OZiva Nutritional Meal Shake for Women Product Review

The nutritional meal shakes are the latest fads in the market. They can be for weight loss, to act as meal replacers or just as protein shakes after a workout or with breakfast. OZiva Nutritional Meal Shake for Women is supposed to be a complete food and provide all the necessary nutrients to the body.

I have taken almost 3 months to review this product and I am glad that I took this time. Had I reviewed it earlier, I would have missed out on analyzing its ingredient list. Recently, I came across another very famous health drinks brand and realized how important it is to read and research on the ingredient list of health drinks.

Consequently, this other famous brand which I am not going to talk about has very poor list of ingredients and is quite expensive on the pocket as well. The contents of the health drink are debated and the jury is out there as is the usual case.

OZiva Nutritional Meal Shake for Women Product Review

Price: Rs 1499 for 500gms

Ingredients

Whey Protein is primarily a dairy by-product which is obtained during making the cheese. It is rich in amino acids and is relatively easy to absorb which is why it has become so popular now a days.

Whey protein has been shown to augment muscle protein synthesis, support fat burning, boost the immune system, improve insulin sensitivity, and decrease appetite. Additionally, whey concentrate is shown to boost production of glutathione, the body’s master antioxidant. (Source)

Thus, from the ingredients list, you can deduce that this is a dairy-based product. Whey protein concentrate has significant amount of lactose where as if you choose drinks with only whey protein isolate, you can safely take them even if you are lactose intolerant. In a nutshell, this might not be the product for you if you are lactose intolerant or have dairy-food induced acne issues.

Other ingredients are pretty much safe. Added flavors and preservatives is a risk but something which you have to take for any drink powder. Overall, the ingredients list looks pretty much simple and uncomplicated.

Did you know that soy protein is another alternative to whey protein and they work well together than soy protein alone. Whey is supposed to be perfect combination of muscle-building protein and improving the immune system. It gets absorbed very quickly where as soy protein gets absorbed gradually. So, if you would like to choose a health drink, make sure it is a combination of whey and soy instead of soy alone.

Availability: Online Website

What Product Claims?

• Accelerate weight loss
• Detoxify the body
• Supports heart and gut health
• Relieve stress
• Prevent fat build-up and curb cravings

How to use the product?

You can make smoothies and milk shakes and add the recommended scoop of daily dosage in the shake or smoothie. It can be blended with milk but whey protein has a very distinct taste which is not very pleasant.

It can be drunk as a protein shake after your exercise or to replace a meal.

Recipe #1 – Banana-Oats Protein Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 scoop O’Ziva Nutrtional Meal Shake
• 2 tablespoons rolled oats (can also be lightly roasted if you prefer)
• 1 banana
• 1 cup unsweetened milk
• ½ cup cold water
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground flax seeds (optional)

Blend all ingredients together and chill to perfection or have it as it is.

Recipe #2 -With Milk

Blend 1 scoop of the product with 300mls of chilled milk.

Lifestyle Changes

• Avoid more than a serving (1 medium bowl) of rice (stick to the brown variety). You can have twice as much dal, sabzi or salad!
• Eat 3-4 servings of vegetables, incorporate more of salads and fruits (whole fruits and not juice) in your day.
• Have at least 2 servings of protein from animal sources, dals, lentils, beans, dairy per day.
• Limit your total carbohydrate intake from grains and cereals to 1-2 servings per day and stick to whole grain products only.
• You can munch on a palm full of any preferred or mixed nuts, dried figs, apricot for snacking between meals.
• Drink 2-3 liters of water.
• Avoid skipping taking the shake on any of the days.
• Include a minimum of 30-40 minutes of moderate intensity exercises like walking/ jogging or cycling on a daily basis.

Product Review

I would not comment on the weight loss claims as I believe there is no product which will help you lose weight unless you actually move your body. As mentioned above, you will find it is recommended to follow 30-40 minutes exercise along with using this nutritional meal shake to see some weight loss.

Since I did not exercise regularly, I did not use it as a protein shake but I did try it as a meal replacer. Unfortunately, it did not work for me. What it did though was supplement my breakfast so I would not feel hungry sooner. And, it was great as a late afternoon drink and I could skip the snacks. It would keep me full for a good one to two hours depending on what shake I made. Also, it does help curb my cravings at odd times of the day.

There is a little after taste of the whey protein even after blending it with fruits but once you get used to it, it is fine. Protein does taste a little bitter in any form and it is true for all nutritional meal shakes.

I like this meal shake as a supplement to my existing meal plan though I must say I am not very good at eating regularly and healthily. This nutritional meal shake smoothie helps to keep me full when I am hungry and can think of nothing to eat and improves energy levels of my body.

I like to have this shake twice a day, half a scoop each time, to complete the recommended dosage. It at least has reduced my headache of thinking what snack to eat in the evening. Preparing different meals every day is such a chore!!

As much as I would say nothing is better than eating a well-balanced meal, I would add that a nutritional meal shake is a good supplement to your diet if you like something extra or are bad at eating healthy. But, before in-taking anything, always read the ingredient list and research on how safe they are and what side-effects they may have. It is more important to eat healthy than reading ingredient list for your next face wash so be safe and aware.

Recipe #3 – Apple Cinnamon Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 scoop O’Ziva Nutrtional Meal Shake
• 5 tablespoons roasted oats
• 1 apple
• 1/2 tbsp cinnamon powder
• 50ml water (optional, to reduce the thickness of smoothie)

You do not need to add sugar or sweet. Blend all ingredients together and enjoy it.

Recipe #4 – Apple Plum Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 scoop O’Ziva Nutrtional Meal Shake
• 5 tablespoons roasted oats
• 1 apple
• 1 plum
• 50ml water (optional)

Blend and drink. Plum gives a beautiful pink color to the smoothie and makes it extremely appetizing. You can try adding pomegranate as well.

My Verdict

I would not say this is the tastiest milk accompaniment you will get in the market but it helps supplement the diet and improve energy levels. So, yes, it is something you should give a try if you think you are getting tired all the time and are prone to skipping meals.

Do you like taking nutritional meal shake or meal replacement supplements? Or, do you prefer to keep your diet balanced and get all the nutrition from the food?