Yo yo,
Have you done something productive today? If not, get onto that right after reading. If you have done something productive, well done and keep it up.
Alright, today we will be diving into some bro science and answering a question that I believe many individuals who first start using protein powder will ask.
“Should I drink protein shakes every day?”
I remember asking this question myself and I wasn’t really sure of the answer. I thought it was such a big deal and when I think about it now, it’s not that big of an issue.
Maybe you’re thinking of this question yourself (or something along the lines of it considering that you’re reading) and are confused. Maybe you’ve just discovered protein powder and protein shakes.
Whatever the reason, this supplement carries a lot of ideas around it and protein shakes are a never-ending topic of discussion.
And today, we’ll be answering one of these many questions.
Today we will be covering the purpose of protein shakes, the importance of quality, my approach and another approach you can use for this supplement.
Absorb and reject what you want from today, I just hope you’re able to learn somethinG.
Purpose
Before we answer the question of the day, it is essential that we understand what
Protein shakes (and protein powder as a whole) are a supplement.
A supplement is something that is added to fill in the gaps within a diet. A protein should not be used as a primary source of protein.
For example, eggs, bread, oats, bacon, fruit smoothies and more are all primary sources of nutrients. These should be prioritised. Additionally, what nutrients you are lacking should then be dealt with via supplements.
Does this make sense? If not I’ll reword it.
Do not view protein shakes as a primary source of nutrients. Do not view it as something that should always replace other whole foods.
The purpose is to fill in the gaps and be an addition to what you’re already eating. So when you ask yourself “should I drink protein shakes every day?” You should not be treating it as a new staple in your diet, but rather a continuing supplement.
This way, you do not create a dependence on protein shakes and don’t treat it as an essential item.
Quality
Let’s consider the quality of the protein shakes (and the respective protein powder within it).
If you’re going to be consuming something every day, naturally you’d want to ensure that the quality is good (obviously within your financial means)
If you’re consuming fast food every single day, obviously this will impact your health in a negative way and will become clear in the near future. However, if you’re consuming fruits, vegetables and whole grains every day, your health will be much better.
The point is that if you want to consume it (protein shakes) every day, you have to look long-term.
Some manufacturers have different quality standards and add in ingredients to boost the caloric count, change the flavour and/or boost the protein content. Some of these ingredients are not necessarily the healthiest and should be avoided.
Some of these ingredients include fillers, vegetable oils, gums and more. Excessive consumption of these ingredients (particularly if there is a high amount in the protein powder and shakes) can cause bloating, constipation, hardening of the arteries and more issues.
You, therefore, want to ensure that you purchase a protein powder that is minimal in these ingredients so that you do not face these issues long-term.
If you were to have these protein shakes and powders once in a while, then it is unlikely that you’ll experience any significant problems, however since we are discussing the assumption that you want to have them every day, a change in perspective is necessary.
So, since it is our health we are considering on a long-term basis, it is best for you to purchase the best quality protein powder (within your financial means) to ensure your health is good.
I’m not telling you to buy the most premium on the market.
It wouldn’t make sense for me to encourage you all to buy the best of the best, since I myself don’t even do that, and everyone has different financial circumstances.
Instead, just do a little bit of reading on the back and try and make efforts to purchase a protein powder that is devoid of these ingredients.
My Approach
I drink protein shakes every day.
In the morning, after having my French toast (it’s literally just two slices of bread that have soaked in two whole eggs. Nothing special), I’ll have a protein shake on the side.
Since I drink it almost every day, I like to ensure that there are good ingredients inside.
The protein shake I use is a ‘raw whey protein isolate’. With this, it means there are no artificial sweeteners or flavourings and that there is only one ingredient. Furthermore, I like the company’s policy.
These reasons allow me to feel comfortable consuming a protein shake (with this protein powder) every day.
My approach is this; if the quality is good if the quality and ingredients are good, then I believe it’s alright.
The Answer AND Another Approach
So, should you have protein shakes every day?
Before we answer this, I’d like to explain another approach that you can use if you can’t (or simply don’t want to) follow my own approach. Some of you may not be willing or able to spend slightly higher amounts of money for the desired protein powder, which is fine. So let’s explain another method.
The next best approach, in my opinion, is to decrease the frequency of protein shakes. Instead of having a protein shake every day, you could instead have a protein shake 4 times a week. Moreover, 3 times or even 2 times.
This way, you’re not thrusting gums, fillers, and poor artificial sweeteners in your body every day.
Let’s go back to the question of the day.
Should you? In an ideal world, no, because you’d want to get all your nutrients and protein from 100% whole foods every day. However, supplements exist for a reason.
If the quality is good, and the ingredients are good, then I would say it’s fine.
Ultimately though, it is important to remember that you can achieve your goals without protein powder and that we should not develop a dependence on it.
It’s not bad
Having a protein shake every day isn’t bad from my experience. I’ve been having it every day for the past few years and I feel good.
This can be attributed to the fact that the quality of ingredients is good. I urge you all to try and invest in a good protein powder if you wish to have one every day.
However, if you can’t, try out the second approach.
I hope you were able to learn something today.
Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time.
(Congratulations, you’ve done something productive. Now go do another productive action!)
