What to look for when choosing a protein powder…Whats the truth about protein?
I get asked by a lot of people as to how and when to put protein in our body. No doubt, you have a hell lot of natural sources that can make the task easier for you in everyday life. If you eat chicken, burgers, peanuts, steak, eggs, milk, fish and almonds, you are going to have a rich
If you eat chicken, burgers, peanuts, steak, eggs, milk, fish and almonds, you are going to have a rich supply of protein in your simple diet plan. However, when you are eating meals every three hours or more, it can be a pain in the ass to prepare so much to eat because these foods are expensive and not always available. This is the place where protein shakes come in the clutch.
Remember, I am not a professional dietician, but I have followed plenty of diets closely and I have extensive personal experience with this topic. This makes it easier for me to come to the right details and discussion regarding when to drink protein shakes or even when to take protein and so on. So, let us get started on this discussion.
How To Use Protein Powder
When you want to buy the best protein shake, make sure to keep track of all these key points.
- When you are just starting out, you should ideally buy 100% whey protein. There are obviously other types of proteins as well, but for the starters, you should settle with whey protein.
- When you are looking to buy the finest protein powders, you need to be sure that you are opting for a product, which has an extremely low rate of other “crap” or “fillers”. It should have low carbs, low calories, low fat and even low-sodium as well. The best stuff would ideally have tons of protein per gram in it. So, whenever you are looking to buy best protein shake, you should carefully analyze the label and check these details.
- The protein powders come in various exciting flavors like chocolate, strawberry, and even vanilla. You should ideally pick the one which you like. This will give you the incentive to eat the protein powder with interest.
- Never buy protein shakes from most retail chains. The prices which most of them charge are insanely high and they make it a point to boost their profit margin outrageously. In order to get cheap protein powder, your best bet is to buy it online.
- If you are very picky when it comes to eating, it is best advised to opt for a few servings before you decide to opt for a 3 month complete supply.
- However, if you have a really strong liking for a certain flavor and you are sure that you are going to love using it, the best option is to buy in bulk from online stores. There are a lot of online stores where you will be able to avail 5 dollar shipping or sometimes even free shipping when you place a bulk order. So, if you are sure that you are going to continue with the protein shake regime for long and you are crazy about being fit, you could save some precious dollars with bulk orders.
The Big Brands VS Gym Junkies BUILD
Isopure Whey Protein
It contains 25 grams of protein per serving. The pack has 22 servings and comes at a cost of around 45 bucks. This is the one of the most popular brands that I have used before. I am not a chocoholic and so I settled with Strawberries and Cream. As it contains just 25 grams of protein, I always took a scoop and a half because my aim was to get 30+ grams of protein every hour or so.
Gym Junkies Build Whey Protein
contains 25 grams of protein per serving. The jar comes with 25 servings at the cost of a little over 40 bucks. We have managed to be a big hit among athletes, especially bodybuilders. I have received a multitude of personal emails from satisfied customers that have given us a try. Our protein comes from hormone-free cows and uses no artificial sweeteners or fillers. No BS, If our product sucked, I wouldn’t recommend it to our Gym Junkies audience, but it’s a clean a verifiably potent source of protein.
Raw Protein (Beyond Organic Protein Formula)
Contains 17 grams of protein, so you would have to consumer significantly more than with the other two options. The thing I do like about this protein is it contains less than 1g of sugar and does come with some fiber. When it comes to the price however I don’t like that so much at near 60 dollars on amazon.
How do they stack up against each other?
Protein per serving the Isopure and BUILD are pretty much the exact same at 25 grams per serving, the RAW however, falls short at just 17 grams per serving. Servings per container the BUILD will take the lead at 25, Isopure at 22 and the Raw at 24. While Isopure is great because this particular bottle has 0 carbs, it is high in sodium at 320mg versus the BUILD, at just 92mg. Overall, I think all are good options however the best bang for your buck and cleanest option is going to be BUILD.
What To Mix It With?
The label will always tell you to mix a scoop of the powder with 8 oz. of water and the mixing will be great and it’ll claim to taste great too. NEWS FLASH: water isn’t the tastiest option. I am not sure about the chocolate version, but I had sour results when I did the same with vanilla and strawberry.
So what do I do and what is the answer for how to use protein powder?
Here is the solution for you. I mixed a single scoop of the powder with 8 oz. of skim milk or almond milk. I also tried vanilla powder with 8 oz of orange juice as well and that was interesting, to say the least.
Are you looking for some more variety?
Well, why not!
Be experimental. You can add bananas, strawberries, peanut butter and blueberries to the mix. You can experiment as per your needs and preferences and make sure to settle on something you love and will enjoy regularly. Seriously, I have seen people who can simply mix, shake and water and gulp it down.
It’s important to remember if you’re adding things to your protein shake you will also be added calories, so make sure you take that into account. If you want more flavors or choices you can take a look at my smoothie guide found here.
What To Mix It In?
Now that you are done with the things protein powder can be mixed with, we come to the next point of which equipment is best for mixing the protein shake.
The Best Piece of Advice
It is simple, it is easy. I am not giving you any points for guessing. A cheap blender works absolutely fine. Go to Wal-Mart, Target or stop and shop or whatever store you have near your home. You can get a blender for as much as 20 bucks. They will do everything you need and I would recommend you to buy a cheap model because hey, at the end of the day a blender is a blender.
So, why waste money?
One smart tip I must add here is that do not make the mistake of letting your roomies use it for making margaritas. Both of you will detest the process. These uses just don’t sync up. Their cocktail will carry a whiff of protein and well, your protein shakes will have the essence of tequila, so wash that out or don’t use the same blender. The alternate option, which you can do, is to settle for a cheap shaker. It comes with a spoke thingy which makes it a lot easier to break the powder and you can do all kinds of mixing in it.
However, the blender is always going to have an upper hand over what the shaker can do.
The Best Time to Drink a Protein Shake
Now, this is a very pivotal question. You have to really know the best time to take protein via a shake. The answer is just after your exercise, as your muscles need to recover. This process begins within 30 minutes of your workout’s conclusion. After you are done with a round of exercise, your body is exhausted and in need of proteins to rebuild the broken down muscle fibers.
I make it a point to drink a shake right after exercising. However, until and unless, you have an extremely protein-rich diet, do not build a misconception that a single glass of shake will serve the need for building muscle. You need to supply your body a constant source of proteins so that you have the right building blocks that will make you look bigger than ever.
When you are looking to build muscles and gain lean mass, you also have to eat a lot of calories. Make it a point to have 1 gram of protein for every pound of body weight. So, follow this ratio and you should be able to build the right muscular mass and at the same time, have the apt body weight as well. There are studies that have also shown that if you eat a breakfast rich in protein, it will prevent you from consuming unhealthy meals all throughout the day. So, breakfast is healthy, critical to energy levels and very important for the rest of your day.
Conclusion
I would recommend of course, our very own Gym Junkies Build Whey Protein. However, not to be biased, I would just say in general you should study your protein choice and make sure there are no artificial sweeteners or fillers. Also be aware of just how many grams of protein per serving it contains. You want at least 20 grams to get the best bang for your buck.
-Terry Asher
Terry
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