Soul Shaxe Review

PSA:  Whey Protein and Pea Protein are two completely different beasts.  So if you think you can seamlessly make the jump from one to the other, I hate to be the bearer of bad news.  One is not an exact substitution for the other in taste or texture.  They are both great sources of protein, but they are by no means the same, so keep that in mind, especially if you’re transitioning from whey protein to pea protein like I did.

Now that that’s out of the way, I am super excited about the opportunity I had to try Soul Shaxe.  To give you an idea of why this product was one that was very personal to review, you need to know a little bit about my history.

In late 2020, after many years of being told that I just carried my weight in my lower half, I finally received a primary diagnosis of Lymphedema, with a secondary diagnosis of Lipedema.  In a nutshell, Lymphedema is a swelling of the lower extremities that is the result of a sluggish lymphatic system.  My fat legs, as it turns out, weren’t just fat.  They were full of lymphatic fluid that just wasn’t draining properly.  I was almost 40 years old, and every failed diet finally made sense.  I remember being my smallest at 174 pounds and looking like a skeleton from the waist up.  My bottom half, however, was something worthy of a 90s Sir Mix-a-Lot music video.

In the months following my diagnosis, I began treating the condition that – unbeknownst to me – had plagued me my entire life.  I started treatments including MLD (“manual lymph drainage”) therapy, compression garments, vibration plates, and radical diet change.

I move to a low carb/high protein eating plan as a sort of detox.   I started each morning with a fresh/frozen fruit and whey protein smoothie.  I cut out 90% of carbs.  I ate lots I ate lots of dairy to increase my protein intake.  But this type of diet hadn’t yielded tremendous results in the past.  But with my diagnosis came the missing piece of the puzzle.  Now, I had to learn to listen to my body and come up with a plan that worked for ME.

One of the diets I kept seeing associated with Lymphedema and Lipedema was an anti-inflammatory diet.  It was a radical change from what I had been eating.  Many of the popular diets on the market today emphasize the importance of protein in all form.  But some forms of protein actually cause inflammatory reactions in the body.  Two of the biggest triggers for me are dairy and red meat.

With much kicking and screaming, I made the decision to cut those food groups out of my diet.  I love cheese.  I mean LOVE cheese.  But once I cut dairy out of my diet, I noticed the change almost immediately.  My legs no longer felt heavy.  The things that used to cause my legs great pain before had just become minor annoyances.  I was actually dropping pants sizes and was able to wear off the shelf wide calf boots, which was something I had never been able to do before.

Yet, in all honesty, kicking, screaming, and begging doesn’t help when you have to wave goodbye to your favorite food. And the decision to abandon some foods for your wellbeing is as much a health-influenced choice as it is a psychological response to your environment. Think about it: A gloomy and dark kitchen contributes to over-eating and sugar craving. But if you invite more natural light into your kitchen area, such as by considering a window replacement project, you instantly boost your mood. In other words, you’re less likely less your cranky self-make bad diet decisions. If you want to improve your diet, bring nature into your kitchen, through light, or even by displaying fresh fruits. The journey to building a healthy diet that works with you begins with creating an environment that encourages you to be healthy.

Remember my PSA from earlier?  Here’s where it becomes relevant.  I had perfected my “tastes like a milkshake” smoothie using my whey protein product.  But in order to eliminate as much of the dairy from my diet as I could, I needed to cut ties with that protein.

Soul Shaxe was just what I was looking for.  Made from 45 plant-based ingredients, Soul Shaxe is not only dairy free, but also vegan. It is made mainly from a proprietary pea protein/rice protein combination.  Pea protein is a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids and has also been shown to have some anti-inflammatory properties, making it perfect for my situation.  Soul Shaxe currently comes in three amazing flavors – Vanilla Dream, Earth to Chocolate, and P.B. no J.  Each flavor is distinctly different from the other which is great and helps add variety to your shakes.  One serving of powder contains between 21 and 23 grams of protein based on flavor and all 8 essential B-Vitamins.  This is super important for people who choose a plant-based lifestyle because so often, they have a hard time getting all necessary B-Vitamins in their diets.

I have had a great time experimenting with different combinations – Earth to Chocolate with coconut milk and frozen cherries; Vanilla Dream with almond milk, frozen strawberries and blueberries; and P.B. no J. with soy milk and bananas.  While the transition from whey protein to pea protein took patience, I am so glad I saw it through.  I have officially broken up with milk-based proteins, and my body is so much happier with me for it.

I would highly recommend Soul Shaxe to anyone who is looking to move to a plant-based or vegan diet.  I’m so glad I have made the switch!!

Enjoy, y’all!!