Do you want good nutrition while trekking? Bivo! By Andrea Favret

We include hereby the article by Andrea Favret, author of the blog RITORNO ALLE ORIGINI – “Back to the Origin” (link to the original article here: https://ritornoao.wordpress.com/2017/11/25/alimentarsi-bene-durante-un-trekking-o-unescursione-bivo/). Thank you Andrea for the honest and precise review!

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I start by saying that who knows me or follow my blog knows well that I have always said written both what I think is positive and what I think is negative about products, places and people. Therefore, hereby it will not be different.

Around a month and a half ago a couple of young man contacted me via email to ask me to test a new product. Reluctant, very much when we are talking about food, especially since I am a professional in the restaurant business where me and my employer are trying to work with great effort for the 100% Italian and healthy, before accepting I read the ingredient list and anything about the company. I discover more about this smart food called Bivo.

The things that attract me to continue with the test are many; first of all the willingness that they declare and highlight not to provide a replacement for a correct diet. Davide and Taddeo, the founder of Ovidia Food, are the first to say that Bivo does is not supposed to make you lose weight, nor skip meals, but on the contrary is useful to have a balanced and nutritious meal when it is not possible to eat healthy. I like this aspect very much since the product wants to be a plus in people’s life.

Another fundamental point which pushed me to try Bivo is what is contained in the packs: oats flour, flaxseeds, borrage oil, vitamins and mineral salts. The whole product is made in Italy with natural ingredients, which is totally coherent with my idea of nutrition.

Lastly, the third peculiarity is the way it is consumed: you just open a pack, pour the content in a dedicated shaker with 500 ml of water, you shake it and drink. Easy to transport and to use.

After my “investigation” I accepted to test the product and in a short time I had the starter kit in my hand. The shaker, three packs of Bivo, one for each flavour (natural, mixed berry, coffee).

The first thing I did was taking the shaker and trying to fill it with water to see if it was losing water. In the ill-faded case that it could lose water while I am in the mountain, finding myself with the backpack wet would be a disaster! But the shaker is technically well-done and I could proceed with the test.

I wanted to try the first pack when I was not in the mountain, because I don’t like surprises. Then, an evening I bring Bivo with me and I drink (eat?) it while I am working. It seems at first glace a sludge similar to porridge, but more liquid. As soon as I put it in my mouth I could feel the taste of oats which I personally don’t like, but, you know, it is a subjective matter. I drink the first sip with difficulty but then I continue and finish it all. Thinking about its taste I realise that I am full. I normally eat a lot but it was enough as a dinner. I was really surprise.

I use the second pack during a day at the gym, while climbing. I can say that the taste went almost unnoticed. I could feel clearly the oats, but I don’t know if it was because I was hungry or what, I could almost enjoy it. This was the first time that I realised not only the fact that I was full, but also the fact that I was feeling “light”. This food is not heavy at all and very easy to digest, otherwise I could not continue my climbing session!

I test the last “dose” exactly for what the product has been developed: while trekking. I walk more than 1200 metres of difference in altitude with a normal pace, from borgo Maren (TV) to the pick Pizzoc, and then I prepare my Bivo. I am now used to the taste, and I started to enjoy it. I am almost surprised about the first sip I took some evening before. I experience again the fact that I am full but light, and also I realise that I don’t need to drink (it is also true that the day was fresh) because mixing Bivo with half a litre of water you are also hydrating your body. With its 685 kcal I was able to complete the hike without any problem and without eating anything else until evening.

So, like that I ended my test on the field. For me it is a highly positive experience, so much that I now continue to use Bivo during my trekkings or climbing sessions. The initial taste now does not bother me, actually I enjoy it. I know that the company has been working on the taste and improvements have been developed for the second version of the product: Bivo 2.0. The fact that it has a low glycemic index and that you can eat something sweet during the day is another added value which is good for the body and spirit! Surely, it is an exceptional product if you want to eat healthy, especially if you avoid the unhealthy sandwich at work. Still, it is developed for the long hikes or the trekkings of more than one day: think about a tour of 6 or more hours or if you need to sleep out without equipment. With this product you can have a structured and natural meal, which is a great thing for saving weight and space in your backpack, and also for your nutrition.

Congratulations then to Ovidia Food for the great job!

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