BS, Dietetics and Nutrition
Losing weight is something that stays on many of us for a long time and even if we do play it by the book, a little of extra-help, is more than welcome anytime.
Why use Advocare or Shakeology anyways?
Both Advocare and Shakeology are nutritional options that help users lose weight while giving us various health benefits for our bodies. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t look for the fast solution to lose weight, but if you do, it’s better to use one that also has some benefits for your health.
Going through the details on Advocare and Shakeology is going to reveal that Shakeology out rules Advocare on the health benefits as it contains fewer calories and carbs, but also less sodium, fat, cholesterol and sugars.
It’s quite often to go out looking for a health product to use while trying to lose the weight and, to one’s surprise, the “healthy” choice lists way too many ingredients that are very difficult to pronounce, which means they’re quite far from being natural. A granola bar is not supposed to have coloring dye as that doesn’t add, or should we say, take anything from its nutritional value.
According to Fitness Volt, we are what we eat and both healthy combos are there to sustain the principle. Using quality and whole foods that include very little preservatives (even though NO preservatives at all is ideal) is going to give you a better start in your battle of losing weight.
What is, more precisely, Advocare?
Advocare is a meal replacement supplement health company that is determined to offer you various nutrients for sustaining your life and fitness.
Advocare isn’t one of a kind and, as all the other companies out there that promote better nutrition, create meal replacements, shake powders to use when losing weight and also supplement that is important for your daily fitness routine.
Let’s go over the details to see what’s really inside Advocare.
Advocare Nutrition info
When you’re determined to use this kind of support for losing the weight, one term should stick with you: “Macro”. Macro is quite a popular term that talks about the big three nutrients in your nutrition: fat, protein and carbs.
The 220 calories for one Advocare meal replacement shake looks pretty well and within them, we find only 3 grams of fat, which is quite impressive. One Advocare shake has 24 grams of carbs and the protein is just the same, 24 grams in a serving. This is around a scoop of protein powder.
The downsides of these numbers come from the fact that each shake has 5 grams of saturated fat, which is 25% of your daily indulgence for this kind of fat. As saturated fat is related to heart diseases and strokes (1), you don’t want to have it on a regular basis as it may ruin for good your health. And permanent damage to your body’s health is something you never want.
Lastly, each serving of Advocare has 12 grams of sugar, which is about 3 spoons of the white powder. Since sugar does improve the taste; we’d say that 12 grams of it are a small price to pay at the end of the day.
Advocare Flavors
As Advocare claims, the ingredients within the formula are supposed to be all natural with no artificial sweeteners. This is something important to consider when you’re trying to lose weight and stay healthy at the same time. However, the term “natural” has clearly lost its meaning in time and we pretty much consider anything around us to be “natural”.
Nevertheless, Advocare includes wholesome flavors in their shakes and this is a big plus for the company, but you should remember to be cautious about the term “natural”.
Advocare – The benefits for your health
The most important benefit that Advocare has for your system is definitely the protein contents. Offering you an impressive 24 grams of protein, the meal replacement is pretty similar to many protein shakes. This turns it into a great option for the athletes that are aiming for more bulk, but also for the beginners that are determined to add more muscle mass when losing the weight.
Side note: simply adding protein isn’t going to make you bulky and more muscle mass isn’t going to help you lose the weight either.
Advocare Weight Loss Program
Advocare promotes health and weight loss benefits of it shake by promoting 24 day challenge program that is divided in 2 phases.
Advocare – Other comparisons
So far I have made only one side by side comparison for Advocare: vs GNC Total Meal.
Advocare – The price tag
14 shakes are what you’re getting for a whole package of Advocare meal replacement shakes and you should be paying less than $50 for this kind of package. When you’re breaking it down, you’re getting around $3per shake. As the startup kit for Advocare is somewhere around $80, you may want to take that into consideration as well.
Advocare – Our conclusion
Adding protein and nutrients to your diet, Advocare stands as a reliable option for meal replacement shake. The balance of nutrients doesn’t look bad at all and the shake keeps hunger away until the next meal, which doesn’t happen for all the shakes out there.
We like many things on Advocare, but we’re aware that the 25% of the daily allowance of saturated fat brings down it’s a value. Truth be told, the 12 grams of added sugar doesn’t look good either. The added sugar is also fructose that our bodies breaks down pretty fast, leading to a fast rise in blood glucose values.
All in all, Advocare is both fairly priced and good value when you want more protein for your body and you’re willing to pay the price with the saturated fats in the shake. Fore more details you can check our Advocare review.
What’s to say about Shakeology?
Beachbody Shakeology (read my full review here) is also dedicated to helping people to lose weight and keep cravings at a distance while keeping your nutrition on a healthy level. The ingredients for Shakeology are pretty similar to Advocare, but it’s the quality and the ingredients per say that makes the difference.
Shakeology takes the stand not only because it includes fewer calories and carbs, but also because it contains less fat, cholesterol, sugars, and sodium.
Shakeology offers no less than 70 superfoods that are natural and not synthetic. It includes vitamins and nutrients which you’re not going to find on the list of Advocare products. many of the vitamins and nutrients are offered at 100% daily recommended values with Shakeology, while Advocare fails to offer that.
Let’s have a closer look at Shakeology now.
Shakeology – The nutrients
140 calories are what you get for each serving of Shakeology, that is if you don’t add any other nutrients like milk or yogurt. Shakeology has 2 grams of fat, which isn’t far from the Advocare. When we take a look at the carbs and proteins, we notice Shakeology has 17 grams of each, which is less than in the case of Advocare. As the source of sugar in Shakeology comes from fruit, the 6 grams of sugar don’t scare us that much.
The main difference between the two shakes comes from the saturated fats and Shakeology definitely takes the lead with just 1 gram of saturated fat. This is clearly a healthier way to keep hunger away while losing weight.
As for fiber, each serving of Shakeology has only 6 grams of fiber, which isn’t enough for most American grown-ups.
Containing whey protein isolate and pea protein, Shakeology presents a low risk of causing any allergies. They’re also easier absorbed by the body and you can also go with the vegan formulas. On the other hand, Advocare contains whey protein concentrate that may lead to side reactions to anyone who is lactose intolerant. Alkalies and other chemicals in Advocare formula may actually have a bad influence on body’s ability to absorb nutrients.
Long story short, Shakeology does give you what you need to stay healthy and not too much of everything at the same time, which does count a lot when you’re actually trying to get back in shape.
Shakeology- The vitamins
Even though Advocare includes a good variety of synthetic vitamins, only some of them are made from natural foods.
On the other hand, Shakeology is all natural and from whole foods. Using a shake that contains actual foods and not synthetic and isolated vitamins is always the healthier option. Some synthetic and isolated vitamins do offer some sort of health benefits, but they’re all going to do more harm than good at the end of the day. Spending the extra buck for a healthier choice is going to keep you healthy even when trying to lose weight.
Shakeology Flavors
There’s a combination of sweeteners and natural flavors that give the Shakeology its taste. Stevia is among the ingredients and people are always mixing their Shakeology with other raw fruits and foods to customize the formula for a better taste. You can have your pick of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, green berry, vegan, vegan strawberry, or café latte. You can also get various sample packs until you decide which flavors you like best.
Shakeology Weight Loss Program
Similarly to Advocare, Shakeology has it’s own weight loss and detoxification program: the 3 day Cleanse. In my post here you can find out all the details and benefits of implementing it in your daily routine.
Shakeology – Other comparisons
Shakeology is one of the most popular meal replacement shakes and therefore I have made a handful of comparisons with other shakes:
Shakeology – The price tag
Each Shakeology container has 30 servings and you’re going to pay about $130 for it. This gets you a bit higher than in the case of Advocare as it’s $4 per serving. Here I explain why is Shakeology so expensive.
However, you’re only going to pay $40 for the startup fee in the case of Shakeology and you get all the benefits of becoming a Shakeology coach as well. You’re going to put some money on the side through the fitness and nutritional products and you’re going to get paid as well. Once you become a Shakeology coach, you’re going to save 25% on your shakes and you’re going to pay less than $100 per bag. Be sure to checkout the best recommended places where you could buy Shakeology for lower price and some discounts.
Nevertheless, not everyone goes for this kind of marketing so you should keep it in mind when making your decision.
Anyway, if you think that Shakeology is overpriced, then you should check my post in which I reveal cheaper and better alternatives.
Shakeology – Our conclusion
Shakeology does stand with impressive benefits for your health and the high fiber content may be its main strength. Many diets forget about fibers which is why Shakeology is able to make a good impression on many. Even though you’re going to have to pay a bit more for Shakeology, the main benefit of fiber is going to make it all worth it.
Which one to go with – Shakeology vs Advocare?
When you’re making the final choice, it’s important to have in mind all aspects: nutrients, health benefits, and price. The overall value is also not to be left out. Your needs shouldn’t be eluded from the equation as it’s your body that benefits from the shakes (and your wallet has to suffer).
Some like to go with Shakeology as it gives more nutrient, especially if you’re combining it with other health care programs (Insanity or P90X). Shakeology is truly a multi-tasker and you’re not going to need any other multi-vitamins or supplements while using it. It’s a miracle worker that gives you vitamins, probiotics, superfoods, protein, energy and a complete meal altogether- and it’s all in just one impressively tasting shake.
Even though many feel like paying the extra buck for Shakeology, you shouldn’t put a price on your health.
Here are some pinpoints to help you decide:
- Soy is currently genetically modified and presents important health risks. Mood swings, anxiety, depression are only some of the most common symptoms caused by soy. However, keep in mind that Shakeology is soy free, which definitely counts when making the decision.
- Containing only natural sweeteners derived from the Stevia plant, Shakeology makes an important step in winning the contest. This sweetener is the safest on the market at the moment, just that you know. Advocare, on the other hand, is sweetened with sucralose and maltodextrin and only pronouncing their names makes you think about their “natural” properties.
- Shakeology offers you no less than 70 superfoods, natural and not synthetic. It also gives you vitamins and nutrients that you’re not going to find in Advocare products. Any glimpse of the winner?
- Shakeology is all natural and made from whole foods, whereas Advocare does include isolated vitamins and synthetics.
- The prices don’t differ much, even though some may feel like paying more for Shakeology. Some may not like the whole marketing strategy from Shakeology, but you are not going to need to get other vitamins or supplements with it. So, you should know what you’re willing to compromise when using the health shakes.
