Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~MOVEMENT AND EXERCISE by: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Movement and exercise, or physical activity, is a healthy lifestyle component that we all know about and are often not consistent with in our day-to-day life. We all hear about it, read …
PROTEIN (POWDER): THE IMPORTANT NUTRIENT WE ALL KNOW
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
Protein is that nutrient that everyone knows and everyone loves. But how well do we know all the proteins available? Let’s navigate through one of our favorite foods and discuss all the options we can try, as well as how it relates to weight loss.
What is protein? Simply put, it is a large molecule that is made up of amino acids. It is necessary for the structure, functions and regulating the different organs and tissues throughout the body. According to The Cleveland Clinic, protein is also essential for such things like muscle recovery, regulating hormones, oxygenating red blood cells and aiding in healthy heart function.
When we think of protein, we commonly think of carnivore sources like beef, poultry, pork and fish/seafood. However, there are so many more ways to incorporate protein into our diet. There’s also vegetarian sources like eggs (omelets, yum!) and dairy such as milk, yogurt and cheeses. I like to recommend plain Greek yogurt as it’s usually higher in protein as well as cuts the sugar, and good quality cheeses. Look for cheeses such as fresh Mozzarella, Brie, Gouda, Goat, Cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Manchego just to name a few (and my favorites that I recommend). These can go found at the cheese counter, and avoid the over processed cheeses in the deli section that are pre-sliced/pre-packaged or individually wrapped. Cottage cheese is also a nice sources of protein and is also a comfort food for many people.
POWDER PROTEIN LUNCH
1 can Albacore Tuna in water, drained
½ cup plain Cottage Cheese
3 kale leaves, destemmed
1 cup steamed broccoli
1 scoop Whey Protein Isolate Powder
Lemon to taste
Black pepper to taste
Mix cottage cheese and Whey Protein Isolate Powder together. Place destemmed kale leaves on a plate and top with drained Albacore Tuna and cottage cheese, side by side. Add fresh lemon to the tuna and fresh black pepper to cottage cheese, to taste. Add steamed broccoli as a side.
Next, there are many sources that are more vegan friendly that many people aren’t aware of but are easily incorporated. These include such things as tofu, tempeh, seitan, beans, nuts, seeds and nut butters. Vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus add protein to the plate, along with oats and whole grains like brown rice and quinoa.
VEGAN PROTEIN POWER PLATE
2 cups shredded brussel sprouts
1 can low sodium beans (I like cannelloni or black-eyed peas), drained
2/3 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 1/3 cup water
2 scoops Plant Protein powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
Black pepper to taste
Sea Salt to taste
Combine water, Plant Protein powder and lemon juice in a pot and mix. Bring to a boil, then add quinoa and stir. Cover and educe to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff and let stand for 5 minutes. While quinoa is cooking, add olive oil to a pan and heat on medium-high. Add in shredded brussel sprouts, minced garlic, fresh cracked pepper and sea salt and sauté until slightly soft. Add drained beans and mix together, cooking until hot. Plate 1 cup cooked quinoa and top with half the cooked sprouts and beans. Eat and Enjoy! This makes enough for two meals.
Last but not least are protein powders, like Whey Protein Isolate or Plant Protein. These come in so many source varieties and flavors; personally I like unflavored or vanilla as they are the most versatile. They can be sourced from such things as whey (dairy), soy, hemp, rice, peas, chia and flaxseed. While these are all good sources, they choice is typically a personal preference. A protein powder can easily add protein to ones diet through creative recipes as seen above, or most commonly added to a shake or smoothie. Many people like to start their day with a healthy shake/smoothie that is packed with a protein powder, fruits/veggies and a healthy fat (i.e.: nut butter, avocado).
Now that you see all the different healthy protein sources to incorporate into a healthy diet, I challenge you to try new a new protein source each week. Also, try making delicious shakes/smoothies in the morning as a quick easy breakfast. I have always found that a healthy breakfast helps to start my day off on the right path, whether I’m looking to shed a few pounds or maintain my weight. But, no matter what, protein is essential to our health, body and weight management.
www.medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/howgeneswork/protein/
www.health.clevelandclinic.org/what-are-the-best-sources-of-protein
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321522
www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/cheese/
Boosting Energy and Supporting Heart Health all with Ribose Complex Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND One of my favorite products for heart health is called Ribose Complex. This is an amazing and complete formula for keeping our heart healthy. Ribose Complex contains D-Ribose, Alcar, Malic Acid, …
Sometimes the element chromium is misidentified as being toxic for the body, but the proper form of this nutrient is important for overall health, especially in terms of maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.
HMB
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH
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Being active and staying active is key to aging gracefully. Many people have concerns about staying fit, staying healthy, maintaining muscle mass and not falling victim to sarcopenia, which is age-related muscle mass loss. This is why Active HxⓇ may just be the supplement for you. Today, I want to talk about this formula and the science behind it in some detail.†
Our Active HxⓇ is a fabulous powder formulation of HMB. HMB, or beta-hydroxy-methylbutyrate, is a power nutrient. When we look at what this actually is and how it’s working to optimize our health, this is where all of the fun science comes into play.†
We know that HMB helps to increase and preserve muscle mass in adults. This nutrient was originally studied in highly-trained athletes and resistance-trained athletes. Researchers looked at their strength, endurance, body fat and muscle mass and they found that HMB was very beneficial for helping to support healthy muscle protein synthesis and to enhance overall physical activity. Scientific study after scientific study continues to show this.†
EXERCISE-ENHANCING NUTRIENTS – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 438. Listen Now>>
This is definitely something that a well-trained athlete is looking to achieve, but this is also something that any of us who are looking to stay active throughout our lives can benefit from.†
HMB might just be the answer for helping to avoid sarcopenia. If we have muscle mass loss through the aging process, not only does this weaken us physically, but it also makes us more vulnerable to infections, falls and fractures. This is definitely an area that we do not want to overlook.†
HMB is actually a derivative of the amino acid leucine. We have often heard about branched-chain amino acids and how beneficial they are for bolstering up your lean muscle mass. We know that HMB is even stronger than those branch-chained amino acids, which is why so much research has gone into this.†
PROTEIN & THE BENEFITS OF ITS AMINO ACIDS, PART 1 – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 100. Listen Now>>
When we look at the impact of muscle mass loss and how that can affect us through the aging process, we want to be able to preserve that. This is where HMB, a natural, bioactive product of the amino acid leucine, can really help to support and maintain that balance between where muscles break down and break up.†
HMB is naturally-occuring in the body, but our levels decline as we age. If this level starts to drop, this is going to have an impact on our lean muscle mass, as well as our strength. We don’t want this to happen. We want to be able to fend off sarcopenia and that we are boosting up our lean body mass, especially if we are staying physically active or exercising. Many studies have found that taking just one gram of HMB was really a nice, sweet spot for maintaining that muscle mass.†
Our Active HxⓇ formulation has one and a half grams of this nutrient. What we’re trying to do is have this consistency in terms of maintaining our lean body mass and also having better body fat distribution. These are all things we’d like to be aware of as we get older.†
In this episode, Amanda Williams, MPH discusses beta-hydroxy-methylbutyrate, a powerful nutrient found in our new Active Hx formulationⓇ. She explains why this nutrient is important for muscle health in people as they age and also details studies pertaining to it.†
Key Topics:
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