Is Shakeology Worth the Money?

• Natural exotic superfood nutritonal shake, with no artificial junk
• Serves as a healthy meal replacement
• Includes protein, super-fruits/antioxidant, super-greens/phytonutrients, naturally derived multivitamins, adaptogens, prebiotics and probiotics
• A serving is one scoop, which holds 160 calories, 17g carbs, 6g fiber, 7g sugar, and 17g protein

My favorite by far is the Cholcolate! Personally, it taste best blended with milk and frozen raspberry, but that's all the opinion I'll give here. What's in Shakeology sets it apart from others. There's undoubtedly many superfood (highly nutritious food) shakes out there. It is explained to be:

"a powerful superfood formula designed to deliver the nutrients you need to help you lose weight, maintain healthy cholestrol levels within the normal range, and support healthy blood sugar levels (as measured by HbA1C). Shakeology is formulated with globally harvested ingredients, such as adaptogens, proteins, prebiotics, and antioxidants, all to help support healthy energy levels, support regularity and healthy digestion, and help curb junk-food cravings."

This information comes directly from the product, but does claim that these statements haven't been evaluated by the FDA or intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is also noted that the results vary and that the claims are based on a 12-week independent clinical trial sponsored by Beachbody.

In this trial the following test took place: 50 people drank a shake for breakfast and lunch with no other changes to their diet or exercise program. (But it's also important to know that no more than one meal a day should really be replaced with a shake.)

Here's the full list of ingredients as printed on the back of the Chocolate Shakeology (Whey). I've underlined the exotic superfoods for you to take a look at. I also recommend you do your research on these - there's a reason they're called superfoods:

Proprietary Superfood Blend:

Protein blend: Whey protein isolate (milk), Pea protein, Chia (seed), Flax (seed), Quinoa (seed), Sacha Inchi (seed)

Cocoa powder (processed with alkali), Pea fiber (seed), Chlorella, Chicory (root extract and root fiber), Rose hips (fruit), Yacon (root), Acerola juice powder (fruit), Astralagus (Root), Pomegranate juice powder (fruit), Bilberry juice powder (fruit), Camu-Camu (fruit), Coryceps (fungi), Lycium juice powder (fruit), Chaga (fungi), MSM (Methylsulfonylmethan)

Let's take a look at MSM for a sec since manyMatcha green tea have never heard of it. According to WebMD (2017), "MSM is a chemical in animals, humans, and many plants. People use it most often to try to treat arthritis." It relieves inflammation and helps your body naturally detox.

Spinach (leaf) Ashwagandha (root), Kale (leaf), Maitake (fungi), Reishi (fungi)

Enzyme blend: Amylase, Cellulase, Lactase, Glucoamylase, Alpha-Galactosidase, Invertase, Bacillus coagulans

Maca (root), Cinnamon (bark) Green tea leaf (extract), Schisandra (fruit), Luo Han Guo extract (fruit), Matcha green tea (leaf), Moringa oleifera (leaf)

Other ingredients:

Organic cane sugar, Natural chocolate flavor, Xanthan gum

Xantan gum is another on of those ingredients I had to research it! Dictionary.com (2019) tells me that Xanthan is "a water-soluble natural gum produced by the fermentation of sugar with certainmicroorganisms and used as a binder, extender, or stabilizer in foods and other products."

Stevia leaf extract, Himalayan pink salt.

That's it!

So, what's the difference with this shake versus others? It's really in the ingredients. Claims can be controversial but ingredients don't lie. You'll notice that the list of ingredients that make up this shake's powder is more than just the everyday fruits and vegetables that you would normally pick up or see on the lists of other shake products.

Shakeology holds many premium ingredients for a premium price! A 30 day supply of superfood shakes will cost you $130. Purchased separately by indredients alone will be an even prettier penny. It's convenient at least to have them all in one place.

What's in there are mainly exotic or foreign superfoods that work on the cellular level. The amount of each ingredient is unknown (which would be nice to know), but a good rule of thumb is that a product has more of what's numbered from top than the bottom. The more you know! I'm sure you'll look at every ingredient lists a bit different now or maybe even for the first time.

Whey

Chocolate, Vanilla, Cafe Latte, Strawberry, Greenberry

This protein is dairy and plant-sourced. It has a creamy consistency and can be mixed with water or dairy or non-dairy milk. One scoop of shake powder can be blended with fruit and other ingredients to suit taste preferences or calorie needs. Shakeology is not certified gluten free. I wouldn't risk it if you have celiac disease.

Although Shakeology is made with gluten-free ingredients, the manufacturing facility also processes known allergens such as soy, milk, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts and wheat (gluten) ingredients.

Vegan

Chocolate, Vanilla, Cafe Latte, Tropical Strawberry

On the other hand, this protein is completely plant-sourced. It's less creamy in consistency and can be mixed with water or non-dairy milk. A scoop of vegan shake powder can also be blended with fruit and other ingredients to suit taste preferences or calorie needs. This is option is ideal for those who cannot tolerate or wish to avoid animal proteins, whey, or dairy, but there may be traces of gluten.

We come down to one question: Is Shakeology worth the money? Well, that one is completely up to you to decide. I drink one daily for the most part and it's been a staple in my nutrition and postpartum weight loss. For me, it's a full blown YES. It's cut my quick bite spending in half and helped me become my healthiest.

I've noticed a good change in my energy levels and regularity. It's worked well for me with healthy eating and exercise. I'd much rather save my money drinking this than spend my money eating junk from a drive-thru for convenience. This is my own experience. It may just be worth trying to see it for yourself. You have no risk with Beachbody's bottom-of-the-bag guarantee. You can try it for a month and send back the empty bag if you don't love what you feel and see.

I hope this article has helped guide you towards making an informed decision on purchasing these superfood shakes. Please make sure to contact your Beachbody coach or myself if you have any questions.