Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Muscle Milk! good stuff? how does it really compare to Shakeology!?

Ok so let me say right now in the beginning.. i have been asked MANY times if  Shakeology was really worth it.. and if people could just use muscle milk instead.. since Shakeology is "SOOOO Expensive" ... anyway.. before i answer that question... i'm gonna start stating facts about both.. and by the end you all can decide what you think.. i'm going to try and keep this as unbias as possible.. tho yea.. i prefer shakeology.. can't help it.. i've used both of these products.. i prefer the shakeology.. all the same.. i'm going to do my best and let you see the facts...

ok so first off i'm going to post the prices of these two products:

Shakeology sells for $119.95 for a 30 day supply (2lbs, (10.3 oz))... if you sign up to have it sent you each month as a home direct order the shipping is free...

Muscle Milk sells for different prices and sizes from different places.. so i'm going to have to list a few of them for you..
                               Muscle Milk.com             GNC              Amazon.com                        Walmart
 2.47lb bucket              $48.49                      $49.99                 $22.90                $7.47 (4 pack only)
Ok.. now I could continue to list the other sized and items.. but I just named a few to get a point across..  muscle milk is what..  little less than half the price of shakeology... so right away.. the first thought is why use shakeology? if it's half the price then  why would I pay for the other stuff??? So lets look at nutrition values...


 while looking at values of the muscle milks vitamins and minerals... as well as the values of the shakeology's vitamins and minerals.. something I want to point out first off.. is the calories listed on these!
ok looking at muscle milk we have 350 calories when mixed with water! with 160 of those calories being from fat... ok looking at shakeology the calories are 140 when mixed with water and 10 from fat.... ok now i'm going to say this... just looking at those 2 values... what are you trying to do when you drink these shakes? if your trying to lose weight and use this as a meal replacement for calories alone.. yea.. drink the muscle milk! that's almost as many calories as a full meal! not to mention plenty of fat to make sure it sticks to your bones!  if your trying to bulk up and you need to throw some extra calories in there.. then i think this might definatly put some "calories" in you... ok add milk and you get to double the values! even better.. all i can say at this point is.. if you are trying to lose weight.. you should really think about what these labels say.... ok.. moving on!

ok so muscle milk has 5mg of cholesterol, 200mg of sodium and 600mg of potassium with 12g of carbohydrates... shakeology is running 15mg of cholesterol, 100mg of sodium, 17g of carbohydrates and what appears to be no potassium...  now.. getting into the protein... muscle milk is carrying a heavy 32g of protein while shakeology trails behind with  17g of protein...  ok so taking these into consideration.. once again this is going to depend heavily on your body chemistry.. how much of each of these you need per day and what is not needed... but really .. other than the potassium the numbers are close so the difference is pretty minimal in this department.. the big factor here is the protein.. muscle milk is heavy on protein simply because that is what it's intent is for.. building muscle mass... more protein more mass... simply put that's what it's intended to do! Shakeology is a dietary supplement meal replacement ... ok again.. moving on!

ok now if i were to sit here and keep listing off everything in the nutritional facts then you would be lazy.. so i'm going to make you read a bit.. as you can see.. some of these listed values are NOWHERE near the same... at times some of the vitamins listed in muscle milk are not even half of what is in the shakeology... hmm interesting thought here but.. the only value i'm seeing that muscle milk is showing as more than shakeology is the calcium.. which is double what shakeology has, muscle milk also has a bit more iron.. over double phosphorous than shakeology and more than double magnesium and choromium... so some of the minerals are higher... over all as i stated before.. muscle milk is built for a specific purpose... build muscle mass...

now.. something i need to point out here..  all this stuff on the right side of the shakeology label.. what's all that junk? it's not listed like the rest of the label is.. it's a pain to read.. and who really pays attention to that junk anyway right? hell.. half the time you can't even pronounce it! ok but lets look at what it says anyway.. it's time to put our learning caps on!

ok to put it quick and easy.. without listing every item on that right side... this is what it is! Prebiotics and Digestive Enzymes, which aid in improving digestion, regularity, and nutrient absorption. Antioxidants and Phytonutrients to help counteract free radical damage that can lead to degenerative diseases. In short you might take a little look at what exactly this will do for you... Prebiotics, natural components of certain plants, help support the "friendly" bacteria in your digestive tract. They may also help with the absorption of minerals such as calcium. Digestive enzymes, from plant sources such as pineapples and papayas, help your body break down food into its individual components, making the nutrients easier to absorb. Cooking can destroy food's natural digestive enzymes, so there's a good chance that you don't get enough of them in your diet

Also as i was saying about the antioxidants and phytonutrients .. These substances have antioxidant properties, meaning they help get rid of molecules known as free radicals, which damage cells and may be a key component of the aging process. In laboratory tests, phytonutrients have shown promise in helping prevent a wide variety of degenerative conditions. What's more, studies suggest that the natural mix of phytochemicals you get from whole-plant sources is more effective than taking them individually as nutritional supplements.


ok so now we know what all that other junk on the right side of the label is on the shakeology! so the question here is.. what exactly is the shakeology doing? it's obvious that muscle milk is to help you produce muscle mass.. the items within it make perfect sense! but what does shakeology do? Shakeology is a daily nutritional shake that helps your body gently eliminate toxins more efficiently while allowing for better absorption of the essential nutrients you need. The blend of digestive enzymes and prebiotics helps your body progressively eliminate the toxins that build up over time from eating today's highly processed foods. At the same time, whole-food ingredients deliver the essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals your body needs to curb cravings, allowing your body to shed stored fat while the antioxidants and phytonutrients help reduce free radical damage that can lead to heart disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, and stroke.  doesn't sound to bad does it?

over all.. the entire reason i even wrote this blog was because i was being asked if it was ok to use muscle milk instead of Shakeology... now many of the people that have asked me this are doing some sort of program to help them lose weight... now people.. given all the info i just showed you... if you are trying to lose weight... or trying to get your diet under control.. or just simply want to start eating healthier... it kinda seems obvious what you should use doesn't it?

My opinion on these two products is that they are not comparable... they are intended to do two totally different things.. if you are looking to build muscle and gain weight.. muscle milk is a good supplement to add to your diet.. but dont take my word on that i havent' compared muscle milk to other "muscle building supplements" but if you are trying to get your diet in order and lose weight.. muscle milk is definitely not the way to go.. shakeology would fit that realm better!

so moving on.. you are like.. ok great yea i see shakeology is better for my weight lose and and helping me get hold of my diet and health... but, it's EXPENSIVE!  well let me ask you.. what do you eat normally? where do you spend your money on your daily meals? because what we all tend to do is look at something and go.."oh damn.. that's over $100 bucks!" but if you look at what you eat on a regular basis.. you will want to slap yourself!

ok so seriously lets look at some common things... first off.. lets SAY you are trying to stick with your diet! you are eating the kinds of foods you are supposed to but still you have to eat out a little bit.. ok i'm going to use a random example...lets say you stop at IHOP and order from the healthy menu (yes they have one.. you just gotta ask! most places do!) and it's lunch time so you order the Simple & Fit Grilled Balsamic-Glazed Chicken. ok so i'm going to tell you.. this is a really tasty dish and it's 440 calories.. and you get a salad with it! so let me describe it! a grilled tender boneless chicken breast topped with sauteed mushrooms, onions, diced tomatoes and a balsamic glaze. served with a side of steamed broccoli and a house salad with reduced fat italian dressing... ok i have to admit yes i just read that off the menu! so I could type it out for you! and now i'm hungry too... but let me finish! seems pretty good right? well this meal is priced at $9.99 ok now obviously you are saying well yea that's about right.. but i dont eat out every day.. well duh people! I know that! I dont' either.. but sometimes we have to! what i'm getting at here is that over a months time.. lets say you eat out and you still eat healthy..  2 maybe 3 times a week.. you are looking at $19.98 (2 times)  $29.97 (3 times) total money spent not including tax! PER WEEK! at the end of the month you are looking at $79.92 (2 times a week) or $119.88 (3 times a week) of total money you spent eating out.. maybe you were on the go and that was the easier thing to do.. or maybe you were traveling.. who knows.. but this is fairly typical of active people.. sometimes we simply cannot help but eat out.. and we are all bad about skimping for breakfast.. i was imagine less than have of the population eats breakfast.. and then eats a light lunch simply because they are busy..  then when it comes to dinner time.. they cook dinner when they get home or eat out..  so on the average... most people are going to spend the cost of the shakeology anyway! why not make it something you know is going to give you all  of what you will need?

I don't know about everyone else..  but if you are serious about getting your health in order.. getting a meal replacement shake that that will replace a meal every day of the month with the kinds of nutrients that your body needs... seems to make sense.. and the money issue.. come on people.. your gonna spend that money on your food in one way or another.. you need to look at the full month picture.. you are looking at about $4 a day for your shakeology... unless you decide to be a coach.. but that's a whole different point all together! most people will spend about $4 per day on food for one meal in some way or another.. snacks.. an acual meal.. something.. and really if you are looking at getting your health in order.. please! refer back up to  the nutritional facts!!

So that's basically my thoughts on muscle milk and Shakeology... really it depends on what your looking for.. although i think everyone would benefit from using shakeology... just my opinion

If you want more info on shakeology check it out here.. read the reviews from the doctors.. read the reviews from the people using it.. Check out Shakeology HERE!


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