It’s nothing new – skinny teas and slender blenders have been around for quite a while in the fitness industry. They act as a ‘quick fix’ to lose weight, tone up and fill your body with ‘nutrients’. Hah, what a load of B* is all I have to say.
I admit when I first got into the fitness industry I was a naive fool and fell for the ongoing advertisement of the skinny teas – which then, were completley taking over social media.
I mean, at that time (and still now, really) Instagram was ruled by beautiful and skinny girls showcasing a product which they use ‘daily’ and were showcasing their ‘health and fitness’ secrets to their followers. Is that all it takes? A tea? Count me in! Oh the fool I was…
The marketing of Skinny Tea’s is quite simply brilliant. Take a beautiful, toned women, get her to promote the product with the words along the lines of ‘My fitness secret to getting a body like this’ and bam you’ve got the attention of thousands of young women – if not millions! As well as this you have celebrities along the likes of Kylie Jenner, Khloe Kardashian and Vanessa Hudgens who are now promoting the SkinnyTea to rack up further customers – which is exactly what they’ll get!
Take a young, naive, hopeless (ahem – ME!) and desperate woman who’s lusting over the bodies of those celebrities who sport defined abs, big boobs and tanned bodies and BAM she’s lost in a world of fad advertisement. But guess what? Most of the girls advertising the product don’t even use the products themselves! HELLO, WAKE UP PEOPLE! IT’S ALL FOR MONEY.
Which is why I completely stand up for myself now. I admit I was wrong and naive in the first place for trying out skinny teas. I did my research, found out my fault and now i’m admitting it to my followers and hopefully the rest of the world so they too, don’t make the same mistake. I would never promote something to my followers that is unhealthy, damaging and FAKE. It goes totally against my ethos and who I am which is why I have turned down so many opportunities to work with companies like these (and get paid for) and promote a product just like those girls above.
So just to clear this up: I’m totally going against these SkinnyTea companies and slender blender shakes (which have the same similar means) simply because it’s irresponsible advertising and provides lack of integrity for the product itself and the customer (YOU). Companies like these are selling false hope. You cannot lose weight purely through a tea or blend without adjusting your diet and fitness activity. Unless you poop it all out, of course.
My experience with Teami
So back at the beginning of my fitness journey when I decided to give in to the incoming emails from skinny tea companies, I finally said yes to ‘Teami’. Teami are a very popular Teatox company. At first I was fooled by the health ingredients – ginger, yerba mate, rhubarb root, etc… I really did think it was just a tea full of healthy and nourishing ingreidents that help detox your body from all the nasty stuff inside. Oh how I was wrong!
Amongst the ingredients in my tea was senna. Senna is a common herb found amongst these skinny teas and has a strong laxative effect. It can cause headaches, stomach upset, vomiting, dehydration and diarrhoea. You’re practically pooping out what you eat and this in turn can make the bowel reliant on this kind of stimulation to work. Which begs the question: Is it really worth it?
The claims of the tea
• Boost your metabolism
• Start burning stored fat
• Calms muscle spasms and muscle tightness
• Naturally raise energy levels
• Detox your internal organs
• Feel lighter
• Improve skin complexion
• Flush out harsh toxins
• Fix digestive issues
What really happened to me
• Stomach issues – upset and bloat
• Outbreak in spots
• Energy was the same
• Felt the same
• Made me more thirsty
I also think it’s worth pointing out that whilst these teas are considered ‘dietary supplements’, they aren’t actually required to prove any claims on their labels. Therefore, even though they ‘claim’ that drinking the tea will result in weight loss and a boost in your metabolism, there is no real published research to show that these statements are true. So basically, I could say i’m a unicorn – right?
In recent research it’s also been stated that the main ingredient found in these SkinnyTeas, Senna, has insuffienct evidence for weight loss. You’re practically pooping yourself for nothing! They also (importantly) noted that if you’re using it for longer than 2 weeks you run the risk of unusual bowel functions, changes in electrolyte balance and possible heart problems. Na girl, not cool and not healthy!Â
It really is important to do your research first before making any dietary changes, even if it is a simple tea! Do your research on the ingredients, lurk into the company itself and also have a look at the reviews on google – you’ll be surprised at what you find!
Meal replacement shakes – aka, Slender Blenders
Fortunately, I never fell for the meal replacement shakes. Mainly because I love food to much to consume it purely through liquid.
Personally, I don’t believe in a lifestyle where you live off nothing but shakes. They’re overpriced, some can be of poor quality and more importantly, they’re not needed! You do not have to restrict yourself to shakes (or pills) to lose weight. Do not fall for the quick fix fads.
I strongly believe that changing your diet is all about a lifestyle change. Make healthier changes, become more active and watch the progress unveil.
Many meal replacement shakes have dozens of different ingredients, many of which contain highly processed foods which are difficult to break down. The ‘vitamins and minerals’ that you see on the ingredients list (to make it look somewhat healthy) are also 99% synthetic meaning that they are not derived from food which in turn makes it hard for the body to properly absorb.
But most importantly, meal replacement shakes are neither healthy nor guaranteed for weight loss. They can leave you feeling deprived (where’s the food?!), tired, hungry, bloated and unhappy.
If you’re looking for a healthier diet than ask yourself this: Will this shake provide me with more nutrients and vitamins than a healthy meal?
`ProteinWorld’s Celebrity Advertisement = £££
Like the SkinnyTeas, Slender blenders have also taken over social media with the use of celebrities and young, attractive women holding the product itself and promoting their ‘hidden secret’. Oh, please tell me how you don’t work for that body either *eye roll*.
A well known company, Protein World have recently took storm to social media with their Khloe Kardashian advertisement and have of course, built up their social media following – massively!
I could go on and on about the way these companies sell their products but i’ll end this particular subject here with this: If a companies product was so successful itself, why on earth would they need to spend thousands (if not millions) on sending free products to fitness influencers and paying well known celebrities to help promote it?  Hmmmm, I wonder.
Here’s the truth, sunshines
Drinking teas, slender blenders and other ridiculous meal replacement products will not make you lose weight – nor will it make you healthy internally. You may perhaps lose weight but only because you’ve perhaps lost weight through water and have consumed less calories because the fluids have been filling you up instead.
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If you’re looking to lose weight then please – ignore the fads! Ignore the celebrities promoting their rubbish, ignore what’s in fashion and instead stick to the traditional way of weight loss: Living a healthier and more active lifestyle.
Make it a lifestyle change and make it work for you. If you’re interested in to how I changed my life around for a healthier one then read my story here.
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