Many people are choosing meal replacement shakes for weight loss. These shakes replace a meal, providing enough nutrients to replace a meal, but with only a few hundred calories. The problem with choosing meal replacement shakes is that not all shakes are created equal. Here’s how to choose a meal replacement shake for weight loss.
The liver is responsible for processing sugar. If there’s too much sugar to process, the liver will just turn it into fat instead. That’s why, if you want to lose weight, you need to cut down on the sugar. The best meal replacement shakes have as little sugar as possible. Some of them have even under 1 gram.
Everything that contains energy contains calories. Everything that you eat or drink has calories in it, which the body burns for energy. Weight is gained when you take in more calories than needed. Reducing calorie intake reduces the amount of food stored as fat, and forces the body to burn through current fat stores for energy. As such, your meal replacement shake should have 200 calories or less.
Carbs are important for your diet. They provide you with energy and reduce hunger cravings. Having too much of them is certainly a bad thing though. If you want to lose weight and reduce your blood sugar levels, then you should buy low-carb meal replacement shakes. Rather than giving energy from carbohydrates, these shakes contain protein and fiber to boost energy levels.
Protein is great for losing weight. It reduces your cravings by slowing down digestion. It’s also used to boost the metabolism. Energy is used to process foods into their smaller components. It takes more energy to digest protein than fat or carbs. Eating more protein boosts your metabolism, burning fat and helping you lose weight. Your meal replacement shake needs around 20 grams of protein.
Fiber is great for weight loss because it reduces hunger cravings without being full of calories. High fiber foods include fruits and vegetables, which are low in calories. Fiber is used to increase energy levels without contributing to your blood sugar levels. It makes you feel full and reduces the metabolism of carbohydrates. Fiber also keeps your digestive system running smoothly to reduce bloating.
Probiotics are a kind of bacteria that positively affect your health. They keep your digestive system running smooth and prevent problems forming in the gastrointestinal tract. They are important because some people have stomach issues after drinking protein shakes. Meal replacement shakes aren’t quite the same thing as protein shakes, but they still have plenty of protein. We already mentioned that it takes a lot of energy to process protein. Probiotics boost the digestive system and reduce your chances of developing an upset stomach from too much protein.
Conclusion
There are plenty of great meal replacement shakes out there, as well as some bad ones. Keep the advice we’ve mentioned above in mind when choosing a meal replacement shake and you’ll always make a great choice. Take a look at reviews as well to find out what works.