METAL IN YOUR SHAKE! As well as other unnatural ingredients! By Christine Dwyer

When I was an x-ray student, we had to rotate into different departments. During my rotation in the MRI lab, I was always so curious about the inside of my body and of course offered myself as a guinea pig when they wanted to test out the new MRI machine they just got in!

They scanned my liver. While they looked at the scan, they saw metal in my stomach! Confused on what it might be as I wasn't wearing any metal, they asked what I ate for lunch. Well, I was habitual for trying every diet in the book- and during this time, I was drinking Slim Fast. Oddly enough, they actually had a can of Slim Fast in the break room! They reviewed the ingredients and found metal as part of the ingredients! That was the last time I used Slim Fast.

Many people go on the journey to find the PERFECT shake or a quick fix. My best advice for you is to choose something that isn’t going to be temporary. Additionally, be careful not to choose products that have a laundry list of artificial ingredients, stimulants, and preservatives. Your best choice is natural ingredients all around.

Listed in the July issue of Consumer Reports is a quick comparison of the metal levels in some very common shakes that many people plunk down their hard earned cash for each month at their local supplement store or online obsession. It has taken me many years to finally stop risking what I put into my body for the short term fix or my favorite thought process, the “I’m invincible, nothing will happen to me” mentality.

I have been in the fitness industry for 20 years, and have gone through the gamete of every over the counter product and even some not over the counter . I believe in sharing my journey and what I have learned with others, so they can move faster to their goals.

Courtesy of Consumer Reports, July 2010

Here are the average amounts of metals we found in three servings of these protein drinks. The maximum limits for them in dietary supplements proposed by the U.S. Pharmacopeia are: arsenic (inorganic), 15 micrograms (µg) per day; cadmium, 5 µg; lead, 10 µg; mercury, 15 µg. Amounts at or exceeding those limits are in bold. Experts said three servings a day is common.

Article by Christine Dwyer