MEAL REPLACEMENT

SHAKES

The upsides
and
downfalls

MEAL REPLACEMENT SHAKES

Take Care of your

body. Its the only
place you have to live
- John Rohn

MEAL REPLACEMENT SHAKES

In this lesson, we will cover the following
topics:
What are meal replacement shakes
The upsides
The downsides
Specifi c nutritional info of 3 top brands
How to use it eff ectively
Recommended resources

WHAT ARE MEAL REPLACEMENT

SHAKES?
Meal replacement shakes are quick and
easy, on the go liquid nutritional
alternatives to the ingestion of whole
foods
They are marketed as a healthy way to
lose and maintain weight without starving
Provide nutrients that will help keep you
full
Easy to prepare and benefi cial for people
with busy lifestyles

THE UPSIDES
They contain generous amounts of
vitamins, minerals, protein and fi ber
More nutritious than fast food,
processed and packaged foods or
skipping meals
Eff ective and sustainable weight-loss
and weight management
Easily absorbed
Portable and Convenient

THE DOWNSIDES
Not as nutritional as whole foods
Fewer calories burned during the digestion
process
Added sugar
Not enough research to support their longterm use
Use alone can create an alteration in vitamin
and mineral proportions and induce chaos to
the bodys metabolic process
Not all meal replacement options are the same
or are benefi cial
Artifi cial/processed ingredients

NUTRITIONAL INFO: SHAKEOLOGY

Pros:
-Shakeology boasts having over 70
ingredients that include added amino
acids
and antioxidants that improve health,
aid in
weight loss and preventing premature
aging.
-They have a variety of flavors, even
those that
satisfy a vegan appetite
-Naturally high in vitamin A and C
Cons:
-Highly processed ingredients that
increase shelf-life
-Contains protein that isnt natural
-Sweetened with stevia which some

NUTRITIONAL INFO: IDEALSHAPE

NUTRITIONAL INFO: IDEALSHAPE

Pros:
- Good source of fi ber, protein, vitamin A & C, calcium
and iron
-Low cholesterol and sugar content
Cons:
-Contains questionable artifi cial sweeteners
-Highly processed
-Considered one of the bottom 10% products in meal
replacement category
-Uses insulin, a fi ber additive

NUTRITIONAL INFO: GNC TOTAL

LEAN

Pros:
-Low in saturated fat and cholesterol
-Adequate source of dietary fiber, protein, vitamin
A & C, calcium, and iron

Cons:
-Contains controversial artificial sweeteners
-Even through it claims not to have any trans fat,
it does
-Highly processed
-Contains carrageenan

HOW TO USE MEAL REPLACEMENT

SHAKE EFFECTIVELY
Research
Find shakes with whole food ingredients and small
amounts of added sugar
Use for short periods of time
Incorporate into a diet that contains plenty of healthy
natural foods, fruits and vegetables
Be conscientious of your total daily caloric intake
For each meal you replace with a shake, supplement
it with a nutrient-packed, low-calorie snack such as a
small fruit salad or a serving of brown rice (Schuna,
n.d.)

Limit reliance
Be sure to include daily physical activity for optimal
health

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
FOODUCATE.COM-provides in depth analysis and
rating of nutritional content
WEBMD.COM: Sipping to Slimness-Pros and cons
of meal replacement shakes and incorporated
eff ective and alternative strategies for weight
loss
MYFITNESSPAL.COM-Daily food and physical
activity tracker. Use this to personalize and
meet daily goals and nutritional needs
NCCIH.NIH.GOV/HEALTH/WEIGHTLOSS- discusses
health and safety concerns with diet and
weightloss

CITED RESOURCES
D a v i s , P h . D , P. ( n . d . ) . T h e Pro s A n d C o n s O f M e a l Re p l a c e m e n t S h a ke s . Re t r i e v e d
f ro m h t t p : / / fi t n e s s f u s i o n . c o m / p ro s - c o n s - m e a l - re p l a c e m e n t - s h a ke s /
Fo o d u c a t e . ( n . d . ) . Fo o d u c a t e | e a t a b i t b e t t e r. Re t r i e v e d f ro m h t t p : / /
w w w. f o o d u c a t e . c o m
G N C L e a n S h a ke : R i c h C h o c o l a t e . ( 2 0 1 4 ) . Re t r i e v e d f ro m h t t p : / /
h o w t o l o s e w e i g h t f a s t n o w. i n f o / p ro d u c t / g n c - t o t a l - l e a n - s h a ke - r i c h chocolate-1-83pound/
H e y m s fi e l d , S . B . ( 2 0 0 3 , M a y 2 7 ) . We i g h t m a n a g e m e n t u s i n g a m e a l re p l a c e m e n t
s t r a t e g y: m e t a a n d p o o l i n g a n a l y s i s f ro m s i x s t u d i e s . - P u b M e d - N C B I . Re t r i e v e d
f ro m h t t p : / / w w w. n c b i . n l m . n i h . g o v / p u b m e d / 1 2 7 0 4 3 9 7
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/?
gclid=CLvZ8bWM5MgCFZJbfgodg6YKrA
N a t i o n a l C e n t e r f o r C o m p l e m e n t a r y a n d I n t e g r a t i v e H e a l t h ( N C C I H ) . ( n . d . ) . We i g h t
C o n t ro l | N C C I H. Re t r i e v e d f ro m h t t p s : / / n c c i h . n i h . g o v / h e a l t h / w e i g h t l o s s
S c h u n a , C . ( n . d . ) . Ad v a n t a g e s & D i s a d v a n t a g e s o f M e a l Re p l a c e m e n t S h a ke s |
H e a l t h y E a t i n g | S F G a t e . Re t r i e v e d f ro m h t t p : / / h e a l t h y e a t i n g . s f g a t e . c o m/
a d v a n t a g e s - d i s a d v a n t a g e s - m e a l - re p l a c e m e n t - s h a ke s - 7 2 8 5 . h t m l
T R E K 2 B E F I T. ( 2 0 1 1 , A p r i l 1 8 ) . Re t r i e v e d f ro m
http
: / / t re k 2 b e fi t . c o m / s h a ke o l o g y - n u t r i t i o n - f a c t s
We b M D . ( n . d . ) . D i e t S h a ke s : S i p p i n g t o S l i m n e s s . Re t r i e v e d f ro m h t t p : / /
w w w. w e b m d . c o m / d i e t / d i e t - s h a ke s - s i p p i n g - t o - s l i m n e s s ? p a g e = 3