THE Protein Shake

If you’ve gotten into fitness, training, weight-lose, etc and done any research on what to be eating, inevitably you have heard about the wonders of protein shakes.  Protein shakes have their positives and negatives, supporters and nay-sayers.  I personally do not train at such a level to need or require a daily/after workout shake.  I would say at my rather casually athletic level, an occasional shake as either a meal replacement or supplement on particularly hardy days is a good choice.

As I’ve mentioned, there are pro’s and con’s to high protein diets.  A protein shake fits nicely into a high protein diet and is more ideal for the rigorously training athletic elites at the gym.  The general athletic level individual can get some benefits from indulging in these shakes on occassion.  In fact, I would say a well planned protein shake can be as satisfying for you as a dessert but with much better nutritional value for your indulgence. My word of advice here is moderation.  Having a protein shake as a regular part of your diet without either substituting a meal or hitting the gym till you can barely function will add inches to your waistline and you will lose benefits rather than gain any.

If you have already developed your own protein shake recipe this may be a nice one to switch things up. If you’re particularly new and wondering where to start I will hopefully be able to offer you some inspiration.  My shake recipe is more of a guideline of ingredients that I usually mix by preference.  Some people like certain ingredient more than others, and the beauty is in the personalization.  For starters I would suggest following serving size suggestions and eye-balling it to make sure you have a good consistency.

I am going to list ingredients in order of how I plop them in my blender.  Over trial and error I have discovered a ‘better’ layering technique that doesn’t jam my old, cheap blender. If you have a Ninja… lucky you!

• Greek Yogurt:  I use plain 0% fat greek yogurt, usually a few dollops of my favorite Faye I constantly keep on hand.
• Protein Powder:  Luckily these come with handy serving size scoops. Any protein powder works, this is what they are made for. I currently am trying to use up my Body Fortress Chocolate & Peanut Butter. I feel obligated to finish and not waste, even if I am lactose-intolerant and regret my decision to get this type.  Body Fortress is a Whey-Protein powder, which is a type that dominates the current market. They are good form of digestible protein, made from a bi-product of cheese production, and from my experience they have the best consistency and flavor. They are also a dairy product so if you are like me use at your own risk. There are vegan varieties available as well.
• Peanut Butter:  I like creamy peanut butter… you can use crunchy if you want a special kick.  Peanut butter brings added iron to the table along with the protein.  It’s also delicious, helps make a smooth shake and is always on hand in my house.
• Blueberries: Helpful tip, use frozen berries.  This is a perfect way to firm up and cool the shake without adding ice that will water it down. And don’t hold back! The blueberries add great flavor and are considered a superfood!  These little delicious morsels have vitamins, magnesium and even protein… and plenty of healthy sugar. Who doesn’t want a sugary superfood?!
• Chia Seeds:  Chia seeds are actually seeds from a grass plant. They are itty-bitty things that you can pour in, blend and sip without even noticing they are in the shake. Chai Seeds are considered another superfood, mostly due to their high Omega-3 content without being an animal product. The health benefits are all over the internet, just google them and read all the wonderful news. Honestly it may seem strange at first… I remember being a little unsure… but they really are an good addition that passes unnoticed more often than not.
• Banana:  OOooh I shouldn’t have to tell you why you need banana’s.  These are an important fruit for both nutrition and flavor. What shake is complete without the delicious banana?
• Milk:  Now when all is said and done, check out your blending shake.  If your portions of ingredients are on the dry side you will know when nothing actually blends. For times like that I add almond milk to help make the shake a real shake.

This is more of our family secret shake to be honest. When I was first setting out of my weight-lose/get healthy journey I had asked my older brother for advice/guidance.  Now you see, this brother is the most fit person I know. He is the individual who can drink a protein shake, run a mountain, come back down and drink another.  He suggested when I first started to revamp my food choices that I substitute the occasional meal with a protein shake. Since I had no idea how to go about that, he showed me his secret list of ingredients.  I found the combination rather repulsing to start, something about berries and peanut butter just made the whole thing questionable to my mind.  However I tried it, for the record he likes more berries than I do, and I have since been turned to the protein shake fan club.

Hope you have fun trying your own shake! Keep your options open, don’t take this list to be the end-all-be-all for shake manufacture.  There are always new findings in nutrition health, and any time you come across a tasty superfood that you think may work just throw it in and try it! Happy shaking this summer!