Do you need an afternoon jolt most days? I usually do, and sometimes there is nothing better than an afternoon cup of coffee and a giant chocolate chip cookie to help with an energy boost. But it’s summer and here in Madison, Wisconsin, maybe the hottest summer ever with temps hovering around 100 degrees almost every afternoon. So it’s best to have something cold, or–even better–something frozen.

So I tried a product this week called SLAP FROZEN Energy–a slushy energy drink, for lack of a better term. I am not sure if this is exactly true, but I think the word “SLAP” comes from the fact that you have to slap the beverage, which comes in an easy to squeeze pouch, against the counter or hard surface in order to loosen it up after three minutes.

They sent me three pouches–two crisp apple and one strawberry-frost. There is also a lemonade flavor which they did not send. And the drink is really delicious, refreshing, and gives that jolt I look for in the afternoon. It doesn’t have that horrible toothpaste-meets-orange-juice flavor of traditional energy drinks, but instead just taste like slushies. And there is nothing wrong with that on a hot day. And you get 25% more energy than those other brands with an infusion of taurine, caffeine, and Vitamins B3, B6, and B12.

My only beef–that mine took more like ten to fifteen minutes to defrost to the point that I could drink/slurp them. Maybe it’s my freezer, but they were rock solid when I removed them from the freezer and had to sit on my desk for a while. But I would certainly buy the product. In fact, I am going to look for them and stock up for the rest of the summer. They are available at retailers such as Wal-Mart and Casey’s General Stores.

For more information, you can visit www.slapfrozen.com or their Facebook and Twitter pages. And SLAP FROZEN Energy is especially going to come in handy for the Olympics, which begin tomorrow in London in a time zone that could be five to eight hours away, depending on where you live.

Sometimes food and sports intersect, and as a fan of both, that doesn’t bother me one bit. So when I was asked to check out three new items from Gatorade, and plug Carolina Panthers’ quarterback Cam Newton’s endorsement, it was hard to say no.

First off, the products–new Gatorade G Series Energy Chews; 28 oz. thirst quencher bottle; and G Series Protein Recovery Shake. The chews were orange flavor and came in a small sleeve with six chews. You squeeze the wrapper, making them easy to pop out and into your mouth, and a serving size is six chews/one package. Let me say that not only were they tasty like a big soft jelly candy, but I tried these on Thursday afternoon, and I literally felt like I was going to fly out the roof of my office. I think it has to do with the B-vitamins, but wow.

The 28 oz. thirst quencher bottle (they sent me this in orange as well) was regular Gatorade, or what they call the “perform” part of their new-ish “prime-perform-recover” mantra. But the bottle had an hour glass shape, making it easy to hold, and likely easier to hold with sweaty hands than the standard bottle of water or sports drink.

Finally, the G Series Protein Recovery Shake. Well, I had back surgery a few months ago and have not been able to work out beyond walking, so it’s not like I could test out the post-workout aspect. But I know the difference between chocolate milk and a protein shake. Protein shakes often tasty chalky or too much like health food. But the G Series chocolate flavor they sent was more like chocolate milk–no weird aftertaste, and delicious.

As for Cam Newton, here is a clip of him discussing staying ahead of the competition, including proper nutrition that now involves the G Series Energy Chews:

If you work out a lot, or even a little…or if you love Gatorade like I do, you should check this stuff out.