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Meal Replacement Shakes for Weight Loss
Weight loss is a prime cause of concern for many people today.
Perfect figure is required for both perfect image in the society as well as for a healthy
lifestyle. Weight loss plans of many people are quite
incomplete without meal replacement shakes these days.
The concept of meal replacement shakes for weight loss evolved when
a recognized company introduced a revolutionary product that was meant to build body muscles
and to reduce the body fat. It got a huge success and after that followed
a huge cue of similar products that were specially designed for the weight watchers, body builders
and dieters.
What Do Meal Replacement Shakes Contain?
Meal replacement shakes are potentially the products that have very high protein, moderate
carbohydrates and low fat. These meal replacement shakes are also rich
in several minerals and various vitamins. These shakes are designed in such a way that
they simply don't promote excessive body fat storage.
These shakes are actually available in a powdered form and generally contain 200 to 250 calories,
35g to 40g protein, 2g to 4g fat and 20g to 25g carbohydrates.
Meal replacement shakes also contain more than 50% of Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs)
for many of the vitamins and minerals.
The nutritional sources that these meal replacement shakes contain, are also very interesting.
Protein sources are usually whey protein, egg albumin, milk protein isolates and sodium
caseinate. Sources of carbohydrates are usually sucrose,
corn syrup and maltodextrin, which are short sugar chains.
Unlike today's several popular diet shakes, the meal replacement shakes contain 'very
low simple sugar'. As we know, the simple sugars are easily assimilated
into the blood stream, affecting the blood sugar levels.
Increased insulin levels are directly associated with the excess fat storage.
Ideally, meal replacement shakes are best effective when they are used as an adjunct
to a balanced diet and never as a substitute to the natural, nutritional and healthy diet.
They do complement a specific dietary niche but in no way are they a complete source of
all the required nutrition. As a result, over-consumption of these shakes
for weight loss can lead to several nutritional and vitamin deficiencies.
Hence, it is always best to combine the meal replacement shakes with a healthy and natural
food.
Hence, having a healthy breakfast, medium lunch, and light dinner can always be combined
with the shakes at the intervals and as snacks. This way one can get all the advantages of
the meal replacement shakes and the natural foods at the same time.
Here is a word of caution for those who are totally unaware of these shakes
Many people assume that meal replacement shakes for weight loss actually have the steroid
like effect on the body muscles and mass, which is totally wrong.
A person can only get perfect shaped body by following a healthy diet and a weight training
regime. The protein from the meal replacement shakes
is generally animal based and hence, it would be inappropriate for the people who follow
a total vegetarian diet. For them there are several other healthy weight
loss programs available.
Weight loss meal replacement shakes can actually damage the body system, if taken without consultation
with the health care provider and in an excessive amount.