Hi Girls,
Hope all your fitness regimes are going well and you're sticking as best as you can to your plan! Now, protein shakes have become unbelievably popular among women as part of our diet for weight loss and recovery from training.
Why drink protein?
Here are a few reasons why women drink protein shakes...
1. If you are watching your diet and struggle with a certain meal time you can have a protein shake instead of that meal. It's calorie controlled and you know exactly what is in it.
2. You do not get enough protein in your diet (main proteins: meat, chicken, eggs, fish) and protein is VITAL in your diet for many reasons but you will not be able to shed body fat unless you have enough protein in your diet.
3. You train a lot and you need to give your body a helping hand and recovery. So women would drink their protein shake for this reason POST workout
4. Shakes are handy and you look cool drinking them!!
Are all protein drinks the same?
NO! Like hell no!! It's like any product on the market, there are millions of versions of the same thing, so you cannot just jump onto a website, pick the protein that has pink writing and weight loss written on it and buy it and hope it's going to do the job right.
MOST protein shakes have so much sugar in them you may as well be flying through a pack of jellies every day. You also need to look out for the carbohydrate contents, there is no point drinking a drink that is high in carbs, low in protein, full of sugar, but tastes delicious... Yeah, that's really not the point of supplementing protein.
My favourite protein supplement:
I have researched a lot of protein brands and shakes and to be honest, it's very disappointing as I discovered the facts that a lot of proteins look great, but really they're going to do nothing for you. Now, you need to remember I'm talking about women and fat loss. Protein for men is a whole different story.
I drink:
Forever Ultra Lite Aminotein Protein Shake
Why?
1. It is considered the "Gold Standard" of protein for serious athletes of all types.
2. It is high quality plant based protein (it is equivalent quality to dairy & eggs).
3. Low in saturated fat, and contains no lactose. Lactose is the sugar in milk. So this is DAIRY FREE!
4. It is soy isolate which is NOT the same as soya. Soy Isolate is much more bio available (your body can recognise it) than whey (whats the point in taking a supplement your body won't recognise and will just excrete?).
5. Soy protein helps to stabilise blood sugar levels, this in turn reduces hunger by lowering insulin levels making it easier for the body to burn fat.
6. Ultra's nutrients provide good support for the immune system & help maintain strong muscle strength.
7. The Ultra Lite contains Aminoteins (a unique blend of enzymes specially designed to break down protein and to ensure proper digestion and optimal absorption of amino acids). Forever Ultra is THE ONLY protein shake on the market that contains aminotein. Aminotein is bio available and is absorbed into your bloodstream within 30 minutes.
8. Optimum time to take your protein shake is roughly 30mins after your workout according to Dr.Eric Serrano. That guy is a genius so I am going to listen to his advice!
How?
I take one scoop as a meal replacement i.e. for breakfast mainly if i'm rushing or if i've ran out of eggs. I blend it in a kenwood smoothie maker with almond milk and a dash of water
Result?
It tastes amazing and I'm nice and full.
(The reason I don't take it immediately post workout is because I drink amino's (Argi+) which refuel your body post training. Aminos are amazing, but that is for another day)
"Keeping your blood sugar even is just about the most critical balancing act of your body. It not only determines your weight, it's also key for energy, stable mood, concentration and longevity" - Patrick Holford, Founder of the Institute of Optimum Nutrition
