For awhile now, and especially that I now have clients, people have been asking me what supplements to take, or if they should take them at all. And while I do recommend most people get their vitamins, minerals, and the like from food, I also realize not everyone can do that. So, without much more of a conversation about why or why not supplements should be taken, I am going to start recommending supplements I use and/or think would be useful if you are not able to get all your nutrients with foods.
My first recommendation might not be for everyone, as it is probably more sexy to the bodybuilding crowd, but that being said, it isn’t just for guys who want to get muscles in the gym. Protein powders have become the new and fast way (you’ll be seeing puns to that word in a minute) to build muscle and get the necessary protein intake for your activity and fat burning needs.
My Whey Protein Recommendation
Most protein powders out there these days are full of crap. Being someone with a background in holistic health, I can tell you that at the end of the day, you can pull just about any protein powder off the shelve and I’ll probably tell you it is garbage. That is why I thought it was important to do some research, mostly for myself now that I use protein powder again, to find one that isn’t full of unnecessary, potentially harmful chemicals. After a couple of weeks, I finally found one that I like and also recommend to anyone looking to add additional protein sources to their eating lifestyle. I first bought this whey protein from Amazon because it had the lowest price, and now I continually buy from them because the price is always the lowest I can find. Here is the one I buy Dymatize Nutrition Elite Gourmet Protein, French Vanilla, 5 Pound
Scale of Awesomeness
Overall:4/5
When it comes to what you are going to spend on protein powder, which if you are new is not much, you really can’t go wrong with Dymatize. There are very few protein powders you can get for less than $30 that are not full of crap and eventually really bad for you. The flavor is great and really accurate, especially vanilla. The texture can be a bit chalky if you don’t blend it, but that goes away with a good blend in your post workout shake (or if you are like me you are just used to it and it isn’t a big deal).
Taste: 4/5
Dymatize really nail their flavors down pat. When it comes to the vanilla, it really can’t be beat. I’ve tried a lot of vanilla flavors (8 to be exact) and this is the best one I have had that doesn’t have a load of processed, artificial flavors.
Texture: 3/5
This is the lowest rating on the review, but it has nothing to do with how I like the texture. When I do texture ratings, I let my girlfriend do it because she has the most sensitive tongue known to man. I love the texture of this protein powder, but if it doesn’t pass her nazi like rating scale, I don’t think it would be fair to rate it high.
Value: 5/5
There are very few protein powders you can get for less than $30 that are not full of crap and eventually really bad for you. Most protein powders with this ingrident list would cost much, much more. I like to think I found a steal, as most protein powders use soy lectin to bind their powders. The fact that Dymatize doesn’t made me an instant buyer.
The Names Facts, Supplements Facts
5lb Version
So Why Vanilla?
As you have probably noticed, both the flavors I recommend are vanilla. Why is that? Am I just a flavor nazi who is bland and, well, vanilla? I wish it was that easy. Actually the reason I recommend vanilla is because vanilla flavors tend to have less artificial crap in them, as a lot of flavoring enhancers are made with stuff I wouldn’t like to put in my body. I’m sure if you are aware about dyes and the like, you know that in the long run it is probably better to stay away from them. That being said, I couldn’t resist the cinnamon flavor they had in stock the first time I ordered from Amazon. I do order it from time to time because I am addicted to cinnamon rolls.
A Little History on Whey Protein in Case You are Curious
Whey protein used to be a byproduct of cheese manufacturing. Yep, it used to be waste aka thrown to the pig feed. But after farmers started noticing the effects it had on the pigs physique (most notably the muscle tone), some scientists came out and asked what they were feeding their pigs. Turned out that the whey (or whaste. See I told you I would make puns) proteins were excellent sources of easily digestible protein and aided in muscle tone and growth. Within a few years, when sports nutrition came onto the scene, marketers went hog wide (geez, I am full of these today). Literally every supplement company started selling whey and it boomed.Thing is, it is often over hyped. Yes, it aids in muscle building, and yes it is great post workout. But it isn;t going to turn you into the Hulk, and no ladies it isn’t going to turn you into a chunky, block looking creature with huge traps. Just wanted to settle that.
Here are links to the products mentioned above if you are interested in purchasing them
Dymatize Nutrition Elite Whey Protein Powder, Gourmet Vanilla, 5 Pound
Dymatize Nutrition Elite Whey Shake, Gourmet Vanilla, 2 Pound
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