Using Diet Shakes To Achieve Fat Loss

Diet shakes came into our lives over 50 years ago as an ideal meal replacement formula.

They came as an answer to lost meals during a day because of the time constraints a business person had.

Nowadays this problem is even more intense at the business world, along with the need of people to reduce their body weights. They are widely promoted as an effective aid for lat loss as well as safe, allergens-free, toxin-free, nutritionally balanced and low in GI.

They, as special formulas designed to replace daily meals, had to be made to fit several different taste demands as well as make sure that all basic micronutrients would be present at a variety of ratios depending on the individual needs of the customer.

Moreover, as easy to make meals, they succeded in reducing the number of meals in which people had to count for their calorie load. This one alone is a major assistance towards a successful fat loss result.

Scientific back up for using such shakes

From a scientific standpoint , according to the findings of Steven Heymsfield, M.D., of St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, using diet shakes to replace 1-2 meals a day can assist in losing 7-8 per cent of body weight in 1 year.

Moreover in a review of Cathy Nonas, MS, RD, director of the Obesity and Diabetes Program, published in the American Society for Nutritional Sciences edition, Journal of Nutrition, Aug. 2004; vol 134: pp 1894-1899, mentions the outcome of scientific studies in Australia and the US which found clear evidence they are as effective for fat loss as traditional food.

Natural diet shakes

Based on the scientific research, our next goal is to identify which one fits best our individual needs. They come in a variety of combinations of carbs, proteins, and fats and there are plenty of ready-to-use ones for those of us who do not have time to spend in a kitchen.

The most popular types are flavored shakes, like banana, vanilla, chocolate and strawberry shakes.

However if you have time to spend in the Kitchen then I am giving three super delicious, nourishing and fat loss oriented shakes. All we need to have is blender, a sharp knife, and the ingredients for our shakes:

• Raspberry Shake: Place in your blender ½ cup raspberries, 1 tsp agave nectar, and 2 cups of soy milk or almond milk, blend on low speed for 45 seconds

• Strawberry and Kiwi Protein Shake: Take 1 serving of whey protein, 1 peeled and sliced kiwi, 5 strawberries, and ½ cup of ice, blend on low speed for 40-50 seconds.

• Oatmeal and Honey Shakes: Take ½ cup of cooked oatmeal, 1 tsp. high quality honey, 2 cups almond milk, and 3-4 tsp. ice, blend on low speed for 30 seconds.

Benefits of using meal replacement shakes

The benefits of diet shakes in a fat loss effort should not be unnoticed. Although i am a fan of a more natural approaches to fat loss when I look at the list of benefits and advantages I can't say anything else but to agree that they can be of great service:

1.We do not have an excuse to miss a meal and become starved.

2.Instead of counting calories 6 times a day we do it 3 or 4 times a day.

3.They provide all necessary nutrients.

4.They taste great.

5.They provide a perfect balance between energy and calorie intake.

6.Easily prepared therefore saves time for other activities.

7.They improve our psychological state due to consuming a healthy and balanced portion of nutrients.

The Disadvantages of diet shakes:

1.Relatively high fructose content of some diet shakes. fructose is added for making the product taste pleasantly sweet.

2.They can easily become a main source of food intake because they are extremely convenient which is definitely the wrong way to feed ourselves.

3.They can be an effective mean of fat loss both with and without the use of workout routines. However reducing our body fat without working out is a solution not acceptable because we miss out on several other benefits.

How to choose diet shakes

Everyone must realize that meal replacement shakes are simply dietary supplements. As such they are not regulated by the FDA therefore it is certain that several products which circulate the market either do not comply with the safety standards that accompany all dietary supplements or they do not deliver what they claim to deliver, nutritionally wise. There are three ways to go about this specific issue:

1.Find a reputable manufacturer who would never put his reputation at risk to make quick profit.

2.Find a reputable retailer who usually has conducted the necessary background check on the manufacturers whose products they market.

3.Talk to a professional nutritionist or fitness specialist in order to receive an expert opinion about the quality of a certain diet shake.

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