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So thought I'd write about a nutrition product which I truly believe in and drink several times a week as my breakfast.
Beachbody is an amazing company - top notch fitness programs (my FAVES are P90X and ChaLean Extreme) and a passion for "ending the trend of obesity". Earlier this year Beachbody released a powdered nutrient powerhouse - Shakeology! I won't get into the details (but you can read it here) but I just love this stuff. It's basically powdered whole food sources that carry a ton of nutrients from veggies, fruits, grains and seeds and of course some protein thrown in for good measure. Shakeology is advertised as a nutritional/energy shake, not necessarily a meal-replacement or weight-loss shake, but I use it as my breakfast (blended with a mix of different things) and I have no doubt that some of my weight-loss is due to the shake.
I've been drinking it at least 3x/week for the last 5 months and I can't say enough about it! No joke... I can feel a difference on the days that I don't have my Shakeology... the energy level really isn't there. And sure, it might be 'all in my head' but if me just thinking it works makes it work, then why not? Plus do some research and read about what the other THOUSANDS of drinkers have to say. But even more important than the energy increase (and that's an energy increase without any stimulants, I might add!) is knowing that my body is getting the nutrients it needs and that's the most important thing. I'm working really hard to get the body I want and achieve the fitness level I want so I need to make sure I fuel my body correctly.
And Shakeology helps me do this by giving my body the nutrients it doesn't get from my diet. Of course I watch my diet, but even a person who eats clean, clean, CLEAN, can't get all the nutrients they need from the food they eat. How would you like to eat two pounds of broccoli, 10 cups of blueberries, five pounds of spinach, or 8 apples at a sitting? And even those won't cover everything you need!
It took me a while to finally order my first bag of Shakeology because like fitness gadgets, I'm skeptical of what's out there. But I did my research and read up on what makes Shakeology, Shakeology and I do believe it's one of the best supplements out there. And for me it's worked out great! I love it and will continue to use it for as long as I can!
Now I know this sounded like a sales pitch for Shakeology and I assure you I have nothing to do with this company except that I'm a loyal customer. But come to think of it, I do profit from Beachbody and Shakeology. I've profited stronger muscles, lower levels of fat, more energy, and a huge boost of self-confidence! No financial gains are in order for me after writing this, this is just one happy user sharing her thoughts and opinions on Shakeology!
Hey Carl,
Not sure if you'll get this, but you commented on my page about Shakeology and I was interested in your science about adding a raw egg to the shake instead of whey. Trying to get the most out of my Shakeology!
And I can't wait for INSANITY to come out!
I add a raw egg to my Shakeology because, from my own limited reading and information Isabelle has provided to me, it seems that the whole egg, uncooked is really, really good for you. Eggs contain valuable fat which helps cleanse and lubricate the body. But I'm not going to drink an egg "Rocky Balboa" style. I add it to the shake.
Raw, unheated, uncooked organic eggs from a clean source benefit your health as the raw egg yolk and white helps your body eliminate stored toxins. Body builder's have long used raw eggs to help build healthy muscle without the extra fat.
When you cook animal proteins, eggs, milk, meat, and so on, it changes the structure of the proteins. This is not to say that all cooked animal proteins are unhealthy, but that when we don't cook the proteins, they are often healthier. Consuming eggs raw means that vital enzymes and nutrients are left intact.
Just as pasteurization destroys many beneficial enzymes (put there by mother nature to help assist in digestion) and vitamins, in order to make milk "safer", similar situation exists with cooking eggs.
Now getting technical; Raw egg whites contain a glyco-protein called "avidin" that binds itself to biotin, one of the B vitamins. The concern is that this can lead to a biotin deficiency in the body. The simple solution is to cook the egg whites as to deactivate the avidin. The problem is that it also completely deactivates nearly every other protein in the egg white. While you will still get nutritional benefits from consuming cooked egg whites, from a nutritional perspective it would seem far better to consume them uncooked.
The egg's natural design carefully compensates for the biotin issue by putting tons of biotin in the egg yolk. (Egg yolks have one of the highest concentrations of biotin found in nature.) So it is likely that you will not have a biotin deficiency if you consume the whole raw egg, yolk and white.
This is one example of mother nature's wisdom - both combined are very balanced.
Search the web and you can find more info on the value of raw vs. cooked eggs, and many articles on how the connection between eggs and high cholesterol is not valid (high cholesterol is more an issue of putting bad fats like margarine and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, not eggs) Here's a place for more info on cholesterol myths: http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm