Vivo Life protein review from someone who has consumed protein for the past 29 years+
In the early days, I had to hold my nose and gulp down the thick, lumpy, and at times powdery slop.
As the years passed the flavours changed from old man’s slippers to something that came close to tasting like artificial strawberry or a 3-year-old chocolate bar.
Thankfully for those who are now starting on their supplement journey, the choices are many and the flavours, for the most part, are delicious.
Recommending Protein Shakes
It’s not unusual for me to be asked “what’s a good protein shake”
In the past the answer was based on 2 factors;
- It tasted good
- It mixed well
Luckily with the explosion of supplement companies choosing a protein shake based on taste, and mixability is pretty easy.
However now at the grand old age of 45, I’ve realised there should be a third element when recommending a protein shake;
- Decent ingredients
You see in the quest to make some protein shakes cheap, smooth & sweet the manufacturers have turned to cheaper fillers, sweeteners, and thickeners, and cheaper in this case definitely does not equate to ‘good for you’
3 ingredients you don’t want in your protein shake
To keep it short and simple I will outline the 3 main ingredients to avoid, however, I wrote a more in-depth post on ingredients to avoid, a link available at the end of this post.
1. Soy Boy Protein
Soy protein is a great complete plant protein, however much of the soy produced is genetically modified and can be exposed to pesticides, Soy also naturally contains isoflavones, which are phytoestrogen compounds that mimic estrogen, and can function as endocrine disruptors which may cause hormonal disturbances in some people
2. Sweeteners
Common artificial sweeteners come in the form of:
- Sucralose
- Aspartame
- Neotame
- Acesulfame K
Aside from being unnatural chemicals, some experience negative effects ranging from headaches, gastric distress, mood swings to weight gain
3. Thickeners & Gums
Protein supplements have come a long way since the early days of lumpy, foul-smelling drinks, however in the quest for that thick smooth shake, some manufacturers turn to cheap thickening agents and gums, including xanthan gum, which is often manufactured from soy, corn, and wheat, in turn, cause bloating and gas in some people
Those are the main culprits, others of note are fillers, milk powders, and milk solids,
It took me 20 years to really start looking into the ingredients and reading the labels, don’t wait that long! Learn the basic ingredients to avoid and start making informed decisions today!
Whey vs Plant Based
before I review VivoLife I wanted to highlight a few differences between whey and plant-based protein powder.
For the vast majority of my life, I have used whey-based protein powders.
There are many benefits to whey, including:
- Full BCAA profile
- Quick absorption
- Great texture
- Huge range of products
However, for those of us who are trying to live a more conscious life, it is perhaps time we let the cows roam the fields and take advantage of the treats mother nature left for us in nature, that’s where Vivo Life comes in!!!
Vivo Life Plant protein tastes so good.
Throughout the years I have dabbled in alternative plant protein shakes.
Unfortunately like the early days of whey, the early days of plant-based protein were gloomy, or should I say tasteless and powdery.
Luckily, things change, improve and get better with time!
What are the benefits of Vivo Life?
Let’s begin with the ingredients.
- No GMO
- Raw protein (good for absorption)
- No Artificial sugars
- No artificial flavours
- Grain free
- Soy free
- Organic ingredients
- Heavy metal tested
It seems like Vivo Life have looked at the competition, understood nutrition the impact on the body, and have decided to create a product that anyone with a little understanding of nutrition would be happy to promote (thus this blog post)
But it doesn’t just stop there!
Yes, the ingredients are great, but they seem to have nailed the texture and flavour too! (I have however only tried 2 flavors) – please note I am not sponsored nor have I been paid by them to write this so, I stick to the flavours I know, that being:
- Raw Cacao
- Vanilla
So, great ingredients, taste, and flavour is spot on, what else?
Price!
The younger me would always be on the lookout for a cheaper protein powder to fulfill my huge appetite, fortunately, older me is acutely aware you get what you pay for.
Vivo Life I feel has found a great middle-ground of quality and pricing, there’s even a simple subscription option, so you never have to forget to re-order (running out of protein pisses me off more than price nowadays!)
In conclusion, ask me again what protein powder would I recommend and my answer would be Vivo Life, it hits the mark on ingredients, taste & smoothness, and price!
They also have a bunch of recipes for their products and its not just protein powder they sell, check out:
- Creatine
- Multi-vitamins
- Matcha
- Maca
- Magic Coffee
Finally, they don’t really have discounts, but, you can refer and give 10% off, I’ve left the link below, if you are looking to purchase make sure you get the money off, get the quality shake at a slightly reduced price 🙂 (I wouldn’t say no to a little kickback)
So there you have it!
it’s taken me the best part of 20 years to realise nutrition, whether in the form of whole food or supplements need to be as close to organic and natural as possible.
Vivo Life for its part hits all the requirements
Go try out, let me know what you think,
I’ll also leave these simple recipes below with a full macro breakdown.
Simple raw cacao & peanut butter recipe
It’s been a long time since I have consumed protein powder with only milk or water, I’m a sucker for bulking up my shakes, these shakes contain added extra including bananas and dates.
If you’re conscious of calories and or macros. you can remove the fruit and oats and the shakes still taste delicious!
Raw Cacao peanut butter shake.
My go-to, pretty much every day all day, the only difference I ever really make is making with or without oats.
You will need:
2 scoop raw cacao
half a banana
Tablespoon peanut butter
Coconut milk 300ml – 500ml (depends on how thick you like it)
Ice
half cup oats (bulking shake)
Nutritional Value:
| Normal Shake – No Oats | cals | protein | fat | carbs |
| 1/2 banana | 53 | 0.64 | 0.19 | 13.48 |
| 1/4 peanut butter | 379 | 14 | 32 | 16 |
| protein x2 scoops | 282 | 44 | 2.2 | 4.6 |
| 300ml coconut milk | 45 | 2.1 | 3.9 | 0.9 |
| 759 | 60.99 | 38.29 | 34.48 |
| Gainer Shake – with oats | cals | protein | fat | carbs |
| 1/2 banana | 53 | 0.64 | 0.19 | 13.48 |
| 1/4 peanut butter | 379 | 14 | 32 | 16 |
| 1/2 cup oats | 304 | 13 | 6 | 52 |
| protein x2 scoops | 282 | 44 | 2.2 | 4.6 |
| 300ml coconut milk | 45 | 2.1 | 3.9 | 0.9 |
| 1062.75 | 73.99 | 43.79 | 85.98 |
Caramel Raw Cacao shake
1 scoop raw cacao
3 or 4 dates (softened in warm water first)
Teaspoon peanut butter
Coconut milk
Pinch of salt
Ice
Half a cup of oats (bulking shake)
Nutritional Value – No Oats
| Normal Shake | cals | protein | fat | carbs |
| 3 dates | 60 | 0.6 | 0 | 15.9 |
| 1/4 peanut butter | 379 | 14 | 32 | 16 |
| protein x2 scoops | 282 | 44 | 2.2 | 4.6 |
| 300ml coconut milk | 45 | 2.1 | 3.9 | 0.9 |
| 766 | 60.95 | 38.1 | 36.9 |
Nutritional Value – With Oats
| Gainer Shake | cals | protein | fat | carbs |
| 3 dates | 60 | 0.6 | 0 | 15.9 |
| 1/4 peanut butter | 379 | 14 | 32 | 16 |
| 1/2 cup oats | 304 | 13 | 6 | 52 |
| protein x2 scoops | 282 | 44 | 2.2 | 4.6 |
| 300ml coconut milk | 45 | 2.1 | 3.9 | 0.9 |
| 766 | 60.95 | 38.1 | 36.9 |
I’m always on the lookout for new recipes, so if you do have ones that you like, please comment below, provide some links.
Happy drinking!
If you’re still here check out the post on how to naturally boost your testosterone
Or as promised, check out this post on the top 6 ingredients to avoid in protein powder.
