Shakes for Weight-loss?

As a holistic practitioner, I understand the significance of weight-loss. The loss of toxic weight-gain to increase health, instead of weight-loss to accomplish body goals will always be more sustainable and include a healthier process. However, whatever motivates you, should be the best choice for your health.

Sometimes when we have our mind set on only body goals it leads to making unhealthier choices for quicker, easier weight-loss, not considering the long-term health effects. This is when the wording on the new weight-loss product, diet, or shake can lure us in to the popular demand.

I believe that each person should be well-informed prior to making a decision that could make them think twice later. I wanted to share some research about shakes as a meal replacement to help that person who is currently losing weight using this method, or considering it.

Manufacturers of protein shakes may claim that their products help decrease body-fat or promote weight-loss, but protein shakes aren't a magic bullet for weight-loss. Replacing meals with protein shakes may help you reduce your daily calories, which can help you lose weight, but could lead to starving the body of proper nutrients, fibers, & essential minerals.

Incomplete Nutrition

Protein shakes are designed to be heavy on protein, but that means they often fail at providing significant amounts of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals & healthy fats. Even if a commercial protein shake or supplement is fortified (with artificial or natural vitamins), it won’t offer the same kind or level of nutrition as whole-foods. According to Mayo Clinic physicians, whole-foods always have the benefit over supplement products such as shakes, because they contain naturally occurring fiber, antioxidants, phyto-chemicals & other protective substances that can’t be reproduced.

Sustainablility

Holistic doctors say that using shakes for weight-loss becomes less viable when used for the long term. You may develop nutrient deficiencies if you replace too many meals with shakes or you could regain the weight you had lost after you return to your previous eating habits.

Health Problems

Protein shakes are unlikely to cause health problems on their own, unless they contain a high amount of sugar & artificial ingredients. They could also be harmful if you use them in conjunction with a high-protein diet. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, consistently exceeding daily protein requirements can lead to weight gain, high-blood cholesterol, elevated heart disease risk & kidney complications. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine also notes that most Americans get more than double the amount of protein they need & that consuming too much can raise the risks of cancer, osteoporosis & kidney stones.

Loads of Artificial Ingredients

Many meal replacement shakes are packed with ingredients that can barely be classified as foods, including:

Refined vegetable oils. We know these oils are linked to inflammation, which has so many more downstream health consequences.
Thickeners & preservatives. One of the most popular offenders, maltodextrin, is a favorite addition to many meal replacement shakes. Not only does it have a very high glycemic index and can cause blood sugar spikes, but it’s also been linked to negative health effects, such as weight gain and autoimmune issues.
Color & flavor enhancers. These are among the worst for gut health. Out of the flavor-enhancing options, the biggest two inflammatory ones are aspartame or sucralose. Every week, we’re finding out more and more negative side effects of consuming these dangerous chemicals.
Artificial flavors and colors.

Too Much Added Sugar

Today, many health foods today can come in flavors such as “dark chocolate” or “butter pecan.” I think that’s awesome...But the sad thing about many meal replacement products is they come in these delicious-sounding flavors, but they’re LOADED with added sugar. In many cases, sugar or artificial sweeteners are listed in the top one-to-three ingredients. No matter what your health goal is, added sugar is not the best option. We all know it’s empty calories. But even more menacing, it’s been linked to all kinds of negative health issues — from moodiness to stomach queasiness to increased inflammation.

Considerations

Some – but not all – protein shakes have healthy ingredients, are free of contaminants & can act as nutritious meal replacements. Before you start drinking shakes, however, consider alternatives such as getting extra protein through a whole-food snack or preparing meals ahead of time so you can eat them on the go. Also, consider drinking just a small, half-serving plant-based protein shake & get the remaining nutrients from a small meal that contains mostly vegetables containing fibers, phyto-nutrients, etc. If you do turn to shakes, read nutrition labels carefully & avoid those that are high in sugar, cholesterol, artificial ingredients, or saturated fat.

If you ever have any questions, please visit the Discover C.A.R.M.E.L.L.E. website where you can now chat with a live holistic practitioner who can answer any questions you may have.