Welcome back Latest Fuelers! In this episode, we have the TUSOL review. 

Translating to “ Your Sun”, TUSOL Wellness is a nutrition company with a collection of superfood based smoothie mixes.  Engineered from plant protein, and the finest active ingredients in the world, TUSOL seeks to promote physiological health on a deep cellular level.

It’s currently available in five different formulations — CALM, BALANCE, ENERGIZE, REJUVENATE and ILLUMINATE. Each product combines a nutrient-dense mix of superfoods, adaptogens, probiotics and enzymes specifically designed to nourish, heal and enhance performance of both the mind and body. 

Each blend has a unique purpose, but all boast at least 20g of protein, at least 30% of your RDI of iron, along with containing pre/probiotic enzymes and supporting healthy collagen levels.

Can TUSOL take you to new heights? Read more to find out!

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Flavours: Energize, Illuminate, Calm, Rejuvenate, and Balance.

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To start, TUSOL hands down has the best presentation I’ve seen to date. While my sample was shipped a plain white, nondescript shipping box, the actual packaging for the mixes were something to behold. They come tucked in a super high quality box, with a slide off top. The box is embossed with a flower design, and also has glossy raised gold lettering. It puts you in the mind of unboxing a luxury watch! The mix packs were nice, with vibrant colors and cool graphics, but nothing we haven’t seen before.

Of note, TUSOL smoothies are aimed at wellness, via its high quality ingredients. That said, it is not a meal replacement in its own right, and is recommended if you want to use it as such, to blend it with fruits/veggies, and nut butter. 

It is also flexible with what liquid base you would want to use, and suggests fruit juice, non-dairy milk/cream, or even coffee. I’ll be using a combination of ice, coconut milk and a banana.

What I like

1. Feels premium. Superb presentation, colourful, and nice quality.

2. High quality ingredients. Organic, and without any unwanted fillers. TUSOL delivers top notch nutrition.

3. 5 different blends for different purposes. With active ingredients that actually work.

4. More filling than expected.

5. Focused on women.

6. Unique protein powder with greens. There are no other products that offer the laser focused optimized shakes TUSOL does.

What I dislike

1. It costs premium. I have not seen many products as expensive as this one.

2. It’s not a complete meal. While partially advertised as meal replacement, it won’t provide you with all the essential nutrients your body needs.

3. Really thick texture and does not blend great without a blender.

4. Most of the 5 flavours tasted very similar.

5. Only available in the US.

Improvements

1. More options to reduce the price.

2. Improve texture of the shakes.

So, you might be wondering what TUSOL shakes really are. From a nutritional standpoint they are protein shakes that include green powders (vegetables, fruits, mushrooms). These greens provide with extra nutrients, antioxidants, mental boosters etc. that have various benefits for your health:

• Boost focus and mental performance (e.g. Ashwaganda)
• Help you relax (e.g. ginger)
• Reduce the oxidative stress in your body (antioxidants)
• etc.

Thus, you should take this shakes as a boost for your overall nutrition, and not as meal replacements. The best meal replacements should provide you with complete nutrition, and not just parts of it.

TUSOL Smoothies Nutrition Overview

	TUSOL Shakes
Kcal/meal	150
Macros (C/P/F)	29/53/18
Vegan	Yes
Keto	No
Features	GF, SF
Non-GMO	Yes
Organic	YES
Includes Probiotics	Yes
Artificial Sweeteners	No
Synthetic Additives	No
Contains All Micronutrients	No
Controversial Ingredients	None

Protein

Per 200kcal serving (Energize):

• Total Protein: 21g, 40% of DV.
• Source: pumpkin seed protein, pea protein.

In essence, TUSOL’s smoothies or nutritional shakes are protein shakes with added ingredients. Thus, most of it is comprised of plant-based protein.

In this case, they are soy free shakes, and rely on pumpkin and pea protein to provide you with a balanced amino acid profile. This is an OK blend that will provide a good mix of amino acids for most people.

Fats & Carbs

While there are some fats and carbs, for most part they will be not very significant. That said, most of the blends are quite rich in fibre and relatively low in sugar.

Perhaps, the one ingredient is worth mentioning in this regard is gelatinized maca. Unlike the powdered version, this is precooked, which makes it more digestible and more nutrient dense.

Micronutrients

Because TUSOL drinks don’t have any added synthetic ingredients, they are not a good source of micronutrients. Or rather, they are a good source only for a few vitamins and minerals. For instance, they provide with 30% of the DV for iron.

However, if you are on the look for a greens powder with vitamins and minerals, I would recommend SuperGreen Tonik, instead.

Extra Ingredients

As a matter of fact, the actual “magic” of Tusol nutritional drinks is on the greens. These, like mentioned beforehand, provide you with phytonutrients; chemical elements found in plants that can have benefitial effects in health.

The most well-known phytonutrients are antioxidants, which remove free radicals from our bodies and stopping any harm these could do to us.

Phytonutrients

So are the extra ingredients found in TUSOL actually effective?

Yes, most of these have proven health benefits:

• Iluminate: E.g. Chaga. Animal studies suggest that Chaga mushroom helps reducing inflammation caused by diseases.
• Balance: E.g. Ashwaganda. One of the most common herbs, it’s effective fighting stress and anxiety, might improve brain function, and it’s generally safe to take.
• Calm: E.g. ginger. Ginger is like a swiss knife; with potential benefits for your brain function, support for antioxidants, and helping you reduce your stress levels.
• Energize: Lion’s mane. This is another medicinal mushroom with potential benefits on increased brain function and protection, and with anti-depressant properties.

Digestive Enzymes

On top of that you will get an enzyme blend of amylase, protease, peptidase, papain, lactase and lipase. All of these are specialized in breaking down bonds within foods that we eat commonly.

For instance, lactase is the enzyme in charge of breaking down lactose, the sugar found in milk.

Thus, the blend will help you having a easier digestion.

Allergens

Tusol’s smoothies are generally allergen free. They might include coconut milk, or pumpkin seeds; but they should be OK for most people.

Best flavour	Energize
Taste	Not overly sweet, the mix of greens really comes through which gives each shake a different identity. However, this is not for those who want a sweet milkshake.
Texture	Extremely thick, unlike any other shake I’ve drank
Easy to Mix	Not really, I would strongly recommend using a blender.
Satiety	Incredible; given than each shake only has 200kcal
Easy to Clean	Because the shake is so thick, it sticks to the walls of the shaker, and you will need a good scrub.
Afterthoughts	Drinking such thick shakes is a weird experience, but they do make you feel good after. Clean, energized and not bloated.

Pro-Tip: to make it an actual meal with more calories adding milk (like almond milk), bananas or some protein or meal replacement powder could help.

So initial impressions are that you really need to squeeze, shake and stack the product. It’s an almost sand-like powder that clumps together a lot. Not to mention you don’t want to open it and end up with a mess. 

Ranking the TUSOL Wellness Shakes

Below I have the breakdown of each product.

1. ENERGIZE (Cacao + Lion’s Mane) – Similar smell and texture as the others so far. Didn’t smell like chocolate per se, more like a cacao plant. OK, so this time I used very little ice, and even more milk, with a medium sized banana, and it still came out like pudding. Ugh..fine! Guess this is just going to be a thing with this product line. This one was good though, better than the others. Had a pleasant chocolate flavor, with undertones of coconut. Those flavors meshed well. Had little flaky bits in it too. Not a lot, as it was still really smooth, but just enough to give it some heartiness.
2. CALM (Turmeric + Ginger) – Same smell, with visible chia seeds. Completely omitted the ice this time, and just went with the banana and added even more milk. Still crazy thick……I give up! It has a butternut squash color to it. Taste wise, it’s good, surprisingly refreshing. You can definitely taste the sum of its parts with the turmeric and ginger.
3. ILLUMINATE (Banana + Chaga) – This had a very “earthy” scent to it, and has a yellowish tan tone to the powder. With a concerned look on my face, I combine half a cup of ice, a whole banana, the powder and a cup or so of coconut milk. The result was a very thick, brown mustard colored shake that was still clumpy. It also stuck to the sides of the blender more than I’d hoped. Despite the off putting color, and fresh cut grass scent, I gave it a go….turns out it wasn’t bad! Ice cream is a stretch though. Just sweet enough, with a green smoothie taste. Thicker than I’d like, kind of sauce like, but it was ok. Kept me full, close to 3hrs.
4. BALANCE (Matcha + Ashwagandha) – This one also had an earthy smell to it, combined with undertones of the tea. This time I added more milk to try to loosen the texture some. Taste wise, it was close to ILLUMINATE honestly, but you could definitely taste the matcha. This one was decent as well. Only complaint is in trying to make it a little more beverage-like, because you can literally eat this with a spoon…..still really thick. 

5. REJUVENATE (Maqui + Baobab) – This one had a deep purple hue to it, so I expected it to have a strong berry-like taste, but it didn’t. The coconut seemed to shine more, maybe because the coconut milk gave it a boost? Wasn’t bad but didn’t stand out at all.

With all of these being so thick, I suggest drinking plenty of water with them. It really did feel like I had just eaten a full meal afterwards. Maybe consider even adding oats to it and eating it with a spoon, like those power bowls they sell at smoothie parlors. 

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Learn about TUSOL, Review

TUSOL was co-founded in Malibu, California in 2018, by Ingrid De La O and Ilana Friedman.

Ingrid began to experience severe health issues, following her pregnancy in 2015. After several surgeries and a diet of pharmaceuticals, she realized that traditional western medicine was proving insufficient and decided to take her health into her own hands.

From there, Ingrid set off on a mission to learn about the root causes of her ailments. After recognizing that solely studying nutrition wasn’t comprehensive enough, she began focusing on biochemistry to learn the exact chemical reactions that take place in the body, and how she could begin to rewire her system to properly heal and thrive. She studied the synergy between vitamins and minerals and began developing a collection of functional smoothies for herself based on the complementary combinations of the superfoods she had discovered.

Ilana spent many years committed to improving access and education around the importance of nutrition. After graduating, Ilana founded a non-profit organization in LA and NY bringing at-risk teens to local farms, farmers markets and kitchens to teach them about local healthy food, and how to incorporate it into their lives for optimal health.

TUSOL Wellness Mission

With a strong desire to return to the health and wellness industry, she returned to LA in 2018 where her and Ingrid co-founded TUSOL as a means to support more people along their health journeys with access to the cleanest, most nutrient-dense, most effective wellness products.

TUSOL Smoothies Review – Who Are They For?

They describe themselves as the “perfect nutritious meal”. But what does this mean exactly?

Usually, I deal with complete food or meal replacements; foods that provide you with all the essential nutrients your body needs.

TUSOL’s shakes don’t do that; they are not designed for that. Instead, they provide with a boost in nutrients – primarily protein- with added phytonutrients (like antioxidants) that have benefitial effects. Such as, the above mentioned increased focus, better digestion, feeling more relaxed etc.

Thus, TUSOL’s shakes are designed to BOOST your daily nutrition, rather than providing you with the essentials. As such, they might lack some vitamins or minerals, or carbs; but instead they will provide you with phytonutrients.

	Meal Replacement	TUSOL
Complete	Yes	No
Calories	400	150
Replace >1 meal	Yes	No
Probiotics	Maybe	Yes
Digestive Enzymes	Maybe	Yes
Organic	Maybe	Yes
Extra Boosters	No	Yes

TUSOL Price & Packaging

On another note, it’s worth mentioning the gorgeous packaging that all TUSOL products come in. All products are sold in single serving sachets for a more convenient use case. However, I would’ve loved to see a bigger pouch to make it more affordable.

Regarding the price, there’s no denying that this is not a cheap product. Partially, this will be due to the amount of organic ingredients they use for each shake; but because of this, it won’t be for everybody.

TUSOL can be purchased as a week’s supply, a month’s supply or a monthly subscription. One of each flavor is included in the week’s supply. Four of each flavor is included in the month’s supply, as well as the monthly subscription. The monthly subscription includes a TUSOL membership.

This membership includes the listed discount, the ability to choose your delivery frequency, and access to a private health master class. Lastly, the monthly subscription box is customizable, whereas the month’s supply is not. See the breakdown below for itemized pricing:

• 5 pack (week supply) –> $7/meal, $35 in total.
• 20 pack (month supply) –> $6.75/serving, $135 in total.
• 20 pack with subscription –> $5.95/meal, $116 in total.

Shipping

TUSOL is only available exclusively online from their site. Also, TUSOL is only available in the US. Free shipping is available for orders of $100 or more, and will be delivered by USPS, FedEx or UPS.

When looking at this TUSOL review, I must admit that I don’t know of many of its competitors. It’s not the kind of product that I tend to use in a daily basis, even though it’s a fantastic one.

However, there are more and more brands offering proteins with green blends (superfood blends) trying to appeal to a similar market. Besides, the most well known wellness smoothie brand is Kencko.

Overview

	TUSOL	Kencko	Orgain	Four Sigmatic
price ($)/serving	7.00	2.99	2.05	3.33
kcal/serving	150	60	170	190
Protein (g)	20	1	20	18
Sugar (g)	2	8	0	4
Main Ingredient	Protein	Fruit	Protein	Protein
Probiotics	Y	N	N	N
Vegan	Y	Y	Y	Y
Organic	Y	N	Y	Y
Artificial Sweeteners	N	N	N	N
Digestive Enzymes	Y	N	Y	N
Added Greens	Y	Y	Y	N

TUSOL Shakes vs

As you can see, each offers a different angle to TUSOL’s. However, if you are looking for complete nutrition, I would recommend looking at my top picks for organic meal replacements. These will offer you all the nutrients your body needs per meal in a tasty shake.

Verdict – TUSOL Review

One of the main takeaways in this TUSOL review is that it’s not a product for everybody.

I mentioned in my initial opinion, that TUSOL is not a meal replacement. It is a wellness product more designed to be a booster than nutritionally complete meal.

Furthermore, in examining its webpage, the impression I got was that TUSOL seems to have a strong leaning towards being designed specifically with female wellness in mind. While that is perfectly fine, if that’s the case, I’d like to see it outlined more, provided I’m not being ignorant. 

As for the products themselves, I found them to be pretty good taste wise, but required a bit more prep than I’d deem ideal. In addition, its price is pretty steep at $5.95 per serving at its cheapest. Hard to not believe the really high end packaging and presentation does not play a role in the pricing. Plus, I really think you’d need to have a particular set of circumstances to seek out, and or feel the benefits from TUSOL.

I appreciate what TUSOL provides, and the care that has gone into making it laser focused on self healing. However, unless you are looking for an ultra healthy protein powder, it’s not something I’d recommend, nor would it be on my short list of meal replacements.