Protein shakes??

Vickie96
Vickie96 Posts: 17 Member
edited December 3 in Health and Weight Loss
So I've been struggling to hit my protein through my food consumption so I was looking for some opinions on protein shakes, I do strength training a few days a week so would protein shakes be an efficient way to increase my intake??

Replies

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Sure, it sounds like a protein shake might be a good option for you.
  • AlabamaMama224
    AlabamaMama224 Posts: 137 Member
    They are a quick easy way to up your protein for sure.
  • xvolution
    xvolution Posts: 721 Member
    Yes, protein shakes should help hit those protein numbers. The brand I use is EAS Whey + Casein, which contains a fast-absorbing [whey] and slow-absorbing [casein] protein blend. It's also light on the sweetener, so it blends well with juices, water flavorings, etc.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Protein shakes are an easy and yummy way to up your protein intake. I also use protein powder in a lot of my desserts, they can be mixed into yogurt, oats, cottage cheese and i also make a yummy cheesecake with chocolate/peanut butter PP.
  • diean2014
    diean2014 Posts: 3 Member
    Hi, i would recommend a protein shake. That's what I'm currently using and sometimes I would also add it to my smoothie in the morning. The one I use have 20g of protein and is also vegan. Let me know if you would like more info
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,647 Member
    diean2014 wrote: »
    Hi, i would recommend a protein shake. That's what I'm currently using and sometimes I would also add it to my smoothie in the morning. The one I use have 20g of protein and is also vegan. Let me know if you would like more info

    What's it called? My boss is looking for a good vegan protein supplement.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    ...any protein shake. Try a few and go with the one you like the taste of.
  • Karihappy
    Karihappy Posts: 116 Member
    We've been using Shakeology for a year, but it's so expensive, we've been experimenting with other brands. We've found that one scoop of Costco's Orgain Organic Creamy Chocolate Fudge Protein Powder and one scoop of chocolate Shakeology is our favorite (makes two shakes). Orgain is less than $30 for a one-month supply. I'm trying to wean my hubby off of the Shakeology completely, as I think just the Orgain would be sufficient, but it's a hard sell. :)

    5229779.png
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,647 Member
    I use EAS 100% whey. It's 160 cals and 30 g protein per 2 scoop (42 g) serving. I make a double in the morning and take a few swigs throughout the day when I get munchy.
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
    I would be very cautious about these things. Every one I just did a quick check on had warnings. And a quick look at consumer reports on protean supplements is pretty alarming.

    When my Brother was young he started using these things and started having kidney issues. He stopped using them before it got too bad.

    I don't think supplements is the way to go, but that's just my opinion.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    bcalvanese wrote: »
    I would be very cautious about these things. Every one I just did a quick check on had warnings. And a quick look at consumer reports on protean supplements is pretty alarming.

    When my Brother was young he started using these things and started having kidney issues. He stopped using them before it got too bad.

    I don't think supplements is the way to go, but that's just my opinion.

    This has always been in the back of my mind.. Apparently protein powder causing kidney issues has been debubked, at least i hope they have, and they are 100% certain..

  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
    bcalvanese wrote: »
    I would be very cautious about these things. Every one I just did a quick check on had warnings. And a quick look at consumer reports on protean supplements is pretty alarming.

    When my Brother was young he started using these things and started having kidney issues. He stopped using them before it got too bad.

    I don't think supplements is the way to go, but that's just my opinion.

    This has always been in the back of my mind.. Apparently protein powder causing kidney issues has been debubked, at least i hope they have, and they are 100% certain..

    Things get debunked all the time and sometimes they get un-debunked years or even decades later. I'm not saying one way or the other, just to be cautious.

    Personally I think a well balanced healthy diet should give people the nutrition they need, and the body will absorb it better.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    bcalvanese wrote: »
    bcalvanese wrote: »
    I would be very cautious about these things. Every one I just did a quick check on had warnings. And a quick look at consumer reports on protean supplements is pretty alarming.

    When my Brother was young he started using these things and started having kidney issues. He stopped using them before it got too bad.

    I don't think supplements is the way to go, but that's just my opinion.

    This has always been in the back of my mind.. Apparently protein powder causing kidney issues has been debubked, at least i hope they have, and they are 100% certain..

    Things get debunked all the time and sometimes they get un-debunked years or even decades later. I'm not saying one way or the other, just to be cautious.

    Personally I think a well balanced healthy diet should give people the nutrition they need, and the body will absorb it better.

    Very true. It's hard to trust anything you read..

  • Ryguy08
    Ryguy08 Posts: 61 Member
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    ...oh yeah, another thing about protein shakes. They aren't magic, they are just protein...mostly the same protein you'd get drinking milk. Don't spend a ton of money on protein shakes like shakeology when honestly you could pretty much get the same thing from drinking chocolate milk at like 1 hundredth the cost.

    Hmm... The chocolate milk I use as a recovery drink (which it's excellent for), is 180 calories with just 8g of protein for 8 oz. The unflavored protein powder I use is 110 calories with no carbs and 25g of protein per scoop. Not the same thing.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    edited August 2016
    Ryguy08 wrote: »
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    ...oh yeah, another thing about protein shakes. They aren't magic, they are just protein...mostly the same protein you'd get drinking milk. Don't spend a ton of money on protein shakes like shakeology when honestly you could pretty much get the same thing from drinking chocolate milk at like 1 hundredth the cost.

    Hmm... The chocolate milk I use as a recovery drink (which it's excellent for), is 180 calories with just 8g of protein for 8 oz. The unflavored protein powder I use is 110 calories with no carbs and 25g of protein per scoop. Not the same thing.

    If you need more protein and you are working out regularly (ie require more calories anyways) you can drink chocolate milk and it is cheaper. That is true. Does it have the same protein to calorie ratio as protein powder, no of course not.
  • Vickie96
    Vickie96 Posts: 17 Member
    bcalvanese wrote: »
    I would be very cautious about these things. Every one I just did a quick check on had warnings. And a quick look at consumer reports on protean supplements is pretty alarming.

    When my Brother was young he started using these things and started having kidney issues. He stopped using them before it got too bad.

    I don't think supplements is the way to go, but that's just my opinion.

    This is mainly why I wanted some opinions, was it a large consumption of protein that's said to cause these problems or was it the use of protein in general?
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    @bcalvanese when you say you saw warnings, where did you see them, on the tubs of protein powders or their website?
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    edited August 2016
    bcalvanese wrote: »
    bcalvanese wrote: »
    I would be very cautious about these things. Every one I just did a quick check on had warnings. And a quick look at consumer reports on protean supplements is pretty alarming.

    When my Brother was young he started using these things and started having kidney issues. He stopped using them before it got too bad.

    I don't think supplements is the way to go, but that's just my opinion.

    This has always been in the back of my mind.. Apparently protein powder causing kidney issues has been debubked, at least i hope they have, and they are 100% certain..

    Things get debunked all the time and sometimes they get un-debunked years or even decades later. I'm not saying one way or the other, just to be cautious.

    Personally I think a well balanced healthy diet should give people the nutrition they need, and the body will absorb it better.

    A well balanced diet will - by the very definition - give people the nutrition they need but a well balanced diet can contain protein supplements. There is not rule that says that once a certain supplement has been used the diet is unbalanced, in fact the opposite is likely to be true - If on a given day you've eaten high carb and fat but are lacking in protein, taking a powder which is low in carb and fat is a reasonable way to balance the day. You may feel more comfortable having a chicken breast but in terms of calories and macro nutrient profile there is practically no difference.

    Additionally the scare stories that you are reading are just that - over and over again protein supplementation (for those without specific health issues and when taken in reasonable amounts) has been shown to be safe.

    ETA - to comment on you "body will absorb it batter" claim - the absorption of nutrients is a complex issue with multiple food types increasing or decreasing the assimilation of each other but it is generally accepted that in most cases the absorption of protein from a whey powder will be more rapid (easier) than that of a meat source of a similar amount of protein.
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
    @bcalvanese when you say you saw warnings, where did you see them, on the tubs of protein powders or their website?

    I googled protean powder and found a site that listed the top 10...

    esupplements.com/best-protein-powders/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=10%20Best%20Lists&utm_term=protein%20powders&utm_content=best%20protein%20powders

    I went to each one and clicked on ingredients. The warnings are on that page for each one. I'm pretty sure they have to list this on there website somewhere as well.
  • xvolution
    xvolution Posts: 721 Member
    Protein powders are often recommended by nephrologists [kidney doctors] to help kidney patients who are on dialysis to get the daily protein they need. If the powder really was damaging to the kidneys, I doubt the docs would recommend them at all.

    Things that thicken the blood [like overusing ibuprofin] is much more damaging to kidneys.
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    edited August 2016
    Yes. I use protein shakes sometimes, but I prefer protein bars the most. They're generally tastier and more filling for me.
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
    bcalvanese wrote: »
    bcalvanese wrote: »
    I would be very cautious about these things. Every one I just did a quick check on had warnings. And a quick look at consumer reports on protean supplements is pretty alarming.

    When my Brother was young he started using these things and started having kidney issues. He stopped using them before it got too bad.

    I don't think supplements is the way to go, but that's just my opinion.

    This has always been in the back of my mind.. Apparently protein powder causing kidney issues has been debubked, at least i hope they have, and they are 100% certain..

    Things get debunked all the time and sometimes they get un-debunked years or even decades later. I'm not saying one way or the other, just to be cautious.

    Personally I think a well balanced healthy diet should give people the nutrition they need, and the body will absorb it better.

    A well balanced diet will - by the very definition - give people the nutrition they need but a well balanced diet can contain protein supplements. There is not rule that says that once a certain supplement has been used the diet is unbalanced, in fact the opposite is likely to be true - If on a given day you've eaten high carb and fat but are lacking in protein, taking a powder which is low in carb and fat is a reasonable way to balance the day. You may feel more comfortable having a chicken breast but in terms of calories and macro nutrient profile there is practically no difference.

    Additionally the scare stories that you are reading are just that - over and over again protein supplementation (for those without specific health issues and when taken in reasonable amounts) has been shown to be safe.

    ETA - to comment on you "body will absorb it batter" claim - the absorption of nutrients is a complex issue with multiple food types increasing or decreasing the assimilation of each other but it is generally accepted that in most cases the absorption of protein from a whey powder will be more rapid (easier) than that of a meat source of a similar amount of protein.

    Again, I'm not saying its wrong or right, just to be cautious.

    Anything that has a warning label that says "do not use this product if you have any existing medical condition" is a red flag to me. Some of them even contain diet supplements and they have been all over the news in my area lately for causing certain issues.

    And I'm pretty sure anything that is as highly processed as supplements is going to have a lower absorption rate than regular foods that are less processed.

    These are just my choices, and folks can make their own choices. I'm simply saying to be cautious.
  • jagodfrey08
    jagodfrey08 Posts: 425 Member
    I'm relatively new to the protein shakes. I found Powerful Yogurt drinks at the store recently. 160-170 calories with 20 g of protein in them. They don't taste like yogurt and are pretty good. Maybe that could help?
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    bcalvanese wrote: »
    And I'm pretty sure anything that is as highly processed as supplements is going to have a lower absorption rate than regular foods that are less processed.

    You're wrong.

    Examples - The sugar in an apple is absorbed much, much slower than white refined sugar. Separate the dextrose out of the that white sugar and it will be absorbed even quicker. Same effect with protein - Eat an egg sandwich and the fiber in the bread will slow the absorption of the protein. Eat the egg alone and you get faster absorption. Isolate the white from the yolk and you get faster absorption still. greater processing leads to faster absorption.

    Note that fast absorption is not always better. For many dieters slowing down carb absorption is desirable and for some athletes protein absorption rates are manipulated to give fast or slow absorption at specific times.

This discussion has been closed.