In the health and fitness world, protein powders and protein shakes are everywhere making big promises to help you achieve your "ideal" physique. But below the surface, what do these foods really do for your body at a cellular level-- do they contribute to nutritional wealth or debt? Let's dig beneath the hype, high markup, and glamorous marketing of these magical products!
Protein powders are often of low quality, contain irritating additives/fillers, and most of the raw materials are imported without strict regulation regarding safety and purity. They are also “refined,” with much of the nutritional value stripped out during processing. Empty foods such as these can compromise your detoxification abilities, causing your body to retain toxins rather than excrete them.
The further you get from the primary source of your food: ie. foods right out of the dirt, directly from an animal, or from an abundant garden, the more processing and stripping of nutrients occurs (leading to an imbalance). Imbalances from processed food are common place in America, and protein powders are just ONE of the foods to blame.
The never advertised downsides to protein powders:
- Highly processed with valuable nutrients removed.
- Because protein powders are a "refined food" they can contribute to imbalances in the body that can lead to inflammation.
- Protein usually comes with fat in its natural state (ie. egg yolks, steak), but protein powder is a fat-free food. The fat is necessary to absorb fat soluble vitamins and for optimal assimilation of nutrients.
- Contain additives, texture enhancers, and added synthetic nutrients.
- Some popular protein shake powders have been found to contain heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury!
So here's how to make an all natural protein shake, with balanced whole food protein for optimal nutrition!
This REAL FOOD protein shake contains:
- Collagen hydrolysate (a form a gelatin) that helps to fuel phase 2 detoxification in the liver, fighting inflammation and aging. Gelatin has a unique and very non-inflammatory amino acid profile, and it primarily consists of glycine, glutamic acid, proline and alanine. These particular amino acids are lacking in the Standard American Diet; this is due to the heavy consumption of muscle meats and exclusion of the other 50% of the animal. Over time, this greater consumption can produce more inflammation when it is not balanced by non-inflammatory proteins like gelatin. Although gelatin is primarily made up of non-essential amino acids (meaning your body CAN make them), many over-stressed livers are not able to manufacture all the non-essential amino acids in the amounts demanded by the body. The liver needs an abundance of these proteins to keep the liver functioning optimally. Gelatin helps fuel the liver to help your body “take out the trash” in our toxic world!
- Coconut milk a great source of fat that stimulates the metabolism and is easy to digest.
- Egg yolks are like nature's multi-vitamin; they contain everything needed to support life! They are a great source of protein, fat and fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K2.
- Organic berries supply antioxidants, vitamins, and some easily digested carbohydrates.
- Honey supplies easy-to-digest carbohydrates to fuel the metabolism.
Ingredients:
- 3-4 tablespoons coconut milk (homemade or canned like this- aff link)
- 2 tablespoons collagen hydrolysate (like this- aff link)
- 2 tablespoons simple syrup or honey
- 2 pastured egg yolks*
- 6 large frozen organic strawberries
- ¼-1/3 cup water
Process:
1) Combine coconut milk, water, collagen hydrolysate, simple syrup & egg yolks in a blender to combine.
2) Add strawberries and blend until smooth.
3) Enjoy!
Serves 1. Contains about 18g of protein per recipe.
*Raw egg yolks are not appropriate for everyone. Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness, especially if you have a weakened immunity or a medical condition. Please do your own research and make your own choice on whether they are right for you.
Sue
Why only egg yolks and not the whole egg? Don't the whites have more protein than the yolk?
Megan
I'm guessing you mean "pasteurized" egg yolks rather than "pastured", since the pasteurization process is what would make them safer to eat raw, and chickens would not be in a pasture. I'm going to give this a try when I can find all the ingredients, and hopefully replace the nasty protein powder sitting on my counter.
Catie
Actually, chickens who forage for their food (insects, seeds...??) are called pastured chickens and their eggs are called pastured eggs. I put pastured (raw, unpasteurized) egg yolks into all my smoothies and haven't ever had any problems. When you make sure that you are getting pastured eggs, then you know you aren't getting them from a creepy feedlot style farm where the chickens may be sick or carry pathogens, so there shouldn't be a problem with eating a raw egg yolk from a healthy hen. That said, I wouldn't necessarily do it without knowing that there may be a very, very, very slight risk.
I also wouldn't eat the raw white as they tend to be a little more risky than the yolk.
Maybe Catherin has more information than I do, but this was always my understanding.
Albert Head
The correct term is "free range", not "pastured".
Isabella
Pasture raised is the only term you can trust now-a-days. Free range used to be what the term implies but the clever marketers have found ways to get around it to mean any number of things---like simply leaving the barn door cracked open. They can still feed the chickens grains and if they are not organic it could be GMO grains... I would never buy free-range eggs
Whitney
Megan, I think that she did indeed mean pastured and not pasteurized. Pasteurizing the yolks would diminish the nutritional value. Raw egg yolks from pastured eggs are far less likely to be contaminated with any nasties because the chickens were allowed to live as chickens should. I eat raw yolks on a daily basis from my small backyard flock.
Janine
Hi, I'm 42 and am terrified of weight gain in menopause. My weight has been steadily increasing especially after doing the Ray peat thing. I've purchased your nutritional book but weight is gaining over the past few moths. Temps are good and I feel fine. My friends on Isagenix shakes and losing weight and feels great and I must say I am so tempted. Just don't know what to do? How do I eat and exercise in this season of life?
Rob
i am all about wholefoods and direct protein sources but I need to supplement my routine with a good quality whey, as I achieve the best recovery from it over other protein sources. I have been taking this Native whey protein powder. It contains no fillers and is made directly from fresh milk not cheese whey like almost all other commercial whey's. It is also one of the highest sources of Cysteine which is a direct precursor to Glutathione. What are your thoughts on this specific protein?
Cheers!
Albert Head
It's still a milk product, so not paleo.
Pogonia
I do the pastured, raw egg yolks, and kefired raw milk with an organic apple, collagen hydrolysate , and a hemp supplement used by Food Babe. I am always on the fence with the hemp because I really do know most 'powdered stuff' is not desirable. So I guess I'm looking for opinions on hemp...anyone? Thanks!
Laura
So very true and sad. However there is a GREAT option available as well. I have been having grade 7 organic quality non-gmo undenatured whey protein concentrate from grass-fed pasture raised cows. It's extremely difficult for me to otherwise to get the proper amount of protein in my diet. It's made a huge difference for me.
Cat Reams
What is the name of that protein powder?! Sounds like a good one! Thanks!
Jennifer Figueroa
Hi So sad for me as egg, and dairy, and wheat allergies ....
Sarah
I just made this today but using about a cup of frozen blueberries instead of strawberries as that was what I had on hand. I also subbed greek yogurt for the milk since I was out of milk. Absolutely delicious! This will definitely be my new go-to protein shake. Thanks for sharing!
Diane
But what if you are vegetarian & don't eat gelatine?
Adahlen
Is there something I can use for an egg substitute? I am allergic to eggs.
elle
Oftentimes people with egg allergies are able to eat raw eggs. Try just one raw yolk to start - it's often well tolerated.
Claudia Wheeler
I make a protein shake very similar to this with raw pastured egg yolk and 2T of collagen gelatin powder. I add a little less fruit, cinammon, and sometimes a little almond butter that I make homemade after soaking and roasting the almonds myself. I also use raw milk from the same farm I get the eggs from. Catherine: I thought you did approve of raw milk as well but I do see a alot of coconut milk in your recipes so now I can't remember if you are pro-raw milk or not. Can you comment on that? Thank you!!!!
Catherine
Dairy is great for some people and awful for others.
It depends on the person and what is right for them 🙂
Abundantly,
Catherine
May
Garden of Life has extremely high-quality USD organic, Non-GMO, Vegan and Truly Grass-Fed whey protein and is trusted by professional athletes for a reason. To imply that all protein powders are low quality and contaminated is incorrect and deceiving.. Garden of Lifes proteins as well as some of their competitors go through rigorous testing and quality control to ensure no harmful or toxic substances make it into the product. Any heavy metals that are made in the final product are naturally occurring from the whole foods used to create these powders and therefore are in safe levels. Organic soil contains naturally occurring heavy metals in minute amounts and these whole food protein powders are no different.