Cutting down on calories can be tough, and it can take a lot of getting used to. You also don’t want your energy levels to suffer as a result, as there’s nothing worse than feeling tired, hungry and lethargic.
That’s why cutting down calories in a sustainable and manageable way is essential to maintaining a healthy weight, while still ensuring you get all of your nutrients so you don’t feel tired all the time.
Juice Plus+ is designed for people wanting to live a healthier lifestyle, without having to cook and prepare all the healthy foods that will make you feel better. Focused on the power of the plant, Juice Plus+ is full of plant based goodness to complete your diet.
Disclaimer: Always talk to your GP before beginning a new diet.
Juice Plus+ Complete Shakes
Unlike many other meal replacement shakes, these are delicious. It tastes just like a regular milkshake and comes in chocolate and vanilla. You get a little scoop with the pack of shake powder and you simply need to add one scoop to a shake bottle, pour in 250ml of your favourite milk or alternative milk (skimmed cows milk is recommended) and you have a tasty shake.
They are rather sweet (which I personally like), but if you’re not a fan of overly sweet drinks, then they might not be for you. The chocolate was my favourite, and there are 15 servings per bag.
All the ingredients are plant powered, and the shakes are designed to make you feel good from the inside out. They contain a range of vitamins (vitamin B, vitamin C and vitamin D) as well as potassium, iron and calcium. The shakes are also high in protein as well as fibre, and I certainly felt the benefit in terms of my gut health.
If you prefer something different to a shake, the powders are very versatile, and you can even use them in baking, yoghurts and in overnight oats. You can also add some fruit into the mix too to make a tasty smoothie.
They can be drank as a nutritional addition to your diet, or if you’re looking to lose weight without losing out on nutrition, you can replace a meal with your shake. I replaced my breakfast or lunch with a shake, and it kept me feeling full and energised until eating my next meal.
I found that the shakes were brilliant for maintaining a healthy weight, and although I was consuming less calories, it didn’t help me lose weight, although I am a healthy weight to start with and I wasn’t doing more exercise than usual. I unfortunately got two bouts of a tummy bug while testing (not related to the products), which made me lose some weight. Normally if this happens, it takes a few weeks for me to put this weight back on, but on Juice+ the weight stayed off, proving just how good it is for weight maintenance.
Note that the shakes do contain Soy, so if you are allergic, this product unfortunately isn’t for you.
Juice Plus+ supplements
With Juice Plus+, there is a huge emphasis on nutrition, and making sure your body is getting all the goodness and nutrition it needs, even without food. Each box contains plenty of supplements and vitamins all containing a different range of vitamins, so you can really target the areas you think you might be lacking in.
Although I do try to eat a well balanced diet, I'm very much aware it could be better, and I know I should be eating more fruit and veggies in particular. Having these supplements on a daily basis really helped my energy levels, especially in the afternoon. Before, I would hit a point in the afternoon where I started to feel tired, but taking these vitamins I have noticed a real change in this.
The chewable supplements have a bit of an odd texture at first, but you soon get used to it. The taste, particularly on the fruity ones, are very pleasant and easy to eat. Although the tablet supplements have an odd smell and are rather big in size, they’re very easy to take and they are tasteless in the mouth. If you are someone who struggles to take larger tablets, you have the option of opening up the capsules and mixing the powder in with your food.
Pros and cons
Pros
Maintaining a balanced diet really couldn’t be easier
Juice Plus+ make it very easy to ensure you’re getting all your essential nutrients
Great for maintaining weight without missing out on important food nutrients
Cons
It’s not cheap - it costs £36.50 per month for the complete shakes and £63.25 per month for the supplements
Meal replacements aren’t for everyone
You have to make sure you remember to take all your supplements to feel the full effect
Final thoughts
If you know you struggle to eat a balanced diet, but really want to invest more into your health, then Juice+ is an excellent option for you.
Whether you don’t particularly like the taste of many fruits and veg, or you don’t have the time to prepare fresh dinners every day, Juice+ provides an easy way to consume healthy fruits and vegetables that you may not have in your diet.
Having said that, it is a real investment, and it’s not cheap. It’s a very luxurious diet supplement, but worth it if you’re keen to boost your overall health. If however your main goal is to lose weight, then increasing your physical activity and maintaining a healthy diet would probably be more useful and affordable as for me, I didn’t lose any weight.
FAQs
How many supplements should I take a day?
Depending on which pack you go for, it’s recommended to have two capsules from each tub (Vegetable, fruit and berry) each day with your meals. It’s up to you how you split this up. You might want to take two with breakfast, two with lunch and two with dinner for example.
Can Juice+ be taken alongside my medication?
As Juice Plus+ is a nutritional supplement, like food, it’s unlikely to cause any issues when taken alongside medication, but it’s still a good idea to check in with your GP before starting Juice Plus+.
Is Juice Plus+ organic?
Juice Plus+ use organically grown fruit, vegetables and berries whenever possible for the production of Juice Plus+. All ingredients are continuously analysed for the presence of pesticides and herbicides to ensure the high quality standards of Juice Plus+ products. Despite this, Juice Plus+ is not an organic product according to the current guidelines.
What additives are found in Juice Plus+?
The products contain no additives including no preservatives, synthetic colouring, chemical stabilisers, GMO = genetically modified organisms.
Are all the shake products gluten free?
Yes, All Complete shake products are gluten-free*.
*In accordance with the latest Codex Alimentarius standard (FAO, UN, WHO, 2007) as well as the EU Regulation EU) No 609/2013 and No 828/2014. This means the gluten content in the final product is less than 20 ppm (mg/kg).
Find out more about Juice Plus+ and the different products available here.