What's In Your Protein Powder?

The more and more I research about food the more I want to become a control freak about what I eat, how it is grown and who to buy from.  I know let go-breath :)
I have recently started drinking more protein shakes because 1) I am a very busy momma 2) my company sell the protein powder and 3) it is convient.  I could go on about health and the body but that will come later.

While researching for some other moms about proteins and their kids whom are athletes I came across some fairly startling research.  I shouldn't be surprised but I was when I read this.  Consumerlab.com bought, tested and analyzed the quality of 17 different protein based product.  These 17 different types of proteins are what consumers buy for body building to weight management. Products we would buy from our local stores to feed ourselves and our children.

Here is what the "surprise" was some of these tested positive for lead (exceeded the recommended allowed amount we can consume daily).  Some contained a lot more carbohydrates or cholestrol than advertised on the container or even less protein that they claimed was in it.  Hello!! What is wrong with this picture? What happened to being responsible in our production and labeling of consumable products?  A total of 5 out of 17 got a label from this lab as "Buyer Beware" or not approved due to what the label claims and actual ingredients were not matching up.  Consumerlab then sent these 5 out to other independent labs for further analysis.

Why this would be a problem for us.  Let's start with less protein listed if it's not protein in the powder then what it is? One product actually had 16 fewer grams of protein that's almost 70% less than they claimed on the label.  This same product had 16 grams of carbohydrates including 3 extra grams of sugar.  See it had to have something else in it.
Next is lead, heavy metals build up in our bodies and create a lot of health problems for us.  Those metals do not come out naturally, they store up in our bodies unless you detox or cleanse them out safely.  One of these 5 had a total of 12.7 micrograms of lead per scoop.  Problem is when they call for 2 or more scoops a day this will exceed our safe consumable amount.
Another one of the 5 had claimed to have had 0, zero amount of cholestrol in it.  Not the case, it has a whopping 10.2 mg of it in a scoop!!! Wow!!

So let me get on my soapbox here for a second please.  Educate yourself!! Before you go buy! If you are intrested educate yourself then test the "experts" you know and see if they know what they are talking about. I'm not being biased here but I will give you a solution to your problem if you want clean, nutritious protein powder.  I love our isagenix product, I give it to our kids and our one year old.  That is how confident I am that it is pure they have a "no compromise" policy.  IF our label states 24 grams of protein, goodness that's what is in there.  OK enough of my soapbox....

I say it over and over when I learned how to eat right and fuel my body the pounds started falling off me and I have tons of energy.  I think you might be surprised how many pesticides are allowed in our food.  Not only on our fruit and vegetables but everything.  Our food supply has changed and therefore how our bodies are reacting is changing.  More health problems, more chronic illnesses, obesity, and even cancer.

Much love,
Nik
http://undergroundfitness.isagenix.com

Want the Most Out of Your Sports Performance

To get your most optimum sports performance out there on the field or court.  When winning is on the line, make sure good nutrition is on your side.  All athletes face the pressure of workouts, training, practice and to be at their peak performance during games.  Have you noticed watching sports usually by end of game most are tired? There are a few who aren't but some are resting their hands on their knees bent over.  A secret weapon all athletes should know about is protein!!! I am so happy to introduce you to this if you don't know the secret already.  You can and will gain an edge over your competition!! This is not just for body builders anymore.

Why protein? Protein is a major building block to help repair and build your muscles.  It is a power house, the fuel for your strength, power and endurance.  This one little thing can bring a huge change to your playing abilities.  Why? Our bodies don't store protein well so we need continual replacement for repairing our muscles breaking down and building the new muscle tissue up.  I can assure you our meal replacements are high in protein, balanced with healthy amounts of carbohydrates and fats as well as vitamins and minerals.

One or two hours after a workout or training is when your muscles need protein the most.  The body is acutally craving protein for muscle recovery.  A protein that is high in branched amino acids (BCAA) is the highest on your body's list of wants.  The amino acids in our blood plasma is what will support the muscle recovery and growth.  Whey protein is rich in BCAA's, an excellent source to add to your post workout recovery.

In our athletes pack we offer IsaPro Whey Protein (one scoop) + Isalean Shake (one and half scoops) provides a whopping 35 grams of protein per serving.  This extra protein along with the nutrients in our shake will pack a very powerful punch for our muscles.  You can also add a little fruit or one of our other recipes and you will begin to look, feel and see a difference!!! Consistency is key with everything in life, stick with a routine and you get results.

Our Young Athletes Nutrition

As parents we want what is best for our kids.  We want them to not only have the best opportunity but be the best.  But do we help in convenient ways or inconvenient ways? I am talking about nutrition here not training or camps.  Do you spend countless minutes on preparing healthy nutritious foods for them to eat daily? Their bodies are growing every second and what do we actually offer to help them on that journey?

It has become a time of fast and convenient with both parents working.  Or we are at the store and we see a sweet or sugary snack and think “oh he or she would love that” so we throw it in the cart not thinking my child just had fast food in between practices this week.  What if there was a way that was convenient and healthy? What if you could find a good nutritious product that covered both areas and maybe you could teach them to actually make it themselves??

IF can educate ourselves and teach by example we can give them the proper nutrition for their growing bodies.  How many hours a day does your child or even you train in the gym or practice field? We all can see that we need water to replenish the sweat that pours out of us.  Do you or your child find they don’t have the stamina to finish a whole game without stopping? Or tournament day when there is one game after another how do you keep your energy up the healthy way? Do you run to get fast food in between games? Change the situation here, what if you grabbed a protein shake in between games and watched your opponent eat fast food? Who do you think will have energy longer? You will, we all know fast food burns in our body quickly because there is no nutrients to break down.  This being the reason why you are hungry again in about 30 or 45 minutes. 

We at our training facility have been talking with parents about the nutrition needs of our young athletes at home.  Starting the day with a protein shake helps sustain energy but it also helps their young muscles grow, form and develop.  Grab a protein bar during the day for a quick snack instead of sugar.  If you are training to develop a body that is toned and a powerhouse why would you feed it sugar and chemicals that won’t give you results?  Parents if you are looking to lose some pounds make a shake in the morning with your child(ren).  You will see results and you will find you are not as hungry during the morning hours. 

Need ideas for protein shakes? We put frozen yogurt (ice cream isle at store), add berries, peanut butter, ice and a little chocolate syrup.  What kind of protein? We have used whey protein and I love our Isagenix vanilla protein. (Contact me if you would like to try a sample and I will get one to you).  We have put used orange juice, our orange fizzy sticks for energy, and frozen yogurt or milk with ice to make a orange dreamsicle flavor. The creations are endless and fun. 

**I love our Isagenix protein powder because it hides all your amino acids and vitamins in it.  It doesn’t taste bad at all!! A great way to get these in our bodies and our kids bodies to help keep us healthy. 

Convenience can happen with a little bit of a change.  It doesn’t have to taste nasty either and we can do what is best for us all.  Our food products have changed, it is not like it use to be.  Many times I find that it has tons of pesticides, poisons, or modified chemical changes in it.  Our daughter has turned our household upside down with researching.  She has a food allergy to wheat and I have found more and more research on how much our food is being chemically altered.  She is one and she even drinks the protein shakes!!! Make a conscious decision to start to fuel your body and your child’s body with maximum nutrition.  Especially if they play sports!!