Ok now that we can all agree that we need more protein the question becomes, "how the heck do I eat that much protein without feeling super full all of the time?"
Enter the protein shake.
In addition to helping you get more protein, which we know helps to build new muscle and maintain muscle on a low calorie diet (when trying to lose body fat), protein also has many other benefits.
- Recover from exercise faster
- Feel satiated so your hunger goes away
- Gives the body critical nutrition to heal and repair the body (muscles, joints, organs, etc.)
- Keeps the metabolism high
- so many more things... too many to get into here
One of the pros of a pro-tein shake... pun intended, is that you can get other healthy nutrients in your shake. Flax or chia seeds, nutmeg, cinnamon and more can all benefit your health and mix very well in a shake.
The shakes below are low skill, super quick, require no blender and thus may seem uninspired... but lay the foundation for how to make your protein shakes. If you decide to get fancier in the future with blenders and crushed ice, etc. you can still follow the basic templates below to ensure you aren't getting the wrong type of protein shake for your goal and to optimize timing.
- 1 scoop of Warrior Whey chocolate protein powder
- 4 oz water
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds (whole or ground)
- Dash of nutmeg
- Dash of cinnamon
- Calories 150+/-
Mix together in a shaker, shake and go. The Warrior Whey mixes amazingly well unlike most protein shakes, plus it is from grass-fed cows and is hormone and antibiotic-free.
The cinnamon helps improve insulin sensitivity to control blood sugar levels, the nutmeg has mood enhancement properties some have even compared it to Prozac but without the negative side effects.
I normally would not add a bunch of calories and sugar to a protein shake, but immediately following an intense high volume training session you need to replenish your glycogen (sugar) and the insulin boost will help to add muscle tissue.
- 1 scoop of Warrior Whey vanilla protein powder
- 6 - 8 oz water
- 1 tablespoon of organic strawberry preserves
- 1 tablespoon of organic, raw, local honey
- Calories 200+/-
Mix together in a shaker, shake and go. Sip on it, don't chug it, after your workout.
The honey will not only add sugar to replenish your muscle's glycogen but if you get organic, raw (non-pasteurized), local honey then it can decrease symptoms of allergies. Bees pollinate flowers and elements of the pollen make it into your honey as long as it is local and raw then you will get the same benefits as going on allergy shots. The strawberry preserves of course just adds more flavor in addition to sugar.
Here you have seen two different types of shakes, one was high protein and fiber and sugar-free, the other was high protein and sugar but fiber-free.
Obviously we want to avoid having too high of insulin levels during the day so one big carb/sugar meal after a workout is appropriate for most people (always consult your medical provider if you have a special condition).
The other protein shakes during the day should be like the first one with higher fiber (chia or flax seeds) and protein but no sugar.
There are so many protein shake options out there that a simple Google search will yield countless recipes. Just remember to keep the calories and sugar low most of the time and make the calories and sugar higher and fiber low post-workout.
Warning... Be carefull making extravogant shakes with lots of frozen fruit. That simple 150 calorie protein shake can easily turn into a 400+ calorie shake by adding milk, a banana and some berries! Ok if you are trying to gain weight or use this as a meal but if this is a snack then you are getting in a significant amount of calories.
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