Shakeology while Pregnant

After I announced that we are expecting, one of the questions I've heard most often is if I am still drinking Shakeology while pregnant.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

First off, if you are pregnant, who should always consult a Doctor to determine what is best for you.

Good, I got that out of the way.

I knew, even when we decided we wanted to expand our family, that I would continue to drink Shakeology once I was pregnant. It is the healthiest thing I put in my body daily. It is so healthy, that I actually make Sadie her own mini Shakeology daily. Why wouldn't I want to give my baby the best nutrients possible?

Since drinking Shakeology, it has helped me with my energy, mood, and cravings. Since being pregnant, ALL of those things have amplified! If Shakeology helps even a tiny bit in that department, I NEED it.

I actually drink Shakeology as my daily prenatal vitamin. A lot of the vitamins are the same, however, I do still take a few extra that are not found in Shakeology, such as folic acid.

Some Doctors are concerned about Shakeology for the amount of Vitamin A. However, they don't have the time to do the research and only make their decision based upon the information you bring to them. So here is a little research to talk about with your doctor.

Let's talk about Vitamin A for minute.

Consuming excessive amounts of Vitamin A during early pregnancy has been linked to Birth Defects. "The babies of women who consumed more than 10,000 international units of vitamin A daily -- nearly four times the recommended amount -- from supplements or food or both were more likely to be born with malformations of the head, heart, brain and spinal cord." NY TIMES. 

However, there are two different types of Vitamin A. Vitamin A from animal sources/preformed Vitamin A is what the above article is discussing and Vitamin A derived from vegetables and fruits that is not harmful. 

"The researchers pointed out that beta-carotene, which the body can convert into vitamin A, is not associated with an increased risk of birth defects. Dr. Rothman said that women need not be concerned about eating too many vegetables and fruits that are rich in beta-carotene or about taking supplements that contain beta-carotene. The body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A in amounts that do not exceed safe levels."

So how does this compare to Shakeology? 

The whey blends of shakeology (Chocolate, Vanilla, Greenberry and Strawberry) are fortified which makes it easy to list all the vitamin amounts. (Yay consistency!) Chocolate, Greenberry and Strawberry all contain 5,000 IU of vitamin A sourced from beta-carotene and Vanilla has 500 IU.  

What about Vegan Shakeology? I actually drink the Chocolate Vegan because dairy doesn't always sit well with my stomach. According to TeamBeachbody.com "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."

If you have any questions about drinking Shakeology while pregnant, please feel free to message me! I'd love to discuss it with you! If you want to place your order today, visit www.Shakeology.com/KaciedeLeon

What will you fuel your pregnant body with?