Losing those extra pounds is not as easy as gaining them, so Are Protein Shakes Meal Replacements?
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Many of us have or are drinking protein shakes, but really how much do we know about them and the benefits we are receiving from them?
Is Protein Shakes Meal Replacements?
To answer the question you came here to find out will be my first paragraph, and the answer is they are not meant to replace your meals. Instead, they are to supplement your diet with more protein, with that clear we can move on.
- Assist your muscle development
- May help some people lose weight
- Quicker recovery from workouts
- Increases your metabolism
- Prevents loss of muscle mass
- Easy way to add more protein to your diet
Now we understand these products better than before, with knowing this you can use them more effectively. bodybuilders are the most common group that consumes these regularly, but more and more people are using these than ever before.
Harvard Health About Protein Shakes
Everything has its pros and cons, and these products are no different. Thanks to a blog post written by Harvard Health, we are going to learn about them. If you value this resource, you must read what I found out below.
- A protein powder is a dietary supplement.
- It may cause digestive distress. People with dairy allergies or trouble digesting lactose can experience gastrointestinal discomfort
- It may be high in added sugars and calories. Some protein powders have little added sugar, and others have a lot
- Many of the products during a study reveal heavy metal toxins
Now we know to check the content of the sugars and calories thanks to this information, it might be wise to consult with your physician before adding these shakes to your diet. Don’t forget about the toxins recently found in them as well, so Harvard Health did an awesome job with this article.
Protein Overload Red Flags
You now understand the benefits as well as the risks, we must know the signs of overusing protein shakes next to be safe. Many people might be consuming these daily as gym rats often do, but are you overloading your body is something to be concerned about?
- Digestive discomfort often is experienced when people are consuming these shakes more than they should.
- Experiencing dehydration is another common symptom to watch out for.
- Extremely feelings of fatigue for no known reason
- Stomach discomfort
- Headache
- Diarrhea
This information was found in an article written by Medical News Today, we thank this website for providing us with these signs of too much protein consumption. Feel free to sign up for my auto-notifications, this is just a convenient way for you to keep up on what guides are being published.
Weight loss With Protein Shakes
I must admit in the past, I was using these with the idea they would help me lose weight. Actually, the opposite happened when I started using these as a weight loss product which they are not made for that.
- Manufacturers claim they may help some people lose weight.
- Possibly lower your fat content.
- Lean muscle mass
- Help you to feel full which might result in eating less.
- Some products are high in sugar and calories resulting in weight gain instead.
- Bodybuilders most often use these to gain more muscle mass instead of to lose weight.
- Without a healthy low-fat diet along with regular exercise, chances are most of us are going to gain extra pounds.
- High sugar content along with high salt will add weight.
- The Mayo Clinic states there has not been enough evidence to prove one way or the other if losing weight is a benefit of these products.
Awesome for us to know more about protein shakes to make better decisions, now you know the pros and cons of consuming these products regularly. Instead of purchasing store-bought versions, Gizmo recommends you go with homemade recipes. To get you started that is what you are going to find in my next paragraph.
Gizmos Favorite Recipe
Strawberry and banana is my favorite homemade protein shake, you are in luck today since I am actually going to share this one with you. Where this recipe came from was the All Recipes website, you might want to add this to your browser favorites just like I have.
What We Need
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1 scoop vanilla-flavored whey protein powder
- 2 cups ice
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1 large banana
- 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
How to Make
Layer milk, protein powder, ice, strawberries, banana, and peanut butter in a blender in this order; blend until creamy and smooth. Very easy even for the busiest person, now are you ready to give this recipe a try? Love to hear from anyone who tries this one out, you can leave your experience in my comments section at the end of this guide.
Gizmos Shopping Guide
If you prefer to shop for the best protein shakes to lose weight, Woman’s Health Magazine has some recommendations. Let us just see what they suggest as our best choices, providing you with the links is to give you access to more information, now below are what they tell us are the better ones.
- Optimum Nutrition Gold
- Vital Proteins
- Orgain Grass-Fed Whey
- Quest Multi-Purpose Protein Powder
- Garden of Life Meal Vanilla
- RSP Nutrition
- Ancient Nutrition Bone Broth Protein Powder
- Isopure Whey Protein
- Ascent Native Fuel Micellar Casein
- Naked Nutrition Egg White
The list above will give you a good start of brands to consider, I do hope you will try the homemade recipe I included in this guide as well. By choosing one of the ones on the list above you are getting the healthiest products, and these are supposed to help people lose weight.
Meal Replacement Guide
Meal replacements might interest you as well, now below is what you want to be sure is in the one that you buy. Another shopping tip from Gizmo, by following the tips below you are on your way to being a smarter shopper.
- High in protein
- High fiber
- Healthy fats
- Low in sugar and calories
- Vitamins and minerals preferably from fruits and vegetables
- Aim for between 150 and 250 calories
- Try to find one with approximately 20 grams of protein
With the guide above you have a much better idea of what you are searching for, in a survey the majority of people preferred to purchase a meal replacement from the store than make their own. If you are like the majority, there is nothing wrong with that.
Breakfast Weight Loss Guide
Breakfast seems to be the meal many of us skip more than any other, I am guilty of this myself, just so you know that you are not alone. What can we eat in the morning was provided by Bristrol MD, now let us see what the doctor has to say.
- Granola
- Greek Yogurt
- Oatmeal
- Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Bagel
- Breakfast Burrito
- Strawberry Milkshake
- Strawberry Smoothie
Hopefully, some of these have caught your eye, many of us just don’t take the time to eat in the morning. Preparing them the night before if you have the time is a great time-saver, and more of us will eat them when all we need to do is warm them up in the microwave.
Healthy Weight Loss Snacks
Snacking is actually an important part of managing our weight, so never think that it is a bad thing to be doing regularly. The key is choosing the right ones, now that is what we are going to explore right now. This list was provided by the Men’s Health website, just so you know where these came from.
- Avocados and Tomatoes
- Greek Yogurt
- Salt and Pepper Mushroom Jerky (Shop Walmart )
- Oatmeal
- Pitted Prunes
- Nacho Cheese Pigless Pork Rind
- Apples and Peanut Butter
- Almonds
- Pistachios
- Baked Banana Chips
- Sweet Potato Toast
- Cottage Cheese
- Triscuit Original Crackers
- Smoothie
- Cucumbers
- Maple Glazed and Smoked Salmon Bits ( Shop Thrive Market)
- Pears
- Chickpeas
- Hummus
- Favas Peas
- Pineapple
- Berries
- Organic Flaxseed Crackers
- Chicken Raisin Sesame Bars (Shop Thrive Market )
Thrive Market is one of your best organic food shopping spots online, you might find some healthy snacks there not available on Amazon and Walmart. I would check them first, and then if they don’t carry them consider Thrive Market instead.
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Gizmos Health Guides
Time to share with you some more of my health guides that might interest you, this will save you the time searching on your own. If you have found this helpful, please share it with your family and your friends. You can spread the word about my website which would be much appreciated, now for more of my articles.
- Cardio Dance Workout Videos
- Do Weight Loss Creams Work
- Browse Self-Help Guides on Pinterest
- Why Are Processed Foods Unhealthy
- Vitamin B12 and Histamine Intolerance
Here you go with some of my favorites, and you will notice there is a link to browse all of my guides on Pinterest as well. This makes it very convenient to have access to all of them in one place, feel free to visit my board if this interests you.