Tuesday, November 9, 2010

My Thoughts on Protein Powders

Before starting today's post I thought I'd give a little update on my "elimination diet". I had a few people ask me how I would know which foods were giving me troubles if I was just going to go ahead and give up a bunch of foods. For starters, I'm not doing the elimination diet 100%, by any means. The week after my elimination diet I only added two things each day. I noticed the increase in dairy at night, and my addition of popcorn at night, both gave me some troubles in the morning. This is why I have cut out popcorn and reduced my late night dairy intake (mainly ice cream....). Who knows, maybe I'll actually have to go back on the diet 100% and slowly add foods back in the right way in order to find out the real problem foods. If it comes down to that I will do it, but I'm already feeling better so I think I'm on the right track.


Ok, so now onto today's post!

Protein powders are a topic of interest for many of my readers and many customers with whom I talk at work. This article really shed some light on the problem with protein powders and pretty much summed up many of the reasons why I do not use them. Like many dietary supplements there is an industry need for protein powders, but not everyone should be using them.


Who May Benefit From a Protein Powder?

- Vegans may benefit from protein powders. Powders made from soy, hemp, quinoa, and pea proteins are just some of the options for vegans, since they do not contain animal products. To view some words which may signify dairy in a protein supplement, check out this website.


- Vegetarians or people who just don't eat a lot of meat, poultry, and/or fish may benefit from protein powders because it's an easy way to add high-quality protein to their diet.


- People trying to increase muscle mass? This depends. I often recommend consuming whey protein after a workout for muscle growth, but milk is a better source of whey protein, in my opinion. Paying for a protein supplement is just a waste of money when you can have a glass of milk for half the price. Not only that, but you know what's in the milk. The same is not true with all protein powders. There is also evidence out there that suggests too much protein can actually cause your muscles to atrophy. If you want to put on muscle mass, eat more calories and increase your workout intensity. If you don't have enough time to eat all of those calories, a protein powder may actually be beneficial.






If you're stuck on protein powders for their "convenience" and you truly believe they are making a difference in the way you look and/or feel, please be sure to do the following;

- Drink plenty of fluid throughout the day. Consuming too much protein can cause dehydration.

- Make sure your kidneys are healthy before beginning a protein powder regimen, as too much protein can cause kidney damage. This is especially important if you are diabetic.

- Be sure to choose a protein supplement that you trust, and that has been third party tested (look for GMP or USP labels).

- Watch out for "proprietary blends" on ingredient lists. This is just another way of saying "we have created a special mix of ingredients that we do not want to disclose!"


Question: What are your thoughts on protein powders?

22 comments :

  1. I'm not vegetarian so I've never really into protein powder.. actually i've never bought any protein powder.
    Glad to know that you're doing better with the elimination diet, but I think PMS could be a big reason too, it happens to me all the time.

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  2. I am not very into protein powder - as a primarily vegetarian, I try to get protein from dairy and beans.

    I'm not body building or anything - plus it is so expensive!

    I had no idea about possible damage to your kidneys - thanks for the info!

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  3. I am WHEY into protein powders. I don't eat chicken or beef for it's a great way for me to get protein and BCAA's, plus I enjoy the taste and the versatility...with a passion!

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  4. I've never used a protein powder- this is good to know!

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  5. Occasionally I'll throw a scoop of whey protein into my smoothies, but I really prefer to get my protein from whole food.

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  6. As a vegetarian, I recently tried adding protein powder to smoothies or putting it in with plain oatmeal to make it creamier. Gotta say... that stuff tastes pretty awful - covering up the taste is essential. Once this container's gone I'm going back to getting protein naturally! Good to hear that's the best way.

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  7. I will add a scoop of protein powder to a smoothie. But other than that, I don't use them.

    I have found that I can't eat popcorn. I love it and its such a healthy treat, but it does a number on my tummy.

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  8. I don't use protein powders.

    Hope you are feeling better and have found the problem foods...

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  9. I get plenty of protein from other sources, but I do like protein powder mostly because of the flavors. I don't rely on the powders by any means (I think I've had the same container for almost a year now), but it is nice on occasion.

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  10. I used to be against protein powders and tried to focus on whole foods, but since giving up dairy I found that my protein intake just wasn't adequate even when I ate meat twice a day. Now I incorporate hemp protein into breakfast and 1 or 2 snacks during the day and I absolutely love it. I don't think I'd give it up even if I didn't need it.

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  11. I've never used protein powders and most Americans actually consume too much protein as it is already -- but you already know that :p

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  12. I sometimes throw them in a green smoothie to give me a little more nutrition but I don't usually use them as a replacement to a meal.

    I love to eat way too much to drink all of my calories.

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  13. Yeah, I'm not a huge fan of protein powders for much the same reasons as you've listed. I do keep hemp and brown rice powders around, though, as they bulk up a smoothie nicely if I'm looking for a substantial snack. They don't substitute for anything nutritionally, though--I get plenty of protein through my meals (but not TOO much!). I only ever have about a tablespoon of protein powder at a time, anyway.

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  14. First off, I read your previous post the other day without commenting. I can't believe you're stomach started acting up again! Hopefully, you'll have your diet nailed down again soon and a happier stomach.

    I've never been big on protein powders because the original ones that I saw everyone consuming had an ingredient list longer than my arm. I have however began to sometimes use the Vega and Amazing Grass ones on occasion.

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  15. I have protein powders every once in awhile but not a lot. I'm not a vegetarian but sometime I go through phases where I don't get enough protein in my diet and the powders help out.

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  16. Ohhhh my dear Stephen is in protein powder overload right now. He's recently started lifting weights and he drinks 5 protein shakes a day!! (At least). I think each shake has like 26 grams of whey protein in it. I'm slowly broaching this subject with him, but it's touchy! He thinks all of his muscle building methods will go by the wayside if he doesn't consume enough protein.

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  17. mmmm i've been loving my protein shakes lately! they're so delicious :) kind of addicting haha but i've also been loving adding it to my oatmeal for the office eats!

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  18. Oh! I like to see that and also like to share some information about my protein powder and protein shakes that makes me healthy and fit. Thanks for this nice and good information.

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  19. I've never had protein powder. I just have zero interest in it. To me it just seems like *extra* stuff that I don't really need to be consuming. Plus, I worry that it will bother my stomach which is NEVER a good thing, right?

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  20. thanks for the tips!! i'm not really into protein powder, though i do use it occasionally as post workout fuel (and have found my muscles recover a million times faster because of it.) but in the spirit of only-eating-things-i-can-pronounce, protein powder doesn't exactly fall into that category. :p

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  21. Great information! I’ve been looking for something like this for a while now. Thanks!

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  22. I've never had protein powder and I'm not about to start, but Eric does so I'm going to send him this post!

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