p> Most weight loss plans use protein drinks and meal replacement shakes. For many, it may take some getting used to having your meal in a glass. But is a small price to pay for the results your weight loss plan will reap! Meal replacement shakes pack a huge amount of nutrition into one drink. They are calorie controlled and can be one of the best diet tricks to help you lose weight. Meal replacement shakes offer a lot of flexibility and can be made to go!
Add Your Own Boost To Your Protein Shakes
Protein shakes come in a variety of flavors. Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, banana and peach are just a few of the yummy flavors. Armed with a blender, ice, water and a few of your favorite fruits you can create a delicious and nutritious meal. Adding a cup of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, banana or mango increase the antioxidant power and fiber content of your drink. If you would like some added protein add soy, almond or rice milk to your mix. This will give a different taste to the "ordinary" smoothie. If you really want to boost your health add herbal extracts such as marshmallow root, echinacea, bacopa or wild cherry bark. To step up the antioxidant power and taste of your shake add acai juice, pomegranate juice, mango or papyua juice. Just be careful, the juices while a great immune system builder can also add quite a few extra calories- read your labels !!! Good quality meal replacement drinks will be a good source of vital nutrients such as calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin D and zinc.
What is the best quality meal replacement / protein shake?
Walk into a health food store and you will find at least 5 different protein powders which are to be used as meal replacement shakes! What makes a product the best weight loss and wellness builder? First, protein powders will be either whey or soy based. There is a huge debate regarding the pros and cons of each. I recommend a soy based product for several reasons. Soy has many health building qualities, especially for women. In most cases, soy is better tolerated by the digestive system. Also, high quality soy products are dairy free. The amount of desirable protein per serving is 12-17g. There is no need to use a product with 30-40g of protein per serving- from a weight loss perspective. One of the largest diet friendly attributes of a meal replacement shake is it needs to fall on the low side of the glycemic index. This quality will help curb cravings and leave you feeling full and satisfied after the meal. I strongly recommend staying away from products with artificial colorings and sweeteners. A product with added preservatives is a clear indication of the poor quality of the product. In most cases, it indicates the product is highly processed and more than probably not as "health conscious" as your diet plan needs to be.
One of the largest reasons meal replacement shakes are used in weight loss plans is the calories in shakes is generally low. You can receive a lot of nutrition and taste in just a few calories. With the low calorie count of the actual protein powder you have a great deal of flexibility on fruits which can be added to jazz it up! Remember, healthy weight loss requires reducing calorie intake, increasing nutritional value of foods, increasing fitness and keeping your daily commitment to better yourself and those around you. Remember, protein shakes are just one smart part of the best diet but they can be used to accelerate weight loss by reducing the number of calories consumed (thus using the shakes as 1 or 2 meals plus a snack).
You have made a commitment to improve your health, regain your confidence and lose weight- keep up the hard work. Welcome the setbacks as opportunities to find new solutions !!! Yours in health!