Meal Replacement Drinks – Not All Products are Created Equal

Meal replacement shakes aid in weight loss– that is a given. All that you need to do to lose the pounds is to replace one or two meals a day with these drinks. Because they are so convenient and easy to prepare, they have grown to be more popular with those seeking to lose weight. Mixing the powder with water takes less than a couple of minutes while a fruit smoothie concoction with fruits and milk blended together won’t take more than five to six minutes.

The fact that it’s cheap also adds to its appeal. Meal replacement drinks only have an average price of $3 per serving more or less, making it reasonably priced for the average individual.

But here’s the rub: Some meal replacement shakes are not optimized to help you achieve better health. The reason why most people seek to lose weight is because it keeps you away from sickness and disease. When you lose the excess fat, you are also taking steps towards keeping your blood pressure and blood sugar at manageable levels, keeping your overall cholesterol levels in check and generally ensuring that fats do not clog your arteries that could lead to heart attacks and stroke.

Unfortunately, not all meal replacement drinks contribute towards this end.

The reality is that there are only a few meal replacement drinks that can help you lose the fats and contribute towards your overall health and wellbeing at the same time. If you care to read the label of these beverages, you will notice that they have very high sugar content that comes from such sources as sucrose, high fructose corn syrup or aspartame. These are refined sugars and artificial sweeteners that the body has difficulty absorbing. Since they cannot be synthesized properly, they cause a spike in insulin levels and is potentially dangerous for those who have blood sugar issues. Moreover, refined sugars and high-fructose corn syrup– main ingredients in pastries and sodas– have been shown to contribute to weight gain and obesity. Look for a meal replacement shake that does not use these but rather opt for natural sugars like fructose to sweeten their products.

You should remain vigilant in choosing meal replacement drinks because artificial ingredients comprise most of the formulations in the market today. Like refined sugars, the body does not have the means to process these extracts thoroughly, resulting in reduced nutritional benefits. You also have to consider the safety of such man-made ingredients since their long-term effects have not been studied yet.

Choose meal replacement beverages that are comprised of natural ingredients for the most part, if not all. Natural whole foods are most beneficial in terms of nutrition derived and fat loss efficiency.

Look at the vitamin and mineral percentages provided by the shake. Note that all nutrition you get from your one or two regular meals should be supplemented or made better with the meal replacement drink you use to substitute it with.

To keep your body processes functioning at its best, your micronutrients should be in adequate supply. Always make it a point to ensure that your meal replacement beverage contains 50 to 100 percent of the reference daily intakes of vitamins and minerals.

Want to discover the best meal replacement drink? Check out Shakeology and don’t forget to read this post about where to buy Shakeology.