Proteins are the basic building blocks of the body. They are essential for the creation and maintenance of every cell in your body. Proteins break down much slower than carbs to use for energy. For this reason, athletes lean toward carbs for quick energy. Carbs will get us through a long workout, a game, or an event. Carbs will also alleviate light-headedness when we deplete all of our glycogen stores. So carbs aren’t such a bad thing, especially if we are working out for long bouts. But protein is the ‘go-to’ for post-workout recovery, as well as long days at the office. It repairs muscles, promotes cell synthesis, and is important for neurons within the brain to communicate with each other.
I have used whey isolate protein powder for years. Manufacturers have conveniently added collagen for skin and joint support to some of the protein powders. For me, it was just convenient to get it all in my system at once. But over the last 3 years, my stomach was not having it and I found I was hungry not too long after. So while my intent was a nutritious meal replacement, it ended up adding extra calories to my daily intake. If we don’t use those extra calories, our body stores this extra energy in the form of fat for later use. Moral of the story – if/when possible, EAT your protein rather than drink it.
Liquid calories, even from protein shakes, will not satisfy your hunger for very long and overload your caloric intake.
Grit & Grace
I discovered an organic plant-based ready-to-drink protein by Aloha that I use occasionally for breakfast, as a snack or add to my coffee. I’m all about convenience. I like to throw snacks in a bag and I’m armed with energy for the day! The consistency of Aloha took some getting use to, as it is more like a gel rather than milky. (But that’s fine with me, I don’t do dairy anymore.) The ingredients are the best I’ve seen, (I don’t do artificial sweeteners either, and it has none.) It’s also backed with a great taste! My fav is the chocolate sea salt, but I also use the Vanilla in my coffee and drink as a backup when I run out of chocolate. This product is definitely worth a try if you’re looking for a clean supplement for protein.
So how do you choose a protein supplement?
- Experiment with a variety of ready-to-drink protein and choose what agrees with your body; (i.e. does not cause bloating / digestive issues)
- Look for plant based that tastes good.
- Satisfies hunger for 2 hours
- When possible, EAT organic animal protein, don’t drink it.