SlimFast, Powerbars and Protein Shakes

In the late 90's I took part in the 'SlimFast Craze'. My personal favorite was to add a banana, some ice, and cinnamon to the vanilla shake for what I thought was a healthy breakfast. I was charged up and ready to take on my day until 2 hours later when the sugar/chemical high wore off and I was left STARVING. No worries, I was prepared, I had a Diet Coke to come to my rescue. Wheee!! Hooray for more chemicals! And off I went until I could have another SlimFast shake for lunch.....followed of course, by a sensible dinner.;-)

Oh man, looking back on those days I get chills. My poor body! I had NO idea what I was doing to it. I honestly thought I was being healthy.

Let's lay it out on the table and look at the ingredients in a SlimFast Shake:

Fat Free Milk, Calcium Caseinate, Milk Protein Concentrate,

Maltodextrin( SORRY, NOT GLUTEN FREE), Cocoa processed with alkali, Canola Oil, Gum Arabic, Cellulose Gel,Sugar, Mono and Diglyceride Fructose,Potassium Phosphate, Soybean Lecethin, Cellulose Gum,Carageenan, Artifical Flavors, Isolated Soy Protein, Sucralose and acesulfame, Potassium (non nutrative sweetners), dextrose, * VITAMINS AND MINERALS, Maganesium Phosphate,Calcium Phosphate,Sodium Ascorbate,Vitamin E Acetate, Zinc Glucanate,Ferric Orthosphate,Niacinamide,Calcium Panthonate,Magnesium Sulfate,Pyridoxide Hydrochlorine, Riboflavin,Thiamin Monoitrate, Folic Acid,Chromium Chloride, Biotin, Sodium Molybdate,Potassium Iodine,PhylloQuinone,Sodium Selenite,Cyancobalamin. Sweetened with Nutrative and Non Nutrative Sweeteners. C0ntains MILK AND SOY.

* Sugars in Bold

* 52 INGREDIENTS!!!

Hello, SUGAR AND CHEMICALS! Lets say that you wanted to make a similar healthy shake at home how many of you have Pyridoxide Hydrochlorine hanging out in your pantry? Thiamin Monoitrate? Isolated Soy Protein? Yeah, that's what I thought, nobody.

Seriously though, how is this a HEALTH FOOD? There is NOTHING HEALTHY about SlimFast. Even the listed vitamins and minerals are NOT your 'One-A-Day Multivitamin'. These are processed chemicals that are being labeled as vitamins. They are not regulated, they are not naturally derived, they are often times NOT even healthy. SlimFast is NOT a health food.

On a sidenote: Healthy or not, I will aknowledge that whoever came up with the concept for SlimFast is pretty brilliant. Who would have ever thought of marketing a chocolate milkshake as a diet food?! The concept was simple:get people drinking milkshakes twice a day, throw in some 'vitamins' for good measure and thus the $limfast empire was built. No one felt deprived, they got to satiate their sweet tooth and drink dessert all day long while claiming to be on a diet. BRILLIANT!

You may scoff at SlimFast thinking "that was so 1990's" and that you would NEVER fall for that today. Oh yeah? You think so, huh?

How many of you eat Balance Bars, Powerbars, Cliff Bars, Luna Bars, South Beach Diet Bars and protein shakes? Are they in your backpack before your workouts? Do you keep them in your purse for a little energy boost midday? Do you grab them on the go if you skip breakfast or lunch? Let me ask you this: What is the difference between a SlimFast and your Balance Bar? Or better yet a Cliff Bar and a Snickers?

The only difference is MARKETING.

It's time to wake up America.

This is NOT health food.

This is NOT diet food.

This is not a HEALTHY snack or a Meal REPLACEMENT.

This is Nasty Processed Chemical FOOD-LIKE SUBSTANCES.

Don't be a fooled, EAT REAL FOOD!!!!