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Any Healthy & Safe Protein Shakes?

Old 03-20-10, 02:55 PM
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Any Healthy & Safe Protein Shakes?

Does anyone use a good healthy & safe protein shake? By healthy and safe I mean something that is just protein and carbs and no other synthetic concoctions that could damage the body/organs. Something safe to take long term that you don't have to cycle off of like most shakes with synthetic blends. I've heard whey is the best protein...I used to take Nitro-Tech but decided it wasn't healthy for long-term use since it has creatine and other things in it.

Main reason I believe I might need a protein shake is to supplement my nutrition, right now on an average day I get maybe 50-60g of protein which I've heard is recommended for people 20-30 yrs old. I'm 27, 6 feet tall, and weigh 175. I lift weights, run, or cycle every day of the week. For the past month my average daily calories has been a little low (around 900-1000) so hoping the protein shake will add to it. I've lost 11 lbs in 1 month but my strength and energy levels have remained about the same so I don't think the lack of calories is hurting me. The few calories I do get are all high quality calories: whole grains, eggs, beans, spinach, sardines, fruit...and I take a multivitamin.

I personally don't believe you need 1g protein for every 1 pound because if all the pounds are fat or all are muscle the need would be different, plus I've heard once you start getting too much protein it is actually worse for you than too little.
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Old 03-20-10, 04:58 PM
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Here is my shake, the recipe is for two.

1 cup black cherry juice (sometimes I use something else)
1 cup probiotic goat kefir or any unsweetened yogurt or kefir
3-4 scoops tri-fx whey protein ( https://proteinfactory.com/shop/produ...5&cat=1&page=3 ) good stuff
2 ripe bananas
1/2 or 2/3 cup frozen fruit, usually frozen blueberries or blackberries.
1 tbsp hemp oil

Sometimes I add a tsp of Killer QC ( https://proteinfactory.com/shop/produ...7&cat=4&page=2 ) which is a anti-oxidant fruit extract.
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Old 03-20-10, 06:33 PM
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Originally Posted by JMallez
Does anyone use a good healthy & safe protein shake? By healthy and safe I mean something that is just protein and carbs and no other synthetic concoctions that could damage the body/organs. Something safe to take long term that you don't have to cycle off of like most shakes with synthetic blends. I've heard whey is the best protein...I used to take Nitro-Tech but decided it wasn't healthy for long-term use since it has creatine and other things in it.

Main reason I believe I might need a protein shake is to supplement my nutrition, right now on an average day I get maybe 50-60g of protein which I've heard is recommended for people 20-30 yrs old. I'm 27, 6 feet tall, and weigh 175. I lift weights, run, or cycle every day of the week. For the past month my average daily calories has been a little low (around 900-1000) so hoping the protein shake will add to it. I've lost 11 lbs in 1 month but my strength and energy levels have remained about the same so I don't think the lack of calories is hurting me. The few calories I do get are all high quality calories: whole grains, eggs, beans, spinach, sardines, fruit...and I take a multivitamin.

I personally don't believe you need 1g protein for every 1 pound because if all the pounds are fat or all are muscle the need would be different, plus I've heard once you start getting too much protein it is actually worse for you than too little.
Definitely, you should increase your protein count, but I'm more concerned about the total calorie count overall. How many carbs are you taking in?

Anyway, instead of just trying to scarf down a protein shake, why not just change what you eat? If you substituted canned tuna for the sardines, you could get another 20 grams of protein to your total protein intake.

You're not eating enough calories, and probably not enough carbs. If you don't think it hurts, just think about this- if you did bump your nutrition intake, you'd probably get even MORE efficient and better at your cycling. I think you're hindering your potential with what you're doing right now.

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Old 03-20-10, 07:43 PM
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Originally Posted by koffee brown
Definitely, you should increase your protein count, but I'm more concerned about the total calorie count overall. How many carbs are you taking in?

Anyway, instead of just trying to scarf down a protein shake, why not just change what you eat? If you substituted canned tuna for the sardines, you could get another 20 grams of protein to your total protein intake.

You're not eating enough calories, and probably not enough carbs. If you don't think it hurts, just think about this- if you did bump your nutrition intake, you'd probably get even MORE efficient and better at your cycling. I think you're hindering your potential with what you're doing right now.

koffee
I agree the calories are low and I was shocked to have lost so much weight in one month. I definitely wasn't a big person to begin with...It all started with a goal to eat healthier and exercise more The sardines I like to eat mainly because they're the lowest in mercury, second in omega-3 to salmon, and the best for the environment since they're one of the lowest fish in the food chain, but I do throw salmon into the mix once a week. I'm honestly not sure what else to add into the mix because I don't like to cook (so no meat) maybe more fruits and vegetables or larger servings of my current portions?

The exercise is 30 minutes of weights (more like a circuit workout, I cycle 4 exercises at a time, 4 sets of 8 reps with no break in between exercises) and 2 or 3 miles of running per day, when I cycle I don't run or do weights. Here's everything I eat in a given week and a rough estimate of my totals for an average day (most likely real totals are slightly higher).


Calories Protein Carbs Fat Fiber
Egg 70; 6; 1; 4.5; 0
Lunch Meat 70; 9; 2; 3; 0
Spinach 20; 2; 3; 0; 2
Bread 50; 4; 10; 1; 2
Cheese 100; 6; 1; 8; 0
Milk 120; 8; 12; 5
Oatmeal 150; 5; 27; 3; 4
Beans 130; 8; 24; 0.5; 6
Salmon 60; 10; 0; 2; 0
Sardines 150; 14; 0; 11; 0
Apple 81; 0; 21; 0; 4
Grapefruit 36; 0; 9; 0; 2

Calories Protein Carbs Fat Fiber
Total A-1; 896; 55; 121.5; 26.25; 22
Total B-1; 801; 62; 104; 23; 17
Total C-1; 831; 56; 104; 30; 17
Total A-2; 851; 55; 109.5; 26.25; 20
Total B-2; 756; 62; 92; 23; 15
Total C-2; 786; 56; 92; 30; 15

Last edited by JMallez; 03-20-10 at 07:48 PM.
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Old 03-21-10, 06:31 PM
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What *may* be happening is that your body is starting to recomposition itself. That's probably why you're losing weight. It's best to get your body measured by fat/muscle content by a certified trainer to make sure of it. Also, eat according to your activity level. Protein shakes work for rebuilding muscle after an intense workout (interval/weights). Whey protein is usually the best option and it should not replace your normal eating habits.
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Old 03-22-10, 03:13 PM
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Oh boy, I've spent a lot of time thinking about this one

Whey protein seems to be the safest. I've read several reports stating that supplementing with whey protein actually seems to decrease tumor/cancer growth as opposed other proteins.

What I do is buy unflavored whey protein isolate (5 or 10lbs at a time from NOW foods) so I can avoid all of the chemicals, coloring, sweeteners, etc. that come in most protein mixes. It's also a good idea to look for protein powders which are low in fat, because the whey is undoubtedly coming from some mega-farm which uses bovine growth hormones, which are fat soluable > better filtration/lower fat means a lower chance of getting any of those hormones in your mix.

The unflavored whey doesn't taste that great, so I add cocoa powder (but no sugar). I mix it with milk, or milk and water, because whey absorbs so quickly - the fat in milk slows the absorption of the whey a bit, and the casein in the milk (though not as healthy for you as whey), will stick around and provide your body with a little protein hours after the whey has been absorbed.

For carbs I add oat flour, and after an endurance workout, some honey or sugar.

This all makes for a simpler solution than those complicated and messy blender recipes (which are great, just time consuming) many people will give you.

Here's what I do:
post-cycling: whey protein, milk, oats, honey - plus, eat a banana
pre and post weight lifting: whey protein, milk, oats - plus, eat a banana
before bed: whey protein, milk
in the morning: whey protein, milk/water

This could probably be refined a bit; more sugar and a little salt would probably improve my recovery after cycling, I'm just wary about adding them.
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Old 03-22-10, 04:37 PM
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I go with milk, unflavored whey protein, and Ovaltine. I also add a tablespoon of wheatgerm oil for the vitamin E.
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Old 03-22-10, 05:36 PM
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60 g of protein wold put you at 0.75 g/kg, which is a little low even by recommendations for inactive people. The common range is 0.8-1.8 g/kg, with training athletes at the upper end of that. I'm not saying the world is going to end, but you are a little low there.

Your estimations are probably low, too, though. For example:
Bread 50; 4; 10; 1; 2 would be valid for half a slice of most bread; most commercial slices are about 100 cal.

Also Salmon 60; 10; 0; 2; 0 would be about right for 1 oz of salmon. Almost everyone eats much more than that in a sitting. Same thing with milk. I usually drink 2 servings at once. 8 fluid ounces is surprisingly petite.

To calibrate your sense of how much food you're actually eating, try logging everything for a little while, with measurements as accurate as possible. Most people underestimate by quite a bit.

If those are your real daily calories (which I doubt), that is well below what even CR practitioners would do.

Last edited by tadawdy; 03-22-10 at 05:42 PM.
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Old 03-22-10, 06:33 PM
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Don't eat any dried milk products from China if you want to survive.
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Old 03-22-10, 06:50 PM
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Originally Posted by tcb
The unflavored whey doesn't taste that great, so I add cocoa powder (but no sugar). I mix it with milk, or milk and water, because whey absorbs so quickly - the fat in milk slows the absorption of the whey a bit, and the casein in the milk (though not as healthy for you as whey), will stick around and provide your body with a little protein hours after the whey has been absorbed.
I would like to see your sources for showing that casein/caseinates are not as healthy. Or are you referring to the biological value rating of casein vs whey?
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Old 03-22-10, 07:15 PM
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Some good responses, thanks. Please keep them coming!

The calorie estimates per food item are from the label, and the total calories take into account multiple servings, I measure just about everything out. I originally thought I was getting more calories so I calculated the calories after losing the weight and realized I was pretty low. Here's the bread label:https://www.naturesownbread.com/Globa...WW%2020-24.pdf

My plan for now is to bring dinner to an after workout snack and eat another dinner later (but this only adds another 200-300 calories) so I'll be on the lookout for some good whey protein as well as good blender options!

Last edited by JMallez; 03-22-10 at 08:09 PM.
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Old 03-22-10, 11:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Tiarnon
I would like to see your sources for showing that casein/caseinates are not as healthy. Or are you referring to the biological value rating of casein vs whey?
Sorry, I shouldn't have stated it that way. Casein is a wonderfully useful protein and helps makes milk the amazingly balanced food source it is. The protein in milk is roughly 80% casein and 20% whey, so you're fast absorbing protein (whey) is backed up by a slow absorbing protein (casein) - pretty incredible. The casein does have a high biological value, but it forms a physical gel in your stomach and kinda sits there and melts away slowly, and long after the whey has been used up. However, there has been this decades long debate about casein being linked to tumor growth which has me scared... I don't have anything specific to cite at the moment, but just try typing "casein" and "cancer" into your search engine...it's scary.

Anyway, because of casein's usefulness I do include it in my diet in the form or dairy products (which I probably consume to much of), but I don't supplement with it.
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Old 03-23-10, 04:57 PM
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Originally Posted by tcb
I don't have anything specific to cite at the moment, but just try typing "casein" and "cancer" into your search engine...it's scary.

Anyway, because of casein's usefulness I do include it in my diet in the form or dairy products (which I probably consume to much of), but I don't supplement with it.
Just type in anything and "cancer" into your search engine... pretty sure the results will be scary.
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Old 03-23-10, 08:13 PM
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This is true... but if you search whey and cancer you get tons of headings like, "Whey protein and cancer prevention," and if you search casein and cancer you get tons of headings like, "casein promotes cancer."
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Old 03-23-10, 08:29 PM
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Your position is milk promotes cancer? Or simply there are a lot of articles stating casein promotes cancer.
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Old 03-23-10, 09:23 PM
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The latter. I'm just saying there is enough out there discouraging the use of casein that it worries me a bit. I wish I had more confidence in it, because it's ability to stick around in your body and provide a slow drip of protein is unmatched.
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Old 03-23-10, 10:14 PM
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Originally Posted by tcb
The latter. I'm just saying there is enough out there discouraging the use of casein that it worries me a bit. I wish I had more confidence in it, because it's ability to stick around in your body and provide a slow drip of protein is unmatched.
6000BC, that is the oldest known date for people drinking milk... I am not that worried. True, there are other issues to worry about with milk, like bgh and somatic cell counts.

Of course everything in moderation, I find no need for milk based supplements.
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