PASS THE STEAK, PLEASE!

Have your ever noticed in the commercials and advertisements for protein powders that there is usually an overly-oiled, super muscular man, with a heavy weighted dumbbell and a plastic jar with a shiny script on it?  It supposed to sell you more power, more strength, agility and muscles. 

There were years when I considered myself a gym rat hanging out there 4 times a week.  I did that especially after our house fire in 2004 probably because it was a release and helped me burn off anxiety. At that time too, I learnt a lot about the kitch of the day like protein powders and supplements.  They were supposed to be especially useful for weight lifting because your body absorbs it faster.  But things go in and out of fashion.  Today, out of the blue, I not only read an article on whether or not protein powder is good for you but my Gyrotonics instructor was using a new vegetable-based one herself.  It is probably hempseed, pea, chia seed and brown rice.  I personally used to use Designer's Whey Protein which was whey-based and had 27 grams of protein for getting better muscle recovery and it was good for breaking the fast from the night before. There are also soy-based powders as well now.

I don't use it personally today, nor do I pop the vitamins and supplements like I used to.  I figured if you ate properly you could get the right nutrition.  I also figured I wasn't ever short of protein in my diet and didn't have a problem scarfing down huge amounts of it.  My problem was that I would get enough ... and then some.  Eventually, my concerns were that if you already had enough of whatever from the food you ate, you could over medicate with added vitamins, minerals and protein that you didn't need.

Because protein powders are not considered food but supplements, they are not regulated or reviewed before they hit the market.  Actually, when you think about it protein powders are generally highly processed products that are fortified with vitamins, minerals, and fibre, many listing artificial flavours, colours, and preservatives prominently in the ingredient lists.  So you are really ingesting more than just pure protein when you are choosing a powder.

Finally, studies have shown that the average American exceeds their daily recommended amount of protein as I had thought for many years now. 

I am not going to into it now but there are a lot of crappy foods that are highly processed and aren't worth the box that holds them but try and appear healthy by telling you they are fortified with the added vitamins, minerals, fibres and the like.  They may still have artificial flavours, colours and preservatives and be over-processed.

You figure out the rest.  In these days of eating cleanly with less processed foods, are you really going to have protein powders?  I think of it now for the old or infirm that either won't eat or can't.   Hey, I have some really good supplements you might want to try like Greek yogurt, nonfat milk, cocoa and eggs.  I think it is better to find nutrients in whole foods.  Pass the steak, please! At least I know what is in it.