Shakeology ~ and a Giveaway!

So what IS Shakeology? 

Don't worry. That's what I wanted to know right off the bat too. As excited as I was about the Beachbody opportunity and the amazing workout programs they had to offer, I wanted to be 100% on board with all of it. I knew that there was no way I could tout the benefits of a shake I myself didn't love. 

It's very important to me that I know what's IN the nutritional supplements I choose to take for a couple of reasons. 

• I don't want to just throw random ingredients into my body and hope for the best.
• I want to be sure that my money is going towards the best things for me.
• I've always been extra sensitive to supplements. This is in part due to the MTHFR genetic mutation I have.

Because of this, I will always scrutinize and research the ingredients of any new product I decide to take. Lastly, I count on my own body to give me feedback as to whether or not "xyz supplement" is going to work for me. This is so important I believe! And I'll give you an example why.

Being into health and fitness I've tried many different whey protein powders over the years. Experts say it's one of the easiest things for our bodies to absorb post-workout - whey that is - because it's easily absorbed by our muscle cells that are open and ready for replenishment after being torn apart during exercise. I never stayed with them long though because I could tell that my body couldn't handle it. Immediately after making a shake (that may or may not taste so great - usually not!) I would get gassy and bloated. Fun right? If you know anything about nutrition you know that gas and bloating directly after a meal means your body isn't digesting and absorbing what you just took in. So what is the point of spending X amount of dollars on a protein powder that my body isn't even going to reap the benefits of? No point.

I loved the ease and simplicity of blending up a shake but I never came across one that I actually looked forward to, felt a difference from drinking, and even craved.

**********

Until Shakeology! Ya'll, I'm going to be real with you. I'm not good at lying. I was always the kid in class who spoiled the joke the rest of the class tried to play on the teacher or who ruined a surprise for someone because I felt so vigilant about speaking the truth. I don't have it in me to tell you how great a product is, if I really don't think that it is. I can't say, "Shakeology has given me so much energy!" if I haven't seen a difference in that area. I can't chug something down each day for breakfast that I don't honestly think tastes good.

I started off with 4 sample packets - 2 Vegan Chocolate and 2 Vegan Tropical Strawberry. I chose the vegan over the regular for two reasons. 

1. The above mentioned MTHFR that I have. Because of that, I need to avoid folic acid in my food and supplements. Shakeology is filled with vitamins and minerals that for most people obviously don't pose a problem, but for me, I needed to go with the vegan to avoid the vitamin fortification. (I take special methylated vitamins of my own.)
2. Also like I said before, my body has never loved whey protein. (People with MTHFR often don't handle dairy well.) The vegan shakeology is plant protein based - perfect!

Being at the end of my first trimester, I was still having a hard time getting enough protein in due to a huge meat aversion. After just a few days, I truly began craving these shakes filled with protein and a slew of super foods and nutrition that my body just hadn't been getting the past ten weeks. Hello, nausea!

I even stretched out my samples until my first order could arrive. And I've been drinking them every day since, alternating strawberry / chocolate every other day. I add banana, peanut butter, fruit, milk, water, ice - and it transforms into this amazingly thick, frosty drink that has become my favorite part of the morning. And so quick and easy to drink as I drive to work.

I also DID noticed an increase in energy! Shakeology contains no caffeine but after just a few days, I really started feeling great. Energized is really the only way I can describe it and for a busy mom - energy is everything. I was making it further into the day before I felt tired and I just felt ALIVE. No gas. No bloating.

I could go on :-) But I'm going to stop for now and let you take a look at what really goes into each serving of Shakeology. We're talking protein, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, adaptogen herbs, prebiotics, probiotics, and digestive enzymes. 

Have I peaked your interest?! Maybe a little? Wanna try some for yourself?

Enter below to win 2 Vegan Shakeology packets - 1 each of Chocolate / Tropical Strawberrry

And of course please reach out with any comments or questions! I would love to hear from you. :-)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BEHOLD, The Lettuce Wich

I've been on kind of a sandwich kick. Except I can't eat bread. And I pretty much have been eating lunch out every day which is so not the norm for me but so goes the first trimester. Leftovers have been non-existent since I haven't been cooking and trying to pick out something in the morning to take was just not happening. I've worn out the gluten-free options (Wendy's baked potato and salad or Chipotle) around where I work and decided it sure would be nice just to have a sandwich.

Enter: the Lettuce Wich! I've had three now - one from Lenny's Subs and two from Which Wich. The Lettuce Wich is actually a thing on Which Wich's menu and I liked theirs better. I appreciated Lenny's making me one though! :-) Today's was my favorite. I got turkey, Swiss cheese, mayo, mustard, spinach, cucumber, tomato, pickles, salt and pepper. It's COLD too which fits my pregnancy palate right now. I thought I should try and make these at home but...I probably won't. ha.

If you're gluten-free or just really like lettuce, give the lettuce wich a try. You might like it! :>

Primal Pit Paste ~ Review and Giveaway!

 "Pit Paste." It's catchy right? ;-)

I love this stuff! And I want you to love it too. Muchas gracias to my friend Rachel for recommending it. This was my second natural deodorant to try over the past year or so. The first type I bought left me a bit irritated (redness, bumps) sticky, and I noticed some staining on a couple of shirts. No bueno. I went back to my Dove. And no sweating.

But is no sweat really a good thing? Antiperspirant/Deodorant combos are designed to keep us from sweating/smelling. A common ingredient used to do this is aluminum chloride or aluminum chlorohydrate - metallic salts. (While there have been some studies linking aluminum to breast cancer and Alzheimer's, I'm not going to cover that here.) They work to block the sweat ducts through a process that ultimately ends in sweat being produced but unable to reach the surface. Cool right? #seewhatididthere

Sweating is a perfectly normal process though, not necessarily one we want to prevent. We sweat when it's warm outside, during exercise, or when faced with a stressful situation. It's the body's natural response to keep us cool. It's not the sweat itself that smells - body odor is produced when sweat is broken down by regular skin bacteria. And while it's true that some people struggle with excessive sweating, for the average person managing B.O. is probably more important than banishing sweat forever.

Primal Pit Paste does an excellent job of just this! Their tag line boasts: KILLING THE ODOR WITHOUT KILLING YOUR BODY! and is free of aluminum and parabens. The makers wanted a product that was natural and that worked. You can read more here.

They offer a variety of deodorant strengths and scents (even for kids!) at a very affordable price point. I opted for the unscented "light" version due to my first experience. If you prefer scented, know that PPP uses pure and natural essential oils only. You can purchase a jar or stick - or both, and keep one at home and one for the road. The application is not messy but goes on smoothly and absorbs completely with no sticky residue. Also, no staining! And I love knowing I'm no longer applying aluminum and other chemicals to my arm pits everyday. :-)

Ingredients: Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Raw Shea Butter, Non-Aluminum Baking Soda, Organic Arrowroot Powder

I apologize for the photo quality!

I can officially say that this stuff holds up in the Texas heat too. We went to a balloon festival recently (NOT as fun as it sounds like) and it. was. hot. We trekked 3/4 of a mile both ways, just walking from the car and back as well as a good thirty minutes of walking in-between. Once we got home I did the sniff test and tada! No smell. None. Did I sweat? Yes but nothing too crazy. And there was absolutely no stink. #primalpitpasteforthewin

I tested it again today on a 30 minute walk and 20 minutes of weights. #stinkfree! 

SO. Who wants to win their very own Primal Pit Paste natural deodorant? I know you do! And here's your chance. Simply enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below (you must log in) and follow the instructions by leaving a blog comment. Tell me why you'd like to try PPP and which formula you'd choose. You can check them out here. For additional points (not mandatory) tweet the message below using the Rafflecopter entry. You can do this option once per day.

On Saturday the 27th, I'll announce the winner! The giveaway is for 1 jar of Primal Pit Paste.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Entering! 

Sources

*Derm Net NZ

*AntiperspirantsInfo

IDLife - Meal Replacement Shake ~ REVIEW!

I'm always up for FREE. Always.

So...when my friend Melody was offering some FREE samples of her IDLife shake mix, I said sure! I told her I might even review it on my blog. This morning I wasn't running as late as I usually am so I decided to try it. I probably should have done the review using just the mix and some milk but I'm always wary of strong protein powder taste in my shakes. I hate it when that's all you taste!

I mixed up:

• 1 frozen banana
• 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup water
• 4 ice cubes
• 1 plop of peanut butter (that's an exact measurement)
• IDLife Meal Replacement Shake mix

I blended it up in my Vitamix and drank it as I drove to work. The verdict? I liked it! There was absolutely no protein powder taste and it was super smooth. No grit, no chunks, just chocolate-y goodness that seemed like a milkshake. (frozen banana helps here I think...as far as the consistency/thickness. I don't like thin shakes. unlike someone else in this house

I didn't feel like I was drinking a protein shake. It was super yum and I'm looking forward to trying the vanilla flavor now. Here are some stats on the IDLife Meal Replacement shake mix:

130 calories
2 grams of fat
7 grams of carbohydrate
4 grams of sugar
23 grams of protein

OMEGA FATTY ACIDS

• Omega-3 800mg
• Omega-6 250 mg
• Omega-9 96mg

The omegas in the mix come from micro-milled Chia Seed powder! And the mix is sweetened with Stevia. 

Thank you Melody for letting me sample this! I would definitely drink it in the future. :-) If you'd like more information on IDLife, check out: www.theidlifedream.com.