Here is my Shakeology review, after recently purchasing a month’s supply of Chocolate Shakeology to finally give it a try and see if it really lives up to the hype, I can honestly tell you that it is well worth the price tag if you are seriously interested in transforming your health.
Let’s face it $119.85 a high price to pay for a protein shake, but Shakeology is much more than your generic protein shake and there are ways to get a cheaper price if you sign-up for Home Direct. However, we’ll talk about that later along with my full Shakeology breakdown, but for now, I want to tell you a little about the shake.
How Shakeology Works
It’s actually simple how it works. It’s full of healthy ingredients that you ingest daily to maximize fat loss, increase energy, and feel better than ever – naturally. Shakeology is a blend of vitamins, prebiotics and digestive enzymes to help your body gently and effectively get rid of unwanted toxins, which in turn, leaves you feeling better than ever.
Energy levels will sore and muscle fatigue will disappear with this special combination of phytonutrients, antioxidants, adaptogens, and other rare ingredients you simply won’t get with any other normal diet. I know it sounds to good to be true, but as you will read my personal feelings about Shakeology below, you will see this statement is actually quite true.
There are protein and essential amino acids to curb cravings and build muscle, prebiotics and digestive enzymes to improve digestion, nutrient absorption and regularity, as well as antioxidants and phytonutrients to combat free radicals that can eventually lead to degenerative diseases and signs of aging.
Because of all these ingredients, along with a daily does of vitamins and minerals, your body will get exactly what it needs to function at its best, so your skin, hair and nails will never look better.
In fact, Beachbody claims that Shakeology is like getting a “salad bowl’s worth of fruits and vegetables in a single glass.” This is because all of the whole food ingredients in Shakeology’s proprietary blend maintain their vitamins, minerals, and fiber unlike processed foods where vitamins and nutrients are stripped. What you’re left with are the nutrients that help get rid of stubborn body fat, while at the same time, promoting optimum health.
Shakeology Ingredients
Shakeology is a concoction of 70 whole food ingredients, containing 23 vitamins and minerals. These ingredients come from the best fruits and vegetables from around the world to keep your body in tip-top shape with a unique blend of prebiotics, enzymes, antioxidants and other rare ingredients such as Sacha Inchi and Camu-Camu.
The nutritional health shake is about 150 calories depending on flavor, is high in muscle-building protein (around 15g), low in sodium, has less than a half a gram of fat per serving, has no saturated fat, and is fairly high in fiber.
All this means is you are getting a ton of health benefits in just one shake. Try getting that many benefits from any other shake at your local nutrition store. The other great news is that you can also pronounce every ingredient on the list. If you’ve ever been in your local GNC or Vitamin Shoppe, then you know that a lot of health shakes are not really healthy at all, especially when you look at their sodium or sugar levels and their lengthy list of unidentifiable ingredients.
Shakeology has no caffeine, refined sugars, or artificial sweeteners. It is also gluten-free, providing you with healthy polyphenols, chlorophylls, proanthocyanins, and prebiotics. It also contains no GMOs (genetically modified organisms).
The reason Shakeology was made was because the CEO of Beachbody hated the taste of vegetables and wanted to literally practice what his company preached. Knowing how hard it is to get your full serving of fruits and vegetables and that there were many health benefiting exotic fruits and plants that we have not access to, he had his top-rated people search the globe for synergistic ingredients that anyone could benefit from – even those with high cholesterol or high blood pressure. These ingredients also included antioxidants to help combat the signs of aging and fight disease.
There is nothing bad in this shake that I have found thus far, and I have read through the ingredient list about 100 times.
My Shakeology Review
So far, what I have really noticed a difference in is how I feel the day after an intense workout. I’m not as sore as I have been without it. I know this sounds too good to be true, but it is the honest truth. To test it out, I didn’t drink my Shakeology one day and ended up with really sore hamstrings and glutes the day after my leg routine, which the time before with Shakeology, I felt a little sore the next day but nothing like this.
I also notice a difference in my energy levels – nothing crazy like I’ve drunk a pot of coffee, but I am definitely brighter in the morning than I used to be – which is saying something for an avid late riser. I don’t need as much coffee in the morning – although mixing a cup of it into my Shakeology is always a tasty treat.
My skin, hair and nails look great, although the mostly healthy diet I eat contributes to that as well. And if you’re having problems with regularity, Shakeology will definitely take care of that. All of its prebiotics and digestive enzymes really get you regular, which in turn, eliminate more toxins from the body. The other great thing about it is how many nutrients you’ll be getting in addition to all those healthy digestive enzymes.
Most of Your Daily Nutrients in Just One Drink?
This is what I really purchased Shakeology for is all the vitamins and nutrients you are getting in just one sitting. Add a piece of fruit or something else healthy, and you have an even healthier shake.
I am one who always tracks my daily calories and nutrients online each day to see what I’m getting and what I’m missing. Let’s just say that it is nearly impossible to get all your daily vitamins and minerals in even if you are eating all lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. I’ve tried my hardest and still cannot ever get all my Vitamin D in a day, while Shakeology takes care of half my daily intake – the rest I can handle on my own.
That’s what Shakeology contains – tons of your daily recommendations of essential vitamins and minerals. It also hits you up with a supply of antioxidants from exotic fruits that you would never be able to locate at even your specialty health store.
Shakeology Flavors: A Breakdown
I opted for the chocolate flavor Shakeology, because this is the flavor whey I usually get plus it gets some pretty rave reviews everywhere online. I guess I’m not that big of a chocolate fan since, at first, I could almost not tolerate the chocolate flavor because it was overwhelmingly cocoa. It quite literally tasted as if I had mixed some baking cocoa into my shake.
The great news is that over-chocolatey problem was easily fixed by mixing in a bit more water to the shake (I used 12 oz instead of 8) with a tad more ice. Also, make sure to use a blender to mix it! You will have a lumpy, bad textured shake unless you really use a blender – and without ice, it’s just not nearly as nice.
At the recommendation of others, I also added a tablespoon of peanut butter to increase the calories from 150 to something more substantial for a meal replacement or full calorie snack . For me, the peanut butter lessened the intensity of the chocolate, making it much easier to go down. The peanut butter smell was also more pleasant for me. I used Teddi’s Super Chunky Unsalted Natural Peanut Butter to it, but next time, I would probably use smooth only because I didn’t appreciate the tiny chunks of peanuts in it. Good for a sandwich on wheat – not for a shake you’re going to drink. All three flavors of Shakeology are below:
- Chocolate Shakeology: Mix this one with mint extract, coffee, peanut butter, hazelnut extract, almond extract, bananas, cinnamon, frozen fruits, coconut, and much more to enjoy a chocolatey-based treat. Also available in a Vegan option.
- Greenberry Shakeology: Mix this one with fruit juices, frozen fruits, almond milk, honey, papaya, milk, yogurt, and much more to enjoy a berry delightful drink.
- Tropical Strawberry Shakeology: This Vegan option mixes well with other frozen fruits, fruit juices, yogurt, milk, kiwi, banana, and more to enjoy a tasty strawberry-based treat.
Which Shakeology Flavor Tastes Best?
While most report the chocolate is best with milk, or even with a little bit of natural peanut butter blended in for a peanut butter cup taste, it is really a matter of personal preference. I like it better without milk – it is thinner. However, some will appreciate the thicker texture when you use skim milk or almond/coconut milk. It also tastes more like brownie batter mix than chocolate cake batter mix.
Greenberry is not as popular as chocolate with the masses unless mixed with some real fruit or real fruit juice instead of cold water. However, there are avid Greenberry lovers out there, and Beachbody has some great ideas for mixing such as the Tea-Berry Zinger or Key Lim Dream. If you’re a fruit or berry fan, Greenberry could be the right choice for you. It’s not as overwhelmingly sweet as chocolate.
The newer vegan Tropical Strawberry flavor seems to be very popular at the moment. While it is a bit more expensive because of its vegan status, it is worth it – especially if you try it blended with a frozen banana and yogurt to make a tasty strawberry-banana smoothie. Mixing it with kiwi also seems like it would be very tasty. There are so many different choices you have when purchasing Shakeology, that it is just another decision to make. This is right up there with chocolate Shakeology as far as popularity.
Made from the healthiest foods from around the globe, this nutritional health shake offers a low calorie, nutrient dense option that will not only help you lose weight, but will also improve your health and give you the energy you need to work out. It really could end up being be your “healthiest meal of the day” – every day.
Is Shakeology Easy to Make?
All you need to make this nutritional shake each day is 1 full scoop of Shakeology with 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) of cold water or another cold beverage such as milk, soy milk, almond milk, juice or rice milk and ice in a blender. You just have to blend all the ingredients together until creamy, then enjoy this delicious smoothie.
Things You Get with Your Shakeology Order
With your Shakeology Home Direct order, you get free basic shipping each month in addition to online access to two free workouts. This equals a lot of money saved in shipping.
You also get to choose between the Shakeology Convenience Pack and the 30-day supply. The Convenience Pack contains 24 single serving packets you can take with you anywhere, which is great if you are always on the go. You can also opt for the 30-day supply that comes in a bag you can easily store in your kitchen. It’s really a very small bag that would fit easily into any cupboard. I was a little shocked by the size, but it is holding up, and I’m just so used to buying a 90 serving container of whey.
One other choice you get is, of course, flavor. You can order Tropical Strawberry, Chocolate, Greenberry, or alternating deliveries of Chocolate and Greenberry. You could even do a different flavor every month if you wanted.
How Much Does Shakeology Cost?
Although Shakeology is expensive, especially if you are operating on a relatively low budget, if you factor in the cost of what supplements, fruits and vegetables it would take to equal all the health benefits from Shakeology, you will soon learn that the price is actually quite minimal.
The cost is $119.95 per month, with the Tropical Strawberry costing an additional $10.00 because it’s vegan. Also if you order it on Home Direct, which means it gets shipped automatically to your home each month, you receive free shipping. For Home Direct, you don’t have to be tied down to one flavor either – you can always order the alternating choices for a change up each month. This is what I’m doing with Chocolate and Tropical Strawberry.
The Shakeology Guarantee
It’s really a no lose situation no matter what way you look at it. If you’re not completely satisfied within 30 days of your purchase, Beachbody will refund your money – even if you’re sending them back an empty bag. So, the only question at this point is, what do you really have to lose trying Shakeology, besides the weight and the lack of energy?
All you need to do is replace one meal a day with Shakeology, and you will be on your way to the healthiest feeling, fittest you - ever. You can buy Shakeology by clicking here.