Does Shakeology Really Work?

Not to be confused with Scientology, Shakeology is an up and coming entry into meal replacement shakes, and protein shakes. It comes from a company that has been around for several years, and has a string of successful products under its belt. If you’re currently using protein shakes to supplement your workouts, or meal replacement shakes as a way to lose weight, you’ll definitely want to check this out as a possible replacement to those. And if you’ve never supplemented your diet before, you may want to think about starting, not for weight loss per se, but just for overall health and well-being.

For quick answers to common questions, see our Shakeology FAQ

Overview
Shakeology is brought to you buy Beachbody, the same company that produces high quality DVD workout programs like P90X, P90X2, Insanity, Asylum, Hip Hop Abs, Brazil Butt Lift, Power Half Hour, Turbo Jam, Turbofire, 10 Minute Trainer, Body Gospel, ChaLEAN Extreme, and Slim in 6. A common theme with all of their products is that they try to overdeliver, and give you everything you need to succeed. The production value in their workout programs shows that they plan to be in the industry for a long time, and that they aren’t just trying to make a quick buck.

The Claim
Shakeology claims that they have a patent-pending recipe that assists your body in getting rid of built-up toxins, and gently passing them out, which allows it to take advantage of all of the nutrients in the shake. They also say that it can help you lose weight, feel more energized, lower your cholesterol, and make you more regular. It sounds like it would be a great addition for most of us, whether you currently workout, or if you just want to make sure that your body gets something good in it every day.

The Hype
There is a ton of hype to this, because there are people that have tried many of the Beachbody workout programs, and they are wondering if Shakeology is right for them while they are doing the fitness systems. There are also those that have never heard about Beachbody before, and are taken in my some of the claims that are made. Basically anyone that is into fitness, health, and well-being is going to be interested in learning more about what this is all about.

The Cost
A one month supply of Shakeology is $130 which includes shipping. If you replace one meal a day, one bag will last you one month, and each serving will run you $4.33 a serving. Some people say it’s a bit expensive, but when you compare it to buying and preparing a high-quality meal, it’s about the same price, and when you compare it to things like a cup of coffee at Starbucks or McDonald’s, it’s a much better way to spend your hard earned money, and actually do something beneficial for your body.

The Commitment
All that’s needed is to mix up or blend a serving of Shakeology with water. You just replace one of the meals you would normally it with a shake, and that’s basically your only responsibility. This might not seem like much, but if you just replaced your typical breakfast with one of these shakes, it should make a big difference in the way the rest of your day goes. For example, with the probiotics and digestive enzymes, you should be able to digest your lunch and dinner more easily. Also, with the vegetables, vitamins, and minerals, you should feel better throughout the day. This is especially true if you typically eat cereal, or eggs and toast, or almost any other breakfast option out there.

Evaluation
When compared to other replacement shakes like this, you have to get a bigger picture of what they’re trying to provide. If you read the book The Four Hour Body by Tim Ferriss, you would have been introduced to a product called Athletic Greens. This was his recommendation for a greens supplement. What Shakeology seems to be doing is combining the benefits of taking a greens supplement, plus a whey protein shake, and putting them all into one package. So you’re not only getting the nutrition from all of the plant based substances, but you’re getting protein to enhance your workout and fitness activities.

We’re currently in the testing phase of Shakeology, and will update this page with our findings once it arrives and we’ve tried it out. So far the ordering process has been straightforward enough, we went with the variety pack so we can try different flavors out. Less than 24 hours later we received confirmation that they’ve shipped the order and it’s being sent by FedEx. They automatically set us up for recurring shipping and we’ll let you know if we decide to stay on, and if not how easy it is to cancel the auto-shipment.

***UPDATE***: Shipment arrived 4 days after placing order. The first month is Chocolate flavor. Initial reaction: Amazing taste, not like any other chocolate shake I’ve tried. Mixes up easily and doesn’t leave that chalky protein shake aftertaste that is common with other brands. Fullness factor: Using it to replace breakfast because I can’t be bothered with making anything else. I drink the shake at 8am, and stay full till about 11 when I just start to get the first signals of being hungry again. No problems making it to lunch at noon. I’m definitely ready for lunch, but not ravenous. Overall, am very happy with it. I wish they would change the packaging though, it comes in a bag with a Ziploc and would prefer if it came in a canister. Will update next month when new flavor arrives.

Final Shakeology Review

In today’s world, you have to do something to counteract our crazy lifestyles. Almost all of the food that we’re presented with on a daily basis is devoid of any real nutritional value. It’s either been nuked in a microwave, or frozen, or reheated, or made from low grade ingredients right from the start. It’s pretty hard for most of us to get the sort of fruits and vegetables the body craves because we don’t have the time to prepare them, or the money to buy all of the fresh veggies we need. Taking something like Shakeology is sort of a nutritional insurance policy that makes sure we at least get some sort of good substances into the body every day.

Our Recommendation
We recommend trying Shakeology, especially if you are doing any sort of exercise or workout program. You should see benefits in the first week that you’re on it. First, you’ll notice that you just feel better throughout the day. Next, you should notice that your stomach area has less of a bulge to it. This is because it aids in your digestion, and helps you get rid of any backed up or stored up waste in the digestive system. And lastly, you should notice leaner, stronger muscles, and a decrease in body fat as your body rids itself of toxins and assimilates the proteins in the shake more easily.

Shakeology FAQ

Where Can I Buy Shakeology?
You can only buy it through the Beachbody website. You can’t get it from places like Costco or GNC. It’s a proprietary blend, so they want to make sure that you order it though their site. They also sell it through Beachbody coaches, so they want to make sure that they get the credit for the sale when applicable.

What Does It Taste Like?
Shakeology comes in a variety of flavors such as Greenberry, Tropical Strawberry, and Chocolate. The overall consensus is that these taste great for being a meal replacement shake. We are currently in the testing phase and will report back with a taste test on a few of the different flavors.

Does Shakeology Cause Acne?
It’s a common misconception that certain foods and drinks cause acne, but there isn’t anything in it that would cause you to break out. However, when your body releases toxins, one side effect might be that your skin breaks out. But after an initial onslaught of breakouts your skin should improve overall as your body starts to function at a more optimal level.

Does It Cause Constipation?
Shakeology contains a lot of fiber, digestive enzymes, and prebiotics, so it shouldn’t cause constipation. In fact it should improve your regularity if you currently don’t get the necessary daily recommendation for fiber, or you don’t take any probiotics.

Does Shakeology Cause Diarrhea?
It should help stabilize your digestion, and cause neither diarrhea nor constipation.

Does It Cause Gas?
Gas is caused when the foods you eat don’t break down well and start to ferment inside the intestines/ With the digestive enzymes contained in Shakeology you should experience less gas, less bloating, and improved digestion overall. At first this might not be the case, and your body might need a few days to get used to the new way you’re treating it. With continued daily use you should see marked improvement by the end of the first week.

Does Shakeology Come With A Scoop?
Yes, there is a scoop included, but often times in transit the scoop will get mixed into the bag and you might have to dig for it. If you can’t get to it, or you lose it, it is about a third of a cup.

Does It Contain Nuts?
It doesn’t contain nuts as an ingredient, but it does say in its allergy information that it is produced on machinery that processes nuts, so if you are allergic to nuts you might not want to take the chance with it.

Does Shakeology Contain Soy?
None of the ingredients that it contains are made of soy or are soy-based, but it make pick up some trace amounts of it during the manufacturing process. These are said to be of no concern if you are simply trying to avoid soy for health reasons, but would be cause to pass on it if you are highly allergic to soy.

Does Shakeology Fit Into The P90X Diet?
If you are doing the P90X or P90X2 workouts, you’ll definitely need to fuel your body with good foods as well as enough protein to feed your muscles. This makes it a great choice, since all of the ingredients in it are designed to give your body the building blocks it needs at a cellular level.

Does It Give You Energy?
They say that this does in fact increase your energy levels. Due to all of the vitamins and minerals that you’re getting in a whole food way, you won’t just pass them out in your urine the way you do with synthetic vitamins like Centrum. You also won’t get the sluggish feeling that you do after eating a big meal, or after eating a meal that is mostly carbs.

Does Shakeology Have Sugar?
It doesn’t contain sugar as we know it, like refined sugar, but it does have fructose in it. This comes from a natural source, and is nothing like the industrial grade sugar that they put into countless processed foods on the market. Not all sugar is created equally.

Does Shakeology Have Artificial Sweeteners?
It does not contain artificial sweeteners like Aspartame, but some of the versions do contain stevia. There are also other various ingredients that give it a sweet taste, so it lessens the need to load it up with sweetening agents, so even the natural sweeteners it contains are kept to a minimum.

Does It Have Carbs?
Yes, it is not a no-carb shake. The chocolate version has 14 net carbs.

Does Shakeology Have Creatine?
No, it does not. Creatine is for more for bodybuilding, and this is not really something that you would take for that goal. It is more designed for weight loss, and overall well-being, but also supports workout out and developing lean muscle because it contains whey protein, and the vegan blends contain vegetable-based protein.

Does It Have Omega 3?
It contains flax seeds, as well as chia seeds, both of which contain Omega 3 in them. Depending on how much Omega 3 you are attempting to take, you may need to eat foods in your other meals that contain it, or take an Omega 3 supplement to cover the gap.

Does Shakeology Keep You Full?
Since it is designed to be a meal replacement shake it should keep you feeling full for hours. There are specific ingredients in it that give you a full feeling, so you shouldn’t have any trouble making it to your next meal, or feeling like you’re depriving yourself by not eating solid foods for one meal.

Does It Lower Blood Pressure?
They do not expressly state that it lowers your blood pressure, but by losing weight, and improving your digestion, as well as ridding your body of toxins, a natural side effect should be a lowering in blood pressure. If you combine this with regular exercise you should also see an improvement in your blood pressure, but you should consult with your doctor before starting any workout program if you are concerned about high blood pressure.

Does Shakeology Lower Cholesterol?
The study that was conducted had participants replace one meal a day with the shake, exercise three times a week and eat a balanced diet with their other meals. They say that those in the study were able to drop their overall cholesterol by 30%, and their LDL cholesterol, often referred to as “bad cholesterol”, by 38%.

Does Shakeology Make You Fat?
This is not a weight gainer, by any means. Nothing in it will make you fat, and if you take it as directed it should actually help you to lose weight.

Does Shakeology Make You Jittery?
It shouldn’t, if you use it as directed. They say that you should only replace up to two meals a day, but some people out there will undoubtedly try to replace all of their meals to have more extreme results. We only recommend replacing one meal per day on a regular basis, two if you’re in a pinch but definitely not as the norm. It contains less caffeine in it than most every caffeine containing beverage out there, so you shouldn’t get the jitters from it.

Does Shakeology Make You Poop?
It doesn’t make you poop, your body is designed to poop every day, so if you’ve been straining to go, or you go an entire day or more without pooping, it should get you to be more regular. More regular means that your body is getting back to the way it is supposed to function. This isn’t a laxative, and it doesn’t contain things that will force you to poop unnaturally. It contains things that will help you digest your foods better, which will naturally lead to more regular pooping.

Does It Make You Sick?
Some people have noticed that they don’t feel good when they first start taking it. While this may make you think that Shakeology is bad for you, it’s actually the opposite. If your body is not used to getting the good stuff it needs, it will be a shock to the system when it starts behaving the way it is supposed to. As your digestion starts picking up, you might notice effects that feel like stomachache or discomfort, but this should subside after a few days, and you will be

Does It Reduce Cravings?
Over time, Shakeology should reduce your cravings for certain foods, especially sugary and fatty foods. This is because as your digestive system starts becoming more effective, it will start absorbing the nutrients from food more effectively. It is nutritional deficiencies that make you crave sugary, fatty, and salty foods, so when you start getting your nutritional needs met, you start feeling more content, and old cravings don’t have the same effect on you.

Does It Replace Vegetables?
You should still eat vegetables in your other meals, or at least one of your other meals of the day. You should not rely entirely on Shakeology to provide you with all of the nutrition you need from plant based sources, the body needs variety. But for the one meal that you replace with it, it does give you all of the benefits of many servings of vegetables.

Does Shakeology Require A Blender?
You do not need a blender, but a shaker cup is recommended, with many users saying that a Blender Bottle works well. Of course you can use a blender, especially if you are making a recipe from the included recipe book, adding things like fresh fruit, yogurt, or ice to make it more filing and more of a meal.

How Long Does A Shakeology Bag Last?
One bag contains 30 servings, so if you replace one meal a day with this, it will last you a month. The independent study they conducted had participants replace just one meal, and exercise regularly, so that would be what is recommended. There’s no need to use it more than that, and run out more quickly.

Is Shakeology A Meal Replacement?
Yes, it’s recommended to be taken as a meal replacement drink. If you are currently on a diet that encourages you to eat 5-6 smaller meals per day, this could count as one of them. If you eat 3 meals per day, this can also replace one of those meals.

Is It A Protein Shake?
While not especially billed as a protein shake, it does contain whey protein isolate, so you are getting a good portion of protein with each serving. This should help you build lean muscle, which helps boost your metabolism. If you are looking on putting on lots of muscle, you wouldn’t want to rely on this entirely, and would want to look into something more specific at building muscle.

Is Shakeology A Pyramid Scheme?
Some people think that this is set up as an MLM or network marketing scheme, but it’s not. It’s promoted through Beachbody coaches, which is why they ask if a coach first told you about it when you go to order. But you are not required to buy it through a coach, and can purchase it directly from the official website. The way a pyramid scheme works is that the Beachbody coaches would try to recruit you as a sales rep for Shakeology, but they will not try to do that, and not just anyone can become a Beachbody coach.

Is Shakeology A Scam?
Shakeology is from Beachbody, which is a company that puts out quality products in the fitness industry. They have an A rating with the Better Business Bureau, and all signs point to this not being a scam. Their ordering process is straightforward, orders get shipped out within 24 hours and are shipped via FedEx. It all seems quite legitimate.

Is It Alkaline?
Yes, the ingredients it contains are all alkaline, and the overall result is that it should raise your body’s pH level. You can also help it out by limiting the amount of animal based proteins, and other acidic foods you eat throughout the day, like processed food and junk food.

Is Shakeology All Natural?
Yes, all of the ingredients in it come from natural and pure sources. Even things like the fructose it contains come from natural sources, unlike sucrose, or High Fructose Corn Syrup that have been manufactured and created by man.

Is It Approved By The FDA?
No. The FDA does not give it’s approval to products like this. It is, however, produced in an FDA approved facility, which is important because it shows that the manufacturer actually cares about things like that, and has nothing to hide. There are hundreds of other products out there that make nutritional supplements but do not bother to have their facilities inspected by the FDA.

Is Shakeology Caffeine Free?
Only the greenberry version has been tested as not having any caffeine. The other versions have caffeine in them due to the cocoa beans.

Is It Dairy Free?
If you go with the vegan versions of Shakeology you’ll be getting a completely dairy free product. The normal versions contain whey protein which is considered dairy.

Is Shakeology Gluten Free?
Yes, all versions are gluten free, but if you are extremely sensitive to gluten, you might want to avoid it because it says that it is manufactured on machines that also process wheat products, so there may be trace amounts of wheat and gluten in it.

Is It GMO Free?
Shakeology does not contain any genetically modified organisms.

Is It Good For Kids?
Of course you’ll want to check with your pediatrician first, but there’s nothing in Shakeology that would be considered bad for kids. Compared to all of the junk they are exposed to on a daily basis, this would be a good way to counteract some of it. You wouldn’t have to use it as a meal replacement, but as a healthy snack that will hold them over from after school time to dinner time it seems like a good choice. And kids can have toxins built up too, as they live in the same modern world as adults and often eat diets that are high in sugar and processed foods.

Is Shakeology Good For Pregnant Women?
They recommend checking with your doctor first, if you are pregnant or nursing. In most instances it should be OK, but you’ll want to make sure that it’s something your doctor recommends for your specific pregnancy, and given your medical history, etc.

Is It Halal?
The vegan blends of Shakeology should be halal, but the whey protein and the lipase in the regular versions might pose a problem because they are derived from animal sources.

Is Shakeology Kosher?
It is not strictly Kosher, and it is not certified Kosher. However, representatives have stated that they do use Kosher ingredients, and many people are still using it because it is very close and they feel that it is close enough to be allowable. It is the whey protein isolate that is causing the issue, so if you go with the vegan versions those should be Kosher.

Is It Lactose Free?
The vegan versions of Shakeology are lactose free, but the regular versions do contain small amounts of lactose in the form of whey protein isolate. This is countered by the Lactase it contains which helps you digest lactose, and also by the digestive enzymes it contains to help you break everything down.

Is Shakeology Like Slim Fast?
No. It is not something you would want to replace 2 meals out of your day with and then eat a sensible dinner. Also, it contains far better ingredients than Slim Fast does. But it is not a diet in and of itself, it is meant to replace one of your meals in an overall healthy lifestyle.

Is It Organic?
It is not completely organic. It includes so many ingredients that it would be very hard to make it 100% organic and also keep it at a price point that most people can justify. However, organic has become such a buzzword, and is used so loosely, that some of the certified organic products out there are not as pure as some of the ingredients that are in Shakeology but not considered organic, or certified as such.

Is Shakeology Paleo Friendly?
Did they have this back in the Paleolitic Era? Not hardly, and it is unlikely that our hunter-gatherer ancestors were able to consume 70 different ingredients all at once. However, many paleo diet followers are saying they are making an exception because it’s pretty close, and is full of a lot of plant sources that would be considered okay for a paleo diet.

Is It Processed?
The makers of Shakeology say that they have processed it as little as possible in order to maintain the effectiveness of the ingredients. Of course it is processed, because it is in powder form, and doesn’t resemble any of the foods and ingredients that go into it. But it is not processed the same way that an Oreo is processed, or a Big Mac is processed, or even the cheese that they use on a Big Mac is processed, or the cream that goes into an Oreo is processed.

Is Shakeology Safe For Diabetics?
It is considered a low GI food, but you’d want to check with your doctor to see if they think it is something you should be replacing a meal with. Several type 2 diabetics have reported success with it, so there is a high likelihood that you would be able to incorporate this into your daily routine, but it’s always best to be safe and get the green light first.

Is It Vegan?
The non-vegan Shakeology only qualifies as vegetarian, because it contain whey protein isolate. You’d have to specifically go with the vegan version in which they replace the whey protein with plant-based proteins.

What do you think? Does Shakeology work or not?