Anyway, I thought to re-start my blogging efforts, I’d throw together a very short summary of all things protein powders.

Protein powders still seem to be shrouded in mystery for many people and I’ve heard all kinds of claims associated with them: protein powders are a bad for your kidneys (most definitely not), protein powders are a processed food (true) and all processed foods are bad (incorrect), protein powders are dangerous for kids (not unless they trip over a tub and break a wrist), and so on and so forth.

“Safer for Kids than a Plastic Bag!”

Let’s look at the question of “processed” because that’s where a lot of people cognitively struggle with protein powders. Yes, all protein powders are a processed food (let’s be honest, our ancestors never hunted tubs of protein in antiquity), however, they still rank fairly high on my “foods to build a diet around” recommendations.

Why is this?

Simple: our food supply has changed dramatically in the past 100-150 years and it’s unrealistic to expect we return to a time where everyone eats solely pasture-raised meat that was butchered by hand, eats copious amount of fresh fish caught in pollution-free waters and consumes fruits and vegetables that have never seen a pesticide, nor have traveled further than 50 miles.

Of course, if you are able to eat this way then by all means continue doing so… it’s just unrealistic to expect the 400+ million people living in North America to all be able to do it.

Given that this is our new reality, I’m quite happy to recommend people incorporate protein powders, omega-3 fish capsules and vegetables and fruits flown to us from far away lands as part of a healthy diets because let’s be honest, for the vast majority of people, incorporating “processed” foods like protein powders into their daily routine represents a quantum leap forward in terms of their diet quality.

And you know me, I’m a diet quality guy. Of course, getting 100% of your dietary protein from powders isn’t wise (as a general rule, whole foods are better), but a scoop or two or protein can be a boon to most people’s diets.

So now that that’s out of the way, let’s start looking at type of protein powders you may see on the shelves. I won’t go into specific brands (as there are thousands) but rather provide my thoughts on the different types of protein powders that exist.

Animal Proteins

Whey
Whey protein (one of the dairy proteins) has the highest lecuine content of any protein powder, making it the most powerful stimulator of protein synthesis of all the proteins.

Concentrates
Whey concentrate is considered less “pure” and contains less protein per scoop (often containing higher amounts of carbohydrates and fat as well). That being said, it undergoes the least amount of processing of any whey protein and retains the largest number of bioactive subfractions, which have a variety of health benefits.

Some individuals do struggle to digest whey concentrates, so before buying a huge tub, test your individual tolerance to a particular brand. Many people find that finding a brand that includes supplemental digestive enzymes (look for things like Aminogen or Proteases on the label) significantly improves digestibility.

Isolates
A pure whey protein, containing over 90% protein per scoop. Whey isolate is digested rapidly, making it a popular choice for protein powders ingested immediately post-workout.

Due to the processing techniques required (cold filtered is best), whey isolates do tend to be more expensive, however, they also produce less gastrointestinal distress than do concentrates.

Hydrolysates
Any hydrolyzed protein is digested and absorbed extremely rapidly. However, they tend to taste quite bitter and are very expensive. As a result, we don’t recommend going this route unless you absolutely can’t digest concentrates or isolates.

Blends
Typically a mix of concentrate/isolate, these proteins often offer the benefits of both types. Considering most of us aren’t elite athletes training 2-3x/day, the absolute speed of nutrient absorption is a minor concern, so we’d be better off choosing a blended whey protein.

These proteins tend to be quite affordable (~$50/5 lbs, which is 75 x 25 g servings) and can be found in a variety of flavours.

Casein

Casein (the other dairy protein) is digested very slowly. This lengthy speed of digestion makes casein a subpar choice for spiking protein synthesis, however, it does make it strongly anti-catabolic (which means it is great at preventing protein breakdown).

Casein-based powders tend to be superior choices for hunger managements and as pre-bedtime options with cottage cheese being a food naturally high in casein.

Several people do have dairy allergies though, particularly to casein, so if you are someone who does not tolerate dairy well, you are best to look into alternate sources.

You’ll often see “micellar” casein listed on a label. This tells you that your protein will form a “micelle” (a tiny ball) when mixed with liquid. Because of this tendency to ‘clump’, 100% pure casein powders are best mixed with a blender and not by hand.

Egg white protein

Egg white protein is one animal-sourced protein that is incredibly easy to digest making it suitable for many diets. Some people find the taste a little bland/salty though.

Pasteurized egg whites in the carton (best price is at Costco, 3 x 500 ml for under $5) are another easy way to incorporate more egg protein into your diet.

Vegetarian proteins

When it comes to vegan proteins, one (minor) concern is that they are not as bio-available as animal proteins. However, given that North Americans generally eat quite a bit of protein, this isn’t the end of the world.

Soy

Soy protein is the most “complete” of all vegetable proteins (meaning it contains all the essential amino acids). However, there are conflicting reports on soy’s ability to provoke negative hormonal impacts in certain individuals. For this reason, I tend to not recommend frequent usage of soy as a primary source of protein.

When it comes to soy products in general, I don’t recommend ingesting large amounts of refined soy products like soy protein, soy milk, soy burgers, soy cheese… etc. However, fermented soy products (tempeh, miso, some tofu and natural soy like edamame) are a valuable addition to any diet.

Pea protein
Pea protein is a fairly innocuous protein that I generally recommend ahead of soy (for the aforementioned reason). It’s inexpensive, tastes ok and isn’t overly allergenic. It’s got a nutty taste to it.

It’s also a really great protein to use in baking as it doesn’t have the same “turn into a leathery boot  upon cooking” feature that whey does.

Hemp
Hemp protein is another great product. However, in contrast to the proteins listed above, it’s not a pure protein source (it contains some fat, fiber and carbs), which renders it a little less versatile for certain recipes.

Hemp also is pretty gritty, so it won’t mix crystal clear in a shake. However, like pea protein, it does work well in oatmeal, muffins and pancake type recipes.

As an added bonus, a serving of hemp protein provides a modest amount of vegetable-based omega-3s (not quite as awesome as the animal sources ones, but still pretty damn good for you). So for anyone who doesn’t eat fish (or is allergic to it), finding a way to get more plant-based omega-3s is always wise.

Rice protein
The best feature of rice protein is that it ranks pretty low on the allergenic scale, however, it lacks a complete spectrum of amino acids and doesn’t taste all that great.

Protein Wrap Up

All protein powders (and protein sources in general) have their pros and cons. The key is to find one that fits with your overall dietary approach (animal vs. vegetables), doesn’t provoke allergies, and fits your budget/taste preferences. For best results, try to rotate between a couple of different types/brands just to err on the safe side when it comes to avoiding the development of any potential allergies.

So there you have it, a very quick rundown of what to look for in your protein supplement.

Till next time, train hard and eat clean!

Although I enjoy cooking, I can be quite lazy with my meal preparation. The beauty of this tuna recipe is that it takes about 2 minutes to prepare and packs in several servings of vegetables to boot.

Tuna Avocado Stuffed Peppers

• 1 bell pepper (any colour)
• 1 can tuna
• 1/2 avocado (ripe)
• 1/2 cup onion (chopped)
• 1/2 cup salsa

Directions

In a small mixing bowl, max ripe avocado. Add tuna, onion and salsa, stir together with avocado.

Wash and cut bell pepper (in half), remove the seeds. Spoon tuna mixture into each pepper half and consume like a sandwich.

Optional: you can swap 1 TBSP of tzatziki for the avocado for a different flavour and lower caloric impact.

Nutrition Info: 400 kcal, 15 g fat, 28 g carbs (12 g fibre), 38 g protein

So there you have it, an awesomely healthy meal that even the laziest among us can prepare!

And who said fast food had to be unhealthy?

Till next train, train hard and eat clean. W2C3QWFZWQFP

This makes one of my latest creations such a rarity, it’s achieved a 100% approval rate from everyone I’ve given it to: protein pancakes. In fact, I’ve had a number of clients tell me they’d be happy to use this recipe every day if they could.

Unlike your normal pancakes that are based around white flour, my version uses old fashioned oatmeal, flax seeds, egg white and cottage cheese (optional). So essentially a bunch of bodybuilding staples, that take on delicious properties when combined.

Protein pancakes

1/2 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup egg white
2 tbsp flax seeds
3 tbsp cottage cheese

Toss flax seeds and oatmeal into a blender, grind until almost powderlike. Add cottage cheese and egg white, continue mixing until smooth. Heat some coconut oil in a frying pan, pour batter into pan and cook until bubbles start to form. Flip and continue cooking until cooked through.

Makes 3 large pancakes.

Top with berries, powdered stevia or your favourite low sugar syrup.

Nutrition info: 350 kcal, 9 g fat, 34 g carbohydrates (8 g fibre), 35 g protein

Although at first glance, these pancakes don’t sound all that special, I guarantee you’ll love them. And since they are based arond high quality carbohydrates, protein and fats, there’s really no reason why you couldn’t eat these every day if you wanted to.

Till next time, train hard and eat clean!

Protein pudding.

Now I realize that on first inspection pudding doesn’t really seem to qualify as a killer body transformation strategy, but when one of your goals as a nutritionist is to create meals using healthy ingredients that are not only appropriate for physique competitors, but also appeal to the lay public, pudding takes on added significance.

Whereas no one will deny that broccoli and chicken breast are awesomely healthy foods, the prospect of eating these foods every day for 16 weeks is enough to bring any physique athlete to tears. Likewise, broccoli and plain chicken breast aren’t the easiest sell to “new to healthy eating” dieters who believe they should be commended for choosing fruit juice and granola bars instead of a can of pop and a chocolate bar.

When the goal is to create tasty meals that individuals won’t grow tired of, is there a taste combination with more lasting appeal than peanut butter and chocolate? Unfortunately, when these two flavours are combined, you can almost be assured the result is not going to be physique friendly… until now.

With kudos to my buddy Craig Hamilton for introducing me to this recipe, here is the ultimate in anytime snacks: peanut butter protein pudding.

This dead easy recipe takes 1 minute to prepare and is high in protein, fibre and monounsaturated fats. When was the last time you could say that about one of your daily snacks?

Peanut Butter Protein Pudding

1 TBSP natural peanut or almond butter
1 TBSP Chia Seed
1 – 1 ½ scoop protein powder
splash of water

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, adding water until the mixture takes on a pudding-like consistency.

Nutrition info: 280 kcal
Fat: 14 g
Carbohydrate: 12 g
– fibre 7 g
Protein 30 g

That’s it. Sure the resulting creation kind of looks like mud, but we are trying to create optimized nutrition, not win a recipe beauty contest.

Looks can be deceiving, give it a try and I can guarantee it’ll rapidly become one of your new favourites.

Till next time, train hard and eat clean!

This is a line of thinking I’ve never really understood.

We don’t expect to become a doctor without going through med school or anticipate becoming rich if our career aspirations start and end with serving fries at McDonalds.

Yet, somehow, people have decided that it’s appropriate to yearn for a 6-pack, but are unwilling to accept the reality that without many hours of physical activity each week and careful attention to their diet, it probably isn’t going to happen.

As 8-time Mr. Olympia bodybuilding champion Ronnie Coleman is fond of saying,

“Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder but nobody wants to lift no heavy ass weights”

In other words, we often want great things, but are unwilling to invest the time and energy required to make those dreams a reality.

Of course, not everyone wants a 6-pack and would settle for more modest physique improvements. But even when the desire is something as straightforward as “dropping 5-10 lbs”, I’m still amazed at how little understanding people seem to have about what it takes to make it happen.

Undeniably, the most important part of looking good is sticking to a clean, healthy diet. What constitutes clean and healthy can vary from individual to individual, but in general, snacking on beer and cheesies is not considered a sound weight management strategy.

However, despite our cognitive understanding that feasting on beer and cheesies doesn’t produce a 6-pack, we still are loathe to give up the habit and commit to eating healthy food.

Just yesterday I was having a weight-loss related chat with someone at the gym who was telling me about a great motivational slogan he saw on a t-shirt. It’s basically a slogan that perfectly captures the mindset errors that can sink most dieters.

After some digging, I’ve been able to locate a copy of this shirt:

The source of weight loss fails everywhere!

Diet plans always seem to be scheduled to start “someday”. Unfortunately, when it comes to cleaning up the diet, someday is a day that never arrives for most individuals.

But starting a diet “someday” is not the only excuse given to justify avoiding healthy foods. You also hear “I’d love to get in better shape but I don’t have time to eat healthy” or “eating healthy is expensive” on a regular basis.

Since no time and cost are two of the major reasons people offer for not eating starting to eat healthy, I’ve decided to create a 5-minute healthy protein bar recipe that solves both of these issues.

These no-baking required protein bars work awesome as a grab-and-go breakfast option for those individuals who refuse to get up 15 minutes early to prepare an appropriate breakfast.

Alternatively, these bars work equally well as a post-workout snack, particularly if you are looking to add significant muscle mass. It doesn’t take much effort at all to down a couple of these, plus still have room to tackle a post-workout meal… they are just that delicious.

Oat and Peanut Butter Protein Bars

2 cups quick oats (regular oats will be pretty chewy in this recipe)
5-6 scoops vanilla protein powder
5 tbsp natural peanut butter
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chip (optional)

Lower carb option: omit the cranberries and chocolate chips, add 1/4 cup slivered almonds
Higher fibre option: add 2 TBSP chia seeds to this mixture

Directions
In a large bowl, combine oats, protein powder, coconut, cranberries. Add peanut butter and stir till peanut butter is coated. Slowly add ~1/2 cup almond milk, stirring throughout (add just enough liquid to the mix forms a batter-like consistency). Add chocolate chips if desired.

Line an 8×8 pan with wax paper, add mixture to pan. Cover mixture with another layer of wax paper and press down till the mixture is pressed flat. Refrigerate 30-60 minutes, then cut into bars. Wrap any unused bars in saran wrap and store in the fridge.

Makes ~10 servings.

Nutritional info per bar (cranberries and chocolate chips included):
240 kcal
9 g FAT
24 g CHO
– 4 g fibre
19 g PRO

So there you have it, a healthy protein bar recipe that is both quick and easy. No hard to pronounce ingredients, no bizarre preservatives. Oh and for all the frugal members of the crowd, the total costs of raw products works out to about $0.50-$0.60 per bar, so the bars cost less than a 1/5 of what you’d expect to pay in store.

At 5 minutes of prep and less than $5 for the entire recipe… the time to start cleaning up your diet is today – you really don’t have any excuse not to.

And of course, do add any tweaks to to this recipe in the comment section below, I love to hear how you guys adapt this recipe to best suit your needs.

Till next time, train hard and eat clean!