Ensure drinks come in a variety of flavors and are a quick, nutritious way to add calories to your diet. However, some people use Ensure products or similar types of drinks in place of meals to help with weight loss or weight gain. If you enjoy the taste of nutrition shakes, your weight goals will help determine the best way to add Ensure to your diet.
Weight Gain and Loss
According to MedlinePlus, 1 lb. of body fat is equivalent to about 3,500 calories. Therefore it would make sense that to lose 1 lb. per week you'll need to reduce your daily calories by 500, and to gain 1 lb. per week you'll need to increase your daily calories by about 500. Your body weight is determined by the total daily calories you consume and how many you burn. Exercise is part of that equation; however the National Institutes of Health notes that most weight loss occurs with calorie reduction. Lean muscle weight gain typically requires an increase in daily calories paired with an appropriate exercise program.
Basics
Ensure is a flavored shake that contains a variety of essential nutrients. One bottle of a dark chocolate Ensure nutrition shake, for example, contains about 250 calories, 6 g of fat, 9 g of protein, omega-3 fatty acids and about 24 essential vitamins and minerals.
Benefits
A major benefit of consuming Ensure shakes for weight loss or weight gain is the convenience. Ensure shakes can be consumed as a quick meal or between-meal snack. Using Ensure for weight gain or loss can help you achieve your recommended daily allowance for many essential nutrients.
Drawbacks
One major drawback of consuming Ensure products for weight gain or loss is their price. One 8-oz. bottle of Ensure can cost you $2.50 or more, which can add up over time. Another drawback of consuming Ensure in place of most of your meals is you may end up lacking certain nutrients in your diet such as fiber. Although Ensure drinks are high in nutrients, one 8-oz. bottle of a dark chocolate Ensure nutrition shake contains a large amount of sodium and sugar; 200 mg and 18 g respectively.
Recommendations
Ensure nutrition shakes can be part of a well-balanced diet for both weight gain and weight loss. If you're trying to lose weight, drink an Ensure shake in place of a meal to help reduce your daily calories. However, to prevent certain nutrient deficiencies do not consume these shakes in place of every meal and avoid diets too low in calories. The National Institutes of Health recommend avoiding weight loss diets that are less than 800 calories per day. To gain weight, consume an Ensure nutrition shake between meals to help increase your daily calories.
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