Protein Drinks

[Silverbirch]

High, just wanting some advice from other people who are or have been consuming protein drinks. I have had taken them in the past, but not for very long - long enough to see a genuine result. I was exercising with light to moderate weights at the time.

 

Since then, I have become vegetarian and I'm pretty certain that I consume adequate amounts of protein in my diet through lentils and soymilk. I recently took up dance again and would like to tone some parts of my body a little. I've always been a bit sensitive about not putting on excessive amounts of weight and atm, I am an ideal weight for my height and age.

 

I was thinking that I might just start taking it once a week and build up. Bear in mind, I'm trying to get a body-builders physique. I especially want to add a bit more tone to my tummy, upper legs and upper arms so I should probably take up some specific exercises for that as well. Any advice. Thanks.

[WhenWillILove]

Try hemp protein.

I'm not a big fan of whey because manufacturers loaded up with sugar. Hemp protein is pure and crude. And it's not like you're aiming for Ms. Olympia so it should be adequate as far as protein.

[Silverbirch]

Thanks WWIL - I've never heard of hemp protein. I confess to being a sugar baby, and I really need to cut back on this too.

[Sim54]

I would definitely stay away from soyamilk. Do some research, but it's really not fit for human consumption. Soy needs to be fermented before it can be consumed, and you'll find in the far east, where soya beans are consumed a lot, they would never eat it with out it being fermented in some way: soy sauce, etc. Rice and peas/legumes/lentils give's you complete protein, ie, all the amino acids, same as if you ate beef. Also, try quinoa, which is the only vegetable with complete protein in it.

 

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And here's another one about soya.

 

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These are the first 2 links I came accross when I googled is soya good for you?

 

Scary stuff.

[pl3asehelp]

A body builders physique is going to require some help from a trainer. When I used to do this, the owner of the Gym, who was a trainer, would have my workouts all written up for me on the whiteboard before I got to the gym each day and his wife, who was a nutritionist, planned my diet. Unless you get degrees in food science or nutrition and physiology and all, much better to consult professionals since you're going for professional (body builder) results.

[Captain Obvious]

I wouldnt say you need a trainer to start bodybuilding, there is plenty of information online that can help. I dont understand why youd take a protein shake if you already take enough protein though?

[itsallgrand]

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This is my hands down favorite real-person body building site. Scooby is awesome.

 

My general advise - and I do have some experience with body building as an amateur lay person - is to not start consuming a bunch of protein powder until/unless you have become quite educated about body building and nutrition already. You can easily add unwanted pounds, and not do much else for your body, by not consuming it correctly. It is a supplement.

 

Also, are you a vegetarian who eats eggs? Milk? What kind of protein powder are you looking at using? Not all of them are the same. Some are basically, well, junk.

 

I'd keep the supplements to a minimum until you get further into your training and education and commitment to building your body. Focus instead on real food to start, timing of eating what when, the appropriate work outs and the timing of that. Once you are further into a routine, you can tweak with supplements if you want.

 

For an average person, whole food is usually enough. Just one opinion.

[Silverbirch]

Hi and thanks all. I can't drink dairy as I'm lactose intolerant and even though I love cheese, most cheese makes my digestion play up. Also, cheese and milk which I might occasionally consume in a sauce in a restuarant will cause me to wheeze within a few hours. I've been drinking soy milk for around 15 years now. I've tried lactose reduced which is okay. I do eat eggs, but no meat at all - no chicken or fish. I find that I need to be careful with lentils - and yes, not drinking too much soy either as it gives me gas which can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. If I eat something with a lot of lentils and vegetables in it, I find that charcoal tablets are great.

 

I also have something I have forgotten to take of late called Super Green - a powder, which is especially meant to be good for vegetarians. In the past, I've taken Barley Powder for the iron boost and was very happy with that.

 

I definitely DO NOT WANT TO BODY BUILD. I want a dancer's body and I think it is realistically achieveable. I don't mean the anorexic ballerina look. I recently went back to dance after a few years away although I've kept quite physically active. As far as body shape - nice legs go - the best thing ever I have done was figure skating, but I haven't done that for a long time and won't go back. I want to do something safer as I have to work and I don't want any injuries. I was amazed at how fast the results on legs go with skating- within a 3 month period, I developed shape in my legs which I'd never had before - very feminine shape too. I hate the transvestite leg look on women by too much exercise and liposuction.

 

Most importantly though, I don't want to become obsessed with body image and all the stuff that goes with it. I spent a long time in a relationship with a guy who got into body-building. He may have had a body that a lot of women admired, but he turned into the most narcissistic and unsexiest man I have ever known.

 

I choose to be vegetarian because I want to be beautiful on the inside and make sure I hold onto the importance of inner beauty so I don't go overboard on any of the other stuff. Getting obsessed with body image is something a lot of us can fall into, and I'm not exempt from that.

[Sim54]

Have you tried raw un pasteurised milk? I believe that it doesn't contain lactose, as it is raw, and so can be suitable for lactose intolerance.

Did you read those articles on soy milk? I would seriously reconsider drinking it! It's a big scam.

[Silverbirch]

Sim, I've read previous articles, but not these ones yet. I felt much better after I started drinking soy and I've been happy with it. I have worked with a Chinese woman who went back to China for a holiday and when she came back, she had bought some type of gadget for making her own soy that it quite popular in China. They sell them over here though. You can buy milk here which is just known as Lactose-Free milk. There is a possibility that at some point, I will become vegan and not consume animal bi-products. As much as I like cheese, and although I don't eat it often, the fact that it makes me feel sick is a good enough reason why I should stop eating it.

 

Somebody told me I should make my own baked beans as the ones you buy in the cans have all this crap added to them, especially sugar. Many years ago, I did cook ?navy beans which is what I think baked beans are made from - they looked and tasted a lot like what you buy in the can. Our bean of preference is Cannelini beans. We make different types of vegetable pastas and add the Cannelini beans. Also, I make artichoke heart fritters and add the Cannelini beans to that as well. Have also made Cannelini bean salad. It would be the nicest tasting and easiest for both of us to digest.

[Silverbirch]

Sim, I've read the articles, but I don't believe that I have suffered health issues due to soy. I have had a type of cancer which my father also had - he was not vegetarian and he did not drink soy. Whilst many women my age have been through menopause, I haven't and I don't have symptoms/unpleasant side effects of it. I don't have signs of any of the other problems described in those articles. Having said that, I definitely would not give a baby soy milk. I also would choose not to drink large quantities of it myself - because, as I said, too much of any food containing legumes gives me wind and I'd spend most of my life on the toilet.

 

I would say that I definitely have less body fat since I stopped consuming dairy products. I use Olive Grove spread in place of where most people would use butter or margarine. It's based on olive oil. I was quite amazed that within a few days of not consuming dairy, my tummy reduced in size. I didn't even know I was bloated until I stopped drinking it.

[sidehop]

Soy is bad period. Even fermented it doesn't get rid of all the toxins that cause havoc on your body. You're better without them. Also speaking of intolerance chances are it's because most people can't digest it properly without the enzymes which is killed off during pasteurization. It's only necessary in the dairy industry because of possible health risks from diseased cow but in traditional method of raising cattle, raw milk can be consumed by most people without any issue. I'm lactose intolerant and have zero issues with raw cow's milk or goat's milk. Give it a try if you can find a place that sell raw milk or form of.

 

As far as drinking protein shake is concerned, you want to get isolate protein. It's much better for people that are lactose intolerant and I rarely notice any bloating or gas due to drinking them (I drink protein shake right after the workout with high glycemic index carbs). They mix very well with little water so you might want to check it out. I take Dymatize ISO-100 though there are plenty of isolate protein shakes out there on the market. link removed's website has plenty of reviews and selection I'm sure you can find one near where you live. I just prefer Dymatize as it's very smooth and it isn't gritty like other isolate protein. Very tasty too!

[mhowe]

If you want to reduce your "tummy area" more --- stop the sugar. Really. Excess sugar (carbs) turns to fat --- and in a woman, most often in the thigh/butt/tummy area.

[Silverbirch]

Thanks Sidehop. I'll check it out. Yes, Mhowe, the sugar has to go. I'm much better than I have been in the past with regard to chocolate. I used to eat chocolate every day, but now it's usually a bit once a week. I don't actually have much fat so to speak, but I'd like to have a bit more contouring. I do already have contouring from my ribs down and I'd like it to be just a bit more defined. When I went to a personal trainer who took measurements of my body and weighed me, I do recall her saying to give up normal potatoes and eat sweet potatoes instead, not to eat TOO much fruit, especially bananas (alas one of my favourite foods) as they are very high in sugar too. I should be drinking at least 2 litres of water a day, something she stressed very highly.

[Snny]

Banana has a high level of potassium which a lot of dancers, weight lifters, and runners need to avoid muscle cramps. I have at least three a week to prevent cramps during my stretches and workouts. Gala Apples are one of the healthiests fruits to eat because they contain less calories than other apples and help regulate your blood sugar (which can prevent heart disease). I would seriously not cut fruit out from your diet or severely restrict yourself from sugar because it will lead to cravings and make you consume more. Regulate what you eat; I have a small chocolate BLOCK (not the whole bar) a day to help contain the cravings under control and I keep it out of sight so I'm not tempted to eat more.

 

I rarely use protein drinks often unless I lift heavier weights than usual. I have seen an organic grocery store sell sugar free protein drinks (and they taste better). I usually eat a lot of chicken because they are leaner meats and loaded with protein. Beans are an excellent course of protein. My favorite is Edamame for low sodium and Vitamin K (lowers chances of having bone desity loss).

 

Drinking water... I can get very bored with it. I add Crystal Light or Mio Drops in my water bottles to add flavor (and they barely contain sugar or hardly any calories). they even have a caffeine Crystal Light on the go.

 

My question for you is what is your goal for toning your tummy? It takes time plus monitoring your eating habits to reach it. Be patient.

[Silverbirch]

Hi Snny,

I would just like to tummy to be a bit firmer. As I mentioned, I recently went back to dance. I do bellydance and cabaret/burlesque and only recently performed publicly for the first time in many years - I dance with a group of other women. The toning of muscles definitely adds to the performance - and a sense of well-being of course. I don't want to be doing the moves and having a belly wobbling all over the place! Unless a person has the body for it, burlesque can look outright silly.

 

One of the things I really like about the type of dance I'm getting back into is that it entails isolating some parts of the body and moving those parts - such as the shoulders and breasts without moving other parts of the body. Will see if I can find a recent video of a woman who I thought had excellent control of her upper body. It's about more than physical. It's hard to explain, but I might find the words to articulate what I mean. It's to do with participating in and embracing life - and having a good time. Well, I can still do it without a perfectly toned body, but I think I would be totally uninhibited as far as dance goes to achieve my physical goal.

 

Re the bananas, I was eating at least one, usually more a day. I'm originally from a place famed for our bananas - part of the staple diet.

[Silverbirch]

Okay, this is not exactly the type of tribal fusion my group is into, (I think they are more conventional and probably glamorous), but we love watching this sort of thing and would all love to have her top control. Most of the women I dance with, probably myself included, I think are better with our hips than she is. Her arms and chest are fantastic I think anyway.

 

[video=youtube;numh6uxJ4kg] ]

[Silverbirch]

PS We don't take off our clothes whilst dancing, but we do try to dress and move to tastefully accentuate our feminine attributes. The most fun we have though is on our own doing improvisations or showing our partners what we've been doing. Of late, a favourite piece of improvisation music has been "Lady Marmalade", th original by Patti La Belle. So much fun. This has been met very positively by all our partners to say the least.

 

I'm also much smaller in frame and lighter than the woman in the clip.

[MakeItCount]

Well, I made a suggestion in your other thread, but I guess ignore some of that now that I've seen this

 

Definitely want Isolate. Concentrate has fat, lactose in it etc, and less protein content. There's one other one that's good for lactose intolerant people but I can't remember what it's called. Isolate has like 95% protein, no fat. It's not "loaded" with sugar at all. It is the most complete type of protein on the market. Remember that even though lots veggies have protein, they're not complete proteins. Have a shake immediately after every workout. Mixing it with water is fine.

 

Soy..don't even get me started. You know how people are worried about estrogen in meat? Soy has a TON more estrogen in it than any meat product. I would avoid it, but up to you. I also think organic is a scam, but good luck convincing people of that

[Sim54]

Makeitcount, vegetarians do eat complete proteins but it means mixing things to get it. Rice and peas is an example. It's a staple in the West Indies, and Asia. Mix rice with a legume: lentils, split peas, etc, and you get your complete protein. Also, quinoa is the only vegetarian source of complete protein. A Vegetarian diet can be very healthy if monitored correctly, but Vegan, no way. Very bad for you. And yeah, the estrogen content of Soy is a big problem. But, well, if the OP is fine with it, then that's fine.

[MakeItCount]

Makeitcount, vegetarians do eat complete proteins but it means mixing things to get it. Rice and peas is an example. It's a staple in the West Indies, and Asia. Mix rice with a legume: lentils, split peas, etc, and you get your complete protein. Also, quinoa is the only vegetarian source of complete protein. A Vegetarian diet can be very healthy if monitored correctly, but Vegan, no way. Very bad for you. And yeah, the estrogen content of Soy is a big problem. But, well, if the OP is fine with it, then that's fine.

 

Yeah, they definitely can mix effectively but I know some people don't realize they need to do this. Figured I'd throw it in there

[Silverbirch]

Thanks for the interesting posts. It is true that I'm not unhappy at all with the soy milk, as I said, I don't drink lots of it, and I'm going to give rice milk a try anyway.

 

As for "organic" being a scam, it might depend on what part of the world you live in. I have been planning to become an organic grower (small time) for commercial purposes. To put the label: "Certified Organic" on your products, there are VERY strict criteria to be met in Australia, and it's a long process. I have to grow my produce in certified organic potting mix and I will be using certified organic seedlings and seeds, need to also use organic only fertiliser. I have been told from several reliable sources, including medical, not to consume any processed food from asia, particularly China due to all types of scams involving food from there. Interestingly, if I am able to get my business going, China will very likely provide the most lucrative market for my own produce. Don't want to share exactly what I hope to produce because the least competition I have, the better for me.

[MakeItCount]

Indeed, I didn't notice you're form Australia. I'm not familiar with their standards. North America in particular had very lax guidelines, but I hear they're getting better now. You used to be able to slap organic on anything. The way they're grown is also rarely truly organic, but they end up being way more expensive anyways. If people are worried about hormones etc in food, it's really never been proven that there's dangerous amounts in anything. The only link found is that higher exposure to estrogen is linked to breast cancer. That being said, it's hard to really nail that down, because a female who starts puberty earlier and menopause later will naturally be exposed to more estrogen, exposing her to breast cancer. But, again, nothing is really proven either way, so people will do what they think is right.

 

Good on you for aiming for a legitimate business practice though, hope that works out!

[Silverbirch]

Hi again and thank you MIC. It will take a number of years for my business to get going, and I doubt it will ever make me a wealthy woman. However, it's something I'd love to do and it will be more of a supplement to my income, but hopefully, I will find other ventures as well as this one. I had hoped to have my planting done in March, but the stock I require is very expensive and unexpected bills put my planting on hold. I am hopeful though that there is a variety of that plant which is suitable for planting in May that will become available. In the first couple of years of growing, most of what I produce will need to be divided and replanted, but apart from putting in some reasonable effort a couple of times a year and watering, there shouldn't be a lot to do all year round. Will be ideal for me if I make it to old age. LOL! I know of some people who planted olive trees for their old age, and that did indeed work out for them - it's 10-15 years before olive trees produce a reasonable harvest.

 

Here's a quick link to "Australian Certified Organic" which tells you what it screens. As it mentions on the link, most Australians easily recognise their logo and the organisation won the consumer watchdog award of the year. You might have something similar in the USA.

 

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[Silverbirch]

PS I just did a check at the site and the rice milk I bought and their soy milk (brand is called "Australia's Own Organic") is in fact "Certified Organic" by the association which I trust.