The Protein Facts

Proteins are very important to the proper cell function in our bodies, especially in the molecules. As much as they vary in structures, did you know that there are different types of protein? And did you also know that each type also performs a specific function in the molecular formation?

The most basic functions of proteins include defending the body against many germs and diseases, aiding in the molecular structure, as well as facilitating proper bodily movements and coordination. More specifically, one common type of protein that may be popular among many are the antibodies which are specialized proteins that help destroy foreign body invaders known as the “antigens”. Antibodies help immobilize antigens so that the white blood cells can perform their function of destroying these invaders.

Meanwhile, enzymes are also a specialized type of protein, which work as catalysts to speed up chemical reactions in the body. Another type of protein is that which is known as a “storage protein” because it helps store amino acids that are responsible for proper digestion and metabolism.

Build Lean Muscle

Aside from these, proteins also help build muscles, make bones strong, and maintain cells, tissues and organs of the body. Proteins also help heal the body faster, and are especially helpful to body-builders and other fitness buffs since they help the body recover faster from tiredness and exhaustion brought about by a heavy workout session.

And if these are not enough to convince women to include protein shakes in their daily diet, perhaps knowing that proteins can also help them lose weight much faster can be a surefire way to convince them.

Why protein shakes?

Some women might say, who needs protein drinks for women when you can easily include proteins in your diet without having to scour health stores. Your refrigerator might just as well serve you with your daily proteins, right? Well, they might be partly right.

While your daily source of protein may be readily found in your refrigerator, namely eggs, fish and chicken, unlike protein shakes, these are much more complex proteins and may actually require your body to work a lot more before your body can actually absorb all the protein it needs.

Protein drinks for women are especially formulated so that your body can easily absorb the proteins much faster and in a more effective way. One study showed that a person taking an all-protein diet for a month showed much lesser results in terms of developing muscles, compared to a person who has been taking protein shakes for only two weeks.

Protein drinks contain milk or yogurt as a base, as well as a mix of crushed fruits and vegetables for a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals and fibers. What makes protein drinks for women very effective is the fact that they are in a liquid formula which makes it not only convenient but more importantly, much easier to swallow and digest.

Rice protein powder is a vegetarian meal obtained from separation of carbohydrates from proteins in brown rice by enzyme action. You may bake or mix it with other recipes such as cereals, oatmeal, pancakes or pies. You can also blend it with beverages such as smoothies, shakes or natural juices.

Rice Protein supplies your body with sufficient amounts of protein as per recommended dietary allowances.  Typically, brown rice contains roughly 7.9gm of protein per 100gm. This is less than the amount of amino acids found in whey, the globular extract from curdled milk, although rice protein is tastier.

How Is Rice Protein Powder Made?

Natural brown rice consists of bran and an endosperm layer, both of which are loaded with proteins. During the extraction process, both these layers are utilized to obtain the essential nutrient. Extraction of protein takes place in several stages that include filtration, wet milling, sieving, separation, drying and finally enzyme activation.

During the extraction process, it is essential not to heat the brown rice syrup above 120 degrees Fahrenheit, to prevent denaturing amino acids. The final powder contains approximately 85% pure amino acids.

Nutritional Benefits Of Rice Protein Powder To Vegetarians

Protein powder is not only rich in amino acids, but also contains minute levels of other nutrients, beneficial to the body. It has the following benefits to the body:

• Apart from proteins, it gives your body phosphorus, iron, potassium, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin.
• It contains traces of tocopherols and tocotrienols in the bran layer, both of which contain vitamin E.
•  Protein powder contains arginine, a nutrient necessary for production of creatine and glutamine. These nutrients assist in improving blood circulation in the muscles especially among athletes and body-builders.
• Protein powder also assists in muscle repair, since it contains branched amino acids that are rapidly absorbed into the body.

Rice Protein Powder Samples In The Market

There are various brands of rice protein available in the market. For instance, NutriBiotic markets Rice Protein Vegan Powder in different flavors. The maker’s market this supplement as an alternative to allergenic amino acid sources such as eggs, milk and soy. They recommend you mix it with water, juices or meals for best results.

Another popular protein powder in the market is Love Street Brown Rice Protein Powder. According to the makers, they extract proteins from 100% organic brown rice. You can mix Love Street with smoothies, ice cream, puddings or blend together with fruits to make juice.  Since the company also deals with nuts, the powder may contain slight traces of nuts.
Protein powder is a recommended source of nutrients for vegetarians. Albeit clinical studies in humans are yet to take place, animal studies point to positive results. The supplement shows significant efficacy in reduction of LDL cholesterol and excess insulin. The main issue with rice protein according to most users is taste. The bland chalky taste is unpleasant but tolerable. You can always combine it with tastier foods to improve the taste. Rice protein powder is recommended for vegetarians of all ages especially if you are allergic to dairy products.

At the same time, your body requires sufficient proteins to build muscle fiber, regulate metabolism, and repair damaged cells. It is therefore essential to take additional proteins in form of powder or shakes to build muscles or to maintain an ideal body weight.

Finding The Right Protein For Your Body

This is a decision that will largely depend on your goals, gender, and your body type. There are different varieties of low protein powder available in the market for people seeking to gain muscles and for those interested in losing weight. Athletes will find muscle building varieties for men quite helpful while women seeking to drop pounds can use female low calorie protein powder in a weight loss diet.

Low Calorie Protein Powder Versus Protein Foods

There are several advantages these powders have over high protein foods.

For a start, protein foods contain high fat, calories, and cholesterol levels. For example a piece of steak contains proteins but it is loaded with saturated fat. Other healthier high protein choices such as fish and poultry are usually prepared with high calorie sauces or breads and are not very popular with most people.

Secondly, each type of food has what is normally referred to as its biological value. Foods with high biological value have a high protein content that can easily be absorbed into the body. Good quality low calorie protein powder has a high biological value ranging close to 100 percent unlike protein foods such as eggs which have 93 percent, fish at 73 percent, or lean beef which has a biological value of 73 percent too.

Finally, these powders provide a quick way to ingest pure proteins when the body urgently needs it. For example, a weightlifter or athlete who has just completed a weightlifting session will be in an anabolic state for a short duration in which he or she will need to provide additional proteins to the worked out muscles quickly.

Amino Acids

These powders come with branch chain amino acids also called BCAA’s which are essential for stressed muscles. High protein foods might or might not have this branch of essential amino acids and can not be fully relied on for assured muscle growth.

Athletes who need to increase muscles require around 2 grams of proteins for every pound of body weight every day. Getting this amount from protein foods can be difficult or even more expensive than using protein powder not to mention overconsumption of accompanying compounds such as fats and cholesterol in the process of achieving this goal.

Added Benefits

For strict weight watchers, protein powders effectively control hunger which ensures that you do not have to eat much in order to constantly feel full. They can be used to make protein shakes taken with a healthy diet to help shed off pounds. Whey low calorie protein powder contain 80 to 90 percent protein with very minimal fat content to make you gain unwanted weight.

Perfect Meal Replacement

Orgain protein drink receives  mostly positive reviews from consumers, health, and nutrition  analysts alike. Even consumers who say they do not use a regular meal-replacement drink are finding Orgain both a valuable and enjoyable option when reaching for such a drink at frequent intervals.

 Organic and Pleasant

Abraham is said to have developed the idea for Orgain protein drink after he himself became tired of the chalky and too-bland meal replacement drinks his own and other medical patients usually had to bear. Specifically, according to several stories about the man and the product,

Abraham wanted to develop a product that lacked artificial ingredients—the product’s organic basis informs its name—and carried a pleasant, enjoyable taste without skimping on significant nutrients.

What’s Inside Orgain

An Orgain protein drink contains 255 calories. The ingredients include whey protein concentrate, milk protein concentrate, cain juice, brown rice syrup, sunflower oil, soy, tricalcium, sea salt, standard salt, organic vegetable blends, organic fruit blends, and organic antioxidants such as pomegranate and green tea extract that are widely believed to equal ten servings of fruits and vegetables.

The drink’s 24 vitamins and minerals include Vitamins A, C, D, E, B12, and B6, as well as iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, selenium, biotin, folate, phosophorous, iodine, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, chromium, and molybdenum.

The cain juice and brown rice syrup are included for light sweetening, and the vegetable extract blends include kale, beets, spinach, carrots, and tomatoes, while the fruit extracts also include blueberries, bananas, acai berries, apples, and raspberries. But lest you think that adds up to a mash of ingredients that smothers taste, Orgain protein drink comes in two flavours, creamy chocolate fudge and sweet vanilla bean.

 Nutrient Replenishment

Orgain itself promotes the drink as ideal for post-workout nutrient replenishment and weight maintenance whether a consumer is trying to lose, hold, or even gain certain weight such as lean muscle. Perhaps reflecting the experience of its founder, Orgain also promotes the drink as a viable option for appetite-suppressing illnesses from cancer and its chemotherapy treatments all the way down to the common cold.

Reviews

Most reviewers of the drink priase its lack of aftertaste and low sugar content. Many reviewers note the drink’s absence of corn syrup and poor quality ingredients, though those qualities likely combine to make the drink somewhat expensive.

The positive reviews are not limited to consumers, however; at least one health professional, Crystal Saltrelli, who says she began using Orgain as a protein increase while battling gastroparesis (a partial stomach paralysis, which delays digestion by keeping food in the stomach longer than average) , praises the drink’s whey protein content as being easier to digest than soy protein.

The downside is that Orgain is not recommended for lactose-intolerant users, since the whey protein is extracted from milk.

Normally, Orgain protein drink lists at $42 per case of twelve eco-friendly soft containers, though sale prices have been as low as $33.95. Initially available on the Internet alone, Orgain is now retailed by Wholefoods, Wegman’s, Mother’s Market, Fairway’s, and several hundred more retailers.

It is important to consider the type of shake, your lifestyle, among other factors that would ensure good health and best results from the diet

What Exactly Is A Protein Shake Diet Plan?

Essentially, it is a meal replacement plan where by you take a protein shake instead of one or two of your regular meals every day.

The ideal meals to replace are breakfast and dinner but retaining your lunch meal as you require the most energy during the day. Protein shakes work by limiting the number of calories taken each day and boosting metabolism in the body.

Types Of Protein Shakes

The three main types of protein powders, available today, are whey proteins, casein proteins and soy proteins. Each of these has its own distinct characteristics that suits different weight loss or body building needs. Here is a brief breakdown of these protein powders:

Whey Protein Shakes:

• Contain whey, which is a protein found in milk.
• Absorbed very fast in the bloodstream.
• Ideal for intake after long or intense workout sessions.
• Casein Protein Shakes:
• Casein is also a protein found in mild.
• Absorbed slowly compared to whey.
• Ideal for replacing dinner or for taking before bed.
• Soy Protein Shakes:
• Contains proteins derived from soy plant.
• Soy shakes are great diet alternatives for vegetarians or lactose intolerant individuals.
• Contains antioxidants.
• Also ideal for replacing meals.

Find out which type of protein source is best for you, and keep in mind that there are alternatives, in case you are allergic to any of the above.

These shakes are rarely pure protein, meaning that they are often augmented with vitamins and minerals to make them more balanced for replacing meals.

However, keep a lookout for any unknown or excessive additives in the protein powder before you try it.

Incorporating Protein Shakes In Your Protein Shake Diet Plan

A protein shake diet plan promises excellent results with consistent use, but just like a new exercise regime, it is always best to start slowly to avoid putting your body off balance.

For example, you can start by replacing dinner with your protein shake, then breakfast after a few days. Once you know how your body reacts, you can then replace 2 out of your regular meals, and keep doing this every day.

Your ideal protein shake diet plan should look as follows:

Breakfast: Enjoy a protein shake with fruits of your choice, such as bananas, peaches or strawberries.

Lunch: Have a protein shake with vegetables or salads, as well as a healthy choice of meal rich in carbohydrates.

Dinner: Take a protein shake with vegetables or salad.

If you have snack between meals, the best option is to always have your protein shake with you, or eat fruit instead. A protein shake diet plan is no substitute for healthy eating and exercise, so combine these activities with your new diet and enjoy the amazing results.

What are Protein Shakes

Protein shakes, sometimes referred to as meal replacement drinks, usually come in the form of powdered supplements that are mixed in water or milk to make a smoothie or shake. They are rich not only in proteins, but also in other nutrients that help build your muscles. Usually they are drank after a workout session; however, when taken as part of a diet, you can also take them after a light meal. You can also add fruits to your shake to make a fruit smoothie that is rich in protein.

Protein shakes for weight loss come with different types of protein powder – options for these meal replacement drinks include egg protein powder, soy protein powder, rice protein powder and orgain protein drink. Soy protein supplements are perfect for vegetarians and the lactose intolerant. Rice powders have the added advantage of being gluten-free. The most popular type of protein supplement is whey protein supplement, which is made from milk and other animal products.

Weight Loss Success Stories

Protein is an important building block of human body, especially of our muscles. By using protein shakes for weight loss, you are adding more protein to your diet, which should help you add more muscle to your body.

One of the most important characteristic of muscle mass that make it different from fat in the context of metabolism is that, pound for pound, muscles burn more calories than fat.

Therefore, if you are able to lose a pound of fat, and gain a pound of muscle by drinking protein shakes, you will burn more calories per day.

This will, in turn, accelerate your weight loss, all other things, such as calorie intake and calories burnt per day, remaining equal. Drinking protein shakes increases your lean muscle mass and makes for a healthier metabolism – a key factor in weight control.

It should be noted that merely drinking weight loss shakes is not a magic bullet that will automatically contribute to your losing weight; rather they are a part of an overall diet plan that stresses on a low-calorie high-protein diet that adds more muscle to your frame.

Another method of using protein shakes is to do what is called meal replacement. In this, you can replace one of your meals with a weight loss shake. Usually, the meal replaced is breakfast. By avoiding a meal, you are cutting on calories, while adding more proteins to your diet in the form of the shake. However, meal replacement should be done taking a number of factors into mind, as well as only on the advice of a professional dietician.

Most Popular Protein Powders

Most protein shakes are available in the market as low calorie protein powder that is used to make a shake by mixing it with water or milk. Some more popular shakes include:

Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard

This 5.15 pound of jar of Whey protein is available on online stores for about $47, though its printed sale price is more than $77. Optimum is one of the most trusted names in the field of fitness nutrition. It is owned by Glanbia, which is the manufacturer of this product. This makes it an exception in a market where most brands are sourced from third party manufacturers. Whey Gold Standard comes packed with lots of protein, making it one of the most popular protein shakes for weight loss.

Nature’s Plus – Spiru-Tein

This protein-rich powder comes in vanilla, chocolate and other flavors, and can be mixed with soy or milk to get a delicious drink that can be drunk after a meal or a workout. You can even add a banana to the shake to make a banana flavored smoothie; or add any other fruit.

BSN Syntha-6 Protein Powder

As the name suggests, this protein powder comes with six proteins that help build your body after a workout or a hard day’s work. Like other products listed here, it may contain milk, fish oil, egg, soybeans, shellfish, tree nuts and peanut flavor; so if you are allergic to any of these ingredients, you should avoid the product containing that ingredient.

Protein Shake Diet Plan

You can also get discount weight loss shakes for women in the market; these are manufactured keeping in mind the requirements of the female body. A diet based on protein shakes for weight loss can help you lose weight where other diets have failed, and by improving your muscle mass and hence your strength, it can do that by making you healthier than most other diets. Take protein shakes for weight loss, and see the accelerated weight loss that comes from adding more muscle to your body.