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The ugly truth of the meal replacement shake
The ugly truth of the meal replacement shake
The companies that push these meal plans do deliver weight loss in a short amount of time so why would I have a problem with this ? Read on to find out.
First off I applaud anyone who seeks help to change their lifestyle for the better. We all know popular franchises that promise quick results by simply using shakes and being active. There is however key differences between quick fixes like this and long term investments such as personal training. As a trainer I promote sustainable results that are optimal for health,the focus should be on a healthy lifestyle and the side effect is positive changes in body composition. The other is focused on short term that is not only unhealthy long term but not sustainable. This is why a lot of people who do these fad diets end up with their weight yo-yo ing.
Long term plans focus on changing bad habits,bad food choices and activity levels that led to the fat gains in the first place. Short term plans consist of cutting calories drastically so your body goes in to starvation mode (for more details on how this doesn’t work long term read my leptin blog).
There have also been many reports on people getting ill off these shakes this is because they are loaded with chemicals here’s the lowdown on the top 10.
1. Aspartame
Aspartame is one of the deadliest sugar lies on the planet. It is often snuck into diet foods and drinks to replace table sugar. Aspartame is a deadly neurotoxin that has been linked to the development of muscle twitches, spasms, cognitive impairment, migraine headaches, irritability, mood swings, and more.
2. Acesulfame Potassium
As if aspartame wasn’t bad enough, soft drink manufacturers have been slowly replaced with a new and more dangerous sweetener, Acesulfame Potassium or “Ace K”. This calorie-free sweetener is not only neurotoxic, it also “turns off” the part of your brain that tells you when you’ve had enough to eat. This means each time you drink a meal replacement shake or eat anything that contains this sweetener, you’re drinking something that encourages you to eat more!
3. Maltodextrin
Maltodextrin is a type of glucose syrup made from genetically-modified corn. Genetically-modified corn contains pesticides that do damage to your digestive, endocrine, neurological, and immune system. This sweetener depletes your body of natural vitamins and minerals while causing side effects such as weight gain, bloating, flatulence, and breathing difficulties.
4. Concentrated Milk Product
Concentrated milk product may seem harmless enough but it can cause problems with your health. This is because the concentrated milk product contained in meal replacement shakes contain hormones, steroids, antibiotics, and pesticides that interfere with proper digestion and assimilation of nutrients. These growth hormones and pesticides fuel the development of cancer.
5. Cellulose Gel
This thickening agent is used to keep synthetic sugar from crystallizing and “freezing” in the can. It has been linked to digestive distress and allergic reaction.
6. Soy Fiber
It is estimated that 90% of soy is genetically-modified. Any genetically-modified food or product contains pesticides. When you ingest pesticides, you interfere with the proper functioning of your nervous, digestive, and immune system.
7. Xanthan Gum
Xanthan gum is a thickening agent made from bacteria and has been linked to gas, bloating, and allergic reaction.
8. Carrageenan
Carrageenan is often listed as a natural ingredient in meal replacement shakes and some yogurts. This sneaky little additive has been quietly causing chronic health problems for forty years. It has been linked to colon cancer, chronic inflammation, and digestive disorders.
9. Sodium Phosphate
Sodium phosphate is a popular diet food additive because it acts as a laxative. If you’re going more often than usual or are suffering from diarrhea, this is your culprit. Too much of this additive could cause permanent damage to the lower intestine, leading to uncontrollable bowel movements.
10. Synthetic Vitamins
Meal replacement shakes love to brag about how many vitamins and minerals are in their products. What they don’t tell you is the kind of vitamins they contain. The vitamins in meal replacement shakes don’t come from a food source so your body doesn’t recognize them. These lab-created synthetics can cause inflammation, allergies, digestive disturbances, and autoimmune dysfunction.
So if that’s not enough to put you off,and your thinking so what the weight comes off great just before a holiday, unfortunately if you drop weight too quickly it will be mostly muscle,so your relationship with gravity has changed but that’s about it,physically you won’t have that toned body you are after. Muscle loss will result in that soft shapeless look (see pic),and lower energy and strength levels. It is an unhealthy way to go mentally and physically. Due to the yo yo effect will you end up fatter when no longer sticking to the plan which will also result in body confidence yo-yo ing. For that quick fix is it worth the weight and mood fluctuations ?
So to sum up…
Short term plan
-Typically you would be on 900-1200k/cal a day on the short term plan. That is what is clinically proven and ANY diet at that amount of calories will do that. So if you replaced the shakes with food that’s of the same calorific content you would get the same result for a fraction of the cost.
-Can you do this indefinitely if not it is a FAD diet.
-Rapid weight loss
-Negative effect on health and mood long term
-Potentially damaging chemicals ingested
Long term plan
-Steady FAT loss
-Increased muscle tone and strength
-Creating positive healthy habits
-Sustainable