Amanda Stein Amanda Stein

My review of our mPulse Sunlighten sauna

When we first decided to do our basement Speak Easy, my husband had only 2 requests: a sauna and a urinal. I’ll be honest, I didn’t really know much about sauna’s and I didn’t really care much about having one in our home. I decided to look into them a bit since my husband was so passionate about wanting one. After looking on Amazon and Home Depot and seeing prices of roughly $2,000.00 I figured it was definitely a manageable and attainable goal and would fit within our budget. We also wanted to create a spa like atmosphere in our bathroom in our basement Speak Easy, so I figured this would be a great addition!

Anything underlined is a shoppable link.

After deep diving down the rabbit hole and doing some research, I stumbled upon infrared saunas, which I hadn’t previously heard of. While researching I learned that infrared saunas actually provide so many more health benefits that you don’t get with traditional saunas because they contain the far, near and mid infrared rays which include the red light therapy (I’m sure you’ve seen many of the red light therapy masks that people are using for collagen production, acne and anti-aging).

Some of the incredible benefits you get from an infrared sauna:

  • improved sleep

  • anti aging (the red light increases collagen production and elastin)

  • detoxification

  • strengthened and improved heart health

  • muscle recovery

  • relaxation 

  • stronger immunity

  • weight loss


We began really focusing on our health within the last year, so after learning of all of the health benefits of an infrared sauna, I began looking for the best quality (and most affordable) option for our home and stumbled across the Sunlighten website. I was immediately intrigued when I noticed Google referred to this brand as the “Cadillac” of all saunas. 

It was also voted the Worlds Best Sauna. In all transparency, their website is less than ideal. One thing I would HIGHLY recommend is putting your information in to have a rep contact you about your exact wants, needs and desires for your sauna because this was SO helpful and beneficial to me. I found that their website wasn’t the most user-friendly and didn’t have the information that I was looking for regarding pricing so I entered my email and a rep contacted me the same day. While I had the rep on the phone, I was able to compare all of the different models and they also instantly had the pricing available. I originally thought I wanted a signature model, but after talking with the rep, I realized that I really wanted the smart mPulse Believe model. 

Like I previously mentioned, we ended up purchasing the mPulse Believe sauna. One of my favorite parts of our sauna is that it is a SMART sauna, so it can be preheated, temperature controlled and the sound system and lights all can be managed directly and conveniently from my phone. Typically at night I will preheat it while I am getting the kids ready for bed so it is ready for my husband and I to use once they are asleep. I am also able to control the internal and external lights from my phone, and it has Bluetooth as well as a speaker system with a tablet so we are able to watch Netflix (and binge the most recent season of Love is Blind) while we are in the sauna. This is genuinely one of the highlights of my day each day, and we both look forward to it! I never thought that the tablet would be something that we would use but we have found that when we do not have a show to watch the heat is a lot harder to bear. Lol.

I genuinely thought my husband was crazy for wanting a sauna, but now after having it for several months (we got ours in September of last year), I can not say enough incredible things about it. We typically spend about 60 minutes each night in the sauna (sometimes a little bit more, sometimes a little bit less). I feel absolutely incredible each night after using the sauna, and both my husband and I have lost weight since we began our nightly ritual of using the sauna. You can actually burn about 400-500 calories per session which is incredible. One thing I was really shocked to notice was that if I miss a day or two of going in the sauna, I sweat so much more. If I am consistent in my routine of using it each day, I don’t sweat nearly as much which I definitely believe is due to built up toxins.

FAQ

Is it complicated to install?

Not at all! Drew and I were both shocked by how quickly and easily this was to set up. We carried it downstairs ourselves (it was wicked heavy), and it took roughly 30 minutes to set up. It came in about 6 pieces and surprisingly came together with just 2 pins after connecting the wiring. 

Are there any special requirements for installation?

There is a special outlet plug that is needed to be able to plug the sauna in. It was just a quick outlet exchange by an electrician, but anyone that is handy would probably be able to do it themselves (it doesn’t need any special wiring, just the outlet needs to be swapped).

Does it make your electric bill go up?

We honestly have not seen a drastic change in our electric bill AT ALL since we got the sauna. On average each month it is roughly $25.00-30.00 more each month than it was before we got our sauna. We both love the sauna so much and have noticed so many benefits with consistent use that we believe it is well worth it!

How big is the sauna?

Our sauna is technically a 3 seater sauna, but it definitely more comfortably fits 2 people. It is about 5 feet wide.

After purchasing my sauna and falling in love with it, I reached out to them and asked them to be a partner, and they gave me a coupon to share with my followers for $600 off any Sunlighten Sauna! When you click the link below, the coupon will automatically be applied to your account when you sign up to speak with a rep. But also make sure you mention me by name to ensure that you’re getting your full discount. 🤍

Get $600 off of your Sunlighten Sauna here.

Before I decided on a Sunlighten sauna we almost purchased this similar version on Amazon (pictured below) for a fraction of the price. It has great reviews if you’re in the market for something in a lower price point. You can check it out here.

If you have any other questions about these incredible sauna’s please let me know, I could not be happier with our sauna and I love chatting about it with you guys!


Affiliate links are mentioned throughout this post.

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Amanda Stein Amanda Stein

How I’m losing weight with protein ice cream and my Ninja Creami

If you have been following me for a long time then you know that I have a huge sweet tooth, and I am a self proclaimed s’mores aficionado. In fact, when we first switched to clean living and making clean swaps for our pantry staples, swapping out my s’mores supplies was genuinely the hardest for me! It is hard to beat a delicious, classic s’mores. Luckily, I found the perfect swaps so I can still indulge in my favorite sweet tooth craving AND reap the benefits of using clean, nontoxic products.

Anything underlined is a shoppable link.

In addition to continuing our clean living journey, another huge priority for myself this year was continuing to focus on my overall health, continue my CrossFit and fitness journey, and increase my protein intake. To do this, I decided I would satisfy my massive sweet tooth craving and purchase a ninja creami. I know what you’re thinking- how on earth does purchasing an at home ice cream machine help with your overall health and fitness journey and increase your protein? Usually indulging in ice cream has the opposite affect and sabotages your fitness goals. Well, friends I have found a way to indulge in DELICIOUS homemade protein ice cream each night (not exaggerating), AND it has roughly 40 grams of protein. Want to know the craziest part? I have LOST 11 pounds since January.

Delicious protein ice cream is the perfect solution for me, as it satisfies my sweet tooth cravings and helps me with my daily protein intake. I know I could have stuck to protein bars, protein shakes, or having more meat with each meal, but let’s be real- ice cream is hard to beat. I am so shocked by the creaminess and deliciousness of the ice cream the Creami has made. I will be honest, I was a bit skeptical how protein ice cream was going to taste. Now after perfecting my recipe, I can honestly and genuinely say that I prefer this ice cream over any store bought ice cream, and it is far healthier, and is helping me reach my protein and fitness goals.

I will be honest, I have tried a few other flavor combinations, but I just love my s’mores.

Here is my tried and true favorite recipe that I enjoy each and every night:

Step 1

In a blender blend 1.5 cups of chocolate Fairlife milk and 2 scoops of chocolate fudge Orgain Protein Powder. Pour into Creami container and freeze for 8 hours.

Step 2

Once frozen, place into Creami machine, turn on, tap the “full” button, and run on “lite ice cream” setting for 4 minutes.

Step 3

Don’t be alarmed- it looks a bit weird after the first spin. Just trust the process! Next, add 1 tbs chocolate Fairlife milk. Turn on the “lite ice cream” setting again and hit “respin.” Repeat until ice cream is Creami (usually once or twice).

Step 4

Add in your favorite mixings! If you are a s’mores lover like myself, add in some delicious organic vanilla fluff and Annie’s organic graham crackers.

Viola! Now enjoy your delicious homemade s’mores protein ice cream and reap the benefits of ~ 40 extra grams of protein!

Clean swaps and ingredients:

Annie’s graham crackers

Fairlife milk

Organic vanilla fluff

Chocolate chips

Orgrain Protein

One other essential I’d recommend if you’re planning on purchasing a Creami would be a set of these containers so you can always have some extra containers on hand to make your delicious ice cream!

My typical night includes going in our amazing infrared sauna, and then climbing on the couch with my hydrojug and my s’mores protein ice cream. Do you know the best part? I am still LOSING weight even with indulging in my delicious protein ice cream each night!  If you try this recipe out, be sure to let me know and be sure to share your favorite Creami recipes with me! I am partial to s’mores, but I love trying new things and flavors!

affiliate links are mentioned throughout this post.

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