Protein is for everyone

A year ago I cringed at the thought of drinking a protein shake. Protein was for “bros”, “meat heads” and “gym rats”. It was for those big sweaty guys grunting and groaning and smashing weights all over the place.

Flash forward 12 some months later and I have four tubs of the stuff living in my pantry. I have a new dessert repertoire (protein pancakes, protein balls, protein peanut butter cookies, protein muffins, the list goes on –oh and you should see the S*%& I can make out of a Quest Bar). I also have a collection of shakers –because let’s face it there’s probably one buried at the bottom of my gym bag right now, another one sitting beside the sink in the kitchen, and another one rolling around on my bed room floor.
The change in me came about from one thing only: simply educating myself about proper nutrition and hearing what the sports scientists had to say about it. Now, if I could tell every girl that walks through the gym door one thing it would be “DON’T FORGET TO HAVE A PROTEIN SHAKE ON YOUR WAY OUT!!!”
So here it is ladies, the real scoop (sorry ☺I had to) on protein powder…

Not Just for Gym Junkies

Whether you’re into Yoga, morning beach walks, or hardcore lifting, every woman that wants a sexy, tight and lean body can benefit from a protein supplement. Protein has a higher thermogenic effect on your body than other macronutrients, like carbohydrates for example. This means that your body exerts more energy or produces more heat when digesting protein (versus carbs which happens quickly and takes up little energy). This means that you will actually burn more calories eating protein and your metabolism will be kept busy, which is the key to staying lean regardless of your preferred method of exercise. So swap that morning slice of toast for a shake and I promise in two weeks your will see a better body in the mirror staring back at you.

Stay High

How many of you wake up motivated to ‘eat clean’ and make it until about 3pm when hunger strikes and your ‘hangry’ alter ego starts to take form?! Within five minutes that little chunk of flat bread, piece of fruit, and row of chocolate squares leave you with your head in your hands asking yourself ‘what have I just done.’ This is the typical high and low of watching what you eat and trying to restrict your diet. Don’t worry, we have all been there –heck most of us live there!
Enter the almighty protein shake. This is the perfect mid-morning/mid-afternoon/before bed craving killer. Most supplement s boast 25g of protein per serve (if you still don’t get how this is a good stat re-read the second last paragraph), 1-4g of carbs, and around 120 calories, plus it will keep you feeling satiated until your next meal.

Stop Wasting Your Time

I don’t know who started the rumour that protein will make women manly and bulky, but they did a damn good job spreading the false word around town. It is, in fact, the hormone testosterone that is responsible for “bulk” or muscle gain and woman on average produce 7% of the testosterone that men do on a daily basis.
When you exercise you are essentially tearing your muscle fibres. These microscopic tears accumulate and are the reason for any fatigue during your training or soreness post workout. Having a protein shake after your workout ensures that you are feeding nutrient back into your muscles when they are the hungriest and repairing the tears. So, improper nutrition after a workout can actually leave you weaker than when you started, making you more prone to injury and over-training and making all that time spent a waste!
So why not just eat a chicken breast after your workout? Well, whilst I am all for eating whole and natural foods, the fact is that a chicken breast will take several hours for your body to digest, versus most protein supplements that can take as little as 15 minutes.

So there you have it ladies (and maybe some gentlemen), a protein supplement should actually been a girl’s best friend. It may seem like a pricey investment at first, but always think of how much you are paying per serve when purchasing. You won’t find a healthy snack anywhere for two dollars. And don’t forget the metabolism boosting, fat burning, and muscle healing benefits that come with having a shake.

Alex
Receptionist, Broadbeach Club