After writing my reviews of Herbalife, Isagenix, and Advocare, the next protein/meal replacement shake I’m asked about most is Shakeology. Keep reading for an unbiased review of Shakeology!
I find that in lieu of actually putting time and energy into one’s own health, some people would rather drink a protein shake they think is the end-all-be-all to nutrition and call it a day.
Except it doesn’t work like that. Shakeology is a company that touts its products as superfoods, the best nutrition available, and as a safe, healthy and effective way to lose weight.
Is this true? Well, not exactly.
Before it’s asked, this is the protein I use and recommend. I couldn’t find one good enough on the market, so I made my own. Grass-fed collagen with six organic superfoods: kale, spirulina, wheatgrass, broccoli, spinach and turmeric. I drink it in my daily smoothies and it gives me LIFE. Aka a healthy gut, glowing skin, strong digestion and energy for DAYS. Use code 10OFF for 10% off!
An Unbiased Review of Shakeology
Does Shakeology really help you lose weight?
The answer is short, but not simple. Let’s dive right in: Will it help you lose weight? Yes.
Is it safe? No. Is it healthy? No.
Now here’s why.
Let’s take a look at Shakeology’s list of ingredients:
Whey Protein Isolate
Whey protein provides great protein. But that’s if and only if it’s grass-fed and organic. Which Shakeology’s is not. Purchasing inorganic whey is a cheaper option, but it is one that will lead to health issues.
According to their website, their whey is “the highest commercial grade available” which sounds good but actually means nothing. There is no scale for highest commercial grade availability, and if this statement were true, they’d be using grass-fed and organic whey. This is why I wrote an unbiased review of Shakeology, I have nothing to gain from being buying (or not buying) these products. And people deserve to know what’s in them.
The website does say the whey is antibiotic and BST free (they make no mention of whether or not the whey is free of BGH – or bovine growth hormone), but without regularly sourcing from grass-fed and organic farms, there is no way to guarantee this.
And I haven’t even mentioned the fact that if these cows are not grass-fed and organic, they’re eating genetically modified corn and soy. Cows are meant to eat grass.
Bovine consumption of corn and soy (which are two of the highest genetically modified crops) leads to infections in the cow. They raise the omega-6 content while lowering the omega-3 content (making the whey much more inflammatory).
In fact, this study demonstrated how organic dairy contains 62% more omega-3s and 25% less omega-6 fatty acids than inorganic dairy. Vitamins, particularly A, E, D, and K are also higher in grass-fed dairy.
Every time you spend money on food or food products, you vote.
You vote for small farmers, for organic food, for health. Conversely, you can vote for giant corporations and GMOs. Purchasing Shakeology supports the genetic modification of our food.
Are there good ingredients in Shakeology? Absolutely. But that doesn’t mitigate the fact that the very first ingredient, aka what the product itself is mostly comprised of, is unhealthy.
It’s kind of like eating fried Oreos and then a salad to make up for it. Is the salad healthy? Yeah, but you still just ate some gnarly food that will have a negative impact on your health.
The other issue is how the whey is processed. Unfortunately, Shakeology’s whey is completely denatured. They use ion exchange to extract it. Here’s what Milk Specialties Global has to say about this method of extraction:
“Ion exchange is a chemical method that utilizes pH adjustment in order to achieve protein separation. Raw whey is sent through a column that has an affinity for protein. The protein is collected and all the other macronutrients pass through. Chemical reagents sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid are introduced in order to release the protein, by adjusting the pH.
While this yields a very high protein ingredient – 90-96%, with no fat or carbs (lactose), this pH adjustment can denature the protein and can reduce the biological activity of the protein and its micronutrients. Reduced or eliminated are antioxidants, essential amino acids, protein digestion, calcium absorption and immune support to name a few.”
Folic Acid
Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate that is naturally found in food. This is a huge problem. Folate is a naturally occurring water-soluble B vitamin. Folic acid, however, is a synthesized form of folate that the body is unable to properly absorb or utilize.
In fact, folic acid supplementation has even been linked to cancer.
“…in the Journal of the American Medical Association — suggesting that all the extra folic acid might increase your odds of developing cancer. “The more we learn about folic acid, the more it’s clear that giving it to everyone has very real risks,” says folic acid researcher David Smith, Ph.D., a professor of pharmacology at the University of Oxford in England.”
Another study out of Chile linked folic acid supplementation with an increased risk of colon cancer.
And yet another study out of Norway linked folic acid supplementation with a 21% increase in lung cancer.
“Folic acid and B12 supplementation [was] associated with a 21% increased risk for cancer, a 38% increased risk for dying from the disease, and an 18% increase in deaths from all causes.”
While folate is a necessary part of a balanced diet, folic acid has actually been linked to increased rates of cancer (another source for ya).
Again, this is why you need an unbiased review of Shakeology from someone who isn’t trying to sell it to you. Folic acid is absolutely not safe. Folate is. There’s a difference.
What about the vegan shakes?
Holy phytic acid.
Oat, rice, quinoa, and amaranth are all loaded with lectins and phytic acid, gut irritants, and enzyme inhibitors. Phytic acid binds to calcium, zinc, iron, manganese, magnesium and other minerals. The action prevents them from being absorbed.
So while there are benefits to this shake, there are also a ton of downfalls. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone, mostly due to the fact that it would be so irritating to the GI tract.
What type of food does Shakeology promote for achieving weight loss?
I was also curious about the type of food Shakeology promotes. If there had been an emphasis on real, unprocessed, organic food, I would have been impressed.
You know – the food that actually helps people attain healthy weight loss and keep it off.But then they wouldn’t have repeat customers, would they?
1. Shakeology Pancakes
Really? This so-called health company is promoting Fiber One pancake mix? Let’s take a look at the ingredients.
Recipe here.
Bleached wheat flour, genetically modified canola oil, genetically modified and defatted soy flour, genetically modified corn, additives and preservatives? If that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about this company, then I don’t know what will.
Oh, but it gets better.
2. Key Lime Shakeology Pie
Recipe here.
Wheat, even more genetically modified soy and dairy, and Jello-O mix? Jell-O also contains preservatives, but in addition, they throw in food coloring, aspartame, and artificial flavor. YUM!
They also promote the consumption of gluten, despite the fact that it’s highly inflammatory and a gut irritant. It will spike your blood sugar and hinder any weight loss effort. Recipe here.
3. Chocolate Shakeology Pie
Really, more tofu?
I think the people who recommend this trash need to read my article on soy (found HERE). Soy causes aggression, decreases fertility, increases the rate of cancer, disrupts hormonal balance and increases the need for B12.
And skim milk? What is this, the 80s? The food industry created skim milk as a highly processed byproduct. It has no nutritional value.
If you want a truly healthy meal replacement, use this grass-fed and undenatured whey protein. And here’s my video on the ultimate protein shake:
So, is Shakeology good for me?
Now, I’m not denying that there are good ingredients in these shakes. But is it worth it to take good ingredients with bad ingredients? No.
You really still consume unhealthy products. I know that all of us could use a boost nutritionally. Unfortunately, our food isn’t as nutrient dense as it once was. Toxins bombard our bodies every day.
This is why I recommend a nutrient dense diet along with targeted supplements. Because in the end not everyone has the same health issues, goals or needs. We all vary. I hope you found this unbiased review of Shakeology helpful and informative!
Sources:
http://images.beachbody.com/tbb/store/shakeology/pdf/shakeology_vanilla_supp_facts.pdf
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0082429
http://www.eatwild.com/healthbenefits.htm
Membrane vs. Ion Exchange – Which Process is Best for Whey Protein Powder?
http://images.beachbody.com/tbb/store/shakeology/pdf/ShakeologyChocolateVegan_Ingredients.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2998440
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1311753
445 Comments
Not the best but they’re okay; the cows are grass-fed for most of the year and they’re GMO-free.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00NBDMN8U?psc=1
Hey, Dani!
What do you think of this grass fed whey protein powder?
<3 Jen
Looks good!
Everyone & everything is gonna have an adversary one way or the other, even if it’s Shakeology…
That doesn’t mean you have to believe everything you read or see on the internet!!!
Dani: I live in Europe and for some reason your video sound is not working well. So, I could not understand the ingredients for your shake. Can you pls provide them in writing? thanks
https://ancestral-nutrition.com/healthiest-protein-shake/
What do you think about this protien powder? http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/pro-nutrition-labs-releases-her-natural-whey-protein-powder-for-women-411971.php
Hi thanks for your review what do you think of the 310 shake? I totally agree with the gi issues with shakeology I had horrible diahrea for weeks
What’s most of the year mean? 7 months? Why not all 12 months?
Most biased review I’ve ever seen. Anyone who reads this: know that she is talking badly about beach body and lumping in shakeology with beach body because beach body promotes shakeology. Shakeology is 100% one of the healthiest supplements out there. And beach body DOES endorse eating organic, whole food. This author is biased af.
I have a question Dani.
I have a unopened bag of chocolate shakology but it says Best used by July 2016.
Since it’s never been opened, can I still use it?!
Thanks
Not sure where you collected your information from but whey based Shakeolody is absolutely from grade A grass fed organic cows! And their vegan varieties are also non GMO and organic!
Are you retarded?
Thanks for this review on shakeology. I was just looking into purchasing it because I like their workout programs. Glad I read this along with the ingredient list. Why is gluten bad? I make fresh bread everyday and have lost 15 lbs doing so in just two months. I include tons of fresh veggies and fruit in my diet. Also have you heard of emer and Iroquois wheat? Are those also forms of gluten you would suggest not ingesting? Thanks a bunch.
I don’t recommend ingesting any gluten. Haven’t heard of that product, could you provide a link?
Use the vegan formula. The company that represents Shakeology is called Beachbody. Unfortunately, this author chose not to research and made some very large assumptions.
Yeah – facts are totally “large assumptions.”
Shakeology doesnt contain soy. Lets start with that fact. Also no Asparatame in it as well. Sweetened with Stevia
I never said they did. I said they recommend eating soy.
They have soy in recipes, that doesn’t mean they roccemend
Well if they include soy in their recipes, they clearly recommend eating soy.
Love your last response Dani. I know of a fellow Coastie Wife that has been trying her hardest to recruit anybody interested in health and fitness to sell and use this item, and she’s lassoed a few… If you can use Google, then you wouldn’t use Shakeology. Research is the easiest thing nowadays, and when concerning our one and only body, it should not be skimped on!
Eddy, ya let’s get started with the FACTS. I have a shakeology container in my hand… under the ingredients… verbatim ”
Allergy information : This product is manufactured in a plant that also processes soy, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts.”
Shakeology has a risk of cross-contamination at ANY time…hence why it doeant say “soy free” on the package.
I sincerely hope u are not a bb coach, misguiding people like this. Get yoir facts straight, people’s health is at risk..genious.
Thank you! She did. Terrible read ;/ Shaekology is an excellent product.
I also want to point out, since I have read through the rest of the comments on this post: There are two different shakes being argued about below. One is the Beachbody meal replacement shake, and the other is Shakeology. People have gotten extremely confused on the two of these. This article is titled An Unbiased Review of SHAKEOLOGY. Shakeology is a different product from Beachbody meal replacement shakes. Shakeology contains no soy, artificial sweeteners, or artificial ingredients. Beachbody shakes DO contain soy protein and whatelse I’m not sure because I haven’t read that much into them. But just so future readers don’t have to be as confused as everyone else: Dani is right when she says Beachbody shakes have these ingredients. Shakeology, however, which is what the article was supposed to be about, does not. 🙂
Shakeology is the shake produced by Beachbody.
Everything in moderation.
Eat your bread, do your excercise routine and enjoy your life.
I wouldn’t believe this article. I’ve been drinking Shakeology and eating a healthy diet that goes along with the 21 Day Fix plus using the Beachbody exercise programs since February 14, 2015 and have never felt better. I’ve lost 240 lbs plus have more energy than I had in many years. You should check out the go creator of Shakeology Darin Olien’s book Superlife The 5 Forces That Will Make You Healthy, Fit, And Eternally Awesome plus follow him on Facebook. He can also answer any health questions you might have related to Shakeology. I love it and drink it daily. Like I said, I’ve never felt better.
I wouldn’t listen to this guy, for if you do enough research shoot breathing air is linked to cancer. Secondly, no matter what shake or diet you get on, it’s mixed with some bad and good ingredients. That’s why it’s called a BALANCED DIET. Anyway, do you own stuff guys, don’t listen to people like this they promote their own shakes or diets like this guy is. Do your own research.
Scary stuff! Now I know why I always got a bad vibe from them….
BTW, fried Oreos…. Ew!!! *shudders*
so the one thing i WILL say with certainty is that beachbody DOES promote whole, real, organic foods from the earth. If you use any of their meal plans or do any of their fitness programs, the nutrition plans are centered on whole foods and avoiding processed foods ENTIRELY.
those recipes you posted…ive never even seen them! im with you on that…it’s pretty nasty to have those things posted up on their site! I would never share them with my clients.
i appreciate what you do and am happy to have stumbled upon your site!
Beachbody promotes Shakeology and Beachbody shakes contain soy, artificial sweeteners and synthetic vitamins. Unfortunately they do not promote whole, real or organic foods from the earth. 🙁
Shakeology DOES NOT contain artificial sweeteners, soy or artificial ingredients. You should get your facts straight before posting.
I never said their products contain artificial sweetener, soy or artificial ingredients. I said they contain inorganic and denatured whey – which they do.
I also said they PROMOTE these ingredients. Which is why I posted links and pictures to recipes promoting soy, artificial sweeteners and ingredients. I think I’ve made that abundantly clear.
Except that you DID say they contain soy and artificial sweeteners two posts above on August 27 2014 @ 12:21 pm! So now you are rescinding that statement?
Actually, I literally said “Beachbody promotes Shakeology and Beachbody shakes contain soy.”
Beachbody does promote Shakeology. Beachbody shakes DO contain soy. http://www.beachbody.com/text/products/supplements/mealreplacementshake/MRS_V_0212.pdf
Nice try though.
Again, actually, you did.
“dani stout says:
August 27, 2014 at 12:31 pm
Beachbody promotes Shakeology and Beachbody shakes contain soy, artificial sweeteners and synthetic vitamins. Unfortunately they do not promote whole, real or organic foods from the earth. :(”
That comment made by you, is what these replies are directly referring to, and it is right there in black and white. You *did* say that.
Are you guys unable to understand basic English? Let’s try this again.
“Beachbody promotes Shakeology.” This is true.
“Beachbody shakes contain soy, artificial sweeteners and synthetic vitamins.” This is true.
Get it?
Are beach body shakes and shakeology two different things? I think this is the confusion…you keep saying “beachbody shakes contain soy and artificial sweetners” then someone says “shakeology does not” and then you say you never said that…so I’m guessing they are two different shakes? Whatever the case, love your articles, very imformative. Can’t wait to see what you say about ItWorks.
Yep, two different shakes.That’s why they have different names (I don’t mean this sarcastically). Didn’t realize people didn’t know that.
See YOUR reply above of August 27, 2014
“Beachbody promotes Shakeology and Beachbody shakes contain soy, artificial sweeteners and synthetic vitamins.”
Unless someone hacked your account looks like you said that perfectly clear. However, shakeology does not contain these products. Your article is very biased because in the end you promote doTerra and their products and even there products do not indicate that is it organic and contain some of the very same ingredients as Shakeology.
I really don’t know what else to say to this than to repeat myself yet again.
Beachbody promotes Shakeology. This is true.
Beachbody contains soy, artificial sweeteners and synthetic vitamins. This is true.
They are two separate products. So where exactly did I say that Shakeology contains these ingredients?
You post says…..dani stout says:
August 27, 2014 at 12:31 pm
Beachbody promotes Shakeology and Beachbody shakes contain soy, artificial sweeteners and synthetic vitamins. Unfortunately they do not promote whole, real or organic foods from the earth.
Nice try Dani, but you did say artificial sweeteners. It amazes me when people say something then deny they did. The above is copied directed from the comments. Don’t believe me go back to the date and time shown in the copy.
“Beachbody promotes Shakeology” – This is true.
“and Beachbody shakes contain soy, artificial sweeteners and synthetic vitamins. Unfortunately they do not promote whole, real or organic foods from the earth.”
– This is true too.
Where exactly did I say that Shakeology contains artificial sweeteners? Literally nowhere in that sentence that people seem to be able to comprehend did I say that.
These people who keep repeating themselves are nuts! I understood what you were saying from the get-go! #somelackcommonsense
Sirry Dani but Shakeology does not contain any artificial sweeteners, it does contain Stevia which as you know is a plant based natural sweetener. Also In all the programs I use from Beach body, none promote fiber one pancakes. All the programs soecifically recommend whole foods that are unprocessed. Shakeology is gluten free and organic. I have done extensive research on this product before I even began using it. Thank you for your blog and for what you do.
Judlst an fyi, there is absolutely no soy in any of the shakeology flavors.
I never said there is soy in Shakeology.
I said they promote eating soy. Which they do.
Clearly you haven’t done extensive research as their products are not organic. The whey is commercial whey, aka fed GMOs and from a CAFO.
Oh my goodness you pour girl. How frustrating reading through these posts. Wow! I was considering purchasing this product because a friend of mine is selling it. I have pretty severe depression and he claims this product will help. You are very patient with many of these people posting here. I give you huge credit for that. I have not done my homework on any of this so I’m turning to you for the best advice you can offer based on your research. I need to get fit and I need help with depression. Are there any healthy substitutes to shakeology? I am going to trust your judgement simply based on your approach taken with many of these posters. Thanks.
Thank you! I don’t recommend a protein shake for depression, I recommend a healthy diet and essential oils. Changing my diet and using essential oils has really helped improve my anxiety.
Please tell us all the research you’ve done on big, bad, scary GMOs! I love when people don’t understand GMOs and spout off nonsense. Maybe you should educate yourself a bit more about what GMOs do and WHY they are so important. People who don’t understand science shouldn’t be allowed to perpetuate false information to the public.
Actually I’ve done a significant amount of research on GMOs and have studied them extensively. Perhaps you’re the one who should educate yourself on GMOs because you clearly do not understand the dangers of them. Anyone who is up-to-date on current GMO research knows that the WHO has labeled glyphosate as carcinogenic and independent studies have concluded that they are cancerous. You can search my site for various information I’ve written on the topic.
https://ancestral-nutrition.com/top-10-gmos/
Shakeology is not organic.
I’m SO glad to see people DEFENDING BB and shakeology, it is made of as organic WHOLE foods that are ONLY bought from fair trade farmers, so they’re actually SUPPORT ING small farmers and local economies. Also, there is NO gluten in it either….it is made in a plant where other products containing gluten are made, therefore it could be classified gluten free but they choose not to since it’s made in a plant where there could be traces of gluten. They are very transparent and just because you can find recipes inline, it does not mean that it was an official BB recipe. BB promotes clean eating and have made many cookbooks about eating whole foods/clean. I find it ironic and a farce that you call this UNBIASED. Have your do terrace shakes that you promote help ppl with vit deficiencies? Come off of meds? Decrease effects of MS, autoimmune doseases, etc, etc???? I would never believe anything you say bc you BELIEVE you’re being unbiased and you contradict yourself
You clearly have no idea what you’re promoting or consuming – it took very little research to find out that neither products are made from organic or whole food ingredients. Maybe do a little research before commenting.
OH MY GOSH PEOPLE… CAN’T YOU READ. SHE/HE SAID.. BEACHBODY PROMOTES SHAKEOLOGY and BEACHBODY shakes contain soy, artificial sweeteners and synthetic vitamins. … THAT IS WHAT YOU SAID, RIGHT DANI?
I don’t know anything about either of these products, but this conversation and the lack of understanding what he was saying drove me to post.
It’s as if some people are unable to comprehend basic English.
They only hear what they want to!!!
Very few people have ever heard of Beachbody meal replacement shakes. People can read English, Dani. The problem lies in the fact that Shakeology is pretty much the only shake that people know related to Beachbody. I guarantee that 100% of the naysayers thought that Shakeology and shakes were the same thing. 🙂
Ok all this just gave me a huge headache. Really WTFFFFFFFF?
From the amount of people that aren’t comprehending what you are saying, it would stand to reason that they have consumed too man GMO’s! Can you say ZOMBIE apocalypse! LOL
Do you know this to be true that shakeology is non-gmo & organic? Twice I called and questioned them and they assured me it was all organic! My problem with this is..why doesn’t it state this anywhere? I’m feeling lied to! I need solid evidence and can’t seem to find any!
Just coming across this article now. I’ve worked with a Beachbody coach for awhile now and all she has talked about with me is how the shakeology and workouts will only give me the results I want if I’m fueling my body with the proper nutrition. The TBB coaches I know are all about promoting clean eating, organic, etc. So I’m not sure if you have old information or if there are just different coaching styles? Also, where did you get the recipes you posted that contain products like Jello and Fiber One mix? I haven’t seen anything like that on beachbody’s website. Is that old as well? I don’t know if they’ve recently changed their outlook on nutrition, or if those recipes are from other websites using beachbody products?
Also, you do seem to shoot yourself in the foot a lot in the comments on these posts (I read the isagenix one as well) because you lump the main product you review in with the company’s other products that do contain certain ingredients, and then claim you never said the main product does have those ingredients. By including it in the group that contains those ingredients, you are implying that it has them also. Maybe that’s where some of the confusion is coming from with some of the commenters.
No, it’s not old. It’s directly on the website and I provided links at the bottom of the article.
No, I don’t do that. I’m very clear about what the products do and do not contain and what the company promotes. Not sure how this is difficult to understand considering I clearly provide the ingredient lists.
Oh dear. I also just read through your about page and disclaimers. Upon seeing those, this post being titled as “Unbiased” is as truthful as an Isagenix or even Shakeology distributor claiming to give an unbiased review of shakeology. You can’t say you have no bias for or against any kind of meal replacement or protein powder, and then turn around and say that you DO get compensation for promoting certain brands of such products. That’s just dishonest, sweetie. You really should take the “Unbiased” out of these titles, and open them with the disclaimer that you are compensated for promoting certain products, because that definitely influences whether you demote certain others. I have suffered from systemic candidiasis for over a decade and began Shakeology is the ONLY meal replacement shake that I can use. Being a busy new mom, I need something quick like that lol. Your review is dishonest from the start by claiming you have no bias (due to the aforementioned reasons), and then misleading by implying it contains certain ingredients with your graphic that it doesn’t simply because the company that makes it sells other products that do contain it. I truly hope everyone does their own research on these products, as I did before using it myself.
Maybe I should re-do the language on my disclaimer. I’m not paid to promote anything. I am paid for Amazon affiliate links – products I use myself and therefore promote. If someone clicks on my link to those products and purchases, I receive a commission.
If you suffer from systemic candida then you really shouldn’t be consuming majority of the ingredients in Shakeology. GMO dairy, fruit and quinoa all feed candida. Not mitigate it.
ALLERGY INFORMATION:
Contains milk- and
soy-based ingredients.
http://www.beachbody.com/text/products/supplements/mealreplacementshake/MRS_V_0212.pdf
Dani, I think after you had posted the above link, the discussion should have been over. Don’t bother replying. It’s a waste of time.
You guys want to help manage weight? Eat a little healthier, and exercise more. I’m a genius!
You ARE a genius!
I don’t think YOU understand basic English.
“Are you guys unable to understand basic English? Let’s try this again.
“Beachbody promotes Shakeology.” This is true.
“Beachbody shakes contain soy, artificial sweeteners and synthetic vitamins.” This is true.
Get it?”
Do your homework. You’re incorrect.
Shakeology is not a company. Beachbody is a company. Shakeology is their shake. You keep contradicting yourself.
What does that change? What does it matter if Shakeology is not a company? Where did I say that Shakeology is a company? I am not disputing that.
Beachbody STILL promotes Shakeology.
Beachbody shakes STILL contain soy.
So what I am contradicting exactly? I kind of feel like it’s the millionth time I’ve said the same exact thing.
In order to write an unbiased review, you yourself would actually have to be unbiased which clearly you are not. You seem to think that look up “facts” makes it an unbiased review when you are looking at facts given by people who like yourself promote other products. Beachbody promotes living a healthy well balanced life style. Shakeology is one of their products, of course its promoted! It is not for everyone. It is however healthy and it is a meal replacement shake. they do not AT ALL promote drinking these instead of eating, they encourage you to get all the nutrients you need in different meals. When I saw your “shakeology recipes” you should have saw that A. these are recipes people make up & B. You add things to your shake not always ingredients that are as healthy for you as the shakeology itself.
So again this is a HORRIBLE “unbiased” review
Great, then want to explain how denatured whey from GMO dairy is healthy? Or want address how, why and what in my homemade protein shake is unhealthy?
Like most people who leave comments, I’ll likely never get a response from you. But if you do read this, at least recognize that the recipe is directly from the Shakeology website and not user submitted. I thought this would be pretty easily understandable considering I directly provided a link to the Shakeology website promoting the recipe. Apparently not.
I’ve just come across this page after a beachbody coach in America (I’m in Australia) PM’d me re. Shakeology and I was curious to see if it was as bad as Isagenix. Thank you very much for your review. If I were you, I’d be banging my head against a wall in frustration at these comments! Can any of you people actually read?! She keeps repeating herself and you STILL don’t get it… unfortunately I noticed the same sort of responses with the Isawarriors that were so gungho about Isagenix…
The Beachbody shakes only contain soy if you CHOOSE to use soy milk or any other form of soy in their recipes. I am a breast cancer survivor and the first thing I can NOT have is soy. Maybe you should be a little less defensive of people’s criticism and do a little more research.
That’s funny, I was thinking you should be a little less defensive and do a little more research. The very first ingredient in BeachBody shakes is soy: http://www.beachbody.com/text/products/supplements/mealreplacementshake/MRS_V_0212.pdf
As a breast cancer survivor (congrats!) I definitely recommend thoroughly reading ingredient labels.
THIS meal replacement shake contains soy:
http://www.beachbody.com/product/supplements/meal_replacement_shake.do
Shakeology does not. It’s a completely different item…
I’m aware of that, and it’s why I’ve never said Shakeology contains soy.
The ENTIRE Controversy in the comments and replies is that your article is all about shakeology, then you contain a blurb about Beachbody Shakes with a link showing the nutritional label. It is not clear to the reader that Shakeology and the “Beachbody Shakes” are 2 totally different products. So when you say “Beachbody Shakes contain soy” it looks as though you are talking about shakeology since that is what your entire article is based on. You lead the reader to assume, since you do not make the distinction that you are talking of a different product, that they are one in the same because shakeology is also a shake.
That being said, if you know the company at all you will know that they do not widely promote the Beachbody Meal Replacement Shake, it is on their site as people want an option of something more cost efficient than shakeology. They are actually phasing out those older original products. That particular Meal Replacement shake is listed as the very last product on the page for a reason.
Since most of these comments are from people who use/sell these products, shouldn’t they know that Shakeology and BeachBody are two separate products?
First of all, I really appreciate the information you have provided. I’m super green-eco-friendly-love-nature-etc), and with that said, I’m currently researching protein shakes cuz I ain’t putting none o’ any crap in maaa body (know what I’m sayin?).
My question is….
If Beachbody promotes Shakeology (yes), and Beachbody shakes contain soy (yes), and Shakeology is in fact the shake made by Beachbody (yes), then does it stand true that:
Beachbody shake = soy
Beachbody’s brand shake = Shakeology
Therefore,
Beachbody shake = Shakeology = soy??
You’re above points make sense except for this one link that, if in fact Beachbody’s only shakes are Shakeology, then in fact Shakeology must be the Beachbody shakes that have soy. >.<
WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG PEOPLE
Haha, no. I’m not saying Shakeology is bad because BeachBody contains soy. They’re separate and not very good for different reasons. Maybe people don’t realize they’re two different products?
You know what? Scratch everything I just said. So basically, Shakeology is ONE of the brands of Beachbody shakes? Yeah? Ok got it got it….BLA. Please excuse the additional hitting my previous post may have influenced.
I’ve never tried a single protein shake, and yet I understood every last word of the review. It’s really not difficult to understand. I’m sorry you’re having to deal with these comments but it has been pure entertainment for me to read! I wish I had your discipline to eat by the same standards, but I do pretty well and I appreciate people like you who do the research to bring information into the light so I can make educated decisions about how to feed my family. Thank you!
You are very welcome! The most important part is just doing the best you can. It doesn’t happen overnight. It’s taken me years to get to this point! Progress, not perfection.
Shakeology does not contain soy or artificial anything. They don’t certify it GMO and Organic because it costs so much money and would increase the cost significantly to my understanding. Shakeology is the best shake around from the research I have done. I’m a little surprised that you took recipes from a wide variety of recipes that have nothing to do with shakeology and made such connections.
Plenty, in fact thousands of companies have gotten certified organic and source grass fed whey yet remain reasonably priced. It’s just an excuse to increase profits, they know most people arent going to know the difference anyway.
Yup.
What are you talking about? Aside from the shakes, the eating plan is ALL WHOLE FOODS, VEGETABLES, FRUITS, VERY FEW IF ANY PROCESSED GRAINS, HEALTHY FATS AND NO PROCESSED SUGAR. You are just wrong.
So these are “unbiased” reviews but hey people can sign up for your 21 day program instead? Lol
The recipes many times are not produced by the company. They come from the customers and people that drink shakeology. Are the ingredients you posted bad from the recipe ingredients bad? They can be when ingested in large quantities. There are many things in our foods that are bad. The FDA allows ingredients in all our food that are harmful in large amounts but not harmful in the food we have.
The recipes are directly from Shakeology – not customers.
Where do they get the info for the ingredients from, obviously from a supplier whom makes it for Shakeology….
I didn’t say their products contained gluten, I said they promoted eating gluten, soy and vegetable oils. Your savvy search methods ain’t so savvy! You can find the recipes here: http://www.shakeology.com/shake-recipes?SHAKEOLOGY_CART_ID=0
And specifically, in regard to your Kraft Cream Cheese and Jell-O comment: http://www.shakeology.com/shake-recipes?SHAKEOLOGY_CART_ID=0#6e5b9f34-5341-4559-85d3-da4b4cf087c5_Key-Lime-Shakeology-Pie
BOOM.
As you can see, they’re directly from the website. Not any coaches.
Sprouting does mitigate the phytic acid, but not all of it. Heating it doesn’t do anything to it. And they’re both extremely high in phytic acid!
You’re right about doTERRA – but you don’t see me promoting their v-shake.
You really need to actually look at the recipes. They specifically contain everything I said – I even screen shotted! I don’t know why people think I lie about these things. It’s right there!
Pyramid scheme
They aren’t listed as “fan recipes”, they’re listed directly under the recipe tab. http://www.shakeology.com/shake-recipes?SHAKEOLOGY_CART_ID=0
So it’s not a matter of if I feel like they’re promoting these unhealthy ingredients – they are promoting these unhealthy ingredients.
No, I’m not confusing BeachBody and Shakeology. BeachBody does use those ingredients.
Again, and I really hate repeating myself and having to defend basic language.
BeachBody does promote Shakeology.
BeachBody does contain soy, artificial sweeteners and synthetic vitamins.
These are facts, and I did say that. Nowhere in that sentence did I say that Shakeology uses those ingredients. So how is that contradicting myself?
Where in that sentence did I say “Shakeology contains soy.”?
I didn’t. I said Beachbody promotes Shakeology. Is this false? Did I get that wrong?
What am I missing here? I truly do not understand how so many people have misunderstood a simple sentence. I’d really like a response on this.
I did say BeachBody promotes Shakeology. They do.
I did say BeachBody contains soy, artificial sweeteners and synthetic ingredients. It does.
So what in this statement is false?
You’d really like a response? Okay. I’m sorry that this will be lengthy.
The confusion is mainly being caused because you’re are not differentiating. The Beachbody Meal Replacement Shake (which contains soy, sweeteners, etc), is one product which Beachbody sells. Shakeology (which does not contain the stated ingredients) is another such product. The way you’re phrasing it makes it sound as if all the shake products Beachbody promotes contain those ingredients.
As for the recipes, it took a bit of digging to find the ones you were talking about (all of which are under the dessert label). If you’re going to tell commenters that you have the links posted under your sources, it would help to actually post those links under your sources. The pancake recipe was the only one I was concerned about with it’s FiberOne recommendation, but in the actual recipe it says:
“NOTE: You can use any pancake mix you want, but Shakeology customers find that the Fiber One mix has the best combination of taste and healthiness. However, there may be better choices for you depending on your exercise and weight-loss goals.”
I was also going to mention the soy issues, but the studies on soy are pretty inconclusive, so I’ll leave that out.
Now I’m going to address other thoughts I’ve had. You stated early in the comments that you don’t recommend eating any gluten. That bothers me. My mother-in-law has celiac disease and so her body cannot process gluten. It makes sense for her to avoid all gluten, but for the rest of us a gluten-free diet is not healthier. We may initially feel better since it means we don’t eat out at restaurants (fast food or otherwise) but ultimately, we most likely would be lacking nutrients.
Lastly, you cannot give an unbiased review of a product you obviously feel so strongly about.
Here are my sources if you care to look at them. I highly recommend the gluten one.
Beachbody Meal Replacement Shake
http://www.beachbody.com/product/supplements/meal_replacement/meal_replacement_shake.do
Shakeology Recipes
http://www.shakeology.com/shake-recipes#_
Gluten
http://www.webmd.com/diet/truth-about-gluten
Soy
http://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/article/tofu-what-does-science-say
Linking to the very source that sells the product you’re debating about isn’t valid.
Here’s some info with actual scientific studies:
Gluten – https://ancestral-nutrition.com/wheat-makes-you-crazy/
Soy – https://ancestral-nutrition.com/why-i-have-beef-with-soy/
First, you didn’t link to a study. You linked to a BLOG POST that cites some scientific studies and OTHER BLOG POSTS. And I’m sorry, no. Someone’s opinions don’t qualify as a study. I’m not sure why you didn’t link to an actual study directly since someone’s interpretations of scientific work is irrelevant.
And all of the scientific studies I managed to find (after quite some digging) had to do with the POTENTIAL harms of gluten to people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, not normal healthy people.
It’s people like you who decide to be scared of specific nutrients because of studies incorrectly interpreted by bloggers on the internet and spout that as truth drive me crazy. If you’re healthy, eat the damn bread.
/endrant
I don’t see anything wrong with what you are saying, I looked up the nutrition label on Beachbody shakes, and you are correct on your assertations of the Beachbody brand meal replacement shake.
I think the problem comes in that you simply did not specify (because this is the internet and people do not know you) that you acknowledge that Beachbody brand shakes are different than Shakeology shakes. It actually reminds me of when I looked up dog food reviews – I was blown away to see that some of a company’s products were excellent for animals, while others from that same company were not. It was the first time I really contemplated that you must look to a line, not a company, to see the value of the product.
I see their points. I also see yours. I think better phrasing (the overt phrasing that must be used when you aren’t having a conversation with a person you know, especially on the internet) would help correct the problem.
Beachbody is the company. Shakeology is one of their products.
I can understand your argument is that since BeachBody has a product that contains soy, And they promote Shakeology, therefore Shakeology much contain soy. –
LOL! That isn’t her argument at all. She NEVER stated that Shakeology contains soy… She simply states that BeachBody shakes contain soy and also that BeachBody promotes Shakeology. These are 2 separate statements… How hard is that to understand?
THANK YOU!!
I had my mom/doctor review Shakeology and she said it was awesome. Doesn’t use soy protein, sucralose, or any other harmful ingredients. She has a medical degree, and an additional master’s degree in nutrition. I trust her over this review, I feel like this review was stretching to make it seem bad when it’s not.
Yeah – inorganic and denatured whey from GMO cows is AWESOME.
Time to get a new doctor.
Where did you get your information on whey in Shakeology and how they are raised.
Also the rest of your information how any ingredients are how processed
Directly from the company. Look at sources.
provide sources for your research on where they get the whey
I did. I got that information directly from the company.
Reading these comments would deter me from becoming a writer.
Your patience is commendable. A friend wanted to start their shake so I googled reviews and found yours. Thank you for your diligent work.
I will recommend doTERRA.
Thank you!
I agree with Vonda. I simply shared your blog and just about got bashed over the head. Seriously, you would have thought that I was posting about politics or something. I’m so grateful for people like you who put yourselves out there wi th, what I clearly see as solid, thoroughly done research. These people clearly get offended too easily. Thank you for sharing.
It’s insane. It’s almost as if it’s become a religion to some people. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, What a mess of a post, Dani has said it best, just go organic people, and stop buying product with tons of ingredients, especially ingredients that you may not know what it is.
You know these “shake” people are only out there to make money on un-educated fitness/nutrition people?
Workout, eat real food, period!
This would be much more entertaining to read if every person who posted a comment included their height and weight and how long they have been at that weight, or of they just need to loose weight, and they need a short term “fix” plan.
If you eat healthy and exercise, you will not be looking for a “shake” to replace a meal!
Well said Vonda, I’m truly amazed of how so many people have taken something so simplistic in it’s approach and have twisted it and wasted much time debating comments and statements that were made. These are opinions on their products utilizing her knowledge and industry experience, leveraging the information the company publicly provides. If you don’t like what she’s stating or don’t understand the comments previously listed then perhaps reading and responding to reviews isn’t the best past time for you, Full Stop!
I thought what Dani Stout was providing was clear and concise, however I don’t agree whole heartedly on all aspects of her statements I think overall it’s a Good Review, keep up the good work!
Thank you! It’s awesome when people disagree with me, I just wish they did it in a manner that promotes intellectual discussion.
Actually, Mike, this is not a good review. The reason I say this is because it is suppose to be a review about Shakeology. But she goes off in another direction talking about all the bad things wrong with a “different” shake. Why??? This is a review about Shakeology…not another shake. And the way she does this is very misleading and when questioned she doesn’t try to explain it she just keeps repeating herself; while continuing to insult others. If she is there to inform people then that is what she should be doing and not assuming people know these are two different shakes. I believe this was never “unbiased”. How can you be unbiased when you are doing a review on a competitor. Her word would hold more truth if she wasn’t trying to push her own product during the review. Now her followers (mostly the ones who never understood she was talking about two different shakes) think Shakeology has soy, artificial sweeteners, synthetic vitamins, etc. This is just another example of someone putting down someone else’s product just to make their own look better and I have NEVER trusted any store, business or person that does that.
No kidding. It appears many of these people failed reading for comprehension. On top of that, they ask for sources, which are clearly given at the end of the article.
I would not even dignify these people’s comments with an answer.
How can you claim unbiased review when your clearly against the use of gmo products? Apparently the billions of people who consume gmo products are not so healthy.
Um yeah, exactly. GMOs cause cancer, infertility, agression, etc. –> https://ancestral-nutrition.com/top-10-gmos/
“Time to get a new doctor”? Dani, did you not just read that the doctor to whom Beth is referring is her mother? Are you suggesting she get a new mother? Nice work there Dani, spot on. As usual.
Yes. Obviously that’s what I’m suggesting by saying she get a new doctor. She can’t possibly get a new doctor and have the same mother.
Ok Dani I have gotten down this far and your responses have me in stitches. I think I’m officially in love lol! Intelligent, caring and fantastic wit!! Keep up the great blog.
Haha thank you!
I pi can
I can’t read any more.. The stupidly is hurting my brain. But Dani good luck. You have more patience then I trying to convince these idiots. This last comment was the icing on the cake and I can now go to sleep.
I really don’t understand why because someone else has a different opinion or different research or what have you that it gives you the right to be a complete bitch. I mean, REALLY DANI??
I don’t think I’m a bitch, I just don’t pull any punches. Also it’s not a matter of opinion. I’m not stating my opinion. I’m stating facts.
I also think it’s not very nice to call me a bitch.
Dear Dani,
I am very glad I stumbled on this blog, I and a Healthcare Practitioner. I tried Shakeology, I just did not care for the taste. I think your research is valid, they may have changed a few items since you wrote this. To “Clean Up” their act. I simply do not think its necessary to consume this product for nutritional reasons if you follow a whole food and primal diet. I know of coaches that consume this, promote claim they are eating correctly to achieve very lean results, I know for a fact that one just simply does not eat. She does indulge in prepackaged “organic” foods claiming to eat healthy. My opinion is to just rely on this product without consuming real food, preparing your own food as fresh and simply as possible is waiting for a real health issue to crop up, they may get away with it while still young but the long term effects are calamitous. Most of the coaches are young, so I would like to see the long term effects from consuming this as a major portion of their diet, like say when they are 60 years old as I am. I am a avid Weston A. Price fan and believe dense nutrition is the way to go. bottom line, shakeology is still a prepackaged processed food simply for convince. Well I guess I had said enough, I think your article was great.
You’re really negative and mean to people. I understand you have beliefs of how to eat, as do I. But you are just rude to anyone who goes against what you believe to be true. Even if they just make an innocent comment about how they disagree with you, you attack them:(
Woo hoo! Gotcha Dani! Nicely spoken
Okay, so first and foremost, Beachbody is the name of the company, NOT Shakeology. Shakeology is a product that Beachbody sells. Secondly, there are NO artificial flavors in Shakeology. Also, Shakeology has been clinically tested for numerous things such as weightloss, cholesterol levels, and blood sugars, based on using it as a meal replacement, and without a change in physical activity. You can look it up on YouTube or the website. Also, Shakeology is made with gluten free products. And those recipes that you used are not derived from Shakeology creators or Beachbody. They are created and posted by Shakeology customers, to give ideas of recipes to make. The recipe suggestions that Beachbody offers do not promote any name brand products. And for anyone ignorant enough to believe this “unbiased” article, did you read the disclaimer notice that he is paid to write certain things? Just saying! I am a Shakeology drinker. I love it. My kids drink it, my grandma drinks it…. it IS safe. And if you need further advice, message Sagi Kalev, trainer of the Body Beast program, who also happens to be a Clinical Nutritionist, with a Ph. D. and a professional Body Builder. For anyone on the fence about trying Shakeology, you should message me! This article is bogus. [email protected]
I would never, ever feed this to my children. Shakeology uses commercial whey, aka whey from animals that are fed GMOs. So you realize your pumping your kids full of this junk, right?
Also, no one pays me to write anything. Who would even pay me to write this? That doesn’t make any sense.
I mean – you don’t even know what you’re eating. The whey ISN’T organic. They whey IS denatured. I’m not the only who needs to email anyone at Shakeology – you are. You don’t even know what the garbage is in the product you’re pushing.
Also – the recipes are DIRECTLY form the Shakeology website, not Shakeology customers. I provided a direct link to this.
Are you in completely denial about the facts I’ve provided or just blatantly ignoring them so you can continue to make money off of a garbage product? It’s completely unacceptable (and incredibly lame) to try to promote on MY website. I’m only approving this article to demonstrate to others that it will not be tolerated (and to refute your completely uninformed points).
everyone needs to go do their research. Even if you are an active shakeology drinker you need to be aware of the facts, and that even if someone has a Ph.D. doesn’t mean they are not willing to PROMOTE certain brands and products. Beachbody is amazing! But it is also true that Beachbody is not Shakeology. Beachbody sells Shakeology! I have been drinking shakeology for almost two years, but now in studying to be a dietitian (which is not the same as a nutritionist (look up difference)) I am not fond of taking it anymore. P.S! everyone who keeps saying that Shakeology doesn’t promote unhealthy products like jello or fiber one…IT DOES! I just check a couple seconds ago because I could not believe what this posting was saying…sadly it is on the Shakeology website :(…..once again I said shakeology promotes this…I did not say Beachbody does…ONLY Shakeology
Thanks for the comment!
Agreed that everyone needs to do their own research from a multitude of sources and not simply picking and choosing the ones that are favorable.
I would TRULY be surprised if DANI never ate a burger or anything GMO in her entire life. She’s perfect
I’m totally down with burgers. I’m makin’ some grass-fed burgers tonight actually.
I hope those were “grass finished” burgers. 🙂
Love your blog and the researched info you have provided. Wish people would go back to the point of the article where you are clearly stating that the whey that is used is unhealthy.
There is a huge difference between eating what we have been fed as youngsters and in later years, and eating what we now know (with proof) can lead to cancer and other sickness. I now rarely eat foods that are not GMO-project verified and organic, and I choose to feed my children the same. There are the odd times that this isn’t possible, but I think that a person should try as often as possible to search out the healthiest food available. I don’t think that Dani thinks she is perfect at all, but I truly cannot believe how threatened you must feel to make such pissy statements. You’re being totally immature and ridiculous.
Shakeology DOES NOT use denatured whey protein. It uses a state of the art cold-filtered process to specifically prevent denaturing. If you want the source for this, i will provide it. Please double check your info and update this review.
What are your thoughts regarding Warrior Force / Warrior Food Extreme protein shakes, website is https://healthforce.com/warrior-force.
I purchased the Vanilla Plus flavor and I mix it with coconut or almond milk and also add a little bit of stevia in it to give it some sweetness. It’s very grainy and hard to drink a lot of it. I mix it in a shaker cup, but perhaps if I used a mixer and added some banana or something, then it would be easier to drink.
I also ordered a trial size of the Chocolate Plus, but when I added it with coconut milk, the color turned to green which I thought was odd for a chocolate flavor and it also was not very tasty.
I also ordered a trial size of their “Warrior Greens” product but haven’t tried it yet.
I do not recommend plant based proteins.
Hi Dani,
Why don’t you recommend plant based proteins? Just curious.
Difficult to digest, lectins, phytic acid, not as nutrient dense as grass-fed whey protein.
I drink Shakeology. I have for about 2 years now. I also have started getting hives….about 2 years ago. I lost 30 pounds from it though so I kept it up. I still get hives though…..your article got me thinking. I’ve tried to give it up for 3 weeks buts the hives didn’t go away. I’ve ruined myself lol!
Why don’t you recommend a plant based protein?
The body can always heal!
Because they’re very hard on the digestive tract, loaded with phytic acid and lectins. Not as nutrient dense as grass-fed whey protein.
All of doTERRA’s product are third party tested and verified. They also test each batch of oil seven different ways.
I’ve never seen any actual, verified third party lab reports that indicate doTERRA uses synthetic materials but feel free to provide a link if you have one.
You should likely get your facts straight. There is NO soy in Shakeology and NO GMOs AND nothing artificial. If you are looking at the recipes on the website, the ingredients that SOME people use to make their shakes may have those ingredients but SHAKEOLOGY itself does not. Further, you are very misleading with the word “unbiased” really?? You’re selling another shake so of course you’d support who you sell for, but with that said, know your facts because as a “blogger” you still have to present factual information before you’re reported for libel.
Hi Ann. Glad to hear from you again. Not glad to see that you are unable to understand basic concepts.
I never said there is soy in Shakeology. I said they promote soy. Which they do.
They use GMO dairy. This is a fact. The cows are fed GMOs. Maybe you should take that up with the company, like I did.
The recipes are directly from Isagenix, not from people submitting recipes.
Clearly, I’m not the one here who doesn’t know my facts. And we’re going to have an issue if you keep accusing me of libel.
Let me break this down again. I thought basic literacy would prevail here but apparently not.
One again, I said:
“Beachbody promotes Shakeology” -this is true
and
“Beachbody shakes contain soy” -this is true
So where exactly in that sentence did I say that Shakeology contains soy?
I don’t disable comment on this particular discussion, although I should because I’m tired of breaking down a very simple sentence. Also, how does doTERRA make me biased? Essential oils have nothing to do with subpar meal replacement shakes.
I just want to commend you for remaining steadfast in your comments. I was looking for reviews to different meal replacement shakes and ran across yours. After reading all of the comments, I couldn’t imagine being as patient as you. I am literally laughing out loud at the misunderstandings people continue to repeat and you continue to answer as if it was the first time responding. Kudos to you.
Thank you!!
Very deceitful. Took down the truth. Too bad you’re going to be reported for libel anyway.
Yeah…it’s only libel if I’m lying. Were you unable to understand I got this information directly from the company?
If you have an issue with the ingredients they use, common sense would dictate taking it up with them. Not accusing me of libel.
Dani, you rock! I’ve been reading these comments … really people?! There is a huge lack of comprehension and education on why we shouldn’t be putting harmful junk into our bodies. Keep it up, you’ve got more patience than I do!!!
Thanks, Meghan!
Hi Dani..I am SO glad I came across your website. I am a 35 year old mom of 3 and was seriously considering starting either isagenix or shakeology to lose weight and get healthy. After researching extensively both of those products (online reviews and ingredient lists) and what goes into the products – I am confident that I can make my OWN smoothies and meals using the non GMO and organic recipes you have provided (for free i might add!)..Thanks so much for the free recipes and all the amazon links..even for a water purifier! I feel like I can actually take small steps to change my life, and in turn my family’s health and what we put in our bodies! After using your recipes and links for a week or so I will consider investing in your book – I have a feeling it will be a wealth of information (on top of all the free info you have all ready provided!) that can help me on this journey. I applaud you for not being a “sell out” and stating the simple facts. Keep up your good works. Nicole
Thank you!! And let me know if you ever have any questions!
On Dr. Oz they had an independent lab test some protein powders including the green Shakeology. They tested with a huge amounts of LEAD!! Basically you are poisoning yourself! I have tried to find it, but I can’t! But I was shocked! Maybe you can find it?
Yikes! I will look for it.
Lead is in all of your whole foods. It is naturally occurring in the environment, and to think otherwise is just ignorance. Beachbody doesn’t ADD it to Shakeology or any other product, it comes from the natural foods used to make it and they have taken steps to reduce it even though it is naturally occurring.
http://www.doctoroz.com/beachbody-statement-response-consumer-lab-report-shakeology
I have a lot of friends who sell this and say it’s so awesome. For one it’s expensive and two this girls comment about the lead. I did hear about this from a personal friend that her (chicago) company was hired to keep this study out of the press. From what she told me, of all the supplemental shakes on the market she said shakeology was the worst. Now what does this mean and how bad is it, that I don’t know? The thing that kills me is, if you are trying to sell your shakeology to a consumer, don’t you think you should be educated on this product other than saying it so great. My friends and I love them, but WTF how can you sell something you nothing about? They make a ton of money on these shakes. Also Dani i was not aware based on all the comments back n forth about beachbody and shakeology was two different things. Someone I know posted your article on facebook, so to get a little education I had to check ot out. thxs
Yeah. Let’s trust Dr Oz’s judgement and “third party lab testing” considering he himself was exposed for being biased for the products he recommended and admitted to LYING to millions of viewers who were DESPERATE to lose weight and tried EVERYTHING he recommend with NO results all while being compensated by the companies he recommended.
But by all means lets listen to “Dr. Oz”.
That is all. I just needed to clear the air.
Dear Dani,
I really appreciate your review. I align myself with a lot of the principles and philosophies you believe in. That is why I am a little embarrassed to say that I have been drinking regular Shakeology for the past 4 months. I also have been telling everyone I know about the product and the fitness program I am doing because I have seen amazing results. But now, of course, I am very wary of continuing to promote the regular Shakeology.
I wanted to share something with you, though. The program I am following is the 21 Day Fix. It is daily exercise and a meal plan based on clean eating. The meal plan in the fix would NEVER promote eating the kinds of recipes you posted in the above post. So while it is unfortunate that Beachbody (the parent company for both Shakeology, The Fix, and various other programs) would post such garbage, please know that they do have a program that encourages eating whole, nutritious, and clean food.
I have a question: your biggest problem with the vegan Shakeology is the overload of phytic acid, right? I found an article that talks about the potential health benefits of phytic acid and that plant-based protein powders often use a process that will remove the phytic acid. here is a link to the article: http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-phytates-phytic-acid.
Like I said, I really appreciate your review and I will be considering this further. I also emailed the company to see if they would consider replacing the whey they are currently using with a grass-fed whey. In the meantime, I am going to start drinking the vegan variety. I would love to know your take on the phytic acid issue, Do you think it is possible that the mineral absorption factor is minimal and that even if there is enough to inhibit said absorption, that one can replace those minerals by eating a whole diet otherwise?
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Sincerely,
Vicki Weslek
Hi Vicki,
The phytic acid can be minimized but not removed. I also doubt that Shakeology is going through the traditional steps of fermenting/soaking to remove some of the phytic acid. Not to mention that the grains can still be extremely difficult on the digestive tract.
I have been drinking Shakeology off and on for about a year. So disgusted in myself for falling for their trap. I cancelled my monthly order, and was looking at starting it up again. I was researching all protein powders and came across this review. Thank GOD!!! I was just about to start ordering again.
I watched your video on making your homemade protein shake, but really would like to find a organic brand to purchase. What do you recommend???
Thanks so much,
JB
I recommend Reserveage Whey or doTERRA’s protein shake, which is grass-fed.
Although, it actually equals out to what I was paying for Shakeology LOL, sooooo maybe I will give that a shot down the road 🙂
I actually contacted doTERRA directly about the source of whey and how it’s processed and that’s what they told me.
Thanks. I guess I will do the same. I would love to believe it since I love their other products. But I wouldn’t believe that as a source from any other company…it seems it should be in writing somewhere. Any company can tell you anything. If we are going to hold all of these other shakes to these standards and pull things off the internet and in writing, I would want the same from them. And so far I have not found it.
So I’m guessing 6 star is really quite a joke to even ask about…? I’ve had it a couple times- mixed in with (all natural) fruit smoothy, more like a ‘treat’ if you will. So 6 star…yeah…
Do you have a link to the ingredients?
Would the protein shake, or something similar, to the one outlined in your video be suitable for a 3.5 year old, or is there something else that you would recommend for that age?
I’d recommend whole foods.
Which is again another reason why Shakeology IS a great product. There is nothing harmful in this product and it is suitable for children. 🙂
Genetically modified and denatured dairy is great and is suitable for kids? Who knew.
Wow….amazing simple points don’t resonate with people who like to consider themselves intelligent. You have the patience of a saintess.
Gracias
Why she entertains these shenanigans is beyond me. The question has been asked and answered several times in plain second grade english. Geez.
Hello,
Thank you for your review. Your logic makes perfect sense. My question is regarding another meal replacement shake option. I tried the Reserveage Organics – Whey Protein Grass-Fed Vanilla & Chocolate and was not a fan of the taste. I stumbled upon Amazing Grass Amazing Meal. What are your thoughts on this product? http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_16?url=search-alias%3Dhpc&field-keywords=amazing+grass+amazing+meal&sprefix=amazing+grass+am%2Chpc%2C207
Thank you!
Good for supplementing diet, not for protein though.
Ck out the Organifi Green Juice for me. It looks straight forward and is the better option to Shakeology for those in a hurr like my self. I use it in the morning since I dont have time for breakfast.
Thank you
I’m happy to check ingredients for you, but please do not demand it of me. And please provide a link.
What do you think about vega protein smoothie. I have a very sensitive stomach and I’m lactose Intolerant. I’m looking for something safe to replace a meal with
Link please.
I know I’m a little late to the party, but was interested in this as well. The product I believe they are referring to is Vega One and is plant-based protein. I know I read above that you don’t really care for the plant-based proteins, but like the person who posted above I don’t handle dairy very well. They have the ready made shakes, but all I have tried is the powdered mix. Here is a link to the product:
http://www.gnc.com/Vega-One-All-In-One-Nutritional-Shake-Chocolate/product.jsp?productId=12895335
I also wanted to take a quick moment to say that I appreciate your opinion. I was recently almost roped in by someone who is an “Isagenix Associate”, until I saw the cost for my first shipment would be over $400.. and you have to sign up for automatic deliveries. Whether or not the product is good (I’m not sure because I have not done any of the research), something doesn’t sit well with me when you are required to get automatic shipments. If you trust in your product, you shouldn’t require people to get it delivered automatic (unless they like it and choose to). Thank you!
THANK YOU so much for your informative review! You have done your research for sure! I wasn’t going to actually buy shakeology for the price alone($120 for a 30 supply) but was very curious as to why it was so expensive. And as I suspected it’s just a bunch of hype! What I’m surprised at (but not really) is how many people refuse to look at facts. But I guess that means that the advertisers at Beech Body have done their jobs. I’m not saying it’s a terrible product but it’s certainly not worth the sticker price. Anyway! Thanks again! I will be keeping up with your website!
Awesome! And wow, I had no idea it was that much.
I’m 57 and sadly, as you age, the weight is harder to come off. I lost 30 pounds a couple years ago but during Jan/Fed, seems I gain 10 and then have to fight to get that off as well last the additional weight I want off. Is there a protein drink you can recommend for people like me? I am active, I run, and do work out programs, but what worked for me 2 years ago is failing miserably now. 🙁
The only thing I recommend to effective lose weight and keep it off is diet. Many women in the 40s, 50s and 60s have trouble losing weight due to imbalanced hormones, so that’s something you may need to address as well. But a protein shake won’t do the trick.
I personally use TerraGreens. What do you feel they fall short in?
I mean they don’t have some of the ingredients I listed above. I realize that some of them are “trendy,” but it’s also the most recent research that makes them trendy. I just want get as many “super foods” from my shake, as I am an adventurous eater, but not THAT adventurous (if that makes any sense).
Also, how do you feel about how TerraGreens are processed? I haven’t looked much into this with regard to any powder supplement, but is there research to suggest that the powdered form still imparts most (or all) of the benefit?
TerraGreens are just dried so I’m okay with that level of processing.
I have 6 tubs of trim shake. I hate it. If a company needs to ADD fillers to make it taste good, I don’t need it. I think it tastes nasty. Like sulphur and sugar.
Dani, I stumbled on this page while looking for nutrient / Health information about shakeology. Thanks for the info. Also, just my opinion, but man… you are quite argumentative! Blogs generate opinions and feedback from people… you don’t handle that well! Best of luck.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with taking part in a spirited debate. I think I handle it incredibly well considering I’ve moderated over 2,000 comments specifically about meal replacement shakes. Thanks for that backhanded compliment though.
Don’t listen to them. 😉
I love your website, and I hear passion in your response not biased….however, I would love to see a review on It Works-ProFit shake. Like you I truly believe in Whole Foods, and am not a fan of meal replacements nor protein powders as a way of life! However, to help loose weight or to get your going on a lifestyle change, or as a quick meal once in a while I am all for it. So with that being said, no its not perfect, nothing in a package can be, but in my humble opinion I feel ProFit by It Works is awesome and would love to see your opinion as well!
I think she handles it INCREDIBLY well. When people presented incorrect facts, misinterpreted what she said, and argued with her factual information she simply calmy and straight-forward stated the facts in response. How is she being argumentative by simply clarifying?
I’ve always found it interesting in life, when someone simply responds with the correct information and/or clarifies what they said/mean, that this is even considered being argumentative. It seems like people just don’t like to receive the truth if it differs from their opinion. And I think it’s important for her to follow up with those people. Did you notice how most of the people she responded to, failed to even respond back?
If she were to write this blog and not respond to the massive amounts of misinformed and confused people, those very people who she is trying to inform by writing this article, would remain misinformed. How would that help anyone? Way to go Dani! I am actually a BB coach and I really appreciated what you wrote, and am really going to take it seriously and figure out how I’m going to proceed from here with this knowledge. Thank you for sharing.
Here is the link for the nutritional label for Arbonne — I see someone also asked about Vega, which I am interested about as well. That link is included below, too. It looks like Vega has a very long ingredient list, which is usually a now a red flag right off the bat for me.
http://www.arbonnemarketing.com/PK/dl/pk/2069_us_eng.pdf
http://myvega.com/product/vega-one-nutritional-shake/
Awesome, I’m so excited to work with you!
I have taken both “organic” and non-organic whey and I have never seen a difference. Come on, we will die from something… I’d rather know what is killing me. And you are biased, biased against capitalism and pushing “organic” down our throats like every other Communist hipster out there. And is this never makes it to the comment page then I will really know that this is all true. Have fun saving a world that one, is going to destroy it’s self and two, doesn’t want to be saved.
(Mic Drop!)
You likely won’t notice a difference, that doesn’t mean that a difference isn’t taking place on a cellular level.
Also, how do you know I’m biased against capitalism? I’m not actually. I plan on being a millionaire.
I think it’s hilarious you called me a communist hipster.
Go Michigan!
The benefit of organic food is that is does not contain glyphosate (round up) that is a broad spectrum antibiotic. When you consume non-organic corn, soy, wheat, papaya etc. that have been GMO modified (insecticide is in the seed) you are consuming round-up.. And as a broad spectrum antibiotic, it will remove the ability for any other antibiotic to be of any benefit to you over time, it will destroy your gut flora and leave you win an increased risk of Alzheimer’s, celiac and autism in your children.
Because I’m not selling or promoting meal replacement shakes.
Hi! I came across this site when I was looking for reviews on Shakeology (aside from ones that were promoting it). I agree- it’s all hype; plain and simple!!! My brother-in-law gave me half of a bag and I actually thought it tasted disgusting. I recently tried Herbalife, which was delicious. Although, after reading more about it, it is not nearly as healthy as it claims. There is no easy way out. Just eat real food. Thanks for the information you have provided 🙂
I’m really glad I found this article. I was about to buy Shakeology but I first wanted to see more information on it. I had no idea it had GMO and Aspartame! Yuck! Thanks so much for sharing!
Tiffany, Shakeology does not have any GMOs or aspartame. It is sweetened with Stevia. The only possible source of GMO is if the cows from which the whey was derived were fed GMO products. There is no specific reference to whether the cows are grass fed or GMO free, hence the assumption that the protein source is from conventionally raised cows who are typically fed corn and or soy, most of which is GMO in today’s market.
The dairy is from cows fed GMOs.
It may be to late to comment on this, as it’s a bit older, but in regards to your comment:
“I find that in lieu of actually putting time and energy into one’s own health, some people would rather drink a protein shake they have convinced themselves is the end-all-be-all to nutrition and call it a day. Except it doesn’t work like that.”
I think I completely see where you are coming from, however, as a mom of not one but two children with sensory processing disorder it seems often my options are not breakfast or a quick shake breakfast.
My body actually reacts pretty significantly with both dairy and gluten, so I’ve been using a plant based product called Nutra Fusion (link below). After reading your article I’m rethinking this choice.
I sometimes share my shake with the boys too, which frightens me now as a lot of their issues are aggravated when the gut is disturbed. They are actually gluten/dairy/soy free primarily for their gut issues…
If you have a moment, would you mind sharing any advice… THANKS!
http://www.allstarhealth.com/de_p_ref/30845/pla30845/NUTRA_FUSION_Plant_Fusion_Chocolate_Raspberry.htm?utm_source=google&utm_medium=GPS&utm_campaign=30845&gclid=CjwKEAiAi52mBRDkq5bX0vq1-RQSJAAq_7IGj8UasQW5CqN9efJRIxqsujxFcsLFMjEUqZDzyybtzhoCVpLw_wcB
I don’t see an ingredient list, just and other ingredient list which is a partial list of what they use.
Hey Dani,
This was a great and super helpful article!
I have a question that is somewhat releated:
do you know of any protein meal replacement bars that you could reccommend?
For breakfast on days that I have work (4 days a week) I like to have a Luna protein bar. I enjoy them (esp the chocolate peanut butter ones) because they’re tasty, quick, and I feel fed till 12-12:30 and yet they’re only about 190 calories. I am a long distance marathon runner and at a healthy weight for my height and frame so I’m not trying to lose or gain weight.
However, I know it’s probably not an ideal healthy breakfast because of the sugar content and the first ingredient is soy protein isolate.
So, just wondering if you could suggest any other bar out there that would be better? Thanks so much for your help!
Jeannie
Epic bars!
Anything a little less meaty and gamey and slightly more on the sweet side that would go nicely with a cup of coffee? 🙂
Sorry one more question, 🙂 Could you possibly offer a hypothesis as to why people are loosing weight on Shakeology?
Switching from a highly processed diet and eliminating one-two meals a day will cause anyone to lose weight.
Couple of things. I want to commend you on your extreme patience and how impressive it is to see someone keep composure in this kind of situation. So many times when people are sending comments as above it is cowardly due to the fact they would never have to guts to speak face to face to someone so rudely. For you to keep your cool and just stay methodical about your answers is applaud worthy!
Okay, I only found your blog because literally at the moment I had gotten in the mail two samples of the shake from a friend who lives in Dallas. She had wanted me to try them. I have such a sensitive stomach to over processed foods and to artificial sweetners I was very skeptical but thought I would try a few sips and see if my gut reacted. To my surprise it didn’t at first so I maybe drank 1/2 cup of the mixture. I had to then throw it out, the flavor is fine but the overbearing sweetness is just too much for me. Too much Stevia used. Anyhow, I grabbed an apple and headed out the door to take my daughter to her training. After I dropped her off, mind you this was about 20 minutes after consumption, I burped and regurgitated something unusual, our bodies normal response is to push it down our throats but this felt strange so I spit it out into a napkin at the stop light. It was as if the fiber, ground quinoa, flax and whatever they put in this shake had reconstituted in my stomach and formed a log of about 2 inches. Disgusting I know but I thought I’d share to see if this has happened to anyone else. My husband is always picking on me on how sensitive my body is but honestly what happens is it rejects anything bad. I have always made people shocked by expressing my thoughts on foods, I am a proponent of fat, real sugar if you are gonna eat sugar, and whole wheat/organic whole grain bread if you are gonna do breads. In turn I am 39, have always weighed my high school weight and feel great. Soooooo I support your whole food style of living as it has served me well. If you are gonna make a shake, don’t ingest something you would never ingest in the first place……
Yuck! Thanks for sharing your experience, if other people had that happen to them I’m not sure they would’ve shared without someone else bringing it up first!
I used Shakeology for two years. The product is excellent. In fact, aid in weight loss, provides energy and its ingredients are healthy. Your description of the product seems to me that is unfounded. We suggest you write your personal opinion, but it is not based on exhaustive research. You get to concluciones based on the description given by the company of the procedures they perform. That is not research, and whether it can be considered defamation. If we consider all the people who have commented on your post defending Shakecology certainly the product is good.
I do not know if you’ve used Shakecology, but from experience I can say that the product works and is healthy.
I think you’re not objective when making your review, and obviously you promote the product V-Shake. Incidentally, the V-Shake is not organic, contains more monounsaturated fat that Shakecology. In addition, the V-Shake contains: soluble corn fiber and tara gum, which is found to be harmful ingredients to mention other product salud.Si: Trimshake also have harmful ingredients.
I would trust more in a product that says on the label: Non-GMO fructose (which could be claimed if what he says is misleading), a product as V-Shake, which does not say.
So you’re defending the indefensible.
I’ve literally never recommended or promoted V-Shake so…
You’re still consuming denatured whey from GMO dairy. Care to comment on that?
Hi, Dani! It seems as though your only REAL valid point about Shakeology is the fact that the whey is derived from nonspecific sources (probably conventionally raised cattle).
Most people already eat conventionally raise cattle anyways. I’m not trying to downplay the fact that organic, grass fed and finished beef and dairy are much healthier for consumption.
I am only saying that compared to pretty much every other commercially produced shake, Shakeology is about as good as it gets.
I personally am a HUGE ingredient nerd and have compared this with just about every other shake it have ever seen, and the ingredients are impeccably clean.
This does not mean that I think BeachBody has all their stuff together. There are definitely other products they sell that should not be promoted as healthy, but that is a different case.
I get the impression from this article that you are not truly unbiased. You seem to be extremely opinionated (which is not bad), and feel the need to disparage anything that may be compile tuition for the products you yourself promote.
There is nothing wrong with expressing your opinion, but please do not call it unbiased when it in fact is very clearly NOT.
I disagree, Shakeology compared to Reserveage or SFH, both of which I recommend, is junk. That may be my main argument, but it’s also the main ingredient. Using denatured, GMO dairy is the basis of their shake (I’ve confirmed it’s GMO dairy with the company).
You’re right, I am very opinionated.
By the way, I do want to let you know that I agree with your overall message completely. Whole unprocessed foods are the BEST source of nutrition ALWAYS!
Def.
would love to hear about juice+!!
I really appreciate your comments and for getting down to the nitty, gritty in the ingredients. I am studying to be a holistic nutrition coach and reach labels like crazy and the first thing that jumped out at me was the sugar and the fact the Whey is not organic. I would like to keep my diet GMO free since I know how harmful ingesting “frankenfood” as my fellow students like to call. Everything that you consume, you really need to read the labels and know what to avoid. When in doubt, I use Dr. Mercola’s website and look through and read his articles as I pick apart each individual ingredient when researching a product. Well, you saved me the time. I appreciate the information you shared and I concur 100%.
Wonderful! The world needs more holistic nutrition coaches!!
Also if this sounds sarcastic it’s not, I’m completely serious.
Dani,
I would like to say good job, keep up the good work.
I was looking for a loophole with this fad shake stuff and you helped close it. All these prepacked meals are packed with over processed stuff, hey they may be made with something that used to be a nutritious ingredient, like maybe before it was dried up, ground up and then irradiated (if brought in from another country). Which is why I only buy spices and vitamins from USA manufacturers, I don’t need my supplements to be irradiated, thank you.
Supplements are just that, and nutritious food is just that, if you eat fresh food and supplements, not from a BPA lined shiny package, you will succeed in creating a healthy environment for your body and you will thrive on eating smaller more nutritious meals..not by skipping them and replacing them with over processed dried up powder and some water. It is not rocket science and there is no need to over-analyze it.
It’s like poetry to my ears.
I don’t make an effort to purchase organic foods and given the news regarding the unreliability of organic labeling, it doesn’t seem like it’s worth the effort. I also drink skim milk and consume the occasional processed whey product. 🙂
My understanding from your review is that unless I’m going to start sourcing everything I eat from local farms for which I’ve verified their organic GMO-free feed, I’m only going to benefit from the other excellent ingredients in this nutrient-dense product.
Tony Horton really promotes Shakeology a lot in his P90X3 workout videos, so I thought I’d do a little check on reviews. If processed whey is the only negative, then thanks, it sounds perfect for me!
Well if you already acknowledge that you have a bad diet, and you don’t mind spending money on a subpar product that isn’t going to improve your health, performance or musculature – then yes, seems like the perfect product for you.
Your condescending tone is enough to make me never buy any of the crap you are paid to push. I actually enjoyed your article and found it informative, but reading your nasty, sarcastic remarks proves you are desperately trying to push products you get paid to sell, even if it means bullying people who disagree with you. Good luck with that, sweetie. Let me know how it works out for you. 😉
It’s working out wonderfully. 🙂
I agree with you…. I don’t know anything about her other than she “blogs” so I do not know what credentials she has to even be reviewing products for their national standards but it is VERY clear that she is biased and gets indignant and condescending when challenged. She is also a representative for a competing company with every other product she claims to “Unbiased” review. Shakeology is not a promoted as a protein shake but rather a meal replacement. She also references her own blog posts as a place to confirm information a factual. That is not appropriate or a valid source. She is just another “pushy sales person for another health care product”. I am a scholar on my way to the bar exam, I do not simply believe something because a blogger posts it and neither should you. If she claims to have links to support her negatives and then uses the I called the company and they told me to support her positives… She is clearly NOT a valid source. Now be careful in your tart reaponses, especially to anyone clearly more educated than you. Yes words can be effective but just because you can be sarcastic to deflect responsibility for what you write in previous posts when proven to be incorrect does not mean you are correct. Many people can bring ou their ugly if they choose so your ignorance is not a showcase of intelligence… Just a show case of your ability to use words to try to belittle others and that my dear makes you look like an “Ugly, biased, insecure little girl”. Be more responsible and stop claiming to be an “Umbiased Reviewer” when you absolutely are NOT and placing a disclaimer does not take away your liability for your claim in your post. If you can’t promote your product without bashing others products then perhaps your product is the problem. Just because you post on the Internet does not make what you say true or based on recent scientific evidence. Anyone can find something to reference to support any point of view on the Internet. People… Please do your own research from valid references not BLOGGERS…
Well, common sense would dictate clicking my “About” page to look at my credentials. They’re right there. If you pass the Bar, you may want to brush up on your basic examination skills.
I referenced a myriad of scientific and medical sources, I literally never reference myself as a source unless I’m linking to an expanded article on a particular ingredient, which contains even more scientific and medical sources.
You say I look like an “ugly biased, insecure little girl” for trying to belittle others – when you literally said you’re more educated than me (yet – only one of us can use proper grammar) and called me a “blogger.” I’m a Certified Nutrition Consultant with years of experience and hundreds of clients. Hypocritical much? Not to mention that you’ve made your entire argument invalid. Best of luck becoming an attorney.
Pretty bold statement to suggest that everyone that hasn’t gone organic has a bad diet, or was it that I drink skim milk?
I understand that you believe there is a better product option that will deliver better results. However, you noted that Shakeology has whey protein and absolutely has other good ingredients. You didn’t provide any information that suggested that this wouldn’t improve your performance and musculature. What study/evidence are you basing that claim on? This would be excellent information.
Thanks!
I literally provided that information in the article.
Sorry, read the article again and I don’t see any support for your claim that it “isn’t going to improve your health, performance or musculature”.
For the vanilla shakes, the entire article only mentions one ingredient, the whey protein, and it only suggests that there are reduced benefits due to the process when compared to organic whey. It seems like a major leap to now claim that there will be no performance or musculature improvements from the consumption of this protein.
While you’ve noted issue with the whey protein, you admitted that there were other good ingredients and while I surely don’t know as much as you about healthy eating, they certainly appear to me to be the “who’s who” of superfoods. How is it possible that none of these can lead to health improvements?
As this is marketed as a meal replacement, wouldn’t the amount of improvement depend on what you were replacing? Perhaps it can’t improve much on your excellent diet, but remember I have that bad diet with skim milk, so wouldn’t it have to be an improvement? 😉
Thanks Dani!
BTW, the Vanilla shake supplement facts that you link to no longer match the screenshot in your article. They’ve made some slight changes.
What kind of ridiculous remark is that from “unbiased” reviewer such as yourself?
Your review degrades the product because of GMO use (among other things), what research are you using to suggest that GMO’s are harmful? I am in no way attacking or judging, just curious.
The research on organic labeling and products is much to suspect to trust. Protein powders in general make wild claims that have little science or evidence based evidence. I struggle with many of the responses to the initial blog post as they seem elitist or condescending to anyone that does not think or act like them.
As far as the blog poster being unbiased…I think not. Of course you are biased. You believe in a holistic diet, that itself is an obvious bias. Don’t run from it, own it.
That’s the most compelling argument I’ve ever heard on why I am biased. I like that.
More info on GMOs: https://ancestral-nutrition.com/top-10-gmos/
I would like to see you write a review for Juice Plus Complete. Thanks
https://ancestral-nutrition.com/an-unbiased-review-juice-plus/
I just wanted to let you know that the “new and improved” recipes for Shakeology don’t contain any soy. Not even the vanilla 😉 (I see that’s a huge argument on your comment thread.)
Check out Shakeology.com http://images.beachbody.com/tbb/store/shakeology/pdf/shakeology_vanilla_supp_facts.pdf for the updated nutrition facts.
I’m not a fan of whey regardless but definitely agree gmo isn’t the way to go.
Also, my digestion (among so much) has improved immensely in the past 5 months of drinking vegan Shakeology. I used to suffer from IBS, Diverticulitis, and hemorrhoids. (I was a mess.) But no more pain or bleeding since drinking Shakeology! Not sure if it’s the way the grains are processed (doesn’t seem like that should have anything to do with it) or other ingredients interacting with it or what.
I agree that organic is the way to go, but this is truly a life changing product. Hopefully they’ll have an organic option soon. But this is definitely a biased opinion based on the results I’ve (and a few people I know) seen.
Thanks so much for the article. I love reading info that makes me think, question, learn, and ultimately solidify my life’s choices.
Have a wonderful day!
You have a wonderful day too!
Which protein shake do you recommend to replace Shakeology?
SFH or Reserveage Whey.
It’s very difficult to give an unbiased review of the program because so many people make so much money on this stuff. I enjoyed your article and appreciate you writing it. I’m not surprised it was attacked by their “coaches.”
As an LDN with a PhD, I would never recommend something with all these calories and I certainly would never ask my clients to spend over $100 for a monthly supply of powder.
I’m sure a lot of very smart people put this program together, but drinking fake food will not help you keep weight off long term. However, if you learn to make a smoothie with real food it’ll cost a fraction of the cost and you could apply the extra $80 per month towards a personal trainer or buying better foods.
As long as people are making money they will do everything they can to convince you it’s healthy. In the 1920s doctors said cigarettes were healthy too.
Before I get attacked for this, I meant with all these ingredients, not calories. I know it’s only 160 calories – and that certainly is the only reason it helps customers lose weight.
Love your input! Great points.
Thank you for this in-depth research and truth about these products!
Welcome!
Excellent conversation from all whom have taken the time to contribute. Unfortunately in our society we believe that we require more protein than we intake. Powders and products are simply are an expensive attempt to fill our bellies with processed non-foods. Back to basics folks…We need more vegetables, fruits,nuts and seeds which can be complimented by the occasional small portion of grass fed meat and/or non-farmed fish. If your pantry contains bags of product ( I won’t deem it food) than you have really missed the point. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and are necessary for brain development and muscle growth. We are able to get all that we need from simple organic foods. Exercise and healthy eating habits always prevail.
I love this post! Thank you for explaining this product.. The comments were very entertaining! (Clearly most of the negative comments are from shakeology users) it must be healthy if a MD says so!
Keep up the great work!!
Thank you!
Although I just received my Shakeology order TODAY, and I still plan on using it to replace one meal per day, I do appreciate your research. I might end up loving the product, because it is most likely healthier than what I have been consuming. However, I do not understand how people are still trying to argue with you about facts of the product in regards to the ingredients, whether they have had success with the product or not. Facts are facts. It is very clear that you are correct in your findings.
So, get over it people.
Hi, just to give you a change of pace I’m not here to rail against your bias (what is the big deal, everyone is biased…) or to proclaim the wonders of shakeology. I came across your article because I wanted to find one page that wasn’t a BB coach on a mission with little to no attempt to conceal it. I admit that for now I cannot afford to eat organic, grass fed ect. My main concern right now is cutting out as much processed foods as possible. But my question is, do you think it is necessary to add protein shakes to the menu or was your recipe provided for those who need a quick meal? Instead of replacing shakeology with other expensive powders I’d rather just eat whole food. But I want to be sure I’m getting enough vitamins and protein.
I actually recommend food post workout, my shake is for people who like my husband who literally cannot make himself eat post-workout so we do a protein shake because it’s better than nothing. But I love eggs, potatoes, chicken, etc. after a workout and I recommend that over a shake.
Alright, thank you very much! I just started working out yesterday, trying to make some major life changes. I want to eat as whole food as possible while working with the budget we have. Luckily we just got an Aldi in our area making it easier to get produce very inexpensively.
Any suggestions on a vegan non-gmo shake for meal replacement?
I actually don’t recommend meal replacements or plant based proteins.
Have you ever looked into Zija’s Xm Protein completely plant based. It is based upon the Moringa Oleifera tree. You can see more info at
http://www.blgordon.myzija.com
Do you have a link to the ingredient list you’d like reviewed?
Shakeology does contain lead. They even include a disclaimer, all by itself, apart from all other papers they send included in the shipment, stating that there is lead in Shakeology.
Dani what you are saying makes sense to me. Not sure what is so confusing. Very entertaining read though!
Haha thanks!
People get reaaaaally defensive and worked up about their Shakeology, don’t they? Unfortunately most of these people clearly haven’t done their research. Many people who do the beach body programs are coming from a history of poor eating and no nutritional knowledge. For those, I can see how easily something like Shakeology would look appealing and healthy, however, it’s just not. I do think beach body has some great workout videos and the groups can be fun for encouragement and accountability but they push Shakeology WAY too hard and it’s a bit annoying. When you have a basic knowledge of nutrition, it is pretty easy to see through the marketing tactics they use. I enjoyed this article and all the info you provided as well as your shake recipe and other suggestions in the blog! Sorry you have to deal with those nasty comments.
Thanks for your kind comment!
Thank you SO much for the Shakeology review! I was sitting on the fence, but my intuition kept kicking in. I am going to continue to make my own “shakes” and juices as I have been. I make mine with organic fruits and veggies and I use organic proteins in them too. I put a lot of work into them so I thought the pre-made shakes would cut down on time. Well….I am just glad to continue onward with my plan! It’s healthier and cheaper too….
However I do enjoy the Beachbody workouts that they have out. It has helped me keep up to my weight loss plans. I can’t fault them for that.
Also as I keep turning around there seems to be a new “shake” or protein/weight loss company. It’s so hard to keep up on all the information out there! I am glad that someone like you has done research and gives reviews about it. Again thanks! And keep up the good work!
Thanks and same to you!
http://images.beachbody.com/tbb/shakeology/PDFs/Chocolate/shakeology_supplement_facts_chocolate.pdf
Updated nutritional info for Shakelogy. Does that make any difference at all?
I don’t see much of a difference.
Hi Dani – thank you so much for your review of Shakeology. I really appreciated finding an ‘unbiased’ review. I completely understood that unbiased meant you are not selling it or any other meal replacement shake. Being educated about good health, i.e., eating whole foods, being particular about food sources, being informed on GMOs, etc. is just smart – though if it’s called bias, i’ll gladly accept and own that with you. Consumers need to do their homework b/c the companies selling foods will unfortunately not always be honest. I completely followed everything you said, including the parts that were continually argued in the comments. Even though I eat mostly organic and am particular about my food sources, I’ve been on the fence about ordering Shakeology (just for a month), but I think I will just order the basic 21 day fix program and make my own shakes.
Thank you for providing your recommendation for other protein shakes. I agree whole foods are best but I do find it so convenient as a mom of 2 to be able to make a shake quickly. I was interested in what you would think of this one – it’s not labeled organic but it is from ‘grass fed year round’ cattle in southern Australia, and undenatured. Here is the link:
http://smile.amazon.com/Wild-Grass-fed-Protein-Non-denatured-Ultra-premium/dp/B00QWLO3FO/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1QZRM0VZLJVOL
I would love to hear your opinion if you’re interested.
Again, Thank you!
No problem! Unfortunately I’m unable to find an ingredient list. If you have one, I’m happy to take a look.
It was in the photo – i cannot upload a photo here.
Sorry – hit send too soon. It’s the last photo on the left top of the page where the product photos are. If you hover over the last thumbnail, it will show you. I tried to find a place to upload photo but cannot find anything. thanks – i appreciate it!
Ps. i called Reserveage b/c I was curious why they’re not labeled organic. Customer Service was very helpful and said it’s just b/c it’s a long, expensive process to be labeled certified organic. But their cows (in New Zealand) are grass fed for 9 months out of the year and grain fed* for the winter months (as you know, this is necessary when grass is not as available during June-August) but they *DO feed the cattle organic non GMO grains. I bought the vanilla and like it a lot. I might try the natural, unsweetened version next time b/c it’s definitely on the sweet side. Thanks again for your recommendation!
Thanks for the review! I know someone who is using this, and I was skeptical. Glad I came across your site.
And the entertainment value provided by the people with no common sense, or those that cannot comprehend simple English, was an added bonus!
They must be caught up in the pyramid scam…
How can this be unbiased when you are a coach and rep for another supplement company?
I’m not a coach and rep for them. I am first a holistic nutritionist, and then I incorporate essential oils and supplements into my clients’ protocol. I use doTERRA oils and many brands of supplements.
I would like to add that I think it is indeed, extremely over priced. That too me is a huge downfall.
I have been drinking Shakeology for 2 months now. It has helped my sweet cravings, but I’m starting to notice digestion issues. I was concerned about the lead disclaimer I received in my shipment, but did not know any of these facts before finding your blog. Thanks for the info. I’ll be stopping my shipments now. Kori
Hi Dani,
I came across your blog while I was in the process of researching Shakeology and other meal replacement shakes. I think that you have a lot of valid points and I am glad that I came across this before jumping in and purchasing a very expensive product.
Throughout my research I have come across the Orgain Meal Replacement products. They appear to be soy, gluten, and GMO free as well as certified organic and vegan. What is your opinion on this brand??
http://orgain.com/products/organic-meal-powder/#sweet-vanilla-bean
Thanks and I am looking forward to hearing what you have to say!
I don’t recommend plant based proteins because they contain naturally occurring enzyme inhibitors, phytic acid, are difficult to digest and lack full spectrum amino acids.
Great article Dani!
For all of yall saying Beachbody shakes do not contain soy.. do some research… http://www.beachbody.com/product/supplements/meal_replacement_shake.do
Shakeology doesn’t contain soy..
Beachbody has two different shakes.. a “Beachbody” branded one, and a “Shakeology” branded one!
Yes!
This is an insane level of commentary. Wow. By studying things you form opinions and make a choice. That is not necessarily a bias. She chose what she thinks is best. If you don’t like it move on.
I tried Shakeology last summer. I was very displeased. I felt bloated every time I used it. After reading your article, I now understand why.
Last month I decided to reform my supplement philosophy. Once I did that, I realized how little I knew about the products I was consuming.
My ignorance led me to research all the supplements I had used over the years. It was not pretty.
The whole thing had me lost. Your words have given me some direction. I am grateful I stumbled upon your blog.
Happy to be able to help!
Holy moly! I’ve never actually read an entire thread of comments that long! But my kids are asleep and I got carried away. I stumbled upon your review of Shakeology. A friend gave me a sample and I tried it today and it gave me stomach cramps — surprise, surprise. DigestZen to the rescue – ha! I thoroughly enjoy you and your comments and am a new fan. I’ve added you to my go-to list for blogger reviews and nutrition topics and can’t wait to read more. Love your sense of humor. Keep doing what you’re doing! And no, I will not be purchasing Shakeology!
Thank you, Kara!!
I can without a fact, totally disregard this article because you are indirectly stating that GMOs are bad. People like you are the ones that are fear mongering, there are over 2000 peer reviewed studies saying that they are safe for human consumption.
And yet…you’ve linked to zero. Where are these 2000 peer reviewed studies? That aren’t biased or funded by corporations that sell GMOs?
Let me help you out.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20011136 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10657055 http://www.salmone.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/seralini-2012.pdf http://www.biosicherheit.de/pdf/aktuell/zentek_studie_2008.pdf http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/04/09/argentina-gmo-crops.aspx – See more at: https://ancestral-nutrition.com/an-unbiased-review-of-isagenix/#comment-339390
Hi Dani, I have a question. The whey protein you recommend is not Organic. At least that what it says on the Q&A part of the Amazon link. Can you clarify? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009VJ2MX4/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B009VJ2MX4&linkCode=as2&tag=anblog-20&linkId=PBAN5BRJ5CFHN7YG
Grass-fed > organic
Thank-you Dani. I appreciate the information you’ve provided here. You possess an abundance of patience which is inspirational. I am grateful to you for all the hard work and energy you put into this ‘free’ and ‘informative’ webpage. Thank-you for being true to ‘real and whole foods’ and for promoting a simplistic and healthful lifestyle. I am proud to know that I’m not the only one out there taking the time to properly educate themselves through the extensive reading and critical review of articles and scientific studies. Taking an active and tireless approach to learning about the things that matter in our daily nutrition and the longevity of our overall health is much more important than pointing the finger of blame. Keep doing what you’re doing!
Looking forward to your continued wealth of information sharing. Best wishes and be well.
Thank you!!
I think you gave a great review of shakeology. It constantly drives me crazy how people say it is so great when it isn’t organic or non-GMO. I am wondering if you have ever reviewed Juice Plus complete. It is dairy free, vegan, gluten free, and non-gmo and pesticide free. Just curious what your thoughts were on it since it is half the price of shakeology.
Thanks! And yes, you can just do a search in the search bar for it.
I took Shakeology before I was diagnosed with IBS. I had the runs nonstop. I gave my father-in-law an unopened bag because my stomach would not tolerate it, and it gave him the runs at 3 a.m. after his first try. Needless to say, I never bought it again. When my mother got diagnosed with ovarian cancer, I searched for a shake that would provide my mother with a ton of nutrients. I knew Shakeology had those nutrients, but I also knew they weren’t organic. I’m so glad I never gave this to my mom – the thought of putting all those pesticides/chemicals in my mom’s body makes me shudder!
Dani- Thank you so much for this post! I’m glad I stumbled upon it. I’ve been tossing around the idea of Shakeology but I never really got bit by the bug and wanted to research first. I’m glad I stumbled upon your blog! One of the biggest things is the sugar content. I mean hello, 6 grams for something that’s suppose to be healthy and loose weight and that’s in 1 serving, drink this thing 3 times a day as a snack/meal replacement and you’re up to 18grams from it alone and that’s getting awfully close to what a normal daily diet should intake! Yikes! and the “superfoods” – some have limited research or lack any at all to support the benefit/claims. But I was still intrigued by it since somehow it is still helping people loose the weight! However, after reading your break down, the answer is simple now. No thanks! And yay to saving money!
I love saving people money!
I had a terrible experience with Shakeology. I ordered it because so many of my friends & clients were using the product and swearing by it!
I ordered the 24 pack with the Piyo Pack and almost immediately started in on drinking the Shakes as a replacement for either breakfast or lunch. It’s important to note that I was doing everything correctly in regards to my diet and exercise, which included limiting my calories to 800-1000 calories per day, logging everything I ate, sticking to weight watchers snacks and veggies/fruits and lean protein.
After about a week I went to weigh myself in and found to my horror that I had GAINED 8 LBS!!!! I immediately stopped drinking the Shakes and dropped the weight almost instantly. I thought it might have been a fluke and took up drinking it for a couple of days during a busy work weekend to hopefully give myself more energy and again over the two days drinking Shakeology I was bloated and had gained 3 lbs. Again after cutting it out, I lost the weight and since NOT being on Shakeology have continued on to lose almost 30 lbs and still counting.
I think it’s very important that Shakeology acknowledges that just like with anything else, their product will NOT work for everyone. It’s very mis-leading to tell customers that Shakeology will work for weight loss indefinitely and I was extremely concerned and disappointed with my results, especially with being so mindful and careful with my regime on a daily basis. I will never purchase Shakeology or any kind of meal replacement shake for that matter again. I have learned that I live in the real world and I need to learn to eat healthy no matter where I am or what I am doing. I do not want to be reliable on any sort of magic fix replacement and that is no way to live for the rest of my life.
Thanks for sharing your story, Brigette!
“I think it’s very important that Shakeology acknowledges that just like with anything else, their product will NOT work for everyone. ”
They won’t acknowledge that though. I was a beachbody coach for awhile and shakeology was so pressed and while they make it out to be because of it’s health benefits it’s really because you get good money selling shakeology. I know numerous people who had GI issues after consuming shakeology to which upper level coaches would reply “it’s expected at first because it’s ridding your body of toxins” or some nonsense. I quit coaching because it became more about the pressure of making money than it was about being healthy. If someone was struggling to lose weight the automatic answer was “shakeo!”. People look to these shakes though because they think it’s a cure all when it’s not. Wanna lose weight? Drink shakeo! Got fibromyalgia? Drink shakeo? Thyroid issues? Why shakeo will fix that right up! *eye roll* I’d thought I’d heard it all yet I’ve never heard a coach say “well it’s not for everyone”. It’s whatever though, you do what you can to help someone…it’s up to them to make that choice though. People will do what they want regardless of facts.
sidenote: I want to add that obviously I’ve not spoken to every coach and I know there are good coaches out there who really do care about their clients…but most of the “group” I was in was very serious about promoting shakeo like it was the cure for cancer or something. They tell you you can coach however you want to but if you make more money they make more money so the pressure was there…always.
What is the fermented cod liver oil you use? It looks powdered? You didn’t specify anywhere I could see which you use.
Also, is there any other add ins that you could suggest like a green powder or anything that would make this a full on meal replacement, like breakfast? Or is just the protein and gelatin sufficient as breakfast? I would also use coconut milk instead I suppose, or almond milk, as I don’t really know of a good milk source.
Green Pastures FCLO. TerraGreens for greens powder would be good.
Oh. My. Goodness. I was looking online for an honest opinion from a nutritionist on these shakes because I am sick of being asked if I ever tried them. I am sick of seeing people posting pics with their shakeology bottle in one hand and a weightwatchers snack bar in their other and calling it a great day.
Kudos to you for staying calm and explaining it over, and over again.
I don’t like shakes now and I probably never will. I believe in adding good quality, food sourced supplements to your diet especially if you’re unable to get good organically grown food where you live, or in times of illness. But otherwise, I love simple, real food.
I didn’t plan on commenting – really only stopped by to read this post (which I now bookmarked), but wow, people get so upset when you try to give an honest review.
Thank you, and keep up the good work!
Ulla…I am a registered dietitian and in my office we use Shakeology. I left a comment in this thread. You may want to read it before you warm off those who are trying to offer you a opportunity to live a healthier lifestyle. I for one write all my patients meal plans and I include shakeology in them. I have see significant changes in my patients and have been able to get them off Cholesterol meds and blood pressure meds. Maybe those who have approached you in the past didn’t have the right approach. Or were not incorporating the product the way it was intended. Feel free to reach out to me if you would like more professional information. Good luck!!
Dani, I got through about half of the comments before commenting myself. I clearly see the breakdown here…
This review is titled as being about Shakeology. However, you’re also, in the same review about Shakeology (specifically about this ONE Beachbody product), discussing ingredients in other Beachbody products.
While it is totally fair for you to review the entire company and all of their products, I do feel it is unfair for you to list ingredients in other Beachbody products in your review of Shakeology. It is confusing for people who are looking for a review of the ingredients in the one product and it insinuates that those ingredients are contained in Shakeology, when they are not.
I see that you have clarified the difference between Shakeology and Beachbody meal replacement shakes in the comments section, however, the damage is already done if people don’t go through all the comments to see that clarification.
I’m not attacking your review; just saying that the title of this would have been more accurate as a “Review of Beachbody Products” rather than “Review of Shakeology.”
As for those recipes, I am mortified that those are listed on Beachbody’s website for Shakeology. I’ve done several Beachbody fitness programs and those artificial, processed foods would never, ever be allowed on those nutrition programs. Shakeology is not meant to be used without simultaneous participation in a Beachbody fitness program (ie. physical exercise 6-7 days a week).
I think the reason people are being so defensive is that Beachbody, as a company, promotes fitness programs and lifelong changes to your fitness and nutrition. I understand that your review is not attacking the company as a whole or attacking their workout programs, but other people seem to be taking it that way.
Not sure what you mean. The review itself is of Shakeology, not Beachbody. Someone in the comments then said Beachbody is better than Shakeology, which prompted the comment from me saying that Beachbody contains soy and other unfavorable ingredients. They are two separate reviews on my site.
First, I don’t see how this is an unbiased opinion when you promote a product at the end. Second, where did you get the recipes? I’ve never seen those recipes on the beachbody site or anything they have sent. Did you get them off Pinterest where anyone can post anything?
I linked to them directly in the article and those links go directly to the Shakeology website. Not Pinterest. Not a random person. Not a submission. The recipes are directly from Shakeology.
Hi Dani,
Thanks for your insight on Shakeolgy. I am in good shape for the most part but I was looking to maybe get better results from my workouts. I have never tried any type of shakes or GNC products – I guess I will just keep with eating raw veggies, fruits, and small portions of protein… What are your suggestions? I need to continue doing research.
I just notice you have there are many replies to this blog – I hope you keep your head up Sis :0)-
Thank you!
If this is solely a review on Shakeology, why even bring up “Beachbody shakes?”
I use “Beachbody shakes” as the way you originally used it – the entirely separate meal replacement shake that the company, Beachbody, makes – which we all know is completely different from Shakeology which is the product in question.
I didn’t – someone else did and I responded to it.
Dani, would love to see a review from you on Purium since you’ve covered so many of these companies. puriumcorp.com
these comments are hilarious, and not a good look for BB. perhaps drinking the shakes does something for your reading comprehension? makes you more susceptible to cult like tendencies? regardless it is funny. thanks for your review of this product. I hate that these reps flood the market with fake reviews and am always glad to see a real person behind an article even if they have to tolerate the crew coming for them in the comments. i think it is simple. eat. real. food.
Thanks!
Bless you for taking on the tiered sales force out to make their lives better by selling (shakes, jewelry, face cream, dips, chips, pans, and panties) to friends and family.
I like and use BeachBody dvd sets. I purchased with zero knowledge of what Beachbody was as a larger corporate entity. I like my workout set. I’ll probably purchase a few more workout dvd sets from them. But I’d never, ever, buy my food from them. This is from doing my own research, only to be confirmed by what I just stumbled upon right now on your blog. I would never ever consume Shakeology OR feed to my child. As a mom who loves to cook, who loves whole foods, who loves feeling alive from live foods, I would never. Today I made and shared a homemade blend with my child, containing organic grass fed protein powder. It wasn’t (oooo, ahhhhhh) ‘exotic’. But it was organic, non GMO, filled with fruits and vegetables, and free from “fried oreos”.
I’ll continue to use beach body dvd sets. I’ll continue to silently sigh at social media sales attempts to get me to join the joy of shakeology. (look at us enjoying our plastic shaker cups full of sellable sunshine). no thanks.
*Shakeology salespersons hot off of a summit can save their schtick for someone else, I’m not up for debating or replying to corporate cheerleaders hoping to grow groups of cheerleaders for monetary gain*
Hello Dani,
I was looking forward to your review on Organifi. Did I overlook your reply? I have done a little research myself but wanted to see if you had time to look it over and give us a unbiased review please.
I appreciate all your hard work and valuable information. Thank You.
Just a little suggestion. Maybe you should change the name of your page to, “An unbiased review…and I’ll even repeat myself over 100x about the same subject while saying it the same way I said it the very first time I said it even if you didn’t understand how I said it the first time, I’ll even repeat it again.” Hopefully they’ll understand.
Here is the link…
http://organifi.com/#sthash.ZxeC02Do.dpbs
Thanks again.
Do you have a direct link to an ingredients list?
Here’s a photo of the organifi nutrition label http://www.highya.com/ckfinder/userfiles/images/organifi-green-juice_2.jpg
I am curious what your response is to this video from the creator of Shakeology:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmL9VmE7YZw
“There are several ingredients in Shakeology that is organic.”
Yeah, exact the main one that the shake is almost entirely comprised of – the whey. You can obtain an organic certification even if you source from the countries he listed.
Hi Dani,
I came upon your review while researching Shakeology I was intrigued by your shake recipe I liked the simplicity of it I however can not eat eggs do you have a recipe without eggs that you drink and love?
Thanks
You could just eliminate the eggs.
I am not here to judge peoples opinions, and I am always open to hearing what someone has to say about a product…that’s how I ended up at this review. I like shakeology, but others don’t…and we all make our choices on our own personally opinions. That’s whatever.
I understand you are referring to 2 different things all together in your responses to others in the comments (shakeology, and then the rest of the products beachbody offers), but after reading this review, and then seeing the amount of confusion it has created in its readers, I can understand why some may be confused as to the message you are trying to get across and I have a recommendation.
Change the title of this review to “A review on beachbody supplements and shakes, including shakeology”.
I googled and found your site based on searching for a true unbiased review, because I like to research my products. Based on your title “An unbiased review of Shakeology” I thought that is what I had found. But it isn’t. And I’m not saying it is wrong of you to already prefer other products other than shakeology before writing this review…it just makes it so its not unbiased. I had to look up the exact definition of unbiased just to make sure I am not crazy in my thoughts:
Unbiased: “not having or showing an unfair tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc., are better than others. free from all prejudice and favoritism.”
So while you do make many valuable points in your review and point out facts about the whey protein not being GMO free, etc etc, I cannot take your review as a credible source because you make it clear that you already have your own preferred products (favoritism) prior to writing this review. “If you want a truly healthy meal replacement, use this grass-fed and undenatured whey protein…” and a link to a different product which you apparently get a commission on when people click on it (from what I read in a comment you left in response to another person. And then a snippet from you FTC Disclosure: “I only recommend and endorse products I use myself and completely believe in”….maybe you aren’t intending to recommend a different product other than the one you are giving an “unbiased” review on, but to me, that gives the impression that you are already previously biased towards a different product before claiming to make unbiased review on another.
Thank you for posting this!!!!! I was looking at signing up not for the beach body program, but for the workouts and to coach others…. However the lady said it was best to do the drinks. Yea screw that. The soy thing kills me. Soy is so so so hard for our bodies, yet they put it in everything. And all soy is pretty much GMO. Anyway, I have been wanting to help others eat real food, drink teas and move more to lose weight like I have ( I lost 70 lbs in 1.5 years)but I have no clue where to start to earn some money for the countless hours I have spent on research. Do you know where I can go to find info and help people do this the correct way??? Thanks and I’m looking forward to reading more of your reviews!
I don’t usually respond to reviews of Shakeology because as a registered Dietitian and Fitness specialist of over 15 yrs I understand it comes down to knowledge and facts. However I would suggest your review removes the unbiased review of shakeology. Because your review does have a bias. I have not only seen a reduction in my patients Cholesterol, lowered blood pressure,reduction of migraines, arthritis suffers see reduce of symptoms and my patients have lost collectively since 2015 over 500lbs. Any product you use will have a bias, NO question. Its what you like and what works for you. As far as organic, sweetie whenever you go thru a break down of ingredients to a powder for you lose over 50% of those organic properties. Its important to realize that the FDA allows many short cut in labeling, such as, or for example a package that reads ALL natural NO preservatives …Yes there is over 900 milligrams of sodium. What is Sodium well its a mineral yes, but it is also a preservative. I can see you like your protein shake, that’s is great. Shakelogy is a MEAL replacement and YES in my office I do recommend shakeology because in my professional it stands alone to anything on the market today. I have see the highest results in weight loss and decrease in symptoms in my patients… Thank you!
What can you tell me about a product called Everlast – the Vegan protein: http://www.everlastnutrition.com/everlast-vp-pro-vegan-protein-mix
Sweet Mother of God…a few things I’d like to vent about. The first being how stupid people are. I couldn’t even keep reading after a while because I was literally re-reading the same thing a million times…for clarification, insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly but expecting different results. Dani CLEARLY stated that Shakeology is a sister company of Beach Body. Which means, for anyone who can’t comprehend…they own it. It’s like when a football player beats his girlfriend in an elevator…the NFL is under fire because the football player is associated with the NFL, his name however is Ray Rice, not “NFL”. Hope that helps people…its called a reputation, and it matters. Secondly, she never once mentioned artificial sweeteners…ALL she focused on was the whey protein being used. THE NUMBER ONE INGREDIENT. If your number one ingredient is compromised does it really matter that there’s some organic chia seeds thrown in there? NO. Thank you for being CLEAR about Shakeology. I’m so sick of people raving about this wonder product that isn’t so stinking wonderful. Anything sold by pyramid schemes is NOT going to be “the best” thing out there…wake up people. Drag yourselves from the cult-like Shakeology Trance!
THANK YOU.
Dear Mary Ellen -Posted on August 20th @ 11:45am
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE the analogy! ROTFLMAO!!!!!
I know, I freaking love that whole comment.
Hi,
I was wondering what you think about shaklee?
http://assets-origin.shaklee.com/publish/content/dam/shakleemedia/products/new_products_us/product_labels/21277_NG774A_nf.png
Thanks,
Ashley
A family member just brought up shakeology to me as I have fibromyalgia,I wanted to check out its ingredients and came across your post.i will not be trying shakeology as I don’t see it as having any more benefits than the whole foods I already consume.reading the comments was certainly entertaining lol.why do people become so invested in a commercial product anyway,or are they being paid to Argue in the companies defence.dont they realize they have fallen for the advertising?
I would love to know if you’ve ever done a review on Evolv’s products? They have a shake I absolutely love and would like to know where you stand on it as well as their other products.
So I realize I’m super late to this party but WOW! all I can really gather from this all is that it seems like there is a weird cult-like following around BB and Shakeology. And THAT is the exact reason I stay away from the stuff. Please stop the Shake-o selfies!!!
I have been discouraged my friends from trying any of this crap. Eat food. Food doesn’t have ingredients to list. Brocolli. Carrots. Apples. All food. Even chicken, once again food. I have a 6 year old that is allergic to chemicals and preservatives, we can and will only eat from the earth. She was my canary in the coal mine. If you want to lose weight and feel good. Move more, eat food.
I have a huge issue with someone who says Shakeology is bad but still consumes meat. Please, do some research and see that meat and dairy consumption is probably way worse than someone drinking Shakeology. And yes, I drink the vegan formula, eat plant based and organic as much as I can and follow a high carb low fat vegan diet. I’ve toyed with quitting Shakeology for the last 2 years but it’s been such a positive change in my life it’s an asset to my health and well being.
I’m not the one who needs to do research. https://ancestral-nutrition.com/dont-recommend-vegan-diet/
Recently had an issue with Shakeology and Beachbody that is concerning to me but the company (Beachbody) is ignoring me. One of their Diamond Beachbody Coaches approached me on Facebook with her pitch…. I hopped over to the Shakeology site to look at the ingredients because I have a number of allergies and voila! Stevia. They also contain Fructose which as diabetic, I avoid. I said as much, said no thank you, and she countered with “Shakeolgy has no sugar in it. I was pre diabetic and drinking that along with exercise it helped me not become a diabetic. The Vegan Chocolate has no stevia in it all.”. So I looked up the vegan ingredients and it is minus the Fructose but does indeed include Stevia. Your ingredient list is only the proprietary ingredients….. beneath that they list the “Other ingredients”, which include Stevia, Fructose, Xanthum gum, Natural Chocolate Flavor, etc. I called her a liar, which she ignored and continued to pitch Shakeology…. I then said WTF (but I spelled it out) part of ALLERGY do you not get! Told her that what she is doing is illegal and she blocked me. Beachbody simply tells me they will “escalate” the issue and will reply in 2 to 3 days. 3 times now… in 3 weeks. I don’t do shakes…. It’s like, my mother… she’s a vegetarian for healthy reasons but once a year she gets together with some other vegetarian friends and they have Salmon for dinner… She says “because it’s healthy”….. I really don’t think she is getting any health benefit from her once a year salmon binge… likewise I’m not convinced that minute amounts of green tea are going to do anyone any good…. Whatever happened to drinking a cup of green tea and tossing some goji berries or pomegranate seeds on your oatmeal? I’ll take real food, please and thank you. But if this is how they train their salespeople (oh sorry, Diamond Beachbody Coaches who are dedicated to improving people’s health and eradicating obesity).. yeah, their salespeople… then eventually they are in for a lawsuit. I haven’t even looked at all of their ingredients but am allergic to Strawberries, Agave, and Stevia (among a dozen or so others). I know I’m in a small minority but blatantly lying to a potential customer about allergens you have made aware of is downright dangerous….. It is not about health… it’s about making the sale, even if you kill someone.
Damn that’s pretty bad. These people are not professionals and know nothing about nutrition. They’re just not qualified to be slinging these products. I’m so thankful you had the good sense to dig into it.
I was looking for an unbiased opinion on Shakeology, but this article seems completely bias, not saying I support Shakeology. I am still clueless as to whether it would be beneficial or not for myself. I think you have some good points, but the fact is not many Americans eat clean and organic like you. America is lazy as shit, and were watching people visit Mcdonald’s or Wendy’s on a weekly or even daily basis. With that said, this still may be a good product for the average American who does not eat well or get the recommended amount of nutrients each day…. I am wondering if you do have a recommendation of a meal replacement shake that is reasonably priced.
Haha. I do not. I recommend eating real, unprocessed food. Nothing is healthier (or tastier).
The first thing that made me roll my eyes with shakeology when it first started appearing on my fb feed is that you can become a coach without any knowledge, education, or results. I have family members and friends who use the products or are coaches and those individuals who became coaches never had to go through the program first. They never had to lose any weight or gain any experience to show actual results, they just became coaches. Coaches with no experience coaching others about how to lose weight and be healthy, when those said coaches haven’t even lost any weight. It’s such an obvious pyramid scheme I don’t know why nobody sees through that. Then everyday I have to see pictures of them drinking shakeology and pictures of them doing workout vidoes. REALLY? If they spent more time exercising and less time posting they might lose more weight. And another thing, yes lots of people post results that are impressive (although I’m sure you would see the same results if you just used self control and ate healthy and exercised) but I have just as many friends who use the program who keep posting updates and I honestly see no results. If you want to lose weight you have to do it for yourself and not anybody else because if you’re not doing it for you its never going to work/last. You don’t need any kind of protein shake people, just a healthy diet and good exercise….it’s not rocket science. Sorry for my rant, it’s just so nice to finally find a review that isn’t posted by beach body coaches and the likes of them.
THANK YOU!
Why don’t you recommend/like plant based proteins?
Wow……appears to me that some of ya’ll need a hug. 😉 😉 Life is too short ppl, get a grip! Learn to make decisions for yourselves, and stop beating each other to death with your own opinions. If you end up choosing the wrong route in the end, that’s on you. I think the solution is pretty simple: A) If you agree with Dani, then don’t use the product. B) If you don’t agree with her, then use it. I am SURE that NO F’s WILL BE GIVEN either way. In my opinion, all of you above who are freakin’ out have only succeeded in driving your stress levels into the ceiling, which will result in raising the amount of Cortisol in your body…..so good luck losing weight with that occurring…HA! 😛 BTW, for me, this was sooooooo entertaining…..so thank you for that. LOL
Haha happy to help.
Thank you Dani for this very informative and educational blog post. My cousin sells Shakeology and talks about ad nauseam. I think it’s a corporate scam myself. There is something creepy about people pushing the s**t. Ponzi scheme comes to mind. Why not just make your own smoothies at home with organic whole food.
I’m gonna try one or your protein shakes soon.
Best,
Robbie
Awesome! Hope ya like it.
I love this! Thank you for truly informing people with the correct information. Now what is your review of the ever loving Plexus that has consumed my entire town!
Here ya go: https://ancestral-nutrition.com/an-unbiased-review-of-plexus/
Just a comment to say that I found this very informative. I also found the comments quite entertaining. I’ll be coming back to your website for more great information. Thank you.
Sounds like the only way to market himself and his product is to bash his competition with false reviews and uneducated facts. I don’t care what company is being discussed, this is a very poor read with very little facts.
Can you please post a link to the information about the source of the whey protein in Shakeology? Or a copy of your communication with the company? I’d be interested to see where they would tell you specifically: “we use GMO, inorganic, chemically processed whey.”
After reading many, many comments back & forth I just want to say that, I get what your saying about beach body vs shakeology. I do however have to agree with the fact that unless you aren’t involved with our promoting any other similar products you truly can’t say your review is unbiased. That would be the same as a Shakeology promoter reviewing your supplement starting it’s unbiased.
That is the only reason you lost credibility, as your promoting a similar product that could be considered competition.
I was disappointed as I expected from your title someone reviewing the product without any angles.
There are good & bad/pros & cons if you will to ALL of these supplements. Unfortunately you can either spend a lot of money until you find one that is right for you or make your own healthy food/shakes, etc…. That’s why there’s products like Nutribullets, etc. so you can put only what you want in the shake!
Good luck all, made for an interesting few minutes that was about all of my life’s time I was willing to lose on this article.
This is one of the reasons I’m starting my own blog/website to truly review things, along with other tabs of interesting things, (site coming soon), I’m selling nothing, I’m promoting nothing, nor making money off anything, that’s what truly unbiased is.
Blessings all, hope everyone figures out what’s best for them!
Hi! Did you do any research on the Vegan Shakeology products? Wondering your opinion based on the research. The recipes, though called “Shakeology Pancakes” and what not are created and promoted by Beachbody, not the creator of Shakeology, Darin Olien. You should look him up- he had a great podcast interveiw on Richroll.com has a book, SuperLife and does a 10 day challenge for healthy eating. He is vegan and the program seems to be very well organized and setup – down to getting your kitchen ready, cleaning out pantry, etc. You might like it (for ideas at least!).
Thanks for your info!
Andrea
Second what Andrea said!
This comment thread is draining…lol. If I read one more comment about how you “contradicted yourself” I may go commit carbicide. I especially enjoy those on the fence who are just trying to alert you as to “where the confusion lies.” Since nobody has REALLY clarified why there is confusion I figured I’d chime in. These dummies will repeat the same shit over and over again trying discredit your review because THEY SELL THIS SHIT. They will keep calling out stuff you’ve explained 20x and be hostile and accusatory and why? Because you are potentially taking money out of their pockets should one of their potential suckers, ahem, I mean customers read your review. The reason why people do this in the first place in pursuit of optimal health, weight loss and a sense of overall well being. God forbid one of these greedy bastards would stop and reflect at the fact that this product isn’t good for their clients rather than try to discredit you and nitpick over how your responses are worded…FOH. You made statements based on facts and the facts indicate that the negatives of this product unfortunately outweigh any of the positives. You cite sources for where you obtained these facts so we can see for ourselves and despite the obvious, people still feel the need to challenge you because they want to appear “right”. Shame on all of you! I know a guy who lost 50lbs in 2 months taking 30 Stackers a day. He kept the weight off for 10 years now and looks phenomenal but he could’ve killed himself. Thankfully after two months he got it together and began being truly healthy. Case in point, there are plenty of ways to lose weight that are terribly unhealthy. Once people start ignoring the facts all for the sake of financial gain, especially when it’s at the expense of another human beings health, they are no better than big pharma. Get it together people!!! The facts are the facts so there is really nothing to argue about…unless of course you REALLY feel like soy, artificial sweeteners, GMO’s etc are healthy. Keep up the good work Dani, props for having the patience of Mother Teresa! 🙂
Anyhoo, my question (lol): Isn’t it bad/dangerous to consume raw egg yolks?
I appreciate this review. I’ve been seeing people on my Facebook gushing over shakology being the most healthy meal of their day and I didn’t believe it. Reading some comments you are receiving is making me laugh and a little angry. How stupid some people can be. I think it’s because they are afraid to accept the fact that GMOs are not a crazy hippy thing to be concerned about, they are everywhere and they change the nature , nutrients and safety of our food. I’d say I’m a level headed normal person , and I do not trust animals who are fed growth hormones, antibiotics for infections caused by the hormones and fed chemically made and fed food- to produce anything I would put in my body. In America, profit is key- not health! therefore buying cheaper ingredients to feed animals, and pesticides to ensure crops grow bigger and faster than nature intended will always be the option taken by big companies. Unlaw specifically specified Do not, chances are they all do. So many of these comments are ignorance and argument for the sake of it. If you can’t understand beach body and shakology are related, and one using soy and artificial sweeteners means they promote it then I don’t know what to say. Thin does NOT mean you’re automatically healthy , so that side effect of shakology is not an argument.
my question for you is , do you know any pre made powders/mixes that have good ingredients that I could put in a smoothie? raw / organic superfood blends ?
Thanks
Check out this link on Youtube! Is Shakeology Organic, Non-GMO, and Gluten Free??? (Shakeology Creator Darin Olien) https://youtu.be/hmL9VmE7YZw. This explains everything you need to know about Shakeology. Thought this might help answer people’s questions about Shakeology. They get there ingredient organic sources from fair trade farmers. They have organic ingredients in Shakeolgy and some ingredients just are not certified. The farmers they get there ingredients from are organically grown. It’s too expensive for these poorer countries to certify because then the farmers would have to sell there food for more expensive prices. Therefore costing the farmers more money to put labelled certified organic on there food. The reason is all explained in the video. Also talks about the gluten and how it doesn’t have gluten in the oat protein technically doesn’t have gluten in it but beachbody and other products can have gluten and soy etc. Hope this helps! Not talking about Beachbody as a whole. Yes I know they promote soy, gluten and dairy from gmo’s. But Shakeology has no gmo’s. Just to clarify. 🙂 Also Beachbody does say to eat whole foods, high nutritious meals with there meal plans book that you get. Shakeology is just to replace one meal per day, not all your meals. So you eat real foods. Shakeology just helps for your workouts to heal you afterwards for your muscles and to give you energy, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and superfoods for that extra health boost. 🙂 I also have done my serious research. So your wrong about them not being organic. They are, just not all certified with a label. Which I understand can turn people off of the product and be confused. They get there sources from organic grown farmers. He states it in the video. A few ingredients may be non organic but still all natural and safe to consume. People you need to chill out and live a little lol.
Is the whey protein in Shakeology antibiotic-free? Hormone-free? Ion-filtered? Grass-fed?
The whey protein isolate that is used in Shakeology is the highest commercial grade available. At this time, we do not require that it be organic. Our whey protein isolate is ion-filtered, antiobiotic-free and BST free. It is not from grass-fed cows. But supposedly the whey is tested for being non gmo. 🙂 I found this and copy and pasted it from the Beachbody website.
Here’s the link from Beachbody. https://faq.beachbody.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1808/~/whey-protein-source-used-in-shakeology. Talking about whey in Shakeology.
By the way. I’m not saying Shakeology is the best shake in the world by any means. If you don’t like it, don’t trust it or think its dangerous to your health. Then I agree with you. Don’t drink it. Everyones opinions are going to be different. I like the shake. Although I must agree it’s very expensive and may try a cheaper healthy alternative. I mean really? $130 bucks? That’s what I pay for Shakeology and I signed up to be a coach so I could get the discount lol. Im not even a coach to help people or make money. Just to save myself money ontop with the $18.00 coach fee and $40.00 every 3 months for the Club success membership. Yikes!
I read your article and I respect your opinions even though I slightly disagree with them.
Personally I don’t care about Shakeology or any meal replacement shakes. I agree with eating healthy foods and a balanced diet to get the nutrition you need for every day life.
I do disagree, like a few people in the comments, that this is an unbiased article. This is definitely biased. Which is not a bad thing, everyone’s entitled to their opinion, I just feel the title is a little misleading.
My other problem is how strict some of your opinions on foods are. Soy, and this is just my opinion, is not as scary as you make it seem. I believe with soy, like anything, is just bad in large quantities. Having a glass of soy milk is not going to instantly destroy the digestive system unless you naturally have an allergic reaction.
The problem I find with a lot of these studies is a few things. One is you can repeat studies as much as you want until you get a favourable result through randomization. Second is I don’t see a really widespread problem with soy other than people with isolated cases. If people have digestive troubles and you want to recommend cutting out soy I think that’s wonderful. But I don’t think the average everyday person is going to notice any sort of difference by cutting out soy on a level that makes sense.
Now obviously I’m a bit biased as well, I’ve lived in China for 5 years where everyone i know consumes soy. No one here has ever heard of cutting soy out of your diet. No one here has ever heard of gluten free. But the people I’m around all the time have barely any health problems. My friends back home in the west, they do some of these things like cut out soy and gluten and go on paleo diets and detoxes and they seem to have more problems (digestion issues, skin problems, headaches)
Now of course that could be from a number of things like constantly switching diets or just a different culture brought up on different foods, but honestly I have seen no problem with anyone consuming soy except for in a case with digestive problems. Or in ridiculous excess. But most things in excess are not good. Salt is important and needed in the brain for proper synapse, but you can also die from salt poisoning. So something being bad in large quantities doesn’t make something bad in small quantities.
And finally, here’s an article that explains why so many studies about soy can vary and why results might be misinterpreted.
http://m.jn.nutrition.org/content/134/5/1229S.full
Other than that I liked your article and that you cite sources for you opinions, which a lot of people don’t. It was well written. Thank you.
And you don’t need to relink any of your soy studies in a reply I read them. Just wanted to give my opinion as well. 🙂
This review is riddled with more pseudoscientific woo than the Food babe’s entire website. Wow. Well done. I’m no fan of Shakeology, but this review is based upon such poor reasoning and so much junk science that you’ve actually left me contemplating whether I should try it after all.
Hi! I actually came here to see if there was any thought on the Health Force National’s Warrior Food Extreme. Instead, I was entertained by a LOT by people “unwilling” to comprehend what you were saying about their beloved Shakeology. I was about to purchase it myself until I did some google research. What your blog says about it does not compare to another blogger who went even further to look into the product. I would hate to read the comments he has to respond to.
I was trying to hear what Whey you used in your video above and what you think about the Health Force. I hear is has a high toxicity level. Can you help?
Thanks
Martha
Dani, I would love, love, love it if you did an unbiased review of Young Living’s protein mixes and also the Balance Complete. I am a Young Living distributor, and I love the products. I believe they are of high quality, but I don’t pretend to know all. I am also willing to learn more and try to do as much research as I can! Yes of course they are pricier because you are dealing with a multi-level marketing company, and with that there is an expected level of support from your distributor (not pushy sales) as well as the possibility of creating a business opportunity for yourself if you so choose. I’m willing to pay the extra cost because of that and because I expect consistent, quality products. I’m not fanatical about the products by any means because I’m not a greed-driven, heartless monster. Thanks. You have a great blog. I really appreciate your reviews and posts. I also enjoy reading the comments from everyone.
Oh my god. This is the best comment feed EVER! I have so many friends pushing shakeology and beachbody. “My body was so malnourished, but then I started my shakeo.” It’s such a joke! Your body sucked because you ate crap. Shakeology is not food– It’s a FAD! Remember Slim-Fast, NutriSystem, and Carnation Instant Breakfast? Those were all pushed as being “so healthy and nutritious” then. Thank you for pointing out the discrepancies with their marketing. I just spent an hour reading this and I should have been in bed long ago.
Dani, you’re awesome. Just stumbled on this after an old work colleague recommended Shakeology and I googled around to learn more about it; I’d never heard of BB or Shakeology. I’ll echo what others have said; you have enormous patience and ability to remain steadfast, calm and classy. I’m bookmarking your site and will look forward to reading.
Thank you, Carol!
Can you recommend a healthy meal replacement shake?
Dani,
Thanks for the info. I have a couple of friends that were on the “scamology” kick and a friend that is a BB coach. What I have learned about BB is that it has a cult like following. The multi-level marketing premise is setup for sales rather than customer care. You dare not say anything criticizing “scamology” or they will gang up on you. It is called totalitarianism. Similar to these Liberal twits in college protesting the opposing view point.
Do you recommend a specific powdered whey protein to supplement my armature body building?
Thanks
If you have a gluten intolerance or Celiac disease, I highly recommend you not using Shakeology as it has been processed in a facility that processes wheat. This article was good. I am glad I do not use it. Thanks for sharing.
I respect the skepticism on Shakeology but I am not seeing why it shouldn’t be recommended as a viable and effective meal replacement shake. I drink vegan Shakeology out of convenience before work and it definitely has helped my digestion and appetite throughout the day. For those looking for a convenient and nutritious meal replacement (at a premium price), I would definitely recommend it.
While I’m not a dietician or nutritionist, I understand that the whey version is primarily whey from GMO sources, but the bulk of the protein in the vegan version comes from raw-sprouted and bio-fermented brown rice, which dramatically reduces the phytic acid (your rationale for not recommending plant-based proteins). That being said, I don’t see any downfalls to adding the vegan version to any diet, no matter how good or bad said diet already is.
I’m curious to know what your thoughts are on garden of life’s raw meal shake, never mind the current recall as im confident they will resolve the issue and come back even better.
Well I do not agree with the information shared here. I am a Beachbody coach and have done alot of my own research on the product and ingredients. It is GMO Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free, All Natural, Organic (but they don’t have the label due to increasing the costs to sell it). It DOES have super foods and I would not allow my kids to drink it if it was as bad as you claim here. Shakeology is not a fad it is the real deal. It will help you with weight loss only because it is helping you get the proper nutrition your body needs. Shakeology is the best thing to ever happen to me and my family and as for some of the ingredients being irritants on your GI system that is bogus..
What is your opinion about Garden of Life meal replacements? I am going to make the one you showed in your video but I have been using Garden of life and just wanted to know your thoughts on it.
Have you reviewed protein shakes by Arbonne?
Thank you for this article. Im sorry you’ve been attacked. People dont have common sense these days, smh. Anyway, I’ve heard about oats containing phytic acid, yet my daughter LOVES oatmeal. I feed her organic steel cut oats from Bob’s Mill. Is that any better? Can you recommend a healthier altetnative? Thank you.
Hi
I’m a little confused I read the article and many of the comments. I am doing my research.
There seems to be some discrepancy, in your article, about the difference between BB Shakes and BB Shakeology. Please clarify. What is the difference between the two products? I’m researching Shakeology. What is Beachbody shakes? I can’t seem to find that product.
Thank you for your help 🙂
Here’s my review on the BB products: https://ancestral-nutrition.com/unbiased-review-beachbody/
First off, Shakeology are the shakes. Beachbody is the company. There are NOT two different shakes as you kept repeating up towards the top (I stopped reading after you kept contradicting yourself a million times). If you have no clue what you are talking about, you really should NOT be posting a review. There is NO aspartame in the shakes. Beachbody promotes healthy eating and working out. The shakes are in CONJUNCTION WITH a healthy diet. anyone can create and post recipes that they happen to make with shakeology, does NOT mean Beachbody promotes those. I can guarantee they don’t. You should try getting one of the programs and actually see what is promoted.
Actually there are Shakeology shakes, which I linked to in the article above.
And BeachBody shakes: https://ancestral-nutrition.com/unbiased-review-beachbody/
And they’re distinctly different, with different ingredients. They’re two entirely separate lines of products.
So again – No, I didn’t contradict myself. You, along with so many of these other people, are uneducated on the products and company you’re using/selling.
Thank you for your review. I have now made up my mind that I will never purchase Shakeology. What I did was I ordered the PiYo workout system and I make my own smoothies from fresh fruit and I went and purchased the Nutribullet SuperFood Fat Burning package. Now if I want something chocolate, I purchased the Slimfast Smoothie powder and add Silk SoyMilk Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Nonfat Greek Yogurt. I do not know what your thoughts are on those powders but any feedback would be great. I can tell that I have seen results.
I read this thinking it was a joke article, because I love Shakeology and the claims seemed so extreme. So I spent an hour fact checking everything. I was devastated to find that everything checks out, everything is true 🙁 I am bummed that I won’t be having Shakeology anymore. Thank you so much for the article Dani, you are good at what you do.
I’m a nutritionist and I don’t know what claims you think are true…unless you’re the author who made a bogus account in order to somehow gain credibility? There is no aspartame, soy or any of this crap in Shakeology..the author is trying to confuse the two products 1. beachbody shakes 2. shakeology, She realized her claims are ambiguous and literally make no sense…so she now is trying to talk about other shakes the company sells which may have those “bad” ingredients, but shakeology does NOT. Don’t let this uneducated person take away something that is doing your health good. I’ve never read such an uneducated, ridiculous article in my life. I assume you ARE the author though…. Move on and stop shaming a company that has helped people get their lives back. You look ridiculous. I’ve done research and as a qualified nutritionist I can say everything you have said is as bad as a scam. If you try to come at me with your dumb responses, rest assured you will lose that fight. I’ve never commented on one of these but this is TOO INSANE not too. Please go do something worthwhile with your life.
I don’t have to try to come at you. Your response was so imbecilic, you did that yourself. Not to mention that you apparently can’t even decipher who the author is and is not.
I am. And to clarify, because you, like so many others, are unable to comprehend pretty basic information – I never said Shakeology products contain aspartame or soy. Nowhere in the article, nor in the comments, did I say this. I said Beachbody shakes contain these ingredients, which is A FACT. You can read that review here: https://ancestral-nutrition.com/unbiased-review-beachbody/. The information provided and the differentiation I’ve clearly made between the two numerous times are very straightforward, so hopefully you can now grasp the fact that I’m talking about two different products.
My review contained factual information, links to legitimate scientific literature and unbiased information on a company that sells expensive shakes made of subpar ingredients while promoting unhealthy recipes that contain ingredients like aspartame and soy (ie: Keylime Shakeology Pie – tofu AND aspartame!). While your response is poorly worded, barely coherent and contains literally no factual, or even rational information.
So, who exactly is the one that looks ridiculous here?
I’ll just be over here, reaching half a million people per month with unbiased, factual information. I’m good.
So then why title your article with “Shakeology” if this is not a review of just shakeology?
It is, other people brought up BeachBody and I responded to those comments. Then everyone got insanely confused because the people selling this stuff aren’t educated on the products they’re pushing and the difference between BeachBody products and Shakeology products.
Thank you so much!!! I have for a long time been a non fan of the whole “shake” movement. But I have recently become so discouraged because I have been “plateaued” for so long that I was considering trying one of these again. I will just keep at my slow steady change of lifestyle and definitely try to get the ingredients to try yours.
Cheers Darka
Hey there! So glad you wrote this post and I found your site! It’s obvious you want to share how people can be healthy. As someone who has had some major health issues which have been significantly improved due to a change in diet I understand this post. Maybe all of the “haters” haven’t realized that food can have such an impact on ones health. I hope for their sake they never have to go through what some of us have.
Thank you for helping people like me! I appreciate the hard work you are putting into this site! Can’t wait to explore more!
Hey there! Super helpful post even with all of the people attacking you (and somehow you’re not allowed to defend yourself because they are just voicing their opinion?! riiight. Apparently people have a hard time ‘voicing opinions’ in a civil, logical and intelligent way. Great way to twist things to get away with behaving badly.) Anyway, I was doing research on protein to the best of what knowledge I do already have. I think I really considered shakeology for a moment because it’s in my face. All. The. Time. And at first glance it does look like a decent product but dang I’m not made of money which led me to …ok IF I could pay that, is it really worth it? Which led me here and you confirmed what I already had suspected. It also showed me what health principles I’d be compromising had I started using it. SO I hate to ask but I do want your opinion- which I value and will not attack you for- on this product: http://gognarly.com/product/gnarly-whey/#facts
I did a search, looked at their ingredients and would be willing to give this a shot. But much like before, I need to make sure the wool is not pulled over my eyes. I know what other products you favor and I’m not against them either but since this is one I selected myself, I’m trying to see if I can trust my own judgement in the future. Thank you in advance and don’t let the crazies get you down!
Thank you!
I like that the whey you linked to is grass-fed but it has a lot of unnecessary and questionable ingredients so I personally would avoid it. I use Naked Whey.
Lordy, look at some of these responses. It sounds like a bunch of “Beach body” or “Shakeology” affiliates All banded together to come freak out on your blog. They are getting upset over semantics and trying to twist your words. It looks as if you are well researched and as I sit here and read the “Shakeology bag. Dani is 100% right. I am baffled that people could not understand what she was saying, it is English and pretty damn clear. The fact that she had to repeat herself like everyone is in 4th grade is pretty ridiculous.
Personal experience, I took Shakeology for a couple weeks. It made my candida horrible, extremely bloated and very tired in comparison to just eating whole foods. And I’ve been taking pre-biotins and Pro-biotics already, so it wasn’t that. It was the sugar reacting with the candida in my stomach and slowing my digestion. I am going to stick with Nutvias 100% Organic Hemp Protein in my shakes I make.
Dani,
I can not thank you enough. I have almost tried Shakeology a few times now & then come across your site.
I make my own organic vegetable & fruit smoothies myself & will keep on.
I am an RN. I am afraid of the lead & now the GMO’s as you have pointed out.
I commend your for your work & intelligence in your field.
Hello,
I am by no means advocating GMO’s but I don’t believe there is any research that explicitly states that they are unhealthy for us. By replacing a gene in the DNA of plants (e.g.: corn) will cause difference in genetic expression of some proteins, but the effect of such changes on the human body has not been properly studied thus far and making claims that are non based in scientific research and then including others that are (such as folic acid) creates a blurred line between scientific evidence, anecdotal evidence (he says, she says), and personal bias. I think for this review to be even more effective the author should explicitly state which is which so that readers are more informed about all the information provided herein.
That being said, I do think this was a good review, and in my (personal) opinion one of the greatest shakes available would be the VegaOne shake.
(Full disclosure, I am not a vegan or a vegetarian, or do I work or have any representation from Vega products)
There’s quite a bit of research done independently on the negative ramifications of GMOs, here’s a quick article I wrote on some of the findings: https://ancestral-nutrition.com/top-10-gmos/
Love your article and keep up the good work. I appreciate your efforts to educate and inform on clean, healthy eating habits. Unfortunate you have to battle with ladies on these comments. Don’t let it stop you because you have alot of valuable information that most people don’t know. And in this case what you don’t know can hurt you. Thanks again!
You’re welcome!
DANI, really,
I wish more people were smart like you and had discernment about their health. I mean, it’s incredible what Science and Technology can do–consolidating vitamins and minerals into one bag is amazing! But the infamous question that everyone seems to be concerned about is, is it truly and honestly healthy??? I think your analysis is great. I learned something. At the very least you planted a seed that I hope would stimulate our critical thinking skills toward shakeology. but it’s pretty simple, I believe. it’s a dietary supplement! it isn’t real food! it comes from real food but yet it is still proceased! Honestly though, I understand why people are so disappointed and defensive about your review…they or someone they love is so passionate about this product, how can one tell the person they care about that the product they’re so passionate about is a lying sack of garbage? for lack of a euphemism LOL….on a serious note, I thank you, for sharing the Truth. But I love pizza, and enchiladas, yet I will continue to exercise and eat my chlorophyll and pray that God will bless me with relatively good health and happiness!
I know I’m coming on the scene late in the game… I jus tried the chocolate shakeology 1 shake for three days in a row. I have to say it wrecked my stomach. I haven’t felt good for 6 days now and think I should go to the Dr. Personal experience. I wouldn’t recommend it. I’m going back to Dr. Mercola’s products. I know they work…and they’re safe. Just a customer- I don’t work for anybody involved.
I’m so glad I decided to click on your post when Googling Shakeology. I used to eat a great diet, but have had some personal issues in the last year and started eating horribly as a result. I’m working to get back on track and lose the weight I gained so quickly during this time, when I was always slim without trying when I ate well before.
A girl I went to high school with and who is pretty fit sells Shakeology, and I decided to do my research. Even though I have read bad reviews of these shakes, your post really did it for me. I mean the whey, really? If you’re going to advertise yourself as this “superfood” powerhouse, how did you ever justify that?
I know I’ve shown up late here, but just wanted to thank you! I look forward to exploring the rest of your site.
I almost laughed at the back and forth about whether you were reviewing Beachbody shakes or Shakeology. You said: “Beachbody promotes Shakeology. This is true. Beachbody shakes contain soy, artificial sweeteners and synthetic vitamins. This is true.” When you could have said, “Beachbody promotes Shakeology, and Beachbody’s OTHER products contain soy, artificial sweeteners and synthetic vitamins, though Shakeology itself does not.” This would have completely cleared up any confusion, but that’s not what you wanted to do because you like it when your dissenters look confused. But the other reason you probably didn’t want to clear this up is because you’re trying your damnedest to discredit Shakeology, and you know that clearing up the confusion would actually weaken your argument. When your readers understand the statement you’re making, they will also understand that one has nothing to do with another. You were reviewing Shakeology, not those other Beachbody shakes. So why does it matter that Beachbody sells those other shakes when those aren’t the Beachbody shakes you’re reviewing? It sounds like you’re saying that Shakeology is unhealthy just because it’s promoted by a company that sells other shakes that are unhealthy. And that makes YOU sound confused.
BUT, you’ve also been arguing that you never, ever said that Shakeology contains soy or artificial sweeteners, but it’s right there in the title of this article: “An unbiased review of Shakeology – GMO DAIRY? GMO SOY? GLUTEN? RANCID VEGETABLE OILS? ASPARTAME?” Are we really supposed to believe that since you didn’t explicitly entitle your article: “Shakeology: It contains soy and aspartame!” that we are not supposed to believe that that’s exactly what you’re saying right there in the first words on this page? Please.
Also, just wondering what your credentials are. Nutritionist? Doctor? Dietician? Oh wait, you don’t have any credentials. You’re a “nutrition coach.” That’s not even a real thing.
And finally, you’ve entitled your article “An unbiased review of Shakeology,” which is the biggest lie of all. You sell nutritional supplements. Shakeology is a nutritional supplement. It’s your competition. You have a strong, financial interest in discrediting Shakeology because you want people to buy your products instead. Your review couldn’t possibly be MORE biased.
Could you please post in the comments the link to where you found the info on how the whey protein is processed. I’d like to read it for myself. I checked out the Beachbody website and couldn’t find it. I also reread your entire article and couldn’t find where you had the link to this.
I contacted the company directly to ask. I suggest doing the same, along with any other questions you may have about the product.
It looks like some of the information on this post is outdated. I haven’t found anywhere that they sell the meal replacement shake that has soy in it. Maybe discontinued?
Also, the recipes that are mentioned are out of date. The pancake one is no longer there and the key lime pie ingredients are completely different. I scrolled through the recipes and didn’t find any that contain soy. I think the only fault is that the pie recipes use a whole wheat graham cracker crust, which yes has gluten and yes gluten is hard for our bodies to process. But the approach that I have seen taken in the Beachbody programs I have used is to help the average person start taking steps towards eating more clean. Their meal plans encourage well balanced meals using whole foods. They even go as far as to have suggestions for what vegetables are better than others.
I’m wondering if the company has changed quite a bit since this article was written two years ago. Perhaps they are changing and developing as new research comes out (i.e. no more soy in their products).
My husband and I are actually drinking shakeology right now and have both felt better since starting. I know that some people, like Suzi, have experienced digestive issues when using it so it’s not for everyone. But my husband is a Celiac who is also lactose, egg and oat intolerant. He has felt great using it.
So I guess I feel like some of the information in the article as well as some of the comments doesn’t give the whole picture of shakeology or the company that sells it.
what do you think of the sun warrior and vega brand protein powder? If you have already done a review on these I apologize I have just found your site.
This is hilarious. I wish I had the time to finish reading all these comments. Shakeology is not healthy, period. I’d also love to know what “natural flavors” are included. Anyone who’s done any research on the food industry knows that natural flavors are anything but natural nor are they healthy. I also find it hilarious/scary that the company website says that Shakeology is for those who are “18 and up” yet people continue to feed it to their children.
The problem is when you expose these types of things you threaten these people’s beliefs and way of living. It’s scary for them to have their illusions destroyed.
Thanks for the great article!
As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (www.ingrainedliving.com) and Nutrition coach, I help my clients build a a sustainably wholesome lifestyle. Part of a sustainably wholesome lifestyle is being able to provide the same nourishing foods for my family as I do for myself. Based upon the current price listed on the website, if I were to purchase 1 Shakeology shake a day for each member of my family of 6, the total would be $181.92 per week, or $9,460.36 per year! That doesn’t leave much extra room for adding in the other essential whole foods and meals for health when the family budget is limited. For some families, that is their entire food budget!
I have written a post on my food blog for an affordable smoothie that my family just loves that contains whole foods and one of the cheapest forms of probiotics available – milk kefir. http://www.aspoonfullofyum.com/hello-sunshine-smoothie/ You can use locally sourced raw milk to culture your kefir grains and you get an amazing source of probiotics (friendly yeast and bacteria) that will cost a fraction of what you pay to purchase a powder. A great source for kefir grains and other DIY cultures is Cultures for Health (www.culturesforhealth.com). Here’s to Wholesome!
I’ve been reading a lot lately on the ethics of having a completely vegan diet vs having a truly CLEAN carnivorous diet (grass-fed beef, etc.) and am wondering if you have written anything specifically addressing this, or comparing the two. Would appreicate your take on on why the cleanest animal proteins aren’t harmful to us, because there are too many arguments for why it’s all bad and I feel conflicted.
Thanks for your time in researching and sharing opinions 🙂
I keep meaning to! But that dang Lierre Keith did it for me in her book. I suggest checking out The Vegetarian Myth!
Oh yay, thanks for the rec!
I do vegan chocolate shakeology (no dairy or whey) with almond or coconut milk and it has helped calm my tummy after decades of severe digestive issues, i was had a bloated and inflamed stomach and swollen neck from my lymph glands so swollen. With my beachbody coach I have such a support that in eating clean I have identified alot of food. I feel my health has gotten so much better I look and feel 10-20 years younger in the first month. It has changed my whole life for the best.
This thread is hilarious. I don’t know how you stay so patient and understanding with people that just see words and jump all over ya. They aren’t actually seeing what they are reading!! I love your blog about Shakeology. I am quitting relying on it for the second time now and i believe its because my body truly knows its not healthy for me. I battle digestion issues and I appreciate your article so much as I can now sell my 3 unopened bags and get back to relying on real food for my nutritional needs.
People krack me up… Frick beach body. Thanks for the post! The key point here shity whey protein;p and the casting a vote every time you spend your money. Detox from heavy metals, cus that shits in everything.
HAAAHAAHHAHAHHAHAAHAAAA
This whole thing was super entertaining. Also, Dani, thank you for this post. I had someone try to talk me into it too, as I’m sure we all have been harassed about Shakeology and BB, and I’m glad to have stumbled upon your site while digging into nutritional info about it. Some people take facts SOOO personally. I mean, come on, facts are facts. Learn from them and be happy about learning from them. They shouldn’t take it as a personal attack that their product isn’t in fact very healthy. If anything, they should be SO GLAD that someone is shedding light on the product that they’re consuming! If it’s bad for you, better to learn about it ASAP and stop. XD Super funny. Yes, we all know it’s sweetened by Stevia, cool, natural plant stuff, cool. It’s like they hear about that part and assume it must ALL be good. It’s much more complex than that, it sounds. I don’t claim to know ANYTHING about anything, but I do try to find out the actual facts. New facts come up everyday, but dude, lets try to sift through all the bologne!
Hi, I’d like to know your sources for these recipes. There are many many shakeology recipes out there and most of them are not from beachbody. People post their own stuff. I am a coach in training and apertame is not beachbody approved. Only acceptable sweeteners are stevia, honey and agave nectar and only in very small amounts. Any processed foods like pancake mix and or jello mix are also not allowed on the beachbody meal plans so why would they encourage customers to use it in their shakes? It sounds like you got your information from Pinterest and not the company itself. I have been drinking for 9 months and weight loss is not the main reason. The vitamins/probiotics have balanced out my acne and pcos so well it is almost gone and people notice. (I buy vegan) I can understand it being too pricey as a con but saying it’s bad for you is absurd. I have seen nothing but good results from hundreds of people. Never anything negative. Also as a side note, nothing can make you lose weight. That is not the point of this shake. You have to eat clean and exercise nomatter what.shakeology is just a boost that helps to balance hormones and kill cravings without trying to search out exactly what mineral your body is looking for every time.
I didn’t read all the thousands of comments, but this is from the Beachbody website about the denatured thing: https://faq.beachbody.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/9379/~/denatured-whey-protein—shakeology/lob/team. If you have that claim wrong, it’s hard for me to trust all of the rest.
Dani,
My sister found you when I told her about Isagenix products which I began using about two weeks ago.
Isagenix made me feel very sick. I still feel light headed, weak, very nauseous, headache and diarrhea with stomach cramping. Today was my first day since April 13th that I don’t consume any Isagenix, the symptoms are still present. I suppose it will take a few days for me to feel better. As per other Isagenix customers, “my body was detoxing!” That’s the reason I kept using the products! My very intelligent sister researched and found you. I read your article about Isagenix and it makes complete sense. I have stopped Isagenix and because it’s not 30 days yet, I’ll be getting a refund.
I feel silly because I once tried Shakeology and also had a bad reaction to it.
My promise to myself is to learn from your blog, to research and to consume healthy, whole, natural foods as much as possible.
Thank you so much for the education!!!!
Thank you for this Dani, this is an AWESOME video! Why some of the negative comments above I can’t understand, Enjoy your day!
Hey Dani,
Thanks for this, I was recently being sold this product and really didn’t know much about it. They actually have a vegan line that I was going to get. do you know much about this, considering it doesn’t contain whey, would it be just as bad ?
Also, I was looking at the protein powder you recommended. I usually stay away from whey because I’m lactose intolerant, and theres different arguments to say that whey will affect lactose intolerant folks, what is your take on this.
Thank you
Sorry, forgot to add wheat into the list on the shakeology ingredients..
Allergy information : This product is manufactured in a plant that also processes soy, egg, fish, WHEAT, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts…
ANN GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT
Before u start threatening people. The author of this article sounds very ambivalent and is posting this for the well being of others, and here u are threatening him, why?
Also, to set the record straight, I have a package of shakeology in my hand. At the bottom it says “Allergy information : This product is manufactured in a plant that also processes soy, egg, fish, wheat,crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts…”
That means it is at risk of cross contamination with SOY. So to say that shakeology contains NO SOY is irresponsible, tbh.
At any time a small or large amount of soy can leak into the packaging at the facility. All it takes is once, for someone with a soy allergin to be exposed…. which equals hospital.
Unfortunately it is ignorant people like u that contaminate the health and fitness field. We are dealing with people’s health for crying out loud, get educated.
Omg are you kidding me with all of these comments going back and forth, the soy vs non soy. Come on people if it has more than 10 ingredients do you really think it should be in your body? If you really want a shake take the time to pull out the blender throw in some vegetables, fruit, ice and make your own. The amount of time it takes to make their shake is the same as making your own and you can see each ingredient going in. Best wishes to all of the vegative personalities here
I completely agree with Sarah, people are just missing the whole point and jumping down the author’s neck when they read 1 or 2 words they don’t like… and these people are most likely coaches guiding other people….. scary.
I listened to the creator of shakeology’s spiel about how/why it is organic/gf/non gmo but not certified. I find his answer very wishy washy. Shakeology can’t be certified gf because farmers in third world countries will have to get certified, which costs more…but nonetheless they have tested everything to make sure it reaches the same standard as a certified product………yet the back of the shakeology container says it is manufacured in a facility that contains wheat (gluten). So in other words it is NOT to gf certification standards…red flag #1.
My other concern is that if their products meet the organic or gf certification standard and it is just a “labelling cost”, than why not make 1 or 2 shakeology brands that are exclusive to organic and/or gluten free, and charge the premium for that particular item to customers, like they do with everything at the grocery store? There is obviously a huge market more these labels, and people WILL pay extra to have it.
My guess is obviously none of their stuff is truly organic or gf, so they would have to change their whole manufacturing process, not just tell a third world farmer to get certified, or perhaps just not use their products for the individual organic or gf certified shakeology that u can make seperately.
Finally, the voice of truth! Thanks for a great blog post.
Oops sorry, my name was half typed!
Wow. I agreed with your post and was glad to read much of your blog… until I read your comments to your readers. While some of them were rude, you were much more so.
I can’t take anyone seriously when they bash people on the Internet, who could quite literally be from anywhere, by saying they are unintelligent and don’t “understand basic English.” Maybe they don’t. Maybe they speak Spanish as their first language. Maybe they speak Chinese as their first language. Maybe they were simply tired and didn’t understand you admittedly confusing way of explaining what you meant. When you are a writer, sometimes you to have to clarify. That’s life as a writer. As someone who is a novelist for a living and also speaks multiple languages, I never get upset when someone doesn’t understand what I meant and especially not if multiple people didn’t. If that many people are confused, it’s not their ability to understand. It’s your manner of communication that was unclear.
In addition, I find your American-centric rhetoric and dismissive attitude completely obnoxious and won’t be reading your blog again. These people are the reason you habe a blog, correct? You can disagree with them without being rude.
Compensation will bring dealer folks, or “coaches,” out of the woods firing off in defense with their own “unbiased facts” faster than any results which may or may not exist. I use different products from a different MLM, but I do not use their shake. I use True Vitality as I have found it best for me. As you can purchase it at a variety of traditional retail locations I am not compensated. It appears to have all the “expensive stamps & labels” to validate its claims to its ingredients and manufacturing and is still available at a much lower cost than shakeology.
Many MLM shakes list a multitude of great ingredients, especially in their “proprietary blends”. Some require deep mathematics, if the info is even fully listed, to derive at the actual measures of each ingredient given. Then, if you are lucky enough to formulate an equation that works out, most of the great ingredients do not come remotely close to levels necessary, according to much legitimate research and science available on the net, to offer relief from symptoms the consumer is looking to alleviate.
True due diligence to self educate is key if one must completely grasp an understanding of what’s best for them. Otherwise, you read reviews like this one and roll the dice as to the amount of credibility you give to it. With that being said, I’d give this one 95% credibility.
Your “Beachbody promotes Shakeology Beachbody shakes contain soy” statement is obviously, and unnecessarily, confusing. That and your opinion on plant protein vs whey. Pre-digested whey is the easiest whey on the digestive system, but if you’re no dairy it doesn’t matter how they get it in the shake.
Dani, what are your thoughts on Vegan Shakeology which (obviously) contains no whey?
2nd try – you seem to be avoiding this question – what do you think about Vegan Shakeology which, of course, contains no whey? Very curious to hear your “unbiased” answer.
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At the end of the day, its pretty easy. Beachbody and Shakeology are MLM. MLM is a corrupt form of marketing, whereby the important thing is not the product, but recruiting new sellers to build the pyramid. (Yes, it is. No matter how much they protest, thats what it is.)
If a company is based on an MLM business model, its gonna be shady. Their product will be shady, the methods will be shady.
If you care about your health and fitness, just don’t even bother with a commercial mix – its exists to create PROFIT not health. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS.
Create your shake from local organic produce, real fruits and veg… and you will be getting the very best. Research the best ways to put it together and eat REAL FOOD.
MLM companies have a very specific way of indoctrinating their agents…they have them drink the kool aid and they teach the poor saps to use every method under the sun to get you buying their expensive crap – and keep buying it. It becomes like a religious cult. The cult members will use every trick they can think of to defend the insanity. Check out the impassioned comments from the members in any MLM related thread.
Why even chance it? What seems more likely? That you are going to become fit and healthy using local organic produce or a carefully marketed processed, branded, product? Think about that…you guys know how the world works. Don’t you?
Pingback: Shakeology: Nutrition Scam & Waste of Money - The Science Of Eating
You forgot one other important point. Shakeology is a huge RIPOFF!! Last time someone tried to sell it to me, it was $150 a month. That’s $150 for only THIRTY servings. $5 a shake. Do you know what I could put in my blender if I spend $5? Much better quality than that crap.
You can go to Amazon and get a higher quality product, with only organic and sprouted ingredients, $30 for 30 servings. Even at my locally owned health food store, I can buy a higher quality product than Shakeology and only pay $60 for 30 servings.
Anyone trying to convince you to try Shakeology is just looking for another sucker to pay for overpriced, overprocessed food so they can make some money and not feel so badly about the money they’re wasting.
Just say no to MLMs. Anything you can buy from any MLM, guaranteed, there’s another source for that product that’s cheaper and without all the brainwashing. And you won’t have to harass your friends and make them roll their eyes at all of your “covert” marketing on social media.
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Stevia products found on grocery store shelves, such as Truvia and Stevia in the Raw, don’t contain whole stevia leaf. They’re made from a highly refined stevia leaf extract called rebaudioside A (Reb-A).
In fact, many stevia products have very little stevia in them at all. Reb-A is about 200 times sweeter than table sugar.
Sweeteners made with Reb-A are considered “novel sweeteners” because they’re blended with different sweeteners, such as erythritol (a sugar alcohol) and dextrose (glucose).
For example, Truvia is a blend of Reb-A and erythritol, and Stevia in The Raw is a blend of Reb-A and dextrose (packets) or maltodextrin (Bakers Bag).
Some stevia brands also contain natural flavors. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Trusted Source doesn’t object to the term “natural flavors” if the related ingredients have no added colors, artificial flavors, or synthetics.
Still, ingredients that fall under the “natural flavor” umbrella may be highly processed. Many argue that this means there’s nothing natural about them.