In general, the word smoothie conveys confidence.

A smoothie can only be good for our tax and our health.

And the smoothies I’m talking about today are no exception.

We’ve all heard stories of characters using protein shakes for weight loss like the Master Cleanse .

Gwyneth Paltrow has admitted that she likes to detox with liquids from time to time, and actor Jared Leto also lost a whopping 27 pounds for his Oscar-winning role on the Dallas Buyers Club.

Obviously it’s all advertising.

These liquid diets promise sensational results in no time.

I understand, in the end it also comes naturally to you to choose a diet that promises so many results in such a short time just with the use of liquid stuff that you don’t even have to cook.

Although we know that protein shakes , or diet pills, alone are not enough, I can certainly say that within a personalized and tailor-made diet for you , they really make a difference.

In fact, there are many who follow this strategy to get to their result in no time.

Maybe making them at home following some natural recipes .

My problem remains that there is no scientific finding that leads me to believe that these products do really well.

These products can be good, if they are controlled products, only if accompanied by a correct diet.

In this case, I am talking about products I have already mentioned, full of minerals, vitamins and flavonoids, without preservatives and sweeteners.

I will talk about this in more detail later.

Returning to the main topic if instead we rely only on the liquid diet it will surely be a total disaster.

Best Products  for Protein Shakes for Weight Loss

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What is a liquid diet?

Liquid diets, which also include breakfast , are designed so that those who use them get all the nutrients from the prescribed drink.

Users are required to follow the liquid diet from 3 canonical days to 3 weeks.

Some liquid diets, such as SlimFast , are advertised as “meal replacements” and teach their users to drink two smoothies a day and eat a reasonable meal at dinner ( as in detox ).

But others, like the Master Cleanse for example, are completely devoid of any type of protein (protein bars might be useful in this case).

The Master Cleanse asks users to drink 6 to 12 glasses of fresh lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup mixed in water for about 10 days. That’s all.

According to the diet’s official website, the Master Cleanse is a “liquid diet that provides a good amount of calories and nutrients specially suited for weight loss and body cleansing, all while resting the digestive system allowing the body to heal naturally “.

So now that we know what diets are liquid diets, what can we expect from them?

Best Products  for Protein Shakes for Weight Loss

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Do liquid diets work?

Liquid diets, or some protein shakes, provide virtually no nutrients.

It’s like you’re starving and depriving your body of real food, it’s no wonder your body goes into a calorie deficit where you start losing a lot of weight .

As we read in an article on a fitness and nutrition website, expert Jillian Michaels explains: “If you’ve decided on the liquid-only diet approach, you’ll only consume 600 to 700 calories each day – enough to lose 1.5 pounds or more. per week. If you decide to eat a small dinner there will still be 1000 calories a day which will lead you to lose a kilo a week “.

Consuming as little as 1,000 calories per day is not enough for most people, leading to severe malnutrition problems.

So the answer is simple, yes, you lose weight, but there’s more.

Without adequate amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, amino acids, and essential nutrients, you are taking away everything your body needs to function properly.

Serious consequences for lack of proteins and carbohydrates

Protein, which can be added in powder form to smoothies , carbohydrates and fats are all considered to be macronutrients, which means that our bodies need large amounts of these substances in order to perform basic cell function, such as transporting nutrients throughout the body for more complex orders, such as converting our food into usable energy.

According to an article on  SFGate , proteins:

• They provide the structure for your body, nails, hair, and muscles
• They help cells communicate
• They allow muscle contraction and the transmission of nerve signals
• They help the immune system molecules, blood cells, hormones and enzymes
• They help cells synthesize new proteins

So actually saying we need protein in our diets is also an understatement.

The Master Cleanse offers absolutely no protein, SlimFast and Shakeology  instead have the real dinner of 10-20 g of protein to not starve depending on which formula you choose. However, keep in mind that half a heart-healthy salmon fillet offers up 39g of protein plus essential omega fatty acids.

But what about carbohydrates?

Well, without carbohydrates our bodies lack the energy to run vital organs including the brain. So we will always have to feel tired without them.

However, if organs such as the heart cannot function, you run the risk of developing serious problems.

When you become malnourished there can be major gallbladder problems and even severe heart arrhythmias.

Cardiologist Isadore Rosenfeld points out that: “A one-time crash diet won’t hurt your heart, but a series of crash diets increase your risk of heart attacks several times and this weight goes up and down like a yo-yo can also harm. blood vessels. Micro breaks are created which can lead to atherosclerosis and other types of heart disease “.

As the Mayo Clinic notes , when you cut your carbs drastically, you increase your chance of:

• Headache
• Bad breath
• Weakness
• Fatigue
• Constipation or diarrhea

What if we don’t eat all of these essential macronutrients at the same time?

First of all, the immune system weakens and we are more prone to diseases such as colds, viruses and infections.

Jennifer Muir Bowers, MD, writes that: “The branch of the immune system that produces antibodies is depressed by malnutrition, particularly with a reduced number of circulating B cells and antibody responses. Cells have less ability to multiply or respond to infectious organisms such as viruses that live within them. [Furthermore,] the functions of cytokines, the chemicals that act as cellular messengers, are impaired in malnourished individuals. “

Okay, it can be said that there are no imminent dangers plus one loses a lot of weight.

Be prepared to gain all the weight back

Liquid diets are notoriously low in calories so it is true that you lose a lot of weight.

Even if you lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time, a Harvard Health Publications article states that “many studies have shown that fasting extremely low calorie diets invariably lower the body’s basal metabolic rate so that it is difficult to maintain. power. Once normal eating is resumed after the diet, there is always a rapid weight gain ”.

Here’s what really happens: since your body has become accustomed to eating little, when you start eating again, you immediately go into hunger mode.

Imagine if you were stranded on a desert island with no food: to avoid shutting down completely, your body would need to preserve its usable calories for as long as it can survive.

Instead of spending these calories, your body stores them and your metabolism slows down so you don’t burn them right away.

10 days of a liquid diet only slows down our metabolism.

But the goal of weight loss is to increase our metabolism and build muscle, not shut it down.

Caroline Cederquist, a nutrition doctor says, “When we don’t have adequate amounts of protein in our body, it breaks down muscle tissue.”

When we stop eating protein, we don’t lose fat but muscle mass.

You will therefore lose muscle mass before fat.

According to the American Council on Exercise , “a pound of muscle burns seven to 10 calories a day, while a pound of fat burns only 2 or 3 calories.”

Even if these numbers are not significantly large, it should then be multiplied by how much you actually weigh and the number of calories becomes congruent.

When you finally start eating real food again, you will hopelessly begin to regain weight.

Liquid calories are not the same

When you smell something delicious and see a mouthwatering dish, the digestion process is already starting.

You start to feel hungry, hormones signal the need to eat, you chew and swallow and then you feel full.

However, none of this is achieved on a liquid diet.

As Diana Sugiuchi , a dietician, nutritionist, and founder of Nourish Family Nutrition explains: “If you drink something that has 250 calories, chances are you won’t feel satisfied, as if you ate something, like a sandwich, that had 250 calories. This can lead to extra calories and still feeling hungry, even when you have ingested enough calories. “

A big part of this problem is that protein shakes are lacking in fiber, which is why I recommend you evaluate those made with vegetables as well .

Fiber is responsible for our sense of satiety, if we are low on fiber, we begin to feel those hunger cramps that tell us we need to eat more.

If we eat foods that are high in fiber, it takes longer to get hungry again.

Melissa Hopkins for LiveStrong says: “Water-soluble fiber helps remove low-density lipoprotein, LDL, or bad cholesterol from the bloodstream to avoid high cholesterol. The problem, without fibers, could be constipation “.

The Master Cleanse makes you take a laxative supplement or drink a tea-type laxative before bedtime.

And so he advises you to take another laxative in the morning.

Thus, without fiber, you run the risk of raising your cholesterol.

And since your fiber is limited to liquid diets, a laxative regimen is often put in place to counter constipation.

But the use of laxatives will begin to deplete electrolytes, wreak havoc on the gut, and cause severe dehydration.

Toxins are not eliminated

Liquid diets try to involve those who want to lose weight but also those who want to clean their body.

With these solicitations many use kits and drinks which are just a marketing scam.

Liz Applegate , director of sports nutrition at the University of California, says, “The body doesn’t need any help getting rid of toxins, there’s no evidence anyone gets rid of harmful compounds” when following a liquid diet.

Our kidneys, liver and lungs do a good job expelling and eliminating all the toxins that our body cannot handle. And our digestive system does not need to go on vacation from digestion.

Hidden ingredients in liquid diets

Shakeology hopes to appeal to potential buyers by considering itself the healthiest meal replacement. Consumer Lab , an independent researcher, recently found “12.7 micrograms of lead per serving” in one of the Shakeology packages

As always, check the ingredient labels.

People who should definitely avoid liquid diets

Pregnant women, for example.

Diabetics, people who take blood thinners, those with poorly functioning immune systems due to chronic diseases.

Always discuss this with your doctor first, however.

Moral of the story

Do not waste your money with all these crap products that are on the market, do not stress your body with liquid diets but always be careful to use the few interesting products around supported by a low-calorie and healthy diet.

Have you had anything to do with protein shakes? Write me in the comments!