Will HLTH Code Work With My [Specific] Diet?

When you’re embarking on a lifestyle change, it’s common to wonder what you can and can’t eat. If you’re eating low carb, is there a place for fruit? If you’re eating carnivore, can you eat non-animal products? If you’re eating low calorie, does nutrition matter?

Along those same lines is a question we occasionally receive: if a meal replacement shake like HLTH Code is optimized for a low carbohydrate diet, can I still use it if I don’t restrict carbs?

In simple terms, this question is like asking, “If I eat a low calorie diet, can I still have avocados?” The answer, of course, is yes. Unless your diet specifically restricts certain types of foods, any healthy diet has room for healthy foods. 

Protein shakes are all the rage, but HLTH Code Complete Meal isn’t a protein shake. Protein shakes are typically low in fat, high in protein, and too frequently packed with sugar or artificial sweeteners. They’re also often lower in calories on the surface but are mixed with milk or juice. On the other hand, HLTH Code is a meal replacement with 400 satisfying calories, only 4 grams of net carbs, 27 grams of protein, and an equal amount of healthy fat. Protein and fat help you feel fuller longer, and multiple clinical trials have shown that diets high in protein reduce body weight and enhance body composition [1]. Additionally, HLTH Code is packed with other healthy goodies. Probiotics, prebiotics, apple cider vinegar, Omega-3s and antioxidants, up to 50% of the daily recommended value of 25 vitamins and minerals, and more. 

Now that you know what HLTH Code Complete Meal is, let’s examine how it fits into various diets.

Ketogenic Diet

The keto diet has become the most popular diet in North America, a trend that is catching on across the world. In fact, in 2020, “keto” was the top food-related search in Google [2]. Ketogenic diets work by keeping insulin–a hormone profoundly linked to weight gain[3]–low by keeping insulin-spiking carbs below 50g/day, with some adhering to 20g of carbs or less per day. Keto diets put the body in a state of ketosis (not to be confused with ketoacidosis), which allows the body to use dietary fat and its own stored fat as fuel. 

While some people on a ketogenic diet worry about eating too much protein, a 1:1 protein to fat ratio is ideal for tissue maintenance, muscle recovery, and more. This ratio matches that found in animal products like beef and eggs and is the same ratio found in HLTH Code. Because HLTH Code was developed specifically to have no impact on insulin, it is an ideal meal replacement shake for a ketogenic lifestyle. Many looking to lose weight on a keto diet have found great success by replacing two meals a day with a shake, while those looking to maintain their current healthy lifestyle find that replacing one meal with a shake daily provides convenience without sacrificing nutrition.

Low Carbohydrate Diet

The little sister of keto, low carbohydrate diets are wildly popular and wildly effective [4,5]. While there isn’t a specific definition of “low carb”, it is often associated with a diet of below 130g of carbs per day. Low carb diets work via the same mechanism as ketogenic diets: they keep insulin low by restricting carbs. People on a low carb diet prioritize protein and don’t fear fat. As such, a high fat, high protein meal replacement shake like HLTH Code is a perfect fit for those living a low carb lifestyle.

Carnivore Diet

While the carnivore diet may seem like a new fad, its roots are ancient, leading all the way back to our earliest ancestors. Like the name suggests, a carnivore diet includes eating only animal products. Some adherents may only eat meat (including organ meat) while others will add in full-fat dairy and eggs. Depending on a person’s level of strictness with a carnivore diet, high-quality meal replacement shakes can have a place in a carnivore diet because whey, collagen and egg whites are animal-based. Our customers who eat carnivore diets find that a HLTH Code shake is an easy way to get quality nutrition at times when convenience and speed are key.

Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet is another popular diet globally. It is inspired by the eating habits of people who live near the Mediterranean Sea. As such, it consists heavily of olive oil, vegetables, whole grain foods, and fish and poultry. While there is not as much of a focus on eggs, dairy, and red meat, the diet still allows a place for them in moderation. A meal replacement shake with whey protein, healthy fats, and high-quality ingredients like HLTH Code Complete Meal can be a part of sustaining a Mediterranean Diet.

Paleo

The Paleo diet goes by a few different names, including the caveman diet or the stone-age diet. It’s thought to mirror the diet eaten by early humans during the paleolithic era. The diet focuses on vegetables, fruits, meats, nuts, and roots while avoiding processed food, grains, sugar, dairy, and more. Much of the point of the diet is to keep the body free of the potential irritants and allergens of modern diets. While whey protein comes from cheese, depending on how strictly one follows a paleo diet, many adherents consider whey to be a “gray area [6].” Whey is often considered paleo-friendly when it is either “whey concentrate” or “whey isolate,” as these kinds of whey have filtered out most of the irritants/allergens that are concerning to those on a paleo diet. As such, HLTH Code Complete Meal could be an appropriate way to add convenience, healthy protein, and healthy fat into a paleolithic diet.

Low Calorie or CICO (Calorie In, Calorie Out)

A popular weight loss theory, low calorie or CICO diets subscribe to the belief that all calories are created equal and that as long as a person takes in fewer calories than their body burns, they can lose weight. While this is not a diet we advocate for, there’s no question that low calorie diets are popular. On paper, they’re simple to follow, even if not necessarily in practice. If you’ve tried other diets and find that CICO is the one you always come back to, then a meal replacement shake like HLTH Code can absolutely be part of making your diet successful. Well-formulated meal replacement shakes offer fantastic nutrition that is frequently lacking in low calorie diets[7]. The easiest way to incorporate a meal replacement shake is to use it exactly as intended: identify the meal that’s poorest in nutrition and replace it with a shake. If you’re looking to maintain your weight, replace one meal a day; if you’re looking to lose weight, replace two meals a day. The better nutrition you get on a calorie-restricted diet, the healthier you’ll be in the long term.  

This is just a small sampling of the diets out there, but as you can see, there is room in most modern diets for the kind of quality proteins and fats found in HLTH Code Complete Meal. If you’re wondering if HLTH Code is right for you, we have a 30-day, risk-free money back guarantee and thousands of verified reviews from real people who love it.  

Curious about how HLTH Code can fit into a diet not mentioned here? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to answer your questions.

References

1.  Moon J, Koh G. Clinical Evidence and Mechanisms of High-Protein Diet-Induced Weight Loss. J Obes Metab Syndr. 2020 Sep 30;29(3):166-173. doi: 10.7570/jomes20028. PMID: 32699189; PMCID: PMC7539343.
2.  ​​https://bolstglobal.com/portfolio-items/global-keto-diet-trends/
3. https://www.nature.com/articles/nature05482
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537084/#article-38819.s7
5. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/why-do-low-carb-diets-work
6. https://paleoleap.com/protein-powder-paleo/
7.  Damms-Machado A, Weser G, Bischoff SC. Micronutrient deficiency in obese subjects undergoing low calorie diet. Nutr J. 2012 Jun 1;11:34. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-11-34. PMID: 22657586; PMCID: PMC3404899.