I’ve long been a fan of 9Bars to fuel my active lifestyle, so I was interested to see that the bars have been rebranded and repackaged with the addition of new flavours. I was invited along to the relaunch to find out more about their “Good Energy, Twice” concept.
The morning began with a talk from nutritionist Liz Tucker on the health benefits of seeds. The main ingredient in every 9Bar is seeds, particularly hemp, pumpkin, sunflower and flax. Seeds are a nutritionally dense food- they are a great source of minerals, as well as protein and omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids.
Next, we were introduced to 9Bar’s new charity partner Solar Aid. The charity provide solar lamps to families in Africa, to replace the toxic and hazardous kerosene lamps which are currently used to light homes. Every time a 9Bar is purchased, another solar lamp is donated- they are calling the initiative “the power of seeds and the power of deeds”. It’s great to know that while you are eating a healthy nutritious snack, you are also providing much needed aid to some of the poorest communities in Africa.
We were then treated to a 30 minute Pilates session with Lynne Robinson who is dubbed “The High Priestess of Pilates”. The class was very gentle and relaxing with a focus on core engagement and spine mobility, using a pilates ball. The movements were very subtle and the adjustments were very slight. However I still found it quite challenging as my hamstrings were so tight after the London to Southend cycle.
Lynne’s class was taught with a lot of humour and a down to earth attitude, she kept us all laughing with comments about squeezing our back passages to avoid passing wind!
The class was lit by Solar Aid’s solar lamps, which created a nice dimmed ambience…
After class, we had the opportunity to meet two-time Olympic gold medalist Ed Clancy, who gave us an insight into his training and preparations on the upcoming Olympics in Rio. I got to try on Ed’s medals, I think they suit me well…
I left with plenty of samples of the new bars, my favourite is the Cocoa Kick Raspberry from the selection I’ve tried so far.
I was invited to the event as a guest of CCD relations, but all opinions are my own.
Have you tried 9Bars? What do you think of the new packaging and flavours?