Protein Powders/Drinks

[AMFADVENTURES]

So with the start of the new year, I am trying to get back on track with diet and exercise. I kicked the diet coke habit when I was diagnosed in 2010, and do not eat any artificial sweeteners. I'm not 100% sure if avoiding artificial sweeteners is good for MS or not, but I stopped having nasty headaches since I quit them, so it's still a good thing. Anyways, a lot of people I know are using protein powders as part of their diet/weight loss/work out plan, and I can't seem to find one that doesn't have artificial sweetener. It's probably because the sugar adds calories, but I'd take an unsweetened one if I need to. I don't need to drink protein powders, I could just eat, but I like to make smoothies when I am eating healthy. Thought it would be interesting to see what you guys think! Thanks in advance!

Apparently that's a fairly complicated question having to do with the type of exercise, endurance or strength being two main ones, and the phase of the exercise you are in, pre-exercise, during exercise, immediately post exercise or long term post exercise. However, water is probably the most important component in all of these.

The short answer for endurance exercise might be a drink high in carbohydrates and lower in proteins with a good compliment of electrolytes (your smoothie is probably a good pre and during exercise drink, post exercise I use no fat chocolate milk). For strength training you might want a post exercise drink high in protein (your smoothie with a scoop or two of whey or soy protein thrown in or my chocolate milk with the same protein powder added).

I think the bottom line in all of it is how it affects your ability to recover (unload the fatigue) and your ability to enter the next exercise period. If you find yourself excessively fatigued or unwilling to engage in your next exercise period, you might want to try changing something up.

I am also very interested in your question and am actively searching for a general nutritional guide to successful ultra-endurance exercise, in case anyone out there is aware of such thing.

Interestingly, there were a couple of articles related to this in the ACSM journal this month, if you can get through the rather dense terminology.
http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/pages/currenttoc.aspx

Good Luck,

[Niko]

Hey Rubyming,
right away I can say that, hands down, VEGA is the best powder mix I've ever tried! It's soy-gluten-dairy-free. It's vegan and plant-based, with no sugar added. It has everything you could ask for in a single day in terms of protein, vitamins, etc. Their flavours are awesome and I usually take it with just water or almond milk, or if I want a boost I mix it in a berry smoothie.
It also lasts me a really long time, so I don't mind paying the price for it. I'm no extreme athlete so I don't take the full scoop, nor do I take it daily. Enjoy

http://shopca.sequelnaturals.com/veg...-ca?cid=MYVEGA

[nabbosa]

Protein powder

I used hemp protein powder for a while, which I mixed into my own protein bars (1/3 cup raw nuts + 1/2 cup moist dates + however much powder you want for a good balance of protein vs. calories). It makes them a funny color, but the flavor and texture are okay. Just be sure to count up the calories it adds, or you'll be sabotaging your diet!

I really like Naked Juice protein drinks. Again, take note that one bottle is two servings! I drink a serving right after 60-90 minutes of figure skating to tide me over until I can eat lunch (usually within the hour). I especially like the berry and the mango flavors, but the original isn't bad either.

I got a one-serving sample of Garden of Life RAW Protein Powder at Whole Foods. I used it in cherry juice, but wasn't thrilled with the grittiness. I think if you threw it in a blender with fruit to make a smoothie, it would be okay. It's unflavored and unsweetened. AND it's vegan and raw, if either is an issue for you.

Oh - and at least in my part of the country, Whole Foods has a sale flier with a $5.00 off coupon in the stores until the end of March.

I recently saw an article on the internet somewhere (darn - where?) that milk is a good recovery drink after exercise, too. Chocolate milk - but probably best to make your own to reduce calories and cut out all the non-pronounceable ingredients.

[RobDavidson]

Haven't tried any green smoothies but maybe i will this week. Blending and juicing destroys nutrients of the veggie so i prefer to eat them in their raw form. As far as powders go I use Apex fit meal replacement shakes for breakfast and lunch on most days and I feel great using them. Most of the time i just mix them with cold water in a blender bottle but if I'm feeling fancy i'll throw it in a blender with some frozen fruit. After workouts I also use Optimum Gold Standard Whey Protein mixed with water. Both those protein powders come in multiple flavors and i think gold standard comes unflavored as well. I think they taste good and like I said before I feel good using them.

[Joy]

I use biochem sports whey protein powder. So far I have only tasted the chocolate one. $24.57 from Vitacost. It come in other flavors. I do add 3 cups of spinach to it, one cup of frozen blueberries, barley juice powder, and other items to boost nutrition. I can't taste the other items I add. I do use almond milk 30 calories per cup to blend it with and water to get the desired thickness. It keeps me full for a long time. I usually make a blender full in the vitamix.


Whey Protein Isolate (99% Undenatured)
20 g Protein Per Serving
Fat Free and Lactose Free
Mixes Instantly
All Natural


Contains 100% pure Ultra-Filtered/Micro-Filtered (UF/MF) Whey Protein Isolate, the finest quality and most easily assimilated whey protein isolate on the market. The Micro-Filtration method isolates the natural whey proteins in a highly concentrated form without fat or lactose. This process leaves 99% of the peptides undamaged and undenatured.
100% Whey Protein has the lowest molecular weight of any protein. This allows your body to absorb it quickly and easily without bloating, gas or stomach upset.
100% Whey Protein is rich in the highly bioactive fractions glycomacropeptide and beta-lactoglobulin, immunoglobulin, glycopeptides and lactoferrin. These components feed muscle tissue.
The ultra-low glycemic response to 100% Whey Protein is beneficial for those concerned about sugar intake.
Sweetened with fructose- a Low Glycemic Index Sweetener.
Provides high levels of branched-chain amino and glutamic acids, plus a perfect ratio of other amino acids.
These low molecular weight whey peptides aid in the delivery of nitrogen into the muscle cells which leads to a desirable muscle-supporting response.


Free Of
Yeast, wheat, gluten, preservatives, artificial color, artificial flavor and artificial sweeteners.
Biochem Sports Whey Protein Isolate Powder Chocolate Fudge Directions

Mix two (2) scoops (31.4g)(1.1oz.) with 3/4 cup (6 fl.oz.)(178mL) of cold water or your favorite beverage. Stir briskly until dissolved.

[Merganser]

I've been using the 365 (Whole Foods) whey protein powder, vanilla flavor for a little while. It doesn't have sweeteners and it wasn't too hard to get used to. I'm trying to gain weight so I have a little more fat for my injections and adding this every morning has helped. If you can shop at Whole Foods, they're really good about letting you try products and return them if you don't like them--it might be a way to find a protein product you like.

[pawpaw]

protein source

I drink the EAS Body for Life carb control protein shake. I have to confess that I haven't checked the sweetener situation.
I also use Greek yogurt- Fage 0 - to make smoothies. It is very high in protein and tastes great mixed with fruit.
I have looked to a protein powder but no luck with a decent tasting one.

Pell

[Jim829]

Protein

Ruby,

I've kicked glutten, dairy, eggs, soy, sugar, artifical sweetners.... to name a few , since I was dxed a year ago. I started mixing a protein drink with rice milk and Garden of Life Raw Protein. It is free of all those things, and mixes up pretty easily in one of those shaker-type plastic cups. When I first started drinking it, I told my wife that it tasted like tree bark, but now I am pretty used to it --- I actually look foward to having it. Might consider giving it look.

Jim

[rubyming]

I do make green smoothies! I have a friend who follows a raw diet, and she got me hooked on kale, blueberry, and banana smoothies.

I'll have to keep an eye out for unflavored protein powder, haven't seen any in my travels! thanks for the tip!

[banshee]

Hi Ruby,

Congrats on kicking the soda habit! As far as protein powders go, you may want to look at an unflavored whey protein powder. Often, the sweeteners come into play when they are flavoring the powder. And if you're adding fruit or other stuff, you won't miss the flavoring in the powder anyway.

Personally, I use Jay Robb Whey Protein. Tastes good, and has minmal additives. I've tried the egg white protein from the same brand, but I prefer the taste of the whey protein.

Jim

[Stella]

Green Smoothies

Hi Ruby,

welcome to the forum. Have you thought of trying green smoothies? They are supposed to be really super healthy for you and you make them from scratch. There are loads of recipes in the internet. My sister who is a vegan is a big fan of these. Here is just one link:

http://greensmoothiesblog.com/10-gre...othie-recipes/


Well done on quitting the Diet Coke. Diet Coke has an ingredient - Aspartame that is supposed to be really bad for you and dangerous. Better to get hooked on water.

Good luck with your New Years resolutions!

Stella

[rubyming]

So with the start of the new year, I am trying to get back on track with diet and exercise. I kicked the diet coke habit when I was diagnosed in 2010, and do not eat any artificial sweeteners. I'm not 100% sure if avoiding artificial sweeteners is good for MS or not, but I stopped having nasty headaches since I quit them, so it's still a good thing. Anyways, a lot of people I know are using protein powders as part of their diet/weight loss/work out plan, and I can't seem to find one that doesn't have artificial sweetener. It's probably because the sugar adds calories, but I'd take an unsweetened one if I need to. I don't need to drink protein powders, I could just eat, but I like to make smoothies when I am eating healthy. Thought it would be interesting to see what you guys think! Thanks in advance!