mitochondria multiply is something called PQQ, and that's why it's one of my mainstay supplements. – TC Luoma

Contains the active, methylated forms of folate and vitamin B12 (5-MTHF and methylcobalamin). Support for heart, blood vessel, brain, nerve, and bone health. Gluten free. Allergen free.

More and more people are testing positive for the gene mutation, MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase). Some experts believe MTHFR makes people more prone to chronic health issues and autoimmune problems. They also have a harder time converting folic acid into its active form, L-methylfolate, and they're more likely to be deficient in vitamin B12. So as someone with MTHFR, I supplement with methylated B vitamins to make sure I get what my body's missing out on. – Dani Shugart

Highest Potency, GMP Quality Assured

Chances are, you're at least a little deficient in vitamin D. Most people are. And deficiencies can cause a host of problems: low testosterone, reduced power, reduced muscular size and strength, poor endurance, and maybe even depression-like symptoms.

I like this brand because they're inexpensive, easy to swallow, and pack 5000 IU into every tiny capsule. I take one daily in the winter and then one about every other day during the sunnier months of the year. – Chris Shugart

Vegan-friendly, organic, and wild-harvested herbal ingredients. Helps relieve discomfort due to irregular digestion. Use to increase your body’s production of bile for effective digestion and absorption of fats.

You want your intestinal health to be so good it doesn't need any extra support. Unfortunately, life happens and that's not always possible. Many things can slow digestive motility like anesthesia from surgery, antibiotics, and other pesky things. That's where this product comes in. I use it on rare occasions to get "things" moving in the right direction, and it works like a charm. – Dani Shugart

Supports cardiovascular and immune system health. 100 mg of pycnogenol per serving. Vegetarian capsules.

Pycnogenol, or as it's more commonly known, pine bark extract, is a polyphenol that's long been touted to control glucose levels and increase nitric oxide levels, which means that it's good for fighting diabetes and strengthening erections. Recent research also shows that it reduces levels of DHT, which plays a big role in growing a big, bulky prostate, not to mention causing hair loss. So, to recap: stronger erections, normalized blood sugar levels, a healthy prostate, and a full head of hair. You bet your ass I'm taking it. – TC Luoma

Contains 22mg of gentle whole food iron and whole food vitamins C, B-12, and folate to support iron utilization. Contains probiotics and enzymes for absorption and digestive support. Vegan, gluten free, dairy free. No binders or fillers.

Women – even the meat eating type – are notoriously low in iron. This can cause extreme fatigue, weakness, and even dizzy spells. Not good when you're trying to work out. But most iron supplements cause digestive distress. This one doesn't though. In fact, I notice better digestion when using it. And it contains vitamin C which increases your absorption of iron. – Dani Shugart

Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite

Some conspiracy theories are true. For example, some junk food manufacturers test their products on rats first. If the rats can't control their appetites after eating them, the products are approved. And did you know that many restaurants chemically manipulate the foods they serve so you'll eat faster, not get full, and order dessert? Did you know the fat/sugar/salt combo is used to trigger cravings?

All this causes overeating and something darn close to addiction. This book teaches you how to fight back. A great read for overeaters and anyone fascinated by food and science. – Chris Shugart