I wrote this post on my health and fitness page (www.facebook.com/coachkatelynlesk) back in October of 2013 but I’ve had a lot of people asking me about this topic lately, so I decided to repost it on my blog! Here’s my update: I rarely make my green juice anymore- it became too time-consuming and costly and I had a tough time keeping up with it the process of going to the grocery store every 4-5 days, cleaning my veggies immediately (so I’d be more likely to make my juice) and using them all before they went bad. I still enjoy it when I do but I’m more likely to pay a premium for the convenience of buying it from time to time at a local cafe’ (which isn’t cheap- my favorite “clean green” juice is $11 per glass)! So Shakeology is even more of a hands-down winner these days (especially at about $4 per glass)!! If you’re interested in trying it out for yourself, you can check it out here: http://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/MDSUSH311G?referringRepId=183908 OR, I recommend going with this Beachbody on Demand Challenge pack for $10 more (http://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/DigitalCPUS?referringRepId=183908) which also gives you 3 months of access to our online streaming workout programs, which lets you try out any of the fitness programs in our collection!
My original post:
GREEN JUICE VS. SHAKEOLOGY. This is long but I get a LOT of questions on this so I tried to spell out all the details and things to consider.
One of the most common things I get asked about is how Shakeology compares to juicing (or other do-it-yourself versions). It’s actually the only thing I’ll ever use to make a direct comparison with shakeology because it’s the only thing I know does not contain any artificial ingredients b/c you’re in control of what goes into your blender (assuming you’re buying organic).
If you’ve been following my recent posts, you know that I’m now doing both. I’ve been making green juice each week to drink in the mornings and still drinking my shakeology every afternoon. So, as for the most important thing (HEALTH!) I think both drinks have an extraordinary amount of value. I think the shakeology is more complete- it has such a wide variety of plants, roots, fruits, PLUS pre- and pro-biotics; it’s paired to help give you the best absorption of all of the nutrients; the ingredients come from all over the world and are included in shakeology because they’re known to have incredible anti-inflammatory/anti-cancer/cholesterol lowering properties (and more!), they’re also known to have such a dense concentration of nutrients and are grown in soil that I believe to be more nutrient-rich than what we have here; etc. But I think variety is good for you (which is why I wanted to give the green juice a try), they both taste delicious, and they’ve become an important part of my day and wellness routine.
So anyways, in the big picture, I think they’re both FANTASTIC, but I’ll break down some of the other logistics involved (a lot of which I didn’t know until trying it out myself) just to give you an idea of the pros and cons of both.
- HEALTH PERKS. I have KNOWN experience of the incredible benefits of shakeology. I have customers whose blood sugars have been reduced, my own personal cholesterol was drastically reduced in the first 4 months I was on it (watch this video here https://youtu.be/ndsvEcPP7XU or check out the picture section of www.facebook.com/coachkatelynlesk for my results), weight loss, increased energy, etc. But I also don’t think anyone is going to argue that drinking a green juice full of leafy greens, veggies, lemon, and apple wouldn’t be extraordinarily beneficial to your health as well.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease*
- CONVENIENCE. Shakeology is the hands-down winner here. Dear God, that green juice is a pain in the butt. It requires me going to the grocery store every week (and not just any grocery store- a store that has all my ingredients in organic form) AND it was a 2+ hour project until I invested mucho dinero $$$ into a top-of-the-line Vitamix blender and even then there’s still a lot of prep time (washing and cutting veggies) and clean-up time. Shakeology is super easy to make: powder + liquid (usually I just use water), mix in a glass and drink. It’s easy to travel with (we even have individual serving-size packets). I can make it at work without annoying the crap out of my coworkers (literally got yelled at when I turned my Vitamix on at work yesterday- had to take it into the lab haha)
- TASTE. Both are great (granted, I do think my green juice tastes like a lemony flavored salad, but I find it extremely refreshing for some reason). If you don’t like either of them, pinch your nose and choke it down anyway b/c you know it’s good for you wink emoticon
- COST. We all know the price tag on shakeology can be a little bit of a shocker at first ($130 for 30 meals/servings). I’ve used it long enough to know it is worth every penny and more but still, I can understand why people gasp a little when they think of paying all that money at once. However, the good news is that it actually breaks down to ~$4 per shake, which isn’t too bad, and we frequently have sales/discounts if purchased with one of our workout programs, which makes it much more justifiable. BUT, if you think that’s bad, wait until I tell you how much I’ve spent on my green juice over the past 2 wks. Here’s the breakdown:
- $60.50 at Whole Foods last week and $66.20 at Giant Eagle this week and this was only enough for my WORK-week (about 5 shakes- not every day). That means I’ll be averaging about $250 per month just in ingredients. And remember, I’m not adding flax, chia, protein powder, or any other supplements. There’s also the risk of wasted money if your produce goes bad before you can use it
- $427.99 on my Vitamix blender (and that includes a 20% off coupon). Yes, I know this is exorbitant, but trust me, it only takes one time of fighting with a normal blender for hours to purée your kale and you can see the value in a blender of this quality. I knew that either my blender would break or I would be too frustrated to ever actually make it because realistically, how often do we have a 2+ hour chunk of time that we can dedicate to shake making??
- Not to mention the value of my time in making these shakes, trips to the grocery store, etc (and we all know our time is valuable, right?!)
So all in all, based on cost and convenience, if I had to pick one, my winner would without a doubt be shakeology. I love it. And I’m so grateful for finding it (I know that sounds weird, but it’s true). But I also enjoy my green juice too! I like the feeling of making something so healthful myself and like I said, it’s already become an important part of my wellness routine. The bottom line is that healthy foods aren’t always cheap. But I can’t think of a better thing to spend your money on than an investment in your long-term health and happiness and quality of LIFE!! Whatever you choose (and remember- you don’t have to choose! or you can mix it up! whatever is best for YOU!), CHEERS TO GOOD HEALTH!!!!
Bottoms up, friends!!!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease*
Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.
Throw the steamed zucchini and cashews into a blender. I think a Vitamix is the absolute best if you plan on making a lot of soups, especially with its variable speeds and tamper tool to help push/mix thicker concoctions. Here is the one I use: http://amzn.to/2lhHfb0 (disclosure: I get a small commission from Amazon if you buy this product). I’ve had this for years and it has never failed me- I always joke that it has the motor of a lawn mower haha- it’s a beast! For this particular soup though, since the zucchini is steamed and the cashews are soaked, everything should be soft enough that you shouldn’t have a problem using a regular blender.
Add Himalayan sea salt, basil, and liquid aminos to taste! 
