TOO MUCH PROTEIN....

They are so convenient aren't they!  Throw your powder in your water, shake & go!  Protein shakes have become widely favored as nutritional supplements, thanks in part to the high-protein diet craze. Many people think of protein shakes as a convenient diet food, and perhaps a meal substitute when you're on the go. Others view them as the key to successful muscle-building; you've probably seen protein supplements at the nutrition store touted as helpful for bulking up.


However, you have got to be careful of drinking too many protein shakes and not enough REAL protein, such as the quality protein foods include lean meat, eggs, poultry, fish, beans, legumes, nuts and dairy products.

Here's why.  Protein protein shakes tend to digest pretty quickly so you're not getting a lot out of them in terms of the sustained value out of it.  Your body needs real food.  You can easily just swap one of your shakes out for real protein.


The healthy adult should eat 0.8 grams per kilogram (a kilogram being about 2.2 pounds) of body weight, excluding pregnant women who need an extra 10 grams than what is recommended. Nursing mothers need an extra 15 grams for the first 6 months while nursing. After that, they need only an extra 12 grams. Males with a strenuous exercise routine should eat from 1 to 1 1/2 grams of protein per pound of body weight.


Excessive protein in your diet also increases the risk of osteoporosis because of limited calcium intake. Too much protein and not enough carbohydrates can cause ketones to collect in the blood (ketosis).    Too much protein in a day is also hard on your kidneys!


The other risk you must be very careful with when consuming protein shake(s) throughout your day is that, many brands - and you may not even know this, contain metals in them.  15 different brands that I know of have been tested 12 out of the 15 came up with arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury in them.  Now hold onto your seats because I know a lot of you love Muscle Milk BUT -- keep reading. of some of those brands tested they were:

• EAS Myoplex Original Rich Dark Chocolate (ready to drink liquid): 16.9 arsenic, 5.1 cadmium
• Muscle Milk chocolate powder: 12.2 arsenic, 5.6 cadmium, 13.5 lead, 0.7 mercury
• Muscle Milk Vanilla Cream: 12.2 lead

Keep in mind that these products which tested high were tested based on very large doses. Therefore, this might be a red flag only for very heavy users (three shakes a day or up to 8 scoops) of specific products.


This is SUPER important to know, especially for women that are in their child bearing years and plan on getting pregnant in the future.  


So whether you're a bodybuilder looking to buff up with minimal effort, or a someone looking for a magic food substance that doesn't make you any fatter, protein shakes aren't really the answer.

Ever wondered exactly what scurvy was? Try complete meal replacement and you just might find out.  Be careful...KNOW WHAT'S IN YOUR PROTEIN SHAKE!

To Your Health!