Dietician Sushila Sharangdhar says, "Protein is the key building block that helps in muscle development and repair. Protein makes up nearly 75 per cent of the solids in our body making it an essential ingredient for us to stay healthy."
The essential shake
You workout everyday, you eat a healthy, wholesome meal and believe that your body is getting all it's nutrients from your diet. So gulping down that protein shake might not be a necessary plan of action for you. Right?
Think again.
Celebrity trainer Paul Britto, from Gold's gym says, "Protein shakes work as a supplement and not as a complete meal replacement. You get protein shakes with different amounts of protein. Consult your nutritionist and trainer and work out a meal plan that works for you."
Sushila Sharangdhar tells you why you need that protein shake:
When you do rigorous exercise, some of your muscles might undergo wear and tear. As these tears repair, muscle development takes place.
And in this process, proteins are key ingredients in the building blocks of muscle recovery and repair.
The downside is that the faster the protein arrives to the muscle after exercise, the quicker and more effective this process becomes.
The best way to ensure your muscles are taken care of is by delivering protein to them via a whey protein shake.
Protein shakes get to the required area within 30-40 minutes.
On the other hand, foods high in proteins, required for muscle recovery and growth, could take hours to find their desired destination.
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The perfect time to gulp down a protein shake is immediately after a rigourous activity.
Prior your nights sleep is also a time advocated by many in order to keep metabolism on the go as well as to keep protein supplies at an optimum level.
Protein is regarded as hugely important by many researchers in the slimming and weight reduction field. Recent evidence appears to support the beneficial nature of a high-protein and low-carb diets.
A randomised study at Stanford University discovered that women following a protein-rich diet experienced more favourable overall metabolic effect and reduced their weight after 12 months than in other diets.
The study traced 311 pre-menopausal, non-diabetic women, age 25-50.
If you exercise regularly and participate in intense workout sessions, it is extra vital for the muscle repair and growth to ensure that protein supplies are maintained.
These supplies are sapped simply under normal everyday physical demands and greatly depleted when you add serious exercise to the mix.
Protein supplements like whey protein shakes and glutamine provide high quality protein that is convenient and easy to take.
If not the protein shake:
Even though protein shakes are safe there is still a small section of people that may not be able to digest it.
People with renal problems or liver insufficiency should not be given these protein shakes.
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But don't worry, we give you a few healthy options that you can include in your diet to fulfill your protein needs.
Whole milk is one of your best protein substitutes. Milk has about 6 grams of protein per 8 oz glass.
The pro to drinking milk instead of protein shakes is that milk doesn't have to be prepared. All you have to do is pour and drink.
The con about substituting milk for a protein shake is that you have to drink a lot of milk to equal the protein that comes in a shake.
Protein powder has about 25 grams of protein in an 8 oz glass of water.
If you want to get that same amount of protein by drinking milk you are going to have to drink about four 8 oz glasses to get that same amount of protein.
Soya milk is an alternative for people with lactose intolerance.
Whole foods like chicken, fish, beef, pork and egg are protein rich as well.
Whole foods and protein powder have the same gram amount of protein. Supplementary to these whole foods, beans and sprouts can be incorporated in your everyday diet to increase protein content.
The pros of eating whole foods to protein powder are that whole foods taste a lot better than just drinking protein shakes.
However, the con of eating whole foods instead of taking protein powder is that it takes time for the whole foods to digest and the protein shake usually digests in minutes.
Protein juice is another good alternative to your protein shakes.
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The juice usually has the same amount of protein that the protein shake has.
The pros of choosing the juice over the shake is that the juice doesn't make your stomach hurt, while the protein shake can sometimes do.
Make it at home
If you are the type to make your protein shakes at home, we give you a basic protein shake recipe with a few tasty add-ons to suit your taste.
Check what the protein content should be in your shake with your trainer and nutritionist.
Your protein shake has to be tailored completely for your body depending on the workout you do and the results you want to achieve.
The basic protein shake:
Ingredients
Skimmed milk powder
Whole milk
Egg
You can add a flavour of your choice in the form of kesar, elaichi or even fruits like apples, strawberries, pineapples, berries, bananas or any other fruit.
You can even add honey or cocoa powder to break away from the monotony of the shake.
The quantities of the ingredients have to be determined by your trainer and nutritionist.
If your protein shake is not tailor-made for you, you may not get the desired results from your workout routine.
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