You want me to drink WHAT, a meal replacement shake?!! Ha! There's only one drink I could have regularly and it doesn't involve superfoods or protein. (but if you ask me, I think wine should count -it contains antioxidants, right?)
Clearly I was not 100% on board with the idea of drinking Shakeology, but I signed up for my first Challenge Group and part of the commitment was to drink it daily. I was a little uneasy about agreeing to this because for those who know me, I tend to like variety. It's rare to catch me eating the same thing twice in one week, let alone every day. Well, rules are rules and I was determined to hit my goal weight so I reluctantly placed my order for a variety pack of Shakeology - I figured there had to be a least one flavor I could tolerate. Besides, if Oprah is a fan, I guess it's worth a try.
A few days after placing an order my program arrived along with my packets of Shakeology. I read the start up guide cover-to-cover, took my before pictures, and on Day 1 of the challenge group it was time to experiment with the different flavors. My husband tested out the Chocolate while I went for the Strawberry... A little Ice, some water, a banana, one packet of Shakeology...and viola! I squinted my nose, tipped my shaker cup back and prepared myself to hate it. But wait, hummm... I better taste it again. Um, maybe one more sip. Before I knew it I had guzzled down my glass. I was totally convinced that it wasn't going to be for me because I had tried a few different protein shakes in the past and didn't care at all for the texture or taste. To my surprise, I actually didn't mind it, and it's a good thing because 3 months after we said "I do" we found out we were pregnant. My happy hour glass of chardonnay was no longer, for the next 9 months I would be chugging back my frothy mug of Strawberry Shakeology. Thanks to this protein-packed superfood superhero, we gave birth to a very healthy 8lb 1oz baby girl. To this day our pediatrician jokes about my "muscle diet" during my pregnancy because she has never seen a baby as strong as Chloe.
So could you just make smoothies at home and get the same basic thing? Well, you could, if you have the money and time to prep the 70+ fancy-pants ingredients that are included in each Shakeology shake--if you were to purchase all the ingredients and supplements in one packet of Shakeology it would cost around $700-eep! But let’s be honest with ourselves, even if you had the money, who really has the time to find and prepare all those ingredients? Or even the room to store and use those ingredients before they go bad? There’s just no getting around the incredible combination of nutritious ingredients that Beachbody has fine tuned to provide a multi-faceted benefit to your body:
• proteins, vitamins and minerals: fairly self-explanatory--helps your body function at top-performance, helps reduce hunger and food cravings.
• anti-oxidents and phytonutrients: these help detoxify and protect your body against free radical damage.
• adaptogen herbs: would you know how to get this into a shake at home? Because I sure wouldn’t! ha. These herbs are sometimes called ‘nature’s anti-stress and fatigue fighters.’ They increase your energy and help reduce anxiety, so you feel like the best version of yourself.
• Prebiotics, Probiotics, Fiber, and Digestive Enzymes: Promotes regularity and good digestion. Need I say more?
And the best part?? Shakeology comes in at only $4 a serving -compare that to all those trendy ‘cold-pressed’ juiceries that are selling one glass of juice for a whopping $8! Or worse, think about all those Starbucks latte's you've consumed over the last few months...yikes! (scary, I know) Replacing a meal every day with Shakeology will not only save you money but provide your body with all the daily vitamins and nutrients it needs to increase your energy and boost your metabolism so that you can hit your goal weight without ever feeling rundown.
If you're interested in reading more about the ingredients and benefits of Shakeology, click here.