Thursday, February 9, 2012

PROTEIN SHAKES...ARE THEY GOOD FOR YOU?

Good morning my friends!  And what a GORGEOUS one it is so far...77 degree February day and I'm ready for some fun with my son.  Before we head off into the beautiful sunny day, I will make today's blog a QUICK one!  A blog question I was sent today is "what's the deal with all these protein drinks and are they good for you?"

Well, my answer of course is going to be based on not only my PROFESSIONAL opinion but PERSONAL opinion as well.  I do like to have at least one protein shake a day and I also have most of my clients drinking at least one to two a day as well. 

There are many types of protein shakes, the ones already made and in a cooler for you to just grab and go; then there are the ones that come in a powder form that you can make yourself.  For those of you on the go, grabbing one already made is a quick smart choice but if you like to turn your protein shake into a "shake" then it's good to purchase the powders. 

Protein is best consumed AFTER a hard, weight training or full body workout.  It helps REPAIR your muscles as well as helping with muscle growth.  My suggestion is to purchase a protein powder that gives you 25 to 45 grams of protein in one serving...that's a great amount to consume after a workout.  I also suggest drinking protein shakes that contain BCAAS (branch chain amino acids).  BCAAS help alleviate the amount of soreness you will feel the next day (or TWO) after a hard workout.

Here are my 5 favorite protein powders:  APEX LITE (less calories and fat grams...taste delicious), APEX SUPREME (alittle more calories but also contains BCAAS and taste good), ISO-PURE (if you're lactose intolerant, this is the one for you!  Nice pure protein and also tastes good), NO XPLODE (great for muscle building AND repairing, plus it tastes like kool-aid) and finally Myoplex (high protein and tastes good).  Now Muscle Milk LIGHT also tastes delicious, but you have to be careful that you consume the "light" and not regular due to high calories and fat content.

So, if you find yourself putting in some serious work today at the gym, outside doing a circuit, bootcamp, weight training and/or even yoga session...drink a protein shake afterwards so you can repair your muscles.  And don't be afraid to put a scoop of peanut butter (good fat) and banana (great potassium) into it if you blend it up for a nutritious AND delicious treat!  Enjoy!

Since today is such a BEAUTIFUL day outside, I am showing last week's video in case you missed it.  Watch this video and get outside with your kid(s) and enjoy exercising TOGETHER...because Fitness is FUN! 
Thank you as always for reading and please join TODAY as a follower of my blog if you haven't done so yet, share with your friends and family.  Have a Fabulously Fitness Filled Week!

As Always...Stay Fit and Happy!
Famisha :-)

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing Famisha! I liked everything you shared except for the brands of protein shakes you listed. I can safely say that i drink a protein shake that has whey containing an ideal amino acid profile and comes from dairy cows that are pasture-fed on small New Zealand farms, milked according to season and not treated with hormones or antibiotics...just sayin! IsaPro from Isagenix! You can see all the ingredients here...http://www.isagenix.com/us/en/isapro.dhtml.

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  2. Anonymous,
    Thanks for your comment. The APEX protein powders I suggested both contain Whey protein isolates and concentrates as well as milk protein isolates and one of my other top proteins I listed ISO-PURE also contains clean ingredients in the protein powder. Thank you so much for suggesting your favorite protein powder Isagenix. I'm always open to trying new products and this sounds like a clean protein that I would enjoy and probably recommend to my clients as well. If you aren't a member of my blog yet, join TODAY. I look forward to reading up on Isagenix. Stay Fit and Happy!

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  3. I've been adding egg whites to my protein shakes - it's a great, low calorie, low fat way to get even more protein.

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  4. Jocelyn,
    Thanks for sharing! Adding egg whites to the mix is especially good for those trying to really put on size and needing more protein in their diet but not quite sure where to find it.
    Stay Fit and Happy! :-)

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