# Protein powder tips



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Anybody have any? I finally found some protein powder that doesn't contain artificial sweeteners, YAY. The Vitamin Shoppe had samples and I mixed one with yogurt. Unfortunately it tastes pretty much like gritty, chalky vanilla gunk. The strawberry in the yogurt helped but the protein still tastes pretty chalky. How do you all mix it up to make it palatable? Hubby drank his with milk but I can't drink milk. I thought about having it with ice cream, but that would just ruin ice cream.


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## ed/La (Feb 26, 2009)

I make smoothies with whey protein. I use coconut milk, ice, fruit, yogurt sometimes ice-cream or honey. Taste good. I am trying to gain weight. The more calories the better for me.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

I find it unnecessary and expensive and unpleasant.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Protein supplement was recommended by a couple dieticians and a doctor. It's supposed to help build my muscle mass and stamina because of my slow recovery from the surgery. I would much prefer real meat, cheese and nuts but the powder doesn't have the calories or cholesterol of other protein sources.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Both the power lifter/CrossFit daughter and Mr. Pixie drink protein powder, and the only recommendation is drink it cold and fast.


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

I rather eat a steak for my protein


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## Zoomyn (Apr 12, 2019)

Wow - soy protein 50¢ an ounce? That'd be $5 for one ounce possible weight gain. Yikes, too expensive. What follows are musings on memories, not outrageous humor but truth...

The most muscle gain I accomplished was swimming laps at 6AM for 30-45 minutes followed by a plate of french fried potatoes around 10AM, did that twice a week for a month and did not recognize my self in the mirror as I was well down the path to having a beefcake waist, chest and shoulders. I lost those free swims and all the gains just averaged out elsewhere... oops.

Anyhow, the body/mind is essentially lazy thus to add muscle weight our metabolisms insist on seeking out and healing some metabolism debt... No gain without pain/effort. And its those times when every fiber of our being is saying Nooooo (5AM wake up to swim) that the correct signals are set to make better muscles.

Some things I've tried to keep my Union 40 work happy and still party all night... blenderize buttermilk with a can of salmon/tuna then take a nap before going out evenings.. half-pint of whipping creme to a half-pint of strong black coffee after midnight to be able to jump up awake at 5AM, the caffeine matching fatigue so sleep happens but metabolism stays up healing prior days effort... About the best sleep aide and rejuvenation in the last 10 years is a couple bowls of cereal (cherrios, frosted wheat, wheaties, mixed with bran) and straight to bed - the roughage gives something for the body to 'chew' on while sleeping, dunno why but it works for me.


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## barnbilder (Jul 1, 2005)

Must eat at caloric surplus to gain muscle, and must consume protein. Muscle is made of protein and the body can't make it out of non protein sources. The standard american diet is severely protein deficient, most likely because protein in almost any form is expensive. I don't sweat the artificial sweetners and find the powder options that contain them are much more appealing, but I strive to hit protein requirements without using protein supplements. When I do, I find them added to coffee to be the best mode.


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

GNC used to sell...and maybe still does...a protein powder flavor called "Cookies 'n Cream". It was VERY good to drink with just water and ice...in a shaker jar.

Pretty sure it was Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey Isolate.

Mon


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Funny how elephants and hippos don’t eat meat. 

Humans need amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Meat, eggs, and milk are NOT essential in the human diet.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Oregon1986 said:


> I rather eat a steak for my protein


Great minds think alike, and so do you and I.


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## kinderfeld (Jan 29, 2006)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Funny how elephants and hippos don’t eat meat.
> 
> Humans need amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Meat, eggs, and milk are NOT essential in the human diet.


Quite true.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

There is a lot of protein in beans and nuts. Nuts are my favorite! I could eat a pound of almonds or cashews a day. Unfortunately they are as expensive as steak and shrimp. In the winter I make a lot of bean or lentil soup but it's just too hot for that kind of meal now. 

I have to read the labels for artificial sweetener very carefully. There are a couple that make me violently ill. The only protein powder I found without the artificial stuff is a plant based protein without any whey. It's not bad, really. Just chalky. If I decide to buy a can I'll have to break out the blender and buy a bunch of frozen fruit.


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## LeifNKC (May 26, 2017)

Wow, having spent the last 6 months reading all I could, sometimes in audio book format, listening to podcasts, and looking things up online, I have to disagree vehemently with a couple posters on a few issues... Like, meat not being essential in the human diet. That is an illogical statement! Why then do humans have VERY acidic stomach acid? More acidic than almost any other known animal... don't need acidity to digest plant matter. Humans were DESIGNED to eat meat, BUT, we also were given the ability to eat plants too as a backup food source.

The human body runs more efficiently on ketones than glucose, especially the brain. Alzheimers and/or Parkinson's are now being called type 3 diabetes, and some studies have shown that people with these issues regain at least temporarily better brain function, kind of like the lights started working a bit better behind their eyes, when given doses of exogenous ketones.

Our bodies will burn glucose for fuel first, because it's the easiest to burn. However, ketones are better for long term health, weight loss, etc. On Facebook there are literally thousands of people who have done N=1 experiments on themselves, and report many health benefits. My wife asked me to lose weight for quite a while, and I finally started a keto diet on January 2nd, 2019 and felt better within days, more energy, pounds started dropping, pants started getting looser, etc. Three weeks later I switched to a zero-carb/carnivore way of eating and it accelerated.

These days I eat almost no plant matter and have lost 22 pounds. I sleep better, folks at church have been making comments about my clothes not straining at the buttons, I have more energy, and libido (which was never a problem for me) is through the roof every day! My arms and legs are leaning out and muscles are once again evident, although I follow no workout program and work a fairly sedentary job... the belly is smaller, but I'd like to drop another 25-30 lbs, hopefully this year, but it's been pretty much effortless so far. 

It's pretty hard to over eat calorie wise when eating healthy fats and meat. I usually eat 2+ pounds of beef, mostly ground, sometimes steak, sometimes some bacon too, and sometimes cheese. I do much better on the 80/20 than that lean (more expensive) stuff like 90/10, or Heaven forbid 93/7... yuck! Kerrygold butter is what we keep on hand, and my wife is still doing more keto, so she uses avocado oil and coconut oil, the best 2 plant oils out there from what I can find. For me, lard and tallow are my main energy sources, and beef has come to taste so yummy! I can't imagine ever voluntarily choosing to go back to eating a SAD diet. (Although, I do occasionally cheat, when eating out with friends, and might have a couple tortillas, but I PAY for it about 2 days later, so really not worth it! I also will drink a Michelob Ultra or two sometimes, and that doesn't seem to bother me.)

My skin has mostly cleared up, no more scaly elbows and knees, feet are about 80-90% less cracked, never get even a hint of tooth fuzz no matter if I forget to brush before bed. Now, if I can just get my veggie loving wife to try it for a month... <sigh> she keeps watching me and commenting how much better I look, and she is NOT a big compliment giver! CV way of eating also tends to help women out with their hormones, according to many women in the FB group who gripe sometimes about how their libidos are revved up like they hadn't been in a long time and they are trying to get their hubbies on the plan too! LOL

The other main thing I saw was someone recommending beans and nuts. The problem with those is the anti-nutrients plants contain... nuts especially are mostly high in oxalates, which cause MANY people problems, even if undiagnosed by their medical personnel. I loved nuts, almost any kind... a lot of beans too. But, for me, and many others, they can do bad things to our bodies, moods, etc.

To be fair, some people DO seem to do OK on a vegan diet, especially folks from India/Asia in my experience. Maybe it's from thousands of years of including it as a staple? My ancestors were almost all Scandinavian, and they ate lots of meat and dairy... which is what I seem to do best with. Everyone is different, so find what works best for you!

Having lost weight with several systems, Herbalife, Protein Power Plan both over 50 lbs, and now on a CV way of eating, this has been the easiest and is something I see myself staying on for the rest of my days on this planet.  Oh yes, there may be an adjustment period of a week or two (for most people I've heard of) as your gut microbiome adjusts to not getting all the carbs, but after maybe a week to 10 days I lost all my craving for sweets, and these days could care less. I did try cheating a couple times in the 2nd and 3rd months, but paid for it and am happy now. YMMV!

Eat beef for your protein, and stop worrying about cholesterol... about 85% of the cholesterol in your body was made by you! Give up the artificial protein powders... man was meant to eat protein and fat, not drink it for a staple!

Good books to explore:
The Omnivore's Dilemma
Wheat Belly
The Case Against Sugar (Gary Taubes)
Why We Get Fat (G. Taubes)
Grain Brain
The Plant Paradox
The Dorito Effect

(BTW, like most carnivores I've met so far, I am all for people having the right to choose what to eat. If you want to eat green stuff, have at it...but, maybe, do your own research and understand why it may or may not be making you feel good/bad or get fat/thin.)


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