From the one and only CEO of beachbody, Carl Deikler and his blog!
If you're curious what makes up Shakeology and why I love it so much take a few minutes to read this article.
How To Compare Shakeology
Or, “How Do I Really Know If This is Worth the Money When Everything Else Costs Less?”
There are many “protein shakes” and meal replacements that are less
expensive than Shakeology. But comparisons – based on the simple
“protein shake” or even “health shake” are usually off the mark because
of intangibles like quality of sourcing, efficacy, and the delicate
balance of incredible health benefits and delicious flavor that is
unique to Shakeology.
When we developed Shakeology, our goal was to fill a void in the
marketplace where the benefits of the shake would live up to the promise
of the line “The Healthiest Meal of the Day.” Shakeology was designed
for people who want more than protein, and for people who really expect
the health benefits being represented by the ingredients on the
label. With Shakeology not only do you get what you pay for, but
because it tastes so good and the attention to every detail is so
complete, you get more than you pay for.
To really know whether a product measures up to Shakeology, you need to keep some things in mind:
How Much is “Enough”?
We are proud of Shakeology’s 70+ ingredients. Other shakes will
trumpet the number of ingredients they have too. But are the ingredients
they are counting actually good for you?
Are they derived from whole food sources? They are in Shakeology! Too
often the “magic ingredient” has been isolated from the enzymes and
phytonutrients which actually are what is needed to make the “magic
ingredient” effective when consumed.
And does the competition formulate for the synergistic benefits
between the ingredients, or just slap together whatever is hot in the
media? Shakeology was specially formulated for the collection of
ingredients to work together like a symphony; this combination is so
effective some people report dramatic benefits within the first week.
We’re not just talking about weight loss here, we’re talking meaningful
health benefits; regularity, energy, vitality!
Other supplements point to one or two individual ingredients and
build a “story” around their super food attributes… that’s like saying
you can put Michael Jordan on a team of amateurs and still have a
championship caliber team. Shakeology’s specially selected ingredients
work like the dream team, all working together so YOU get the health
benefits from the healthiest meal of the day.
Vanilla?
If the shake you’re considering is vanilla, how do they achieve
vanilla flavoring? Our research indicates that it is impossible for the
superfoods, adaptogen herbs, anti-oxidants, phytonutrients and
digestive enzymes to co-exist and taste good in a vanilla flavor,
unless the vanilla flavor is achieved chemically and artificially.
(It’s the “dirty little secret” of the flavoring industry even though
labeling guidelines still allow this artificial flavoring to be called
“natural vanilla flavoring”) Other companies are willing to use that
labeling loophole for their benefit. But not Shakeology.
So here’s the question; are you drinking the shake so you can enjoy
vanilla, or so you can get the incredible health benefits from a shake
that doesn’t taste like a “health drink”? We call Shakeology “the
healthiest meal of the day” for a reason, and we plan on doing what it
takes to live up to that.
Protein:
When it comes to comparing protein quality, you need to look closely to see the truth:
“Say NO to soy”
Does the competition use ANY soy in their formulation? Soy protein
contains estrogen-mimicking compounds that can interfere with your
hormones, and on top of that most of the soy in the marketplace is GMO
(genetically modified), two important reasons why we don’t use soy in
Shakeology.
It is our general opinion that many people are consuming too much soy
in the pursuit of health – and thus perhaps producing too much
estrogen which can cause many adverse issues in the body. Do a little
research of your own on the topic, and you will be as shocked as we are
at what you will learn about soy.
Likewise, if a company is promoting that their protein is “more
absorbable”, be careful. Protein sources like Whey Protein Hydrolysate
have been shown to trigger a much higher insulin response in the body.
That’s not an outcome we would tolerate in any health shake, much less
Shakeology.
Our protein source is whey protein
isolate, which is more
than 90 percent pure protein. Plus, Shakeology is loaded with digestive
enzymes-and lactase, that’s the enzyme that breaks down lactose and is
found in over-the-counter products like Lactaid
®. Don’t
confuse whey protein concentrate with “isolate”. Whey protein
concentrate is the least pure form of whey protein made. The benefits of
“isolate” vs. “concentrate” is that the fat has been removed to
achieve “isolate”. The fat in whey protein is what carries toxins
consumed by the animal. That’s the reason Shakeology can be used by so
many people who are lactose-intolerant – because those toxins have been
removed through the isolate process.
We also look at the source of every single protein batch that shows
up at the manufacturer. If we find the manufacturer is cutting a corner
by bringing in protein from farms that use hormones or are ok feeding
inorganic materials to their cattle, we tell them to find another
source. This is the kind of scrutiny that other companies just don’t
give their product, and it’s the kind of attention to detail which
doesn’t show on the label. (But it does show in how you feel when you
consume the product over the long term!)
Glycemic index tested…
In terms of sugar, many protein shakes have 1g of sugar or
less. This is because they are using artificial chemical sweeteners
(check the label for sucralose, aspartame, or sugar alcohols).
Shakeology’s small amounts of sugar comes from natural sources which are
easily processed by the body and in fact has been tested and certified
by an independent lab to have a Low Glycemic Index of 24 – that’s
lower than most fruits (an apple is 36 and an orange is 43)!
What is not in the base, they may suggest you add later:
Other shakes don’t cost as much as Shakeology at first glance, but
they also don’t contain the full profile of vitamins and minerals or
whole-food sources of anti-oxidants, phytonutrients, adaptogen herbs,
prebiotics, probiotics or digestive enzymes. We’ve seen competitors make
you buy a separate vitamin pack for $150 per month! And if you want
chocolate flavoring you have to buy a separate flavor packet for an
extra $25 a month. If you want metabolism boosting effects and appetite
control, you have to buy 2 additional products at $50 each. Once you
add it up, this is hardly a “good deal” and it is usually questionably
healthy..
To achieve the benefits of Shakeology we’ve seen competitors charge
between $250 and $335 per month! $120 doesn’t seem expensive when you
realize all of the benefits Shakeology delivers.
SUMMARY:
Formula:
70+ of the healthiest ingredients from whole food sources from around
the world (including anti-oxidants, phytonutrients, adaptogen herbs,
prebiotics, digestive enzymes, vitamins and minerals VS. protein,
fillers, artificial coloring, and isolated glamour ingredients
Winner: Shakeology
Protein Source: Shakeology’s 15g of pure whey protein isolate plus 2g from plant sources VS soy, hydrolyzed whey and/or whey concentrate blend.
Winner: Shakeology
Taste: Rich chocolate or greenberry Shakeology Vs. chemically derived artificial-flavored competition?
Winner: Shakeology
Price:
$120 for Shakeology VS. Oops! It’s impossible to compare lesser
formulations on price. But if you add in all the separate vitamins and
flavoring agents the other companies ask you to buy to (try and) match
the benefits and nutritional content of Shakeology, you would easily
spend over $300 every month – that’s 2 ½ times the cost of Shakeology!
Sure, chocolate milk is cheaper than Shakeology. A vanilla soy shake
can be cheaper than Shakeology – until you
try to add what Shakeology’s got, and match what Shakeology can do for you, and then it’s no contest.
Winner: Shakeology
The best comparison is results. From weight loss and
reduction in cravings, to regularity, to healthier cholesterol levels,
to energy, to an overall sense of well being… We give a
bottom-of-the-bag money-back guarantee on Shakeology because we KNOW
people will be amazed at how they feel. Shakeology is the winner by a
total knock out!
Speaking of knock outs, check out Katie F.’s full Shakeology success story here on Thursday!
If you want to know more about Shakeology you can go to my website for lots more! Get ready for it to blow your mind and change your life forever!!
Click here for more Shakeology!
on in the morning for an easy weeknight meal. Low fat and low in
points. Serve over rice with chopped scallions, fresh cilantro, fat free
sour cream and reduced fat cheddar.
)
Zigzag your daily calorie intake. In
theory, you've got to eat less to lose more, but this isn't always the
case. Sometimes you just have to shake things up. Here's one way to do
it: If your average daily intake is 1,400 calories, try dropping to
1,200 one day, going up to 1,800 the next day, and then dropping back to
1,400. The idea is to keep your metabolism guessing. There's no magic
number that works for everyone, so you'll have to experiment until you
find the right calorie levels for you. 
Switch up your exercise routine. If
you do the same workout each day, eventually it can start to become
less challenging, and (unfortunately) less effective. If you push
yourself to new levels of strength or exhaustion, you'll almost
certainly see a shift. Here are some ways you can challenge your body:
Almonds
are a great snack, plus there's some research that indicates that they
can help you burn fat. That's because they contain fiber and fatty
acids—the good kind of fat that helps you lose weight. A study published
in the International Journal of Obesity compared two groups of
people who ate a 1,000-calorie-a-day diet. As part of their daily diet,
one group ate 3 ounces of almonds every day. The other group ate a mix
of complex carbs. What happened? The group that ate the almonds lost
more weight. 
Get more sleep.
This may seem like the opposite of number 2, but the truth is
is that you could be training too hard, which is about the quickest way
to hit a weight loss plateau, because an over-trained body holds on to
weight as if it were starving to death. There's no better way to test
this than to try and sleep more. The reason is that your body recovers
much more quickly from exercise while it's asleep, and if you're burning
the midnight oil while trying to do INSANITY, you could easily plateau
from lack of recovery time. 
Relax. Believe it or not, the one big thing besides diet and exercise that can cause you to plateau is stress. 
