Is Shakeology safe for pregnant moms?

Is Shakeology safe for pregnant moms?  The nutritionist who helped formulate shakeology, Dr. Wheeler, says absolutely, shakeology is safe for pregnant moms and nursing moms.. He explained that shakeology is an ALL NATURAL Super Foods shake with over 70 different fruits & veggies. No artificial ingredients. It is a Holistic meal, and in fact, one of the best things pregnant & nursing moms can put in their bodies. {but of course always check with your Dr.}

DO YOU QUESTION every food, everything you buy, and ask exactly where it comes from, how it’s made and if it’s safe to put into your body.  Be conscious of your health, body and baby!

TOUGH Questions:Screen Shot 2014-06-08 at 2.55.27 PM

A couple of questions I ask customers debating whether or not to drink shakeology:

  1. Do you eat drive through food, ever?
  2. Do you drink Starbucks, or coffee, ever?
  3. Do you eat chips, pretzels, cake, desserts, breads or anything else that is processed, ever?

Well, those items have artificial, un-natural ingredients harmful to your health.   That will surely pass to the baby. *Why would you NOT put the healthiest meal in your body and let that pass to baby?  Again, shakeology is an ALL NATURAL Super Foods shake with over 70 different fruits & veggies

BE AWARE: the traditional medical doctor will not waste their time or energy to look into shakeology, therefore most will recommend not to drink it and wait until after nursing. HOWEVER, any doctor willing to look at the all natural ingredients and knows about shakeology WILL recommend it! Women have to stand confident in their belief and do what they feel is right. Doctors are only going to give a general “no” based on all “protein drinks” and this is not just a protein drink!

The ingredients for the Chocolate Superfood Shakeology: (they can print this off or email it to their doctor to get the thumbs up):

http://www.carldaikeler.com/chocolate-shakeology-superfood-formula-ingredients-list/

Moms can expect:

Most nursing moms will expect about 1 week of baby being gassy and possibly fussy, but all the moms I researched said it passes within 1 week and it actually helps keep the baby more regular than before. You can expect your baby to like fruits & veggies as they grow older.

 

Shakeology – Pregnant & Nursing Testimonials:

“I’m going to do while nursing. You just add the amount of calories you need. 😉 Jump up a bracket. No restriction, just eating well and realizing what X calories looks like. I don’t want the 21 day fix to become a “calorie restricted” program but a “calorie awareness” one. I’m expecting in march and will start this in may. we need more calories when we nurse, but it’s WHAT we choose in the form of those calories that matters. i swear i’d choose coke, pizza, pasta, bread, cinnamon rolls etc if i weren’t careful. so i’m giving myself 6 weeks to enjoy what i want and then eating the appropriate number of HEALTHY calories.” – Sarah S

 

“May cause babies to be gassy, just FYI. My sister had to cut back.” – Jenny A (a lot of responses were to go the vegan route and babies are less likely to be gassy from it)

 

“I drink shakeology every day. I drank it everyday of my last trimester too. I am sure it may cause some gas for him but I haven’t seen much difference from one day or feeding to the next related to it. It’s all he has ever known and it gives me energy to help me get through the day.” – Jennifer H

 

“I have used it through my pregnancy (7 months) right now as well as when I was nursing my son. I would say to cut back a bit at first and build back up once they hit 3 months. My experience was to mix it with water and not dairy, soy, almond milk etc! I do not take a pre-natal.” – Lauren N

 

“I will say this the first 5 months of this pregnancy I was extremely sick and it was the only thing I could keep down for awhile.” – Lauren N

 

“Yes, Sharon my long time shakeology customer took to her doc as well and he said not to drink it while taking prenatal. But she said next time around she will not do prenatal and drink shakeology. She said he recommended 1 or the other. She has missed her shakeology for 9 months she said!” – Lyndsay O

 

“I drank it while nursing my son for over 18 months. I started with the regular and it upset his tummy quite a bit so I switched to vegan and it was fine from there. Plus my milk supply was awesome! And yes no PRENATAL or vitamins if you’re drinking it. Just folic acid and DHA separate.” – Stephanie C

 

“I SWEAR by Shake-O and breastfeeding. My youngest is ahead of the game.” – Amy P

 

“I also took Shakeology while nursing for about 6 months.:) My little one never had any issues with it and she is one smart little cookie;).” – Shauna A

 

“i’m pregnant and drinking and will drink while nursing.” – Sarah S

 

“I drank thru pregnancy and nursing as well! Only took iron & folic acid…no prenatal….Per my doc” – Casey S

 

i-love-it“I’m pregnant and drinking. It’s way better than my occasional coke or drive thru run. I love it!” – Sarah S

 

“I’m pregnant- due in 5ish weeks. I love that it’s full of nutrients that otherwise might not be easy to get into one meal, it is complete nutrition that as a mama to be is super important to me. I’m planning on drinking it even while nursing. Just can’t do the tropical strawberry! Haha I get my chocolate fix by drinking mg shakeO and I love that!” – Kali V

 

“I am at 21 weeks and have drank it the entire time. It has helped curbed my appetite, kept me full and especially helped curb the crazy cravings. It has also helped to keep the weight gain under control I as well plan to continue drinking it while nursing.” – Monica B

 

“I drank shakeo throughout my pregnancy, and I drink it now while I breastfeed every day. Women say that their doctor told them Shakeology is not safe for pregnancy due to the amount of vitamin A in it. The doctor is generally only partially educated on the matter. It is true that high amounts of vitamin A in the form of retinol–which is preformed vitamin A from animal sources–have been correlated to birth defects. However, the vitamin A in Shakeology is in the form of plant-based beta carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body. No studies AT ALL have suggested that beta carotene has any correlation to birth defects. The rate of conversion of beta carotene to vitamin A is drastically reduced when higher amounts are ingested, preventing toxicity and teratogenicity. The Teratology Society concluded that beta carotene is not a teratogen (substance that causes birth defects). Most doctors are unaware of Shakeology/its ingredients and just want to play it safe. I would not, however, take a prenatal along with daily shakeology when pregnant. I supplemented iron and folic acid during pregnancy in addition to the shakeology. No vitamins. Any woman should speak with her doctor about it, but concerns should be allayed. While I appreciate when moms are careful about what they eat when they’re eating for two -or more- I can’t help but wonder if they asked the same question about processed foods with dyes and preservatives. Or meat that includes the infamous “pink slime.” Doubtful. And I will also say that it gave me the energy to work out every single day until the day before I delivered. I gained 22.5 lbs, and every single ounce was gone in 7 days after delivery. All of it. Attributable to shakeo, largely, IMO. I should also say that I’m not a Dr (well, I am, but in case of emergency, call 911:). I’m not a medical Dr. But I have done extensive research.” – Cori A

 

“Hi all. So I’m not a doctor…but I am a Certified Nurse Midwife and have a fairly strong background in pharmacology as it relates to pregnancy and breastfeeding. Here’s my 2 cents worth. I wanted to go through every ingredient in Shakeology and see what I could find out about them in their relationship to pregnancy and breastfeeding. Admittedly I’m not finished—I have about 6 more to trudge through. What I’ve come up with so far is that there are 2 ingredients that you will find pregnancy warnings about. One is Ashwagandha and the other is Moringa. When you look them up on NIH based databases and Natural Medicine databases, you will see warnings that they may both cause miscarriages or difficulty with pregnancy implantation and with Moringa–contractions. On further review (I looked at Toxnet–a site which reports research studies of these drugs), I didn’t find any studies that specifically OK’d Ashwagandha or Moringa use in pregnancy. There are a lot of studies about increased immune function with Ashwagandha use and other benefits. I can speculate that because pregnancy is an immune-altering condition, any drug that changes immune function could cause pregnancy interruption. When reviewing Ayruvedic (or Indian) medicine, Ashwagandha IS given to pregnant women. Though a couple of websites do talk about monitoring the dose—I couldn’t find any consistent dosing parameters. It is interesting to note that Ashwagandha is used in India as a galactagogue—a drug to increase milk production in breastfeeding women! Moringa is the other drug with pregnancy warnings. It is important to note that “Moringa” may be referring to Moringa leaf (as in Shakeology) or Moringa bark/root. All the toxnet studies I reviewed regarding Moringa’s use as an abortifacient or contraceptive was when Moringa BARK/ROOT was used. I couldn’t find any studies linking Moringa LEAF to either of these uses. In fact, once again, I found evidence of use of Moringa throughout pregnancy both in Ayruvedic medicine and African medicine as well. What would be great would be to get an herbalist’s opinion on here 😉 If I had a pregnant mom ask me, I would explain what I found and leave the decision up to her—explaining that while US databases urge caution, both Ashwagandha and Moringa are used by people all around the world during pregnancy. I wouldn’t discourage any pregnant woman that was using Shakeology from discontinuing unless she had another pregnancy condition (specifically anything that would put her at risk for early pregnancy loss) unless I had more information from an herbalist or naturopath/homeopath that was familiar with these ingredients.” – Dawn S

 

“I have also drank shakeology throughout pregnancy and I am due in 17 days! It was great with energy for continuing Turbo Fire through 33 weeks, when I started having contractions too early and my dr recommended backing down on the workouts. I did discuss the shakeo with him and, like Cori, I simply supplemented my shakes with Folic Acid & Iron rather than a prenatal vitamin, as his only concern was too much Vit A.” – Casey S

 

“I am nursing and drinking Shake’O and have had no problems! And actually my baby (15mo) loves Shake’O too, I rarely get to drinking it without having to share:) I say it’s worth a try, if she and/or the baby do not tolerate it well then there is always the bottom of the bag guarantee.” – Kasy B

 

“I drink it every day while breastfeeding. Dr encouraged it”- Cori A

 

“I started drinking Shakeo when my baby was EBF and was 4 months old and he’s 17 months and I’m still nursing him. It’s been awesome for both of us. I always recommend the vegan formula for bfing moms though because the whey can upset the baby’s tummy. I had to make the switch after a month so it’s easier to just start them on vegan. it did amazing things for my milk supply too!” – Stephanie C

 

“My baby has never seemed to have a problem. (He’s 15 months also…i always mix mine with milk instead of water.) He’s the least fussy out of my four and is the best sleeper. Part of that is probably that he’s number 4!! But he’s never been sick or gassy or anything. All my kids love shakeology!! They always show me their muscles once they finish a smoothie that has shakeology mixed in!” – Melanie R

 

“I am nursing and using shakeo!” – Crystal W.

 

“Yes!! Well at least I did. My baby has issues with dairy but did fine with the tropical. It helped with my milk supply while I did Chalean! Love it!! My dr had no issues with it.” – Ashley H.

 

“I’m still nursing and I’ve been on Shakeo for 3 months now” – Anne C.

 

“Must remember it’s 100% fruits & veggies! It’s all natural. Some dr’s say it’s high in vitamin k, at I think 200% but toxicity in pregnant women is 2,000k. Tons of testimonials including the creator saying that all the nutrients help babies like fruits, veggies more.” – Karma N J

 

“I am a mother of a 15 month old. I used shakeology after having my son, and while breastfeeding eventually does help your tummy bloat go down, Shakeology does wonders! I lost the entire 50 pounds that I gained during pregnancy in 12 months after the birth of my son, and I owe it all to shakeology, healthy diet and physical activity. Some people have stomach bloating due to other reasons such as a gluten allergy. Shakeology is gluten free. There are many people that attribute shakeology to becoming more “regular” as well as loosing weight. All I can say is, there are 5 servings of fruits and veggies in one glass…so I am all for it. =)” – Tony A

 

“I started drinking Shakeology about a year ago.  Got hooked.  Signed up to coach for the discount.  I don’t feel like I’m misleading people by being a coach.  I’m a certified group fitness instructor and I am more than qualified to encourage someone through changing their eating habits, as I have overcome a lifelong sugar addiction (with the help of Shakeology I might add). “”

 

“the main issue that most doctors have with Shakeology is the vitamin A content, however a good doctor who’s researched will know that the Vitamin A in Shakeo is plant based not animal based.
It is true that high amounts of vitamin A in the form of retinol–which is preformed vitamin A from animal sources–have been correlated to birth defects. However, the vitamin A in Shakeology is in the form of plant-based beta carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body. No studies at all have suggested that beta carotene has any correlation to birth defects. The rate of conversion of beta carotene to vitamin A is drastically reduced when higher amounts are ingested, preventing toxicity.
Most doctors actually have little training in nutrition, which is why nutrition is a profession in and of itself.
With pregnancy and breast feeding its easier to just say, no don’t use that, don’t eat this and don’t drink that instead of actually doing research and seeing if its healthy for mom and baby.
It’s best to (1) research in your own before asking a doctor so you’ll know how educated they really are on the subject (2) talk to a nutritionist as well as your doctor.
If using Shakeology during pregnancy and breast feeding a multivitamin is not needed just an additional folic acid supplement.”

ingredients

Shakeo right after having a baby….. Yay or nay

  • “yay in my opinion. way better than the other junk people eat!!!!” – Tiffany D
  • “Yay! before after and during pregnancy.” – Katy B
  • “YAY! I am nursing my 5 month old and drinking shakeo everyday!” – Marcia M
  • “YES!! Like Marcia, I was nursing and started drinking it right away!” – Ashley H
  • “Absolutely! Won’t go another day without the holistic nutrition of 70 different fruits & begins in my body!” – Karma N.

 

Question – would it deplete milk supply?

  • “It might depending on how well she is eating, her age, etc. Cutting back on calories and food in general can reduce milk supply. But it might not have an effect at all.” – Noelle P
  • “If she keeps up calories her supply should be fine. I did it with my daughter and was fine.” – Jenny A
  • I worked out regularly with all 3 of my pregnancies, then bounced back to the gym by week 4 and of course, there is always a slight decrease in milk supply when activity level goes up and weight goes down.  Women always lose weight in the breast first, which slightly affects the milk supply.  Shakeology hs zero affect on increase or decrease of milk supply.  Supply and demand is directly related to how often baby nurses.  When I felt my supply start to go down after losing weight, I added an additional nursing or pumping at the end of the day.  Karma N.
  • “I drank it while nursing also. Just don’t use as meal replacement, make sure she is keeping up on calories or it will affect her supply.” – Jenny A
  • “This frustrates me to no end when pregnant nursing & mothers ask about Shakeology and its milk product and baby development it’s healthy and it’s actually a great thing to add as a new mother not as a meal replacement but as nutrients. I never hear women ask is this pizza or fast food meal going to hurt my baby or milk supply we need to educate more keep sending those docs out.” – Joy B

 

BEACHBODY COACH RELATIONS RESPONSE:

Is Shakeology safe for pregnant women and nursing mothers?

Shakeology should only be taken by pregnant women and nursing mothers under the direction of their physicians.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR VEGAN FORMULATIONS: Shakeology is dietary supplement in a food form, and since our vegan formulas are not fortified, the levels of any one nutrient should not be an issue for anyone or for a pregnant woman. Pregnant women need to careful about levels of Vitamin A (10,000 IU is the upper limit), but the amounts we have at unfortified levels are similar to those found in unfortified foods and in fruits and vegetables. Accordingly, pregnant women should consider their intake of vegan Shakeology as part of their normal diet, but should not rely solely on Shakeology to meet the needs of pregnancy for nutrients like, iron, folate, Vitamin A, or calcium.

 

YOU TUBE VIDEO re: Shakeology for Pregnant & Nursing Moms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9Fxuyu2514

Are you a New Mommy looking to stay home with your baby,  get in the best shape of your life and make some extra income?  I would LOVE to work with you, mentor you and show you just how FUN and easy it is!  Contact me today to set up a Consultation to go over your goals! Apply Today! 

summit 2012 w tony horton