Reach Your Fitness and Health Goals With Idealfit

Discover some products to help you reach your health goals

          I received products from Idealfit to facilitate this post.

 I decided to change my fitness routine last year as I wanted to get stronger muscles. The first change that I made to my health routine, back in July, was to add more weightlifting into my workout time. Since I was just looking for strong muscles and not adding bulk to my body, I decided to visit the gym 3 days a week to lift some weights. Getting older was causing my arm muscles to sag and I had read in a magazine that weightlifting is beneficial for ladies over 40 in so many ways. I was already meeting my husband at the gym after he got off work so this was a perfect time to explore weightlifting. I am happy to say that my weightlifting sessions have helped not only my arm muscles but also my core muscles. My before and after photos of my 6th-month fitness update will give you the motivation to include weights in your workout routine.

 My weightlifting sessions were in addition to my running that I did in the morning five days a week. I finally realized through a fitness challenge that my body and mind need a morning workout. I used to hate exercising in the morning in the winter as I am not a morning person and my seasonal depression made me want to stay inside. Once I pushed myself to get out running in the morning, I discovered that morning fitness and an LED therapy light were what I needed to improve my mood to overcome my Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and say goodbye to winter blues. The only problem that I had with my nighttime weightlifting sessions at the gym with my husband was my lack of energy. Once that sun goes down in the winter, my body starts feeling tired. So I needed some energy so I could meet my husband ate the gym. My husband has been doing so well with his exercise to improve his health and it was important that I kept going to the gym with him as he needed my support.



 I started exploring ways to give my body some energy that did not involve caffeine or sugar. While I love my natural energy drinks that contain caffeine for an energy boost in the morning, I can't do caffeine after 3PM or I will have trouble falling asleep. None of these 10 sleep tips can counteract the caffeine, not even the weighted blanket that helps my restless son sleep.

 So I was happy to discover a STIM FREE Pre-Workout drink. I needed the benefits of a pre-workout supplement to give me energy for my weightlifting workout but I did not want the side effects that come with caffeine. I discovered that this stimulant-free workout drink from Idealfit was formulated for women. To me, that is a good thing as I don't want a workout supplement that is formulated for a guy. Ladies have different needs when it comes to bodybuilding and fitness.   

This Stim-Free Pre-workout drink came in some delicious flavors and I selected the Strawberry Lemonade and Passion Fruit flavors. I liked that these workout drinks did not contain any whey or dairy. I have to be careful with ingredients as my dairy allergy can trigger an asthma attack. So I have learned to be a label reader. Exercise helps my asthma but working out with asthma can be challenging. The IdealLean Pre-work was delicious and had an amazing fruity scent. My teen asked me for a sip of the exercise drink as he said it smelled so good.

I drank the pre-workout fitness drink 20 minutes before I headed to the gym and it gave me the perfect amount of energy to lift weights for 30 minutes. I loved that this fitness drink did not make me feel hyper or like I had excess energy to burn. I admit that energy drinks with caffeine can give me a lot of energy but that is perfect when I want to run fast. When I am lifting weights it is about controlled movements and hyper energy from caffeine could cause me to lift the weights improperly. So I liked the controlled energy that the IdealLean gave me as it was just enough to motivate me to get my workout done.

IdealFit sells more than pre-workout drinks

    IdealFit has an amazing selection of products for women who have fitness and health goals. IdealFit is a store that sells protein powders and supplements that are made the nutritional needs of ladies. I was amazed at all the delicious flavors of protein powders that you can buy. IdealFit had flavors like lemon, cookies and cream, and even vegan protein powder. This unique store for ladies with health goals also had supplements like omegas and workout clothes. 

  New workout clothes are a great fitness motivation tool for me so I had to get some new fitness tops with the order of my pre-workout drinks. The IdealFit tank top that I am wearing in the above photo is so cute and comfortable. This tank top is form-fitting and I love how light the fabric is so I don't feel sweaty while wearing it. I also had to have the relaxed-fit core hem t-shirt. I was thinking that this loose-fitting shirt would be great for my online yoga classes and relaxing around the house. I have my eye on some sports bras which I will order when I need some vegan protein powder. My favorite part of shopping at IdealFit is the prices, especially on workout clothes. They have some good deals for workout clothing and their sales right now means that you can get protein powder for the best prices. So if you are looking to try a new flavor of protein powder beyond vanilla and chocolate then you need to take a look at IdealFit's website. Cute exercise clothes are always the best reward for reaching your fitness goals. 

I Gave Up Coffee For A Week With The #MATI30 Challenge

Could you give up coffee for a week? For a month?

I received samples of MATI to facilitate this post. 
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 I love coffee and my day is not complete without several cups of delicious coffee. That delicious brown caffeinated drink is my favorite drink and it is the best part of waking up. I drink coffee mostly for the taste but also for the wonderful energy it provides. I don't think I am addicted to coffee for the energy but more for the taste and habit. There is just something about a warm cup of joe that inspires me to write. Ok, maybe I do use caffeine in the morning when I want to go running but that caffeine comes in the form of an energy drink when I go running first thing in the morning. That morning caffeine gives me the energy to workout and it helps open up my lungs so I don't have an asthma attack. I discovered that caffeine helps with asthma and exercise last year before I discovered through a blood test that dairy was the cause of my asthma. So maybe I justify my coffee addiction to the amazing health benefits that I get and that is why I am fine with my 2-3 cups of daily cold-brew coffee. Coffee does have antioxidants and can help with many diseases so I will not give up my coffee, ever!



How I discovered that a dairy allergy was causing my asthma

 I thought that I would never give up my daily coffee until a company reached out to me and asked me if I wanted to do the #MATI30 Challenge in exchange for better health. The company wanted me to drink their natural energy drink instead of my daily coffee. MATI wanted me to break free from the crash that comes with the typical caffeinated beverage choice and make the switch to the certified organic energy drink for one month. I thought to myself, these natural energy drinks were made with simple natural ingredients and had no added sugars, so I needed to give them a chance. I knew that these organic energy drinks would be great to drink before I went running as I already drink an energy drink then but I was not too sure I wanted to drink a MATI instead of my sweet coffee.



So many delicious flavors

 So I did some research before I said yes to the #MATI30 Challenge. I discovered that the sparkling energy drink was brewed with three, clean, organic ingredients: guayusa, fruit juice, and carbonated water. I also discovered that MATI came in lots of delicious flavors and had a naturally occurring caffeine in it that had nearly double the antioxidants of green tea. This caffeine came from the guayusa an Amazonian super leaf that also contains theobromine, which acts as a natural time release for the caffeine (i.e. no spike, no crash).

Challenge accepted
 Since the organic energy drink sounded so much healthier than my coffee and it was summertime, I said yes to the give up my coffee challenge. A cold can of an organic natural energy drink sounded so refreshing on a hot day. So with the promise of some delicious drinks, I knew that I could put my warm cup of coffee aside for thirty days.

Day one and two were so easy
 The energy drinks arrived to my house and I was ready to start the no coffee challenge. I received three different flavors of organic energy drinks with different levels of calories. MATI comes in 9 delicious flavors and you can select from 0, 40, or 90 calorie levels. The calories per can represent how much juice is in each can. So I liked that I had choices. I started day one with excitement as I was excited to try the different flavors of the energy drinks. The energy drinks had a nice taste to them and had some sweetness to them without being over sweet. Since the day was hot, they were refreshing to drink. I did not notice any changes in my energy on day one or two. Then day three arrived and I started to crave a cup of coffee. I was busy helping my daughter move that day so I did not have time to give in to my craving for coffee. That was until I got home later that afternoon and I just had to have a cup of coffee. I caved in and had a cup of decaf coffee as I just wanted the coffee taste. I justified my decision for coffee with the fact that I was not having any caffeine. I drank my decaf coffee.

Ten Tips For Exercising With Asthma 

Day four and beyond got easier
 Day four was easier as I was enjoying the cold refreshing energy drink over ice in my favorite cup with a straw. I started to notice that I did not feel tired in the afternoon and my brain was working better. I felt like writing even though the house was hot. I even felt like heading to the gym later that day. I think the heat of the summer was helping me with this give up the coffee challenge as I usually like my coffee warm. So the next couple of days were manageable as I kept my fridge stocked with the cans of MATI organic energy drinks.  I think having more than three flavors would have made things easier as I like variety in my drinks. I did add some of my CHERRISH Tart Cherry Juice to the natural energy drinks a couple of days for a different flavor. The 100% tart cherry juice also helped my muscles recover after I went to the trampoline park with my boys. The Cherrish Cherry drink also has lots of antioxidants in it and helps with inflammation. If you have never had Cherrish Tart Cherry Juice, you have to try it as it is 100% juice with some amazing health benefits. I am excited that CHERRiSH is available in Albuquerque's Albertsons Markets, as well as additional Market Street and United Supermarkets throughout New Mexico and Texas.

Will I give up coffee completely?
 I was able to complete the #MATI30 Challenge for 10 days before I had to have another cup of cold brew coffee. I was glad that I proved to myself that I did not need coffee to get through the day and I loved the natural energy that I received from MATI organic energy drinks. My mind did not have the jittery feeling that I sometimes get from drinking too much coffee. I will not give up coffee completely as I love the taste of coffee. I am fine with drinking 1-2 cups of coffee a day but I will be incorporating delicious MATI into my day along with coffee. I will be drinking a can of MATI in the morning before I go running as I love the energy that I get from these delicious organic energy drinks. I find that a cold refreshing natural energy drink is easier on an empty stomach than coffee so that is why I love drinking MATI before running. I may also switch up my afternoon cup of coffee for a can of MATI for the health benefits as I liked how it made my brain work better. The MATI energy drink would give me some amazing energy before my strenuous workout at the gym.


Would you be willing to take the #MATI30 challenge?
 Get more details about the #MATI30 challenge HERE and you may have a chance to receive a 30 day supply of MATI organic energy drink so you can take the challenge.

This July, avid coffee drinkers are challenged to declare independence from their primary caffeine source and make a switch to the certified organic energy drink MATI for one month. Yes, 30 days without coffee. The reality is, not all caffeine is created equal. Several go-to caffeinated beverages like coffee drinks and diet sodas are often packed with added sugars, traditional energy drinks contain questionable ingredients, and all of them create an energy spike and crash that can cause the jitters and counteract the reason for consuming caffeine in the first place. 

The beverage brand is working to break the stigma that comes with what many people think of traditional energy drinks and wants to serve as an option for people that are taking a closer look at their daily routines to make healthier choices little by little.

Check out the slate of refreshing MATI flavors to get a taste of the variety you can choose from when you make the switch.