Look, we get it - losing weight is really hard, counting calories sucks, a lot of health food is gross, and working out feels like the worst. But most of us like it when we’re healthy and thriving, and that means putting in the time and effort to look and feel your best - which means dieting, working out, and overall making healthy choices. One way you can work on nutrition is by consuming meal-replacement and meal-supplement drinks, like Shakeology. There are a lot of competitors, but none come close to Shakeology’s roster of quality, consciously-sourced ingredients.

Shakeology At-A-Glance

  1. Formula: 70+ healthy ingredients

  2. Protein: 15g of pure whey protein isolate & plant sources

  3. Taste: Not chemically derived, comes in a variety of flavors

  4. Price: ~$20 (varies based on type)

Fact One: Soy is Not a Quality Protein

Soy is not as good for you as the soy-industry (and health-food industry) would like you to believe. “Everything is wrong about it and we’ve been fed a bunch of lies,” says the author of this (anti) soy-based blog from Paleo Leap. “Lectins will mess with your leptin sensitivity (hunger and energy expenditure signals), making your brain think it’s hungry even when your body has more than enough calories. Leptin resistance could lead to insulin resistance, which could lead to a host of problems also known as the metabolic syndrome. Levels of phytates in soy are also very high. Phytates bind to minerals like zinc, calcium, iron, and magnesium and make them unavailable for you.” In addition, a lot of soy used in production today is genetically modified (in fact, approximately 93% of soy is genetically modified).

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Shakeology doesn’t use GMOs, and won’t use ingredients that interfere with your hormones, like soy does. Another “not a good quality source of protein” that many weight-loss shake companies tout? Whey protein hydrolysate - which can trigger a higher insulin response.

Fact Two: Not All Ingredients Are Equal

Shakeology contains about 70 or more ingredients - and they’re proud of it. There are many shake companies that tout their lower numbers, but are those ingredients good for you? Shakeology is chock-full of enzymes, phytonutrients, and ingredients that are safe and effective for consumption, all while being chosen specifically for their abilities to work together seamlessly to promote health benefits like regularity, energy, and vitality.  

Fact Three: The Glycemic Index Matters

At this point, it’s been proven that the carbs are important and essential to our diets (just don’t overdo it). When looking at carbohydrate breakdowns, find the glycemic index ranking - the GI ranks foods based on how they affect blood glucose levels. Blood glucose levels are directly tied to insulin levels, which are tightly intertwined with how fast you’ll lose weight, as well as hunger cravings and metabolism. (Learn more about the Glycemic Index and how it impacts your body from the Glycemic Index Foundation.)

Carl Daikeler, the CEO of Beachbody, wrote an extensive blog post on Shakeology and how it stacks up in comparison to other shakes. He said:"In terms of sugar, many protein shakes have 1g of sugar or less. This is because they are using artificial chemical sweeteners (check the label for sucralose, aspartame, or sugar alcohols). Shakeology’s small amounts of sugar come from natural sources which are easily processed by the body" (Amanda K Jones Shakeology blog).

Conclusion: Don't Cheap Out

If you’re going to go with a meal-replacement shake or a meal-supplement shake (and we’re not saying you even should), then don’t cheap out and buy the crappy stuff. Invest in a quality product that won’t leave you sick and cause you more harm in the long run.