Feeling SPARK-y?

For a few months now I've been hearing and reading a lot about Advocare from other bloggers and a few friends of mine.  Are you familiar with Advocare? 

According to their website, Advocare is a premier health and wellness company offering world-class energy, weight-loss, nutrition, and sports performance products along with a rewarding business opportunity.

They offer a variety of products, but I find their Spark product the most intriguing!  Who couldn't use an extra energy boost?!?  It is also said to enhance mental focus, help fight occasional drowsiness, provide 20+ vitamins, minerals and nutrients and is sugar-free and only 45 calories!  You can read more about Spark here.

After going Paleo and completing a Whole30 challenge, I think I'm pretty well off in the diet and nutrition arena.  I'm also one of those people who for whatever reason is just a morning person.  It doesn't take much to get me up and going each day, but I really wanted to just give it a try and see if the hype was real....

Enter a Facebook giveaway from one of my friends who is a distributor.  She was going to give away a packet to the first five people who sent her a private message requesting a sample.  I was lucky number five!!

After the Spark arrived in the mail, I waited a few days to give it a try.  If it was that wonderfully magical I didn't want to just use it on some random day!   

I know, I'm weird.  

When I finally decided there was a day fitting of giving it a try, I whipped up a smoothie (keep scrolling for the recipe) that incorporated my Spark.  I had no idea what to expect flavor wise, but I was pleasantly surprised by the tart and sour zing, which I could only attribute to the Spark.  About twenty minutes after drinking my smoothie, I could definitely tell there was an extra something going on... 

I felt brighter eyed, the world was clearer and I noticed a little extra 'umph'!  It was all subtle though, which I appreciated.  I didn't want to be a wide-eyed, anxious ball of nerves!  The smoothie was also filling enough that it carried me through until lunch time.  Double bonus.

So, the question is: Would I actually pay for Spark?  Yes.  Although I don't think it's something that I need to incorporate into my daily routine, I did like that extra 'something' that it added to my day.  I'm not a slave to coffee, nor do I have kids to wrangle in the mornings, but I could definitely see myself drinking it prior to horse shows this summer! 

Have any of you tried any of the Advocare products?  Are you a Spark drinker?  Do you use it everyday?

Mango-Strawberry Spark Smootie
Serves 1

Ingredients:
5 frozen strawberries
1 frozen banana, previously peeled and sliced
1 clementine, peeled
1 handful of fresh spinach
1 packet Mango-Strawberry Spark
6 oz. water

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients and pulse until smooth. Scrape down the sides of blender as needed.