Body By Vi Weight LossBody by Vi is THE hot topic in the world of fitness and weight loss. If you've spent any time online then you've likely already heard about this new weight loss system.But what's the real deal with Body by Vi? Should you give it a try, or should you be concerned? The Body by Vi product line is sold by ViSalus Sciences and is marketed as a healthy weight loss program. While the focus is often on the meal-replacement protein shakes, the company offers a number of other products, including flavor mix-ins for your shakes, energy tablets and drink mixes, appetite suppressants, multi-vitamin and mineral combinations, and omega fatty acid supplements. Many of these products are combined into the Body by Vi 90-Day Challenge. If you've heard about this product line, then you've likely also heard about its pyramid-based sales and marketing scheme. It's all about getting other people to sell, and regardless of how transformational the product claims are, you'll never find ViSalus products on the shelves of your local health food store or GNC. I can't help it, but this makes me suspicious. As someone who has spent over a decade buying, testing, and reviewing health supplements, I know that claims can be misleading and downright deceptive – especially when the company's focus is on numbers. The Low-Down on Body by Vi Nutrition Since the meal-replacement protein shakes are the company's flagship product, I'll start with those. First off, I'm not a fan of anything that's marketed as a "meal-replacement." Sure, people who replace an unhealthy breakfast or lunch with a protein shake are going to lose weight – it's simple science. But when it comes down to it, protein shakes (even with added fruit or peanut butter) should never be consistently used as replacements for entire meals. The problem I have with this is that it doesn't teach people anything about living a healthy lifestyle. There isn't a single person currently taking the Body by Vi shakes who will continue taking them for the rest of their lives. So what will you do when you go off the program? Will you be any wiser about healthy nutrition? Probably not. And while the shakes do contain a good number of vitamins and minerals, this is something you could easily get with a good multi-vitamin like Armor-V Vitamins which is also one of the top sellers in the market for good reason. In fact, only 30% of your required daily vitamin intake is included in a single shake, which is why ViSalus conveniently offers a multi-vitamin at additional cost. My biggest problem with the shakes is that they contain sucralose. Sucralose is the generic name for Aspartame, and is an engineered, chemically-based artificial sweetener. In particular, sucralose has been shown in a number of scientific studies to wreak havoc on your body's blood glucose levels, leading to subsequent spikes in hunger. This is not a good thing if your goal is weight loss! A number of their other products are labeled as "natural" but indeed contain chemically-based (e.g., "pharmaceutical glaze") and genetically-engineered (e.g., soybean oil) substances. If you look closely at the fine print, you'll see that many products were likely chosen simply because they're cheap and affordable (e.g., gelatin). At the end of the day, you're far better off going with a whole foods diet that is high in protein, fiber, and vitamin-rich vegetables, and low in unhealthy fats, sugars, and processed foods. Is Body by Vi a Scam? Technically, ViSalus Sciences isn't breaking any laws when it comes to their pyramid marketing scheme. So what matters to me is whether the product claims are factual and justified. In the case of the Body by Vi product line, there is no doubt that the nutritional claims have been exaggerated and manipulated. For this reason, Body by Vi is a scam in my books. The product is simply not as healthy as the claims suggest. Healthy Alternatives My solution? Get simple, and purchase high-quality products that have been tested with time and proven effective for weight loss. Over the years, I've had the opportunity to try a number of amazing products. Here are my top picks.
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Monday, May 28, 2012
Body By Vi Weight Loss
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