Protein Powders – The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

With protein powders everywhere these days, it’s easy to get drawn in to the flashy labels.

Unfortunately, most protein powders are not as great as they seem!  Just because it says organic and natural, doesn’t mean anything.

Why Take Protein:

  • Athletes – easy to get some quick protein that doesn’t feel heavy/helps build muscle
  • Moms- mom’s are some of the busiest people and sometimes finding time to sit down and eat is hard.  Be able to get quick protein on the go, is such a huge plus for moms.
  • Busy Life/Anyone on the go

What you do NOT want to find in a protein:

  • Sucralose-synthetic sweetener
  • Aspartame-synthetic sweetener
  • Polysorbate 80
  • Maltodextrin
  • Polyethylene Glycol(basically MiraLAX which is a laxative)
  • Any Isolate-(Whey Protein Isolate, Soy Protein Isolate, etc…) causes gas, bloating, diarrhea, increases allergies. Wreaks havoc on gut flora. Very easy to store because it’s been processed so much.
  • RBGH
  • Sodium caseinate
  • GMO’s
  • MSG
  • Hydrogenated anything
  • Soy Lecithin

What to look for in a protein:

  • Grass-fed/Grass-finished if it’s an animal protein
  • Organic
  • Little ingredient list as possible
  • Whey Protein Concentrate

Heavy Metals in Plant Based Proteins:

  • Can’t tell the heavy metal content by looking at the label
  • Pea, Rice, Hemp are all plant based proteins
  • Get 3rd party testing from the manufacturer(call/e-mail them and ask for the papers with the lab testing done and make sure there is a signature so you can go back to them and say this person signed off)
  • If they didn’t have testing done, then move on, not a good protein
  • Just because your protein was tested doesn’t mean it’s good, make sure you see what the heavy metal levels are

*The reason there is heavy metals in plant based proteins is because whatever is in the soil gets soaked up.  So if the soil contains a lot of heavy metals, then the plant is soaking that up. If you take pea protein for instance you essentially are eating 100’s of peas each time you’re taking your pea protein, so you want to make sure the the quality of the peas is good. Overtime that could add up to a lot of heavy metals if you’re not careful.

What if a protein is cheaper:

  • Proteins are often cheaper because they skimp on quality ingredients and sourcing.

Can I find a clean protein at Whole Foods or other health food stores:

  • It can still be hard to find a clean protein at your local health store or Whole Foods.  Best thing to do is e-mail/call them and ask questions about their protein.

Why should I drink protein 30-40 minutes after a workout:

  • Helps to decrease cortisol after workout.
  • Helps to spike hormones in a good way after workout.
  • Builds muscle.
  • 15 grams of protein is great after workout.

Why you don’t want to blend a whey protein too much:

  • Whey collects air and the more powerful your blender the more air is collected.
  • The air can cause you to feel bloated, have gas, and make you feel like the protein is just sitting in your stomach.
  • Just add the protein in after you’ve blended all the ingredients.
  • If you still feel bloated, gassy or like a ball is sitting in your stomach you may just have a bad protein.

What protein is best:

  • Goat Whey Protein
  • Whey Protein Concentrate(best sources are going to be from New Zealand, Australia, or Germany-although really expensive)
  • Vegetarian- Pea Protein (however plant based proteins don’t contain all the amino acids)
  • If you add some rice and pea protein together you will get more of a complete protein since they both are missing certain amino acids.

*Collagen is really popular now and is great for hair, skin, nails and joints. But it doesn’t build muscle tissue or immunity.

What protein do we recommend? 

Goat whey protein.

Here’s why:

  • Goat whey has demonstrated positive anti-inflammatory effects in the digestive system. Cow whey has shown increased inflammatory effects.
  • Cow whey is considered allergenic whereas goat whey is considered hypoallergenic.
  • Whey protein is the “gold standard” for serious athletes. Goat whey is the “gold standard” of that “gold standard.”
  • It’s amazing for our immune systems, supporting lean muscle growth and repair, as well as optimal body composition.
  • Includes the full range of essential amino acids in ratios that best support the athlete in all of us.

The goat whey protein we recommend is called Activ Whey.  There are many reasons why we like it:

  • It is really light and doesn’t ever make you feel bloated. That’s because there is nothing added to fill up space, just the purest goat whey and flavoring.
  • Activ Whey is a goat whey protein that comes from goats that are grassfed all the way through their lifecycle. There are zero antibiotics or hormones used on the goats or the vegetation they eat from.

You can find Activ Whey at EliteFuel.net.

What has your experience been with protein powders? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

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