I do get the attraction of using shakes and supplements to lose weight.
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You feel like you’ve ticked all the health boxes when you whip up a shake or pop vege pills. It’s quick and easy and the marketing helps us to feel that we’ve made a healthy choice AND met all our nutritional requirements.
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However I have a few issues…
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Is it sustainable?
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Yes, you can lose weight with any ‘diet’ but if it’s not a lifestyle, you’re on a merry go round, losing weight one minute and gaining it back the next.
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Is it sustainable financially? Eating healthy REAL food like seasonal vegetables, rolled oats for breakfast, and beans & lentils as a protein source, is cheap.
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Are the health benefits from the supplements?
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It’s often difficult to tell if the increased energy, improved sleep or weight loss is a direct result of the supplement or if it’s all the other diet & lifestyle changes you’re making.
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Often when people have invested in a diet protocol, it’s in conjunction with cleaning up their diet.
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For example, I see huge health benefits when my clients come off processed sugar. So I’m skeptical that ‘X’ supplement is the reason for all the changes.
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Is there a nutritional benefit?
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When we extract and isolate nutrients and put them in a pill, liquid or powder, we compromise the powerful effects of that nutrient when we eat it in its original form.
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Sure we may need specific supplements from time to time, especially in response to a blood test, however getting our nutrition from real food is superior.
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Do they contain sugar?
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I am always surprised when health or weight loss formulas contain sugar. I don’t care if the sweetness if from some exotic fruit with superpowers – it will raise your blood glucose levels the same way that Coke will – sorry.
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AND does it contain caffeine?
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My absolute pet hate is sugary liquid supplements with a hit of caffeine – and I don’t care if that caffeine is from green tea.
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Sure have a cup of coffee, even better a green tea, but those energy drinks that contain caffeine are whipping your poor adrenals, disturbing your sleep and undermining your long term health.
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As a Dietitian I could never recommend liquid sugary supplement drinks – it goes against every bone in my body.
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My issue is the health claims that these companies make about their supplements and the way people put their trust in a pill rather than real food.
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I get it… it’s much easier to pop a pill than steam some greens, but the effects on your health are incomparable.
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I will always be putting my money on real food because my health is too precious to take that gamble.
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If this resonates with you and you would like some help improving your health, then I invite you to book a free call with me, and let’s chat.
