Review: How Does Isalean by Isagenix Work? (2024)

Review: How Does Isalean by Isagenix Work? (1)

by Cindy Wilson
BS, Dietetics and Nutrition

What is Isagenix?

Essentially, Isagenix is a detox program that restricts calories while also incorporating an occasional fast. There are several different Isagenix programs. Most of the most popular those that are most popular and are what most of the Isagenix Groupies start with is a 9 or 30 day cleanse.

Shake Days Include:

1 meal (lunch or dinner with a range of 400-600 calories)
2 Isagenix protein shakes throughout the day (usually one in the morning and one depending on what time you eat your meal)
A morning and afternoon snacks, such as 6 raw unsalted almonds or an Isagenix Slimcake
A few other powders and pills at different times during the day.

A Cleanse Day includes:

4 servings of Isagenix cleaning powder (spread out through the day)
A morning and afternoon snack, such as that listed above
A few other powders and pills at different times during the day.

How Isagenix Works with Intermittent Fasting (IF)?

The Isagenix program promotes IF on cleanse days. The truth is that research regarding IF is only starting to be released, but there are potentially some serious benefits from what we do know. However, the best practice hasn’t yet been decided. Currently, it is suggested that people with a lean body fat percentage (and have maintained it for some period of time) and a balanced diet are best suited for IF.

Of course, it also has the potential to be an excellent tool for helping beginners learn the difference between mental hunger and body hunger. At the same time, Isagenix suggests a specific “fast,” such as a routine weekly fast; getting beginners to trial “fast” is a better idea. If the “trial” goes well, then a beginner can consider doing a weekly fast.

If you are Groupie getting ready to start IF, here are few tips:

On fasting days, don’t expect to do a lot in regards to physical activity.
If you have a history of anorexia or bulimia, IF has the potential to trigger a relapse. (It’s important to screen Groupies carefully before they start the program.)

What are IsaLean Benefits?

Food Amount. Without any doubt, an eating plan’s success depends on how much food you actually eat. The Isagenix diet does an excellent job of showing people that they do not need to eat as much as is consumed in the typical western diet.
Structure. Isagenix’s recommended eating plan is perfect for the ad-hoc eater. Isagenix clearly lays out clear guidelines that are ideal for people who prefer cut and dry rules.
Convenience. This is definitely pretty convenient. After all, 2 out of the 3 meals on the 30 days cleanse merely require you to shake a bottle.
Nutrition. Let’s face it. The obesity rates today reflect the fact that we are not the healthiest eaters. After all, we have been conditioned to reach for easily accessible foods and beverages that lack the nutrients we really need. As a result, the Isagenix products consumed by Groupies tend to be much healthier than the typical diet.

What are IsaLean Drawbacks?

Food type. Unfortunately for diet plans, our bodies are not created equal. We have unique hormone profiles. This is why some people can live on an unhealthy, excess calorie fast-food diet without gaining an ounce (Of course, this doesn’t mean they are healthy.), and others gain 5 pounds walking by a bakery. After the cleansing period, when the weight has been lost, a failure to factor in an individual’s hormone profile is almost certain to result in weight gain just as soon as they begin to incorporate more frequent meals into their daily diet.
Food Amount. Yes, I did say that I liked the severe calorie restrictions, but it is also very extreme for a 30 day cleanse. This level of restriction is really only suggested for anyone who is morbidly abuse and needs to lose weight fast or a bride who is desperate to fit in your wedding gown during their final fitting. Restricting your calories this much can actually slow down your body’s metabolic processes. Guess what this means for your body when you have completed the Isagenix program.
Detox. This is one of the primary components of the Isagenix program, but it actually creates many questions. In fact, it produces more than it answers, such as: What toxins are we trying to get rid of? Why is it so important that we get rid of them? How do we measure how much has been removed? Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that the detox doesn’t work. If you detox routinely and it works for you, keep doing it. However, the truth is that there isn’t any evidence that detoxing actually provides any benefits. Of course, there is always the chance that medical research will discover some merits involved with the detoxification process. (It happens. They make discoveries all the time; it just takes a while for the info to work its way down to you and me.) Maybe it would be worth looking at toxic exposure and aiming to prevent it instead of having to cure it. Instead of detoxing, why can’t we: Limit the chemicals we apply to our hair, skin, and nails? Reduce our consumption of the garbage that is often thinly disguised as food? Limit our use of alcohol, cigarettes, medications, and supplements? Keep in mind that our body has some pretty impressive detoxification tools of its own, such as the digestive tract, liver, lymphatic system, kidneys, respiratory system, and skin. So, wouldn’t it make more sense to improve our built-in detoxification tools by getting regular physical activity and plenty of sleep?

What are IsaLean Ingredients?

In the Berry Flavored Cleanse for Life, there is a proprietary blend that contains:

aloe vera leaf
Burdock root
betaine HCL
licorice root
choline bitartrate
fennel seed
IsaLyte trace minerals
Pau d’Arco inner bark
l-methionine
Eleutherococcus senticosus root extract
inositol
peppermint leaf

Nothing on this list really stands out as an effective supplement for weight loss. While plenty of the ingredients have health benefits in their own way, I’d prefer to see an ingredient listed as a proven fat burner and appetite suppressant for maximum weight loss benefit. Weight loss supplements that are actually well known, such as guarana, Hoodia, chromium, and green tea, are missing from this list.

The Isagenix 30 Day Cleanse Includes:

1 system guide
1 Cleansed for Life DVD
2 individual Want More Energy snacks
2 individual IsaDelights
1 Bottle of Isagenix Snacks
1 bottle of Natural Accelerator
1 Bottle of Ionix Supreme
1 Bottle of IsaFlush
2 Bottles of Cleanse for Life
4 Canisters of IsaLean Shake (Each can equal 14 meals of excellent nutrition.)

How does IsaLean Shake help in working out?

According to the Isagenix website, the IsaLean Shake is designed to “take your health and performance to new levels.” I believe that when they say “performance,” they are talking about exercise performance. While I doubt that that IsaLean shakes will hurt your ability to exercise, I haven’t been able to find any published research that shows it enhances your ability to exercise either. Essentially, there is no proof either way.

Who is Behind The Isagenix?

Founded by Dr. John Anderson (called the “Master Formulator” after developing several Isagenix supplements) and Jim and Kathy Coover in 2002, Isagenix is also called Isagenix International LLC.

The product website states that the company is located at 2225 S. Price Road in Chandler, AZ 85286. However, I haven’t been able to find this address on Google maps. However, I did find an address for Isagenix International at 601 S 54th St. in Chandler, AZ. On Google maps, I did see the building was listed as “Isagenix” on the outside.

The contact number for Isagenix is 480 889 5747. According to the Better Business Bureau, the Isagenix company’s contact number is 480 889 5777. As of 1/9/15, Isagenix had a rating of “A+.” However, you will have to see the BBB file for updated information.

What are the Side Effects of Isagenix?

Googling “Isagenix IsaLean Shake side effects,” I found that most of the results were dominated by pro-Isagenix websites. As a result, I didn’t actually find anyone saying anything bad about it. After looking at the ingredients, I believe that the IsaLean shake is safe for anyone healthy. However, if you have health problems, it is important to discuss them with your doctor or pharmacist to be safe.

Are there any Isagenix alternatives?

You can always look for some other Isagenix alternatives, but the best way is to find out all the benefits and drawbacks and compare them. In these posts, I have fully compared Isagenix with Herbalife Shake and Isagenix with Shakeology.

Short Summary of my Isagenix shake review

There are several things I really like about the Isagenix IsaLean shake. First, I like that it has 240 calories. Yes, this is a tad more than you would find in most shakes (like Shakeology), but I think this is pretty close to what most people eat for a snack. I also appreciate that the IsaLean shake has more fiber, as well as 24g of protein. When the fiber and protein are combined, they work well to make people feel full longer and reduce the urge to overeat. While it hasn’t been proven, the added protein could help spare muscle loss while dieting.