Is Shakeology Safe While Pregnant and Nursing?
One of the most common questions I get while working with moms is….”Is shakeology safe to drink while pregnant or while I’m nursing”
I started drinking shakeology while I was pregnant with my second child. So I’ve drank it through two pregnancies and nursed two babies and have had shakeology every single day. If you knew me at all during my pregnancies…or even now while Im nursing a young baby…you would know that I have energy and have extremely HEALTHY children.
So is it safe to drink? My question back is….”Why wouldn’t it be?” Shakeology is natural. It would only enhance your pregnancy and nutrients you are giving to your body as you are nursing your baby. It’s packed full of phytonutrients, macronutrients, probiotics etc….all good things for the growing baby inside my belly and for the baby I’m nursing.
Think about it….so much of our food these days is FULL of artificial ingredients and fillers and chemicals! It’s scary honestly! Would you say that it’s healthier to have a coke or fast food in a drive through? Donuts? Chips? All those crazy things we crave while pregnant? The obvious answer is NO! It’s definitely ok to question things you buy and put in your body. That is a good thing! If you really start looking at what is in the boxes at the grocery store….you would be completely blown away at what we are putting into our bodies.
MISCONCEPTION #1: Now there has been concern and questions asked as to the vitamin A levels in shakeology with taking a prenatal. The vitamin A source in shakeology is beta carotene based vitamin A which is highest quality form of Vitamin A you can ingest….sort of like a carrot. Where the toxicity risk with Vitamin A comes from is the retinol form…think animal based.
What I did during pregnancy and still do while nursing, is take shakeology in PLACE of my prenatal vitamin. WHY? Because if you compare the ingredients in the two….you would see that there really is no point in taking both. So I drink a shake a day, and I add in a Folic Acid supplement and also DHA. This worked great for me! AND….had no nausea like you get from those darn prenatals! Some mommas will drink shakeology in the morning and take a prenatal at night just to space them out.
Misconception #2: Many people think that shakeology is a WEIGHTLOSS or PROTEIN drink…so why would you drink that during pregnancy or while nursing? First….shakeology is not meant to be a shake diet. It’s used 1 time a day. Here’s the thing….not all shakes are created equal. Shakeology is WAY more than a protein shake. Sure, there is protein in it….but it’s also a very dense in nutients MEAL replacement. In fact, it’s equal to 5 plates of salad….and I don’t know about you but I couldn’t eat 5 plates of salad in one day! I’ll certainly take it in chocolate form though! It is a a great way to get in a lot of nutrients in a low calorie way. Bottom line, most people are nutrient deficient and not protein deficient.
As far as weightloss goes….Many people equate shakes with weightloss drink. Anything will bring on weight loss if you are taking calories low enough. Is not about Shakeology is not a quick fix weightloss drink. I don’t believe in those, nor do I think they are safe. Shakeology is about HEALTH. It helps you put the RIGHT ingredients into your body that it needs to develops, heals recovers and thrive…thus giving you more energy, less cravings, and help you just FEEL better. The byproduct of all that is you eat less, and MOVE MORE. Weightloss can be a byproduct of all that. Whenever we deprive our bodies of nutrients that’s when we feel sluggish and run down because our bodies are just worn out and can’t operate on nothing. That’s when we end up giving up because we just feel BAD!
TO SUM IT UP:
Shakeology helped me during pregnancy and while nursing to feel good and have more energy. It helped me not have some of those crazy cravings…or if I did have cravings I had something else to turn to supplement them….ie CHOCOLATE! I did not use shakeology as a meal replacement or a way to stop myself from gaining too much. In fact, I gained the perfect amount for my body….about 30 lbs. I am of course NO DOCTOR and I would advice anyone looking to start a new routine during pregnancy to speak with their doctor first just like I did.
I hope this helps you make a decision about whether you want to drink shakeology during pregnancy or while nursing to help you stay on track with your health and nutritional goals. I had no complications at all and have 3 very healthy growing little energetic girls!
SOME OTHER TESTIMONIALS FROM MOMS WHO DRANK SHAKEOLOGY WHILE PREGNANT:
Testimonial #1“I had gained weight the summer 2012 & had a miscarriage so when my hubby deployed I got on the healthy train! So when he got back I could get prego! Got pregnant in august with baby #4. Worked out & drank shakeology all through pregnancy. Had the healthiest pregnancy! I was really sick at night all the way to 20 weeks. I drank my shakeology along with breakfast so even though I wasn't eating dinner or getting sick after dinner, I was still getting good nutrition with my shake! I gained 37 lbs, which is really good for me considering I gained 50 each for my first 3! Now I have a beautiful healthy 4 week old baby boy. I still drink shakeology & am following 21 day fix nutrition & just started the workouts doing low impact movements. Looking forward to getting a PiYo body soon!!”
Testimonial #2
“I started Shakeology when my 2nd child was 6 weeks old. His pediatrician ok'd me to replace the prenatal vitamins with shakeology as there are way more nutrients comparatively...no need to take the additional folic and dha supplements like you would if you were pregnant BUT you are totally welcome to. Now my "baby" is two years old and steals my shakes with his 4 year old sister...basically I have to make 2 shakes a day now...one for me, one for them”