What are the best diabetic meal replacement shakes for weight loss?

Are you looking for the best diabetic meal replacement shakes for weight loss? Learn how to safely support your diet and weight management.

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Meal replacement shakes for diabetics to lose weight

Can meal replacement shakes help diabetics lose weight? 

Adding a meal replacement shake to your diet, especially one that is high in protein, can support your weight loss goals.

This is because a high protein meal replacement makes it easy to increase the percentage of your calories that come from protein.

To lose weight at a safe rate, you must eat 250 fewer calories than you burn every day.

A high protein diet can can help you create this calorie deficit because:

• Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, meaning it keeps you feeling full for longer than nutrients like fats and carbs. This, in turn, can help prevent cravings and overeating.
• Protein increases thermogenesis, or your metabolic rate and energy expenditure, meaning you burn more calories.
• Eating protein can help you build muscle. And individuals with more muscle mass have faster metabolisms (burn more calories) because it takes more energy (calories) to maintain muscle than fat.

And in case you were wondering, research suggests high protein diets have a advantages for diabetics.

Here are a few more reasons why meal replacement shakes can help with weight loss:

• Controlled calorie intake: Meal replacement shakes make it easy to track your daily calorie intake and create a calorie deficit, which is essential for weight loss.
• Convenience: Shakes are quick and easy to prepare, which can help you avoid high-calorie, less filling options when you are busy or on-the-go.
• Consistency: Having a meal replacement on hand can help you avoid skipping meals, which is not conducive to weight loss.
• Balanced nutrition: Meal replacement shakes provide an ideal ratio of protein, carbs, and fats, supporting sustained energy levels and reducing blood sugar spikes that can lead to cravings.

Keep in mind meal replacement shakes, despite their name, should not replace other sources of nutrition.

That is, you should not rely on meal replacement shakes to meet your nutritional needs. They are simply a tool that can help you fill in gaps in your diet.

It is also important to note that not all meal replacements are created equal.

What are the best meal replacement shakes for weight loss and diabetes?

Many meal replacements are made with ingredients that are not suitable for diabetics.

Among these ingredients are added sugars, food additives, and protein concentrates and isolates. 

Avoid added sugars

Diabetics should avoid meal replacements with lots of Added Sugars, as they can trigger spikes in blood glucose.

Naturally occurring sugars like those found in fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, are safe to eat. There is no link between natural sugar and diabetes.

Avoid food additives

Diabetics should also avoid food additives.

Regularly eating emulsifiers, thickeners, and other additives can not only upset your stomach, but also alter the composition of your gut microbiome – the collection of microorganisms living in your gut.

This can lead to gut dysbiosis, or an imbalance in gut bacteria, which is linked to the development of Type 2 diabetes, as well as reduced efficacy of diabetic medications. 

Although the exact mechanisms by which this happens are still unknown, it is thought that gut dysbiosis increases intestinal permeability and inflammation, causing abnormalities in glucose metabolism and signaling events that contribute to insulin homeostasis.

Here is a list of the most common food additives in meal replacements:

• acacia fiber
• acacia gum
• acesulfame potassium
• artificial flavors
• ascorbic acid
• aspartame
• calcium carbonate
• carrageenan
• cellulose gum
• dextrin
• dicalcium phosphate
• dipotassium phosphate
• erythritol
• gellan gum
• guar gum
• gum arabic
• inulin
• locust bean gum
• maltitol
• maltodextrin
• mono- and diglycerides
• ‘natural’ flavors
• rice bran extract
• rice dextrin
• rice hulls
• rosemary extract
• silica
• silicon dioxide
• sodium alginate
• soluble corn fiber
• sorbitol
• soy lecithin
• sucralose
• sunflower lecithin
• tocopherols
• tricalcium phosphate
• xanthan gum
• xylitol
• zinc oxide

It is worth adding that artificial sweeteners are one of the most problematic food additives for diabetics.

Not only have several studies shown that artificial sweeteners may increase cravings toward sugary and sweet foods, but researchers have also found a link between the consumption of artificial sweeteners and a higher risk of glucose intolerance, which is a precursor for pre-diabetes and diabetes.

Avoid protein concentrates and isolates

Finally, steer clear of protein concentrates and isolates.

Most meal replacements are made from protein concentrates and isolates, which have been mechanically and/or chemically stripped of everything but the protein, including the enzymes, fiber, and other natural digestive aids that help you break them down.

Your digestive system therefore does not digest them in the same way that it does whole foods, which can affect everything from satiety (you feel less full) to gut health.

Moreover, while extremely high-protein foods like these are low on the glycemic index, they can measure high on the insulin index.

As a result, they can cause hyperinsulinemia (abnormally high levels of insulin) because eating large amounts of protein without fats, carbs, fiber, etc. has an insulinotropic effect (it promotes insulin secretion).

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Drink Wholesome makes the best diabetic meal replacement shakes for weight loss​.

Finding a meal replacement free from added sugar, food additives, and protein concentrates and isolates is hard.

In fact, 99% of meal replacements contain one or more of these problematic ingredients, which is why we created Drink Wholesome.

We make the best meal replacements for weight loss and diabetes​ because we use a short list of simple ingredients.

Our Ingredients

collagen

almonds

oats

coconut

monk fruit

vanilla

NOT Our Ingredients

• acacia gum

• acesulfame potassium

• artificial flavors

• carrageenan

• erythritol

• guar gum

• inulin

• maltodextrin

• 'natural' flavors

• silica

• soy lecithin

• sucralose

• xanthan gum

• xylitol

Note that instead of using protein concentrates or isolates, we use whole food protein sources like egg whites and almonds, which are easier to digest and absorb.

It follows that our customers experience fewer digestive issues with our meal replacement powders than with any other type of meal replacement. Order samples to see for yourself.