The use of energy drinks while working out is a touchy subject. I personally need the caffeine and B vitamin-induced encouragement on certain days. The problem is not in caffeine, so much as it lies in the misuseof caffeine. When used properly (on occasion and not abused) I believe energy drinks are fine additions to most diet and exercise programs. I guarantee half of you reading this are going to disagree with me, and that’s cool. The other half of you should try Celsius, an energy drink marketed specifically towards weight loss and calorie burning. Just make sure you drink plenty of water, too!

Celsius is made with no artificial flavors or colors, no preservatives, no sugar and no aspartame.

What really sets it apart is its measly 6mg of sodium per serving. One serving of Lo-Carb Monster contains 60mg of sodium! Each 12oz can (one serving) of Celsius contains the same amount of caffeine found in 2 cups of coffee. If you aren’t accustomed to caffeinated beverages, this amount may be too much for you. For me, in fact, it was perfect. I felt a jolt of energy without the jitteriness that often accompanies Lo-Carb Monster or Sugar Free Rockstar.

I recieved some Celsius to review, and drank one can a day for a little over a week. It definitely helped with my motivation factor. As the mother of a one year old and a two year old, you can imagine I often lack the energy to get myself up and moving! I don’t think it actually helped me lose any additional weight (compared to not using it at all) but I can see that it might (green tea and caffeine are known metabolism boosters), if I continued using it for a longer amount of time. I normally work out for 30-45 minutes. On the days I drank Celsius half an hour before my workout, I went for a solid hour. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but every minute equals more calories burned!

Celsius comes in four sparkling (carbonated) flavors (cola, orange, wild berry and ginger ale) and two green tea flavors (raspberry acai and peach mango). They all tasted good, although I thought the green tea flavors were too much. So many flavor combinations all at once confused my taste buds. But the Sparkling Ginger Ale , now that, was delicious. I finished the can and found myself wishing there was more. It lacked that certain ‘sugar-free after taste’ that I so dearly hate.

Celsius is sold at several large retailers. To find one near you, visit www.celsius.com