Shakeology ~ and a Giveaway!

So what IS Shakeology? 

Don't worry. That's what I wanted to know right off the bat too. As excited as I was about the Beachbody opportunity and the amazing workout programs they had to offer, I wanted to be 100% on board with all of it. I knew that there was no way I could tout the benefits of a shake I myself didn't love. 

It's very important to me that I know what's IN the nutritional supplements I choose to take for a couple of reasons. 

• I don't want to just throw random ingredients into my body and hope for the best.
• I want to be sure that my money is going towards the best things for me.
• I've always been extra sensitive to supplements. This is in part due to the MTHFR genetic mutation I have.

Because of this, I will always scrutinize and research the ingredients of any new product I decide to take. Lastly, I count on my own body to give me feedback as to whether or not "xyz supplement" is going to work for me. This is so important I believe! And I'll give you an example why.

Being into health and fitness I've tried many different whey protein powders over the years. Experts say it's one of the easiest things for our bodies to absorb post-workout - whey that is - because it's easily absorbed by our muscle cells that are open and ready for replenishment after being torn apart during exercise. I never stayed with them long though because I could tell that my body couldn't handle it. Immediately after making a shake (that may or may not taste so great - usually not!) I would get gassy and bloated. Fun right? If you know anything about nutrition you know that gas and bloating directly after a meal means your body isn't digesting and absorbing what you just took in. So what is the point of spending X amount of dollars on a protein powder that my body isn't even going to reap the benefits of? No point.

I loved the ease and simplicity of blending up a shake but I never came across one that I actually looked forward to, felt a difference from drinking, and even craved.

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Until Shakeology! Ya'll, I'm going to be real with you. I'm not good at lying. I was always the kid in class who spoiled the joke the rest of the class tried to play on the teacher or who ruined a surprise for someone because I felt so vigilant about speaking the truth. I don't have it in me to tell you how great a product is, if I really don't think that it is. I can't say, "Shakeology has given me so much energy!" if I haven't seen a difference in that area. I can't chug something down each day for breakfast that I don't honestly think tastes good.

I started off with 4 sample packets - 2 Vegan Chocolate and 2 Vegan Tropical Strawberry. I chose the vegan over the regular for two reasons. 

1. The above mentioned MTHFR that I have. Because of that, I need to avoid folic acid in my food and supplements. Shakeology is filled with vitamins and minerals that for most people obviously don't pose a problem, but for me, I needed to go with the vegan to avoid the vitamin fortification. (I take special methylated vitamins of my own.)
2. Also like I said before, my body has never loved whey protein. (People with MTHFR often don't handle dairy well.) The vegan shakeology is plant protein based - perfect!

Being at the end of my first trimester, I was still having a hard time getting enough protein in due to a huge meat aversion. After just a few days, I truly began craving these shakes filled with protein and a slew of super foods and nutrition that my body just hadn't been getting the past ten weeks. Hello, nausea!

I even stretched out my samples until my first order could arrive. And I've been drinking them every day since, alternating strawberry / chocolate every other day. I add banana, peanut butter, fruit, milk, water, ice - and it transforms into this amazingly thick, frosty drink that has become my favorite part of the morning. And so quick and easy to drink as I drive to work.

I also DID noticed an increase in energy! Shakeology contains no caffeine but after just a few days, I really started feeling great. Energized is really the only way I can describe it and for a busy mom - energy is everything. I was making it further into the day before I felt tired and I just felt ALIVE. No gas. No bloating.

I could go on :-) But I'm going to stop for now and let you take a look at what really goes into each serving of Shakeology. We're talking protein, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, adaptogen herbs, prebiotics, probiotics, and digestive enzymes. 

Have I peaked your interest?! Maybe a little? Wanna try some for yourself?

Enter below to win 2 Vegan Shakeology packets - 1 each of Chocolate / Tropical Strawberrry

And of course please reach out with any comments or questions! I would love to hear from you. :-)

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