It is interesting to note some thirty years ago, ‘meal replacement’ was a term the scientific community gave to diets they rejected as fads. In the mid 70′s, liquid diets of all kinds were being used, some safe and some unsafe.   However, 30 plus years down the track with much research, development and testing meal replacements have advanced a long way with the aide of the scientific community.

It is important to understand that meal replacement food technology is now used, not only for dieters but has also become a vital factor in hospitals for some patients.   The reason meal replacements have advanced so positively now is  ‘science’  of food technology.   Many more nutrients such as protein, good carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and micro nutrients can be added to a meal replacement.

This enables the user to consume far more nutrition in one meal than they could possibly eat in normal foods.   For example in one meal replacement known, one serving of a meal replacement meal is equal in nutrients to approximately 1300 calories of normal food from the proper food chain.   At the same time the meal replacement serving is only 100 calories.   It is then plain to see the popularity of a good quality meal replacement for losing weight without compromising health. To give more credit to the benefit of meal replacements and assurance of their benefit and safety to weight loss we need to look at their usage in a much more vital way.

I mention they are used in hospitals for some patients.   This is perhaps where science really began to see the benefit of advancing this technology and certainly it has been a tremendous advantage for certain patients.   We now see many patients in hospitals for various reasons comatose for weeks and months. How were these patients to live with out food?  The answer quite simply comes from intravenous fed meal replacement type nutrition. Hence, not only are the patients fed while comatose, but fed well. The understanding of nutrition and what the body needs has come a long way.

Muscle mass and the prevention of losing it is not only vital to dieters but also to bed ridden patients.   This is where the necessity for protein in the human diet has been realized to be of great importance and as a result, it is greatly used in meal replacement products both for diet products and patients in hospitals.   Realizing this, companies now put great resources into finding and including the best grade of protein in their products. Another argument that comes up with meal replacement dieting is the cause to actually eat less natural food, therefore compromising the metabolism.

It is important to note as this argument comes up,  to remember the body is actually fed with important nutrients and perhaps more with meal replacements than normal food. Add to this, less energy used by the body to digest bulk food, there is actually a lot of energy preserved, therefore elevating the tiredness a person feels when the body  works over time in the digestion process.

After a nutritious meal replacement you do not feel this tiredness therefore people are more likely to feel energetic and likely to be more active.   This preserved energy leads to an individual being more motivated to exercise and increase metabolism further. Many individuals may ask, how do I know which meal replacement is the best as there are so many in the market place?  The answer to this question is simple in the process of elimination.

Choice Magazine did an article some months ago on meal replacement products.   It was interesting to note in this article that not all products can be labeled ‘meal replacement’.   In some countries there are health department labeling laws.   These laws have a requirement of a certain amount of nutritional ingredients to be included in a product in order for a company to call a product a ‘Meal Replacement’.

This then makes it easy for us to recognize whether a product is in fact a meal replacement giving us enough nutrients.   Make sure you look on the cans and sachets of what may look like a meal replacement, that it is clearly labeled as such. In conclusion meal replacements are not only for dieters.   We now live in a world where nutritionally related diseases and deaths are over-taking smoking related health issues, hence we realize the importance meal replacements may be to every body’s well being.

As our food, to meet population demand continues to be picked per-ripened, our soil gets depleted of nutrients through over use. Our animals fed hormones for faster growth.   More foods are genetically modified and processed we need to realize we are getting less and less nutrition in our food. We all remember what our fruits and vegetables tasted like some twenty years ago and how different they taste today.   Why do you think this is?  A good question to ask, could it be because of the above mentioned reasons?  We all may well be needing to supplement our daily diets right now, with off course, an exellent quality meal replacement.