ActivatedYou Morning Complete maybe a bit of a mouthful for a brand (personally to me it sounds a little like an alarm clock – but perhaps that’s the point!) but they are certainly gaining a following.
I want to know a little more about whether adding prebiotics or probiotics to a super green powder is as beneficial as it sounds. Do people taking a ‘whole’ nutritional product feel it is giving them everything they need in their diet?
Let’s take a look at the company ActivatedYou, their holistic approach to creating wellness products, and more specifically the whole-person wellness blend: ActivatedYou Morning Complete.
What is Morning Complete?
The three ‘promises’ on the landing page of ActivatedYou are that everything they do is: Plant-Based, Scientifically Proven, Environmentally Sustainable. I like that they have put their values up-front and that their branding is simple and the navigation of their site clear and clean.
They are pitching Activated You at a contemporary, successful audience who are time-pressured and need to have their nutritional needs met quickly and efficiently.
The four blends on their landing page, Advanced Restorative Probiotic, Morning Complete, GI Prime (is this a comic character??!), and AdrenaLife, tell us that these products are more than just a simple, proprietary supplement.
Rather than naming their blends after a generic blend of ingredients (such as ‘probiotics’) they give a sciencey twist, placing their brand firmly in the 21st Century.
Other Greens powders I have reviewed you may be interested in:
Background on ActivatedYou
The founder of ActivatedYou is an Actress and Wellness advocate. The About Us page tells us that the vision of the brand is rooted in holistic, whole-person approaches, and echoes an Eastern (traditional medicine) approach to treating health problems. But they don’t bamboozle customers with science-speak, with a section offering more information for those who may be new to the areas of holistic health or supplements.
There is very little information about the enigmatic actress and founder (I am very much a fan of hers since seeing her in early Hong Kong cinema!), in fact, beyond the homepage their ‘Learn More’ tabs just click through to product pages.
So that’s all I can pass on to you about their brand, except to mention that they support a charity (the Unstoppable Foundation) which strives to secure access to education for children around the globe.
So, back to Morning Complete, their one-stop nutrient blend. What is inside it, and what are people saying about it?
ActivatedYou Morning Complete Ingredients
So, taking a look at the measurements alone I’m already disappointed for a number of reasons. Firstly the serving size.
I’m not sure that 7.6g (about a teaspoon and a half) of anything is really going to be a big enough serving for a day worth of anything unless it was a single supplement.
I’ll explain further below in my section ‘Does Morning Complete actually work?’.
Unfortunately, ActivatedYou has fallen into the common trap of wanting to include too many individual ingredients, but not including a meaningful enough amount of anything to actually make a daily difference.
There is another issue too.
The individual ingredient amounts are not disclosed as they are wrapped up in proprietary blends!
What does this mean? Well, you don't know how much ingredient is actually inside – so, is the minimum effective dose actually present?
The 7.6g serving comprises the below:
- Prebiotic and High Fiber blend (4.05g): Chicory root fructooligosaccharides, cinnamon bark
- Green Superfoods blend (735mg): Spinach, broccoli, kale, mulberry leaf extract, alfalfa leaf, barley grass, berberine HCl (from Berberis aristata root)
- Metabolic Enhancing blend (390mg): Green tea leaf extract, ginger root, white tea leaf extract, turmeric root extract, bitter melon fruit extract, black pepper
- Antioxidant blend (100mg): Lycium berry, pomegranate fruit extract, Polygonum cuspidatum root extract (50% resveratrol)
- Sugar Balancing support (100mg): Gymnema sylvestre leaf, fennel seed, pine bark extract
- Adaptogens (55mg): Astragalus root extract, Rhodiola rosea root extract, DIM (diindolylmethane)
- Cellular Function and Liver support (30mg): Organic aloe vera leaf, milk thistle seed extract
- Probiotic blend (10 billion CFU): B. coagulans, L. gasseri, L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus, B. bifidum, B. longum, L. acidophilus, L. casei, S. thermophilus
It also included: natural flavors, guar gum, citric acid, rice hull concentrate, and monk fruit extract.
How Does Morning Complete Taste?
I’ll have to rely on some reviews to tell me how this product actually tastes, although ActivatedYou tells us that it is Apple-Cinnamon flavored. I’d like to try this one as it’s not a flavor I would normally associate with a Super Greens blend.
Side Effects
If I were new to taking super greens, supplement blends, or any new product for that matter I would pay close attention to the ingredients and think carefully about any existing sensitivities or known side effects of the greens ingredients.
You may find that on taking ActivatedYou Morning Complete you experience a little digestive discomfort due to the high (in percentage terms) fiber content.
Interestingly there is a note on the product page warning about the potential side effects of aloe vera.
Does Morning Complete Actually Work?
This is a complicated area. ActivatedYou suggests that Morning Complete has the following advantages for health:
Loaded with vital nutrients derived from healthy green vegetables, as well as fiber, probiotics, and wellness-boosting antioxidants
These are generally pretty big health claims, so I’m just going to look at a few examples of the ingredients included and how they might support these claims.
As I’ve previously researched, prebiotics act as food for probiotic cultures (source) and the research is ongoing in terms of whether there is a tangible and evidenced effect on digestion (or, specifically on digestive disorders).
Morning Complete contains its highest percentage of ingredients in dietary fiber (4.05g) so it stands to reason that this might be considered to be its strongest selling point.
Added to this, Morning Complete also contains 10 billion CFU of probiotic strains. So you can really boost your probiotic (‘good bacteria’) in your gut by taking this product.
But what I struggle with is the addition of other superfood-type ingredients and the attempt at making this product a ‘catch-all’ for our dietary needs. The general aim of the product is to be a starter for your day, with a metabolism-boosting blend also included (390mg). So I took a look at some of the ingredients included in this proprietary blend.
Green tea and White tea leaf: both have been studied for their properties for weight loss and this may be due to the compound EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) which in test tube sampling has been found to stimulate fat breakdown and prohibit new fat cells from being formed (source).
So far so good, but why not just drink a cup of tea? Funnily enough, ActivatedYou suggests you mix their powder with green tea!
Other ingredients in this particular blend are included for similar properties, such as Black pepper, ginger, and turmeric. But my main concern, as with the other proprietary blends is how much of each ingredient can be included in such a percentage of the whole portion.
For example, Examine.com recommends that a serving of 1-3g of Ginger root can be seen to have effects on digestive health.
Morning Complete Customer Reviews
Some reviewers can’t seem to decide if they are taking ActivatedYou Morning Complete for weight loss, digestive reasons, or as a superfood blend. I’ve taken a look at some reviews I found on the web, but ActivatedYou hasn’t chosen to share customer reviews of this product on their product page (unlike some of their other products).
Reviewers on HighYa say the following:
After using 6 months, I found that the product, although very good, did not fit into my lifestyle. People should give it a try’. 5 stars
I feel like my waist got larger from so much gas, lol. If this problem stops and never comes back I will recommend it. If this is a side effect that will last forever, I will not recommend it’. 2 stars
This product is not for everyone. For myself, these two products caused a lot of digestive problems, including serious abdominal pain along with bloating that would not stop’. 1 star.
Money Back Guarantee / Returns Policy
ActivatedYou has a 100% money-back guarantee, which entitles you to just that (100% money back, excluding shipping) if you are not satisfied with your purchase. They do, however, require you to call their refund line and to return products within 90 days of purchase.
Where to Buy Morning Complete?
You can buy ActivatedYou Morning Complete from the official website. I actually couldn’t find any merchants selling this product on Amazon.
Is It Worth the Price?
The serving size is not too large considering other brands at a similar price point.
ActivatedYou Morning Complete retails (on their website) at $79 (USD) for one jar (30 servings – so one months’ supply). There is saving for buying 3 jars at $213 (10% saving over three months), or save 15% when you buy 6 jars (but for $403 this represents a huge investment in this one product!!).
Morning Complete is definitely on the upper end of the spectrum when it comes to similar products.
So, if you are looking for a product that is high in fiber, and may – or may not – have benefits due to the amount of pre-and probiotics, then this might be a product you’d like to take.
But if you would like to search for a whole-food product that represents slightly better value for money you might find there are other brands that are more transparent about their ingredients (such as Supergreen Tonik or Green Vibrance), and perhaps more generous with the portions!
The Bottom Line
On the one hand, I am impressed by the brand, ActivatedYou, as they are intensely pro-holistic in their approach to wellness. Added to which their products are researched, well-sourced, and tested.
But as with many other brands I struggle to see what really sets them apart in terms of value-adding ingredients.
The whole issue around pre-and probiotics is a real head-scratcher as we know so little about how much needs to be taken in order to have a real and tangible effect on our health.
Added to this, if I were to be looking for a specific product to assist my digestive health, I probably wouldn’t opt for one which included so many other ingredients and claimed so many things.
I probably need to look at products with more nutrition in terms of a higher quantity of more potent ingredients. And so, sorry but I will be checking out other brands on my journey for my daily supplements.
LifeHacker Guy Greens Recommendation
Some Call This An "Extreme" Step...
Most super greens supplements are disappointing.
I learned this the hard way. After creating this blog in 2018, I spent months buying and testing all the most popular brands.
I wasn’t happy with the results so I did something you might call "extreme"....
In 2019 I created my own brand that ticks every single box of what I look for in a super greens product:
- No hidden ingredient amounts - we have full disclosure labelling, so you know EXACTLY whats inside
- Ingredient amounts that make a difference - we include the minimum effective amounts supported by research, and most of the time, MORE
- Ingredients that help immunity, boost mental clarity and shake off brain fog - making for a much more productive and happy lifestyle
No more worrying about ineffective ingredients or too low dosages. I finally have a product I KNOW does the job it’s made to do.
I use it every day and, after years of battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), I now have my energy (and my life!) back.
The good news? I made my brand available to the public so you can see and feel the difference for yourself.
I have IBS with Constipation. Normally, I am lucky to use the bathroom once a week. I have been using morning complete just shy of 3 weeks and i love it. I have been using the bathroom regularly. My Dr had prescribed Linzess for me and it was so new that my insurance wouldnt cover it and it was going to cost me several hundred per month. My Dr gave me some samples and they made my stomach very crampy so i discontinued use. Morning Complete may be a little pricey but its way less than what that prescription would have been and it has been very beneficial so far.
This product is decent but WAY overpriced!! The container looks a lot larger than the contents. When I opened the bottle the powder was less than half way filled!…. For $79.99 it should be better.
I would like to know if it really works
Hello!
Great post. I’ve been using ActivatedYou since January. Using it every AM on an empty stomach. I purchased 6 bottles due to the sizable discount and really wanted this product to work. I did feel more energy and seemed to be more regular but the gas and excessive bloating seems to be getting worse by the day. As an experiment, I stopped taking the product while my husband continued. The day was amazing…I had no excess gas, pain or discomfort while my husband experienced gas and bloating. I’m “pro” probiotic, but wonder if the prebiotic blend or super greens are causing the excess gas? All I know is that I now have several bottles and truly don’t want to continue due to the gas. I am extremely fit, eat healthy, and live a healthy lifestyle (as does my husband). This type of side effect doesn’t seem right to me, especially since I’ve taken the product for so long. It truly is disappointing.
I’d love to find an alternative that doesn’t cause the terrible abdominal pain and excess gas, yet provides the same nutritional benefits. Any suggestions?
Hi Shayna,
Sorry to hear about your experience here. Fibre and probiotics are both known to cause excess gas in some cases, but its difficult to know for sure – also I am in no position to diagnose!
If the symptoms do persist you could ask your medical doctor, but it does sound like it will be difficult for you to continue taking it.
Have you reached out to the ActivatedYou team?
I have reviewed many of these types of products and have a list of them here. As with anything, there are pros and cons to all products, in terms of ingredients used, use of transparent labelling, price, guarantee etc.
Take a look here – https://lifehackerguy.com/best-green-superfood-powder-reviews/
Adam
The ingredients in this product and taste are fine. I think it does work but maybe not as well as others in the market.
The issue i have with this is more about the website and the company policies. Once you place an order you get many pages of different offers. If you click in one if them to see how much it is in your cart you automatically get it ordered (they charge you for it) if you immediately try to contact to cancel it they tell you “the item has already been marked for shipping and we are unable to cancel your order” so you get charged for an order you didn’t really want and they tell you that you can return it. Which is extra work for everyone and I’m guessing not everyone returns it so they just get to keep peoples money.
Joseph, I’m Chloe from ActivatedYou. I’m really sorry to hear about your recent ordering experiencing and I’m hoping I can clear a few things up. First off, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback as we are always looking for ways to improve our customer’s experience and we can’t do this without your help. Regarding our ordering process, we do offer a few deals at checkout to ensure that our customer’s are receiving the best deal available. But all of these offers are completely optional and are in no way “automatically” added to your order. In addition, the orders to go for processing right away as we want to ensure quick shipping times so this is why orders can’t be canceled. But they can always be returned, as you mentioned. Customers can reach out to our Customer Service team at 1-800-720-8403 or they can e-mail me directly at Chloe@Activatedyou.com if they need help returning their order or if they have any questions. I hope this clears up some confusion. Thank you for your time!
Same thing happened to me. I ordered one somehow they said I ordered one separate and then 3 and they wouldn’t cancel. Now have 4 bottles I don’t want. Gluten is not my friend and I have IBS so with the reviews I am scared to try.
Thanks for your review. Helped me make a decision. I have tried a few probiotics and omegas for health. After two weeks into taking them I get bad headaches or migraines and I stop taking it. Then takes about a week to feel better. I have talked to my doctor and they don’t know what causes this. Any ideas that you have ran accords in your research.
It may be your body releasing toxins that is causing the adverse effects
This was a very helpful review! Thank you for all the work you put into it, and for making it easily understandable. Have you done any reviews on Plexus products?
Very Disappointed when I opened it the portion was not even half of the bottle, total rip off!
Hi Brenda, Chloe here from ActivatedYou. I’m really sorry to hear about your recent experience. Each bottle of Morning Complete should contain 30 day’s worth. If this was not the case for you, please let me know and I can issue you a full refund right away. You can reach me at Chloe@ActivatedYou.com. I look forward to hearing from you and making this right!
If one is doing an intermittent diet and can only have water in the fasting hours, would mixing this in the water ruin the fast? Thanks.
Hi,
I believe you would be great breaking your fast as there are 15 calories in each scoop. Whilst that’s not a lot of calories it’s recommended to have zero during the fasting period.
What IF pattern are you following?
I do a 18/6 routine every day with a 24-hour fast once per week.
Adam
Thank you, I have some sort of IBS. I thought this product, plus it was endorsed by one of my husbands fav. TV. Personalities was enough to try it. I ordered 1, he ordered3 bottles. Been on it for 4 days. Pain, bloating, gas and change in stool color. I am giving it up or a break. Too much fiber I think, which is a no for IBS. Am sending back. Hubby is ok so far.
Thx
Rhonda
Thanks for your review! I too am a former long distance running and tried a few sprint triathlons but had to leave the sport due to hip problems (in my 20s). Now as a mom of 4 and approaching 40 I’m experiencing brain fog, am exhausted most days and slower metabolism. I’m just beginning to research supplements and vitimans to help. I know I need to get back to regular exercise but it’s not always possible when trying jungle everyday responsibilities of family life. Is there a specific source you recommend for research and what supplements do you recommend and more importantly why?
Thanks
This article is interesting considering it appears you haven’t tried the product. I guess I was looking for a well thought out review from someone who has actually tried the product and debunked some of the intent the company revealed. On the other hand, there were a couple of things you pointed out that I may ask the company, so thank you for that. But in the future, if you are going to do a review, it would help us readers if you have experienced it for yourself. Otherwise it appears you are guessing at its effectiveness to push your own product.
Thanks Trina for your comment I appreciation the feedback. Ideally I would like to try every single product but it’s simply not possible. It would take weeks (or even months) to personally test and also a lot of money (I have spent $$$$ already on products). I do believe you can review a supplement without taking it though by using science.
We know that the type and amount of ingredients is crucial to whether a product works or not. So a simple look at the label gives an idea of whether there is sufficient amounts to work. Along the same lines if certain ingredients, and again in certain amounts, are likely to cause side effects.
Then looking into the company with such things as money-back guarantees and transparency of the company etc etc.
All these points I looked at after spending many months researching for my product, all of which I believe I have addressed.
Here is a review from someone who actually tried the product. I have taken Morning Complete daily in the morning on an empty stomach for 9 months. I have had a totally positive experience. Regularity is the biggest improvement. Not like a laxative, simply subtle changes such that I no longer feel constipated in anyway. My digestive system seems effective at eliminating according to the varying foods and mealtimes I enjoy. I recommend this product highly. I am a slender 60 year old male.
Thanks JJ appreciate your feedback here. It would be great to know what other benefits apart from improving bowel movements you have experienced?
I really appreciate your honest review. Personally I have found a few “probiotics” are helpful for regularity, but that is only benefit I’ve noticed. Yes, the amount of “good stuff” is relevant, just a dab is probably not useful, just something to put on your label.
I think for women probiotics are a must. Activated You helps with that and I feel less bloated and backed up. Taking probiotics helps me fight viruses I’ve been less sick or have not had any colds.
Hi Larissa,
I am currently writing an article on Probiotics and there is certainly a place for these. I do question whether you need to spend $79 per tub to get a decent probiotic though, especially considering the options out there.
Adam
I was hoping for a review from someone who had actually tried the product. How can you give an honest review of any product without personally trying it?
Thanks Gayle for your comment. In an ideal world I would try every single one but it’s very difficult to do so, plus the cost would be huge (I have already spent hundreds of dollars doing so). Thats said, I still believe you can review supplements without taking them everyday.
I take a scientific approach by looking at the ingredient foremost as you absolutely need the right ingredients in the right amounts. If a supplement fails to fully disclose the ingredients and amounts then immediately am wary. If you’re happy to rely on the supplement company to have your best interests then thats fine. For me I want to know exactly what I am taking and how much.
The evidence is out there for ingredients and there amounts, so I take a look at them. If studies say you need 300mg to produce a result and a supplement only has 100mg in there, then it’s unlikely it will work in the same way claimed.
I also look at other things like money back guarantees and cost.
I hope this clarifies my stance.
Adam
I have been using Activate You for 1 year. Along with Inulin, and Tiger Honey, I feel the best I have in years. I just was reordering it and was curious about others thoughts. I think when it comes to digestion, it’s a very personal solution. Depends on your diet, activity level, restrictive clothing, etc ( long list) on how your body will react. I suggest altering your routine with one thing at a time. Give yourself at least a week to see how it makes you feel. Good luck. From someone with nothing to sell.
Thank you Abennati for your feedback, much appreciated. You have hit on something there in that it can be very personal. For example, if you have a pretty good and varied diet then you may not experience much compared to someone who has poor nutrition.
I have been using ActivatedYou Morning Complete for over a year now. I, too, had the excessive gas and bloating when I started using it. I am happy to say that eventually it went away.
I am a healthy, petite 53 yr old female, and honestly, I’m afraid to stop using it for fear of all my effort to stay slender will backfire.
It is a bit pricey, but it’s been my daily routine for so long, I can’t imagine not using it. I also include a Detox Green Tea daily. This combined with the ActivatedYou Morning Complete seems to be right for me. I also follow a mostly plant-based diet, but am certainly not vegan. I think that has a lot to do with how well I feel.
Everyone is different; you have to find what works for you.
Great article!
What comparable supplement would you suggest to get that has pre and probiotic plus greens?
Thanks Regina.
I am currently researching probiotics, ones that I have seen so far are from Onnit. Watch this space as should have some articles up for this soon.
Adam
So I am in school for nutrition and fitness and am always searching for the most natural as well as affective weight loss, mucle gain, multi vitamin, overall healthy balance without just taking a bunch of different vitamins. I have done a little homework here and there learning about pre and probiotics and they’re positive use of them as well as greens and hormonal balance all together health and wellness to be more short. So I will get to my point! I was very excited to try ActivatedYou’s morning complete. The first week was bloating and painful gas as well as what felt like retaining water…well having had digestion problems my whole like being backed up and never regular regardless the diet. I continued to use it well 3 days ago I stopped it COMPLETELY! Now for 3 days no matter what I eat or drink I have had very painful stomach cramps and constant diarrhea and am exhausted. So of course I’ve lost a few pounds in less than a week I’ve also had to buy over the counter anti diarrhea medicine just so I can do my every day “living” I am running to the bathroom every time I take a drink of anything and every time I eat.
Hi Angela, thank you so much for sharing your experience with Morning Complete here. It really doesn’t sound like great from what you have said. I would suggest visiting your physician or medical practitioner if the symptoms persist (I am not a doctor just sound advice).
Hi Angela, my name is Chloe and I work at ActivatedYou. I’m really sorry to hear about the experience you had while trying Morning Complete. This is not a common reaction to our product, so I would like to get more information from you so I can fill out an Adverse Reactions form and issue you a full refund. You can e-mail me at Chloe@ActivatedYou.com. I look forward to hearing from you and making this right.
Can you tell me why the container is not full? For the price I would expect a full container. My first day, I went to the bathroom more easily…a bit of the ribs then a lot of gas. I’ll give this a few more days to see how I feel.
What would you recommend for a complete morning drink with all the good stuff we need to lose weight and feel.Thanks for your time
On the topic of probiotics, I just read the results of a scientific study that gives me pause about using available room temperature or even refrigerated probiotics as a huge waste of time and money.
Here is the link to the study results: [Link missing] (you have to provide an email address to access the full report)
Bottom line: The study results seem to support that, though probiotics are proven to help restore the human gut biome, many/most available to us can’t withstand the human body temperature and the gastric system to arrive and do their work effectively in the colon, after the 25-mile intestinal journey. This report surmises, that bacterial spores show the best likelihood of completing the task.
Have you researched this at all? Would love to hear your opinion.
Thanks,
Cyn ~
Well written review. Thanks.
Thanks Ken, glad you liked it!