All Meal Replacement Programs Are Not Alike
As winter is slowly coming to a close, the annual, if desperate, race begins for many to get swimsuit ready before the Memorial Day weekend.
And while the best course of action is to implement a coordinated diet and exercise program, let's face it, most people just focus on the diet.
In our hectic world, many of us are rushed throughout our day.
That's where meal replacement programs excel.
It is so much easier to quickly down a shake or nutrition bar or some other prepackaged meal than it is to actually cook a real meal.
And while some of these programs are well thought out, the truth is that many lack the best balance of essential macro nutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fat).
Some of these are sugar laden or pumped full of artificial sweeteners.
Protein and fiber are almost totally overlooked and the fat contained in these products tends to be saturated fat or trans fat, neither of which are any good for us.
So what should you look for? For starts let's discuss a good balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat.
Most nutrition experts agree that when you look at calories, 40% - 50% should come from carb, 30% - 35% should come from protein and about 20% - 25% should come from fats.
The carbs should have fiber in them.
At least 15% - 25% of the carbs should be from fiber sources.
It's best if the protein is from a high quality protein source like whey or even soy.
And any fat should not be from partially hydrogenated fats or saturated fats but from healthier fat sources.
In an ideal meal replacement shake or bar you may even get some dried berries, probiotics and maybe some greens as added green powder.
The most nutritious greens contain Spirulina or other spouted green sources.
These will increase the micro nutrients (vitamins and minerals) from natural sources that are more easily absorbed by the body than are manufactured vitamins.
While I've often found that some 'green' drinks are hard to mix in water and often don't have the best taste, that's not the case with all green drinks.
Today we can find extremely nutritious shakes that have all the best ingredients and feed our body properly while they control our calorie intake.
The downside of some of these high quality shakes is their cost.
Some of these can be quite pricey.
And that may account for why so many opt for lower cost shakes.
However, if you replace a fast food lunch with one of these shakes, you are likely to spend no more and find yourself losing weight and being more energetic.
But if you cannot afford the high quality shakes, even drinking a glass of 1% organic milk will give you a great macro nutrient balance as well as provide calcium and some B vitamins your body can use.
And while the best course of action is to implement a coordinated diet and exercise program, let's face it, most people just focus on the diet.
In our hectic world, many of us are rushed throughout our day.
That's where meal replacement programs excel.
It is so much easier to quickly down a shake or nutrition bar or some other prepackaged meal than it is to actually cook a real meal.
And while some of these programs are well thought out, the truth is that many lack the best balance of essential macro nutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fat).
Some of these are sugar laden or pumped full of artificial sweeteners.
Protein and fiber are almost totally overlooked and the fat contained in these products tends to be saturated fat or trans fat, neither of which are any good for us.
So what should you look for? For starts let's discuss a good balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat.
Most nutrition experts agree that when you look at calories, 40% - 50% should come from carb, 30% - 35% should come from protein and about 20% - 25% should come from fats.
The carbs should have fiber in them.
At least 15% - 25% of the carbs should be from fiber sources.
It's best if the protein is from a high quality protein source like whey or even soy.
And any fat should not be from partially hydrogenated fats or saturated fats but from healthier fat sources.
In an ideal meal replacement shake or bar you may even get some dried berries, probiotics and maybe some greens as added green powder.
The most nutritious greens contain Spirulina or other spouted green sources.
These will increase the micro nutrients (vitamins and minerals) from natural sources that are more easily absorbed by the body than are manufactured vitamins.
While I've often found that some 'green' drinks are hard to mix in water and often don't have the best taste, that's not the case with all green drinks.
Today we can find extremely nutritious shakes that have all the best ingredients and feed our body properly while they control our calorie intake.
The downside of some of these high quality shakes is their cost.
Some of these can be quite pricey.
And that may account for why so many opt for lower cost shakes.
However, if you replace a fast food lunch with one of these shakes, you are likely to spend no more and find yourself losing weight and being more energetic.
But if you cannot afford the high quality shakes, even drinking a glass of 1% organic milk will give you a great macro nutrient balance as well as provide calcium and some B vitamins your body can use.