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summary
I get asked often what is in my daily shake, why I put those ingredients in, and how I make my shake.
Join me for a quick walk through of making your healthiest (and easiest) meal of the day!
full transcript + more information
the below is transcribed from video, with the addition of a few edits/links
Hey guys, Whitney here!
I am about to get my shake on, and as I get asked this (probably) more frequently than anything else, I wanted to do a walk through of what I put into my shake, what supplements I use, why I use those and why I put the things into my shake that I do.
Okay, so a few disclaimers before I get started:
First and foremost, this isn’t a pitch for you to buy Beachbody products. We use a lot of Beachbody supplements, and for good reason, which I’ll get into in a second. But if you have other supplements that you like, by all means, use those.
That leads to my second disclaimer, which is that not all supplements are created equal and supplements should be used just as that: they are meant to “supplement” a whole foods based diet, not replace whole foods. With that, make sure you’re really educating yourself on where your supplements are coming from, where the ingredients in your supplements come from, and making sure there’s no added garbage, preservatives, or other bad stuff for your body in your supplements.
Supplements can be a great way to fill nutritional gaps in your diet. We use the Beachbody supplements because they’re entirely, for the most part, plant-based. They source all their ingredients from really specific locations, they’re very transparent about where all their ingredients come from. The Beachbody products, from our experience, have been one of the cleanest products on the market when it comes to consuming supplements, knowing where your supplements are coming from, and not being filled with a bunch of things that could be harmful to your body. Along those lines, these supplements don’t contain any artificial dyes, there is no food coloring or chemicals, and there aren’t any preservatives.
I just urge you, if you’re using supplements, to make sure you’re informing yourself about what’s really in them, where those ingredients are coming from and that you’re okay with all of the ingredients that you’re consuming.
Third disclaimer: with any supplements, Beachbody or otherwise, you really need to make sure you’re checking with your healthcare provider before you start utilizing them. I’m not a doctor, I don’t know your current health state or situation. The products that I use, I know work for my body. You need to make sure the same is true for you. Before you start any kind of regimen, any sort of supplements, irrespective of what the brand is, check with your health care provider and ensure its all good with your system.
Alright, now that that’s out of the way, onto the good stuff.
I’m about to make my shake. You’ve probably seen that I make this every day. It varies depending on where we are, if I have access to a blender, what kind of activity I’m doing during the day, if I’m having my amazing Shakeo cookie dough or just having a shake as the basis as this particular supplement during the day.
P.S. If you’re looking for the cookie dough recipe, let me know. It’s amazing, I’ve been eating it a ton lately, but I digress.
Back to the shake! Now this shake is truly a balanced meal. A balanced meal, meaning it’s a balanced macronutrient meal: it has healthy fiber-filled carbohydrates, a healthy lean source of protein, healthy fats, and a few other fixings along the way that help with lots of other good stuff.
shake base: almond milk
First things first: I use an almond milk as a base for my Shakeology. I add about 8 ounces, or a cup, to the blender, to start. I’ll also add a little bit of water later. We really like this particular brand of almond milk.
It’s pretty easy to find in just about any grocery store. It’s got no added sugar, and a touch of vanilla. We find that the almond milk really helps make your shake more creamy. The addition of the nuts in the almond milk also gives you some healthy fat and a nut milk is a way better alternative for you than a cow base milk.
fiber filled carbohydrate: oats
I’m sure I’ll get some feedback from all you Keto-ers out there, by all means, you do you, I’m gonna do me. But it’s really a good idea to get in a few servings of fiber-filled whole grains into your diet every day. If you’re gluten free or have a gluten intolerance, oats are a really great way to do that. Just like cruciferous vegetables and flax seed, which I’ll talk about shortly, oats have anti-inflammatory benefits. It’s one of the reasons why oatmeal baths and oat lotions are so good for you, if you ever get bug bites or skin rashes. Think of the oats doing the same thing from the inside out. Anti-inflammatory properties, good in fiber, whole grains, you’re getting all sorts of good, dense nutrition, and the whole grains are going to help you stay full longer. It has to do with the fiber but also with the carbohydrate component of the oats. So, I add half a cup to every shake that I make.
ground flaxseed
Next up, flaxseed. Just one tablespoon of ground flaxseed is an amazing source of protein, fiber, and omega 3 fatty acids. You’re going to want to make sure you get the ground version instead of the whole flaxseed so that your body can actually digest it and assimilate the benefits from the flaxseed. If you’re consuming the whole flax seed, i.e, not ground, and putting it into a blender anyways, it will get ground up. But just to err on the side of caution, I always pick up the ground so I can make sure it’s all going through my system okay. If you pick of the whole stuff, you may find that those tend to go right through you, meaning that hard shell on the outside of the flaxseed isn’t something that your body can break down very easily, so make sure you’re getting the ground flaxseed, one tablespoon into every shake.
turmeric
Alright, next step: turmeric. A quarter of a teaspoon is all you need and you should be consuming a quarter of a teaspoon every single day. So many health benefits in turmeric. Some of those benefits include disease prevention, brain health, speeding up recovery within your body, and my personal favorite, this is also great for anti-inflammation. There hasn’t been any scientific proof that consuming more than a quarter teaspoon, which is why that’s the recommended daily serving. If you love the stuff, there’s also no scientific harm to consuming more, but if you’re prefer not to taste the turmeric, all you need is a quarter teaspoon to really reap the benefits of it.
ceylon cinnamon
Next up: ceylon cinnamon. So cinnamon is really well-known for lowering your blood sugar, and is second only to cabbage in terms of how many antioxidants you get per serving. Make sure you’re buying the ceylon cinnamon. If the brand that you’re getting doesn’t say ceylon on it, chances are that you’re getting cassia cinnamon which is cheaper, but unfortunately has some properties in it that have been linked to liver damage in high doses. Always better to err on the side of caution; you get the same benefits from both, but the cassia cinnamon, the one that probably isn’t going to be branded with any name, it will probably just say “cinnamon,” could potentially have those harmful properties. It’s better to stick with the ceylon cinnamon, it might be a few more bucks, but it’s better for your body. I always include a full teaspoon of the ceylon cinnamon into every shake.
veggies
Alright dudes and dudettes: vegetables! You need to be eating more vegetables. Hands down, we just do not consume enough of those amazing, amazing nutrient-dense veggies. A shake is a great way to hide more veggies. Cruciferous vegetables, specifically, (so think: cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, sprouts) have an incredible compound in them called sulforaphane. This component has been directly linked to DNA repair, protecting against pollutants and pathogens, boosting liver detox enzymes, and reducing the risk of some kinds of cancer. Because of this, most days I add one full cup of organic frozen riced cauliflower to my shake. The other benefit of adding a frozen, specifically, cauliflower to your shake is that it’s going to give it an even thicker texture, more like a smoothie instead of all liquid. I don’t add ice, the frozen cauliflower is enough of that frozen goodness to give it that smoothie-like texture. And I promise you won’t be able to taste the cauliflower.
The other thing that I really like to add to my shake is baby spinach. In the chocolate-flavored shake that I’m going to use today, you absolutely cannot taste the spinach. I find that sometimes in vanilla protein you can, so a word to the wise, maybe use a stronger tasting shake if you’re going the greens in there. The greens are another great way for you to get amazing nutrients, a lot more fiber, and hide your veggies right into your shake.
Whenever we’re traveling and I don’t have access to either cruciferous vegetables like the riced cauliflower or some sort of greens, we do also have a powdered greens, which actually we’re out of because we just got back from traveling, and that’s an amazing way to maybe sneak in a few extra servings of vegetables right into your shake. I’ll make sure to include the link for the powdered greens for you right here in the blog post as well. So today, I’m going to go ahead and use the spinach. I’m going to do two big handfuls, like I said, you can’t taste it I promise, I’m actually having cauliflower later today, so I’m not going to double dose on that. So two heaping handfuls, two cups approximately of spinach, I always eyeball it, you can never have too much. But adding a little extra greens to your shake is a great way to get in some extra vegetables.
collagen
Okay so this a new addition for us, in the last six weeks, but we are noticing a HUGE difference. If you’re not already consuming a collagen product, I really recommend it. It’s amazing for skin regenesis, it’s amazing for hair growth. It’s amazing for nail growth. I’m noticing all sorts of other benefits, like my sink looks and feels different, my hair is growing at a pace I can’t even keep up with. It’s got some really amazing benefits.
The main thing you want to be concerned with your collagen product is number one: make sure there’s nothing else in it, only the collagen, and number two: make sure it’s bio-available. That will really help your body absorb the collagen better, you don’t need as big as a serving size of it. You won’t be able to taste it, I promise. It’s like a clear powder. But you really wanna make sure it has that bio-available feature, it will help your body actually use the collagen, as opposed to you actually taking something and it going right through you.
extra fiber
Alright, next step. This actually has become a game-changer for us, something that has become a staple in our house. It’s a digestive boost. Most of you know we travel a lot. And regularity, if you’re picking up my drift, can be a little bit of an issue sometimes with you’re traveling. This particular supplement has soluble and insoluble fiber in it and it’s made entirely from plant-based products. It also has ALA omega 3 fatty acids in it, much like the flaxseed, which is great for cardiovascular health. So if you’re a person who experienced occasional irregularity, bloating, any sort of digestive issues, you may consider adding just a little more fiber to your life as a way to combat that.
plant based protein source
Last but certainly not least, our vegan Shakeology. So I have a lot of people reach out to me and say, “man, that Shakeology is pretty pricey for just a protein shake.” And the reason it’s more expensive is two-fold. First, it’s not just a protein shake. A lot of you also ask if I take a multivitamin. My multivitamin exists right within this proprietary plant-based protein superfood blend. So, 79 different superfoods, this is essentially the equivalent of consuming several salads, a bunch of fruit, and other really good beneficial stuff for your body. 79 different superfoods, lots of vitamins and minerals, all the different things that your body can absorb with a plant-based protein source. The second reason it’s a little more expensive is because where the products are sourced from. The ingredients in Shakeology are coming from really amazing locations. They are sourced from all over the world, and they are really, really, really high quality ingredients which makes a big difference in the quality of the shake you’re consuming.
My favorite side effects of drinking the blend for the past, gosh, four years now, is that it’s really helped my digestion, it’s a craving kicker (this has something called chromium in it, with helps level out your blood sugar), and I really do notice an increased energy level, mental clarity, and all sorts of really good positive side effects when it comes to my overall performance every day. And like I said before, it’s a multivitamin, it has pro and prebiotics, so it’s really a one stop shop in terms of you being able to throw away all of those other vitamins and probiotics and things that you’re taking on a daily basis and get it all in one stop. Another reason we use the vegan Shakeology is because it’s an entirely plant-based protein source. Now most of you are probably familiar with whey. Whey protein comes from dairy. And its one of the most efficiently digested proteins out there. All of our non-vegan Shakeology flavors use the whey protein. Unfortunately, some people have an issue with the lactose that’s found in whey protein. It’s another reason why having an entirely plant-based protein source – this particular protein is made of pea protein – is amazing for people who might have some issues digesting dairy. So, I toss one heaping scoop of the Shakeology into here, I’m going to add a little bit of water, blend it up, and I’ll show you guys the final product in just a second.
Good as done! I didn’t use the cauliflower today so it’s a little more liquid-y than it normally would be, but I just toss a straw in there, healthiest meal of the day. It’s really satisfying, it’s going to keep me full for several hours until the next meal, and I know it’s doing my body all sorts of good things from the inside out.
Enjoy!