the protein powders sold at gnc, what is the percentage of usable protein in those drinks that they make?

and does anyone have any recipes for high protein shakes that i can make at home?

Here you go, my concoction:

Into a blender,
10 ounces milk (skim is best for calories)
2 Tbsp. pure cocoa (no sugar in cocoa)
1/4 tsp Xanthan gum (for thickening)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 sachets artificial sweetner
1 egg
1 ounce protein powder
5 ice cubes.

Blend on super high till all ice is smithereened...scrape down as necessary, the protein and the cocoa tend to stick to the sides.
Optional is a drop or two of coconut or banana extract (look in an international- type food store.)


Thick and delicious, probably the best milk shake you ever had. Adjust the ingredients to your own tate after you make the first on exactly as above,

Between 40 and 50 grams protein.

(Psst, don't tell anyone...this is my secret recipe :D:D)

too sweet. i'm going to make that once i get all the supplies. which protein powder are you using? and where did you get it.

Unless it's your pre/post workout shake, you can add natural peanut butter and/or cottage cheese to chocolate protein powder. You can't really taste the cottage cheese after it's been through the blender and it makes the shake nice and thick.

You can also add different flavors of sugar free/fat free pudding mix. As well as extracts like vanilla.

it is my protein shake before working out.

Lenin, what protein powder are you using? who makes it?

If you're trying to burn fat don't drink it until after you work out

My typical protein shake in very simple terms:

-Low Fat Milk
-1-2 scoops of whey protein
-1 banana
-1 tablespoon of peanut butter
-Crushed Ice

that seems much more easy to mix up. i'll try that tomorrow morning. both sound great and i want to try both. today i picked up some protein packs. 23 grams of protein per pouch. tomorrow will tell.

stonetemple, why would i have to wait until after to drink it if there isn't any fat in the one i'll be making?

smith,

I HAD been using Vitamin Shoppe 100% SOY protein but that went up to about $9 a pound. I found EAS WHEY PROTEIN at $4 a pound if you buy in huge 6 pound cannisters (at B.J.'s)
I think it's an excellent product and it tastes better than the soy.

The hard thing for you to find is going to be the Xanthan Gum, which is a GREAT non-caloric thickener. :ook for the Bob's Mill brand at your health food or natural food store,

will do. i'm stopping by general nutrition center when my paycheck comes.

smith, I think it's cheaper if you buy in bulk like lenin suggested instead of buying the pouches. Unless they're having a good sale, GNC is a bit pricey to me. I would definately check out warehouse stores like B.J.'s, Costco, etc.

because when if you drink it before you work out you'll start burning the calories in it, but if you drink it after you'll burn fat reserves and calories already in your body

lol, you need some form of calorie to burn fat

when someone burns fat what they are really doing is using the fat in their body, along with sugar, to make glucose and use it in their muscles. without any carbohydrates to burn the muscle will use itself to make energy.

do you think cocoa would taste good with protein powder, vanilla extract, a banana, a few strawberries, skim milk, and some blueberries? what else can i add to make it taste good and make it healthier?

Smith,

Cocoa will fight the taste of strawberries and blueberries to my taste-buds and the less ripe the fruit, the worse the combo. I think the clash has to do with the tartness of the more acidic fruits.

The banana and the vanillin will go very well with the cocoa.

So when are you going to make your first shake...you procrastinate worse than I do, and I'm talking gold-medal procrastintion. :bouncing:

nah, i've made a few of these shakes already. and i don't see how cocoa is going to taste good with the vanilla. my shakes are too chalky on top as is. LESS CHALK!

If you are following my recipe and it's coming out chalky, then you need to change your protein powder. I used GNC's Whey Protein years ago and it had a chalky feel to the teeth that I HATED. I switched to their SOY protein and the shakes were smooth.
I was worried that the EAS Protein would have that chalkiness but not a trace.
If you are getting a different cdonsistency shake on TOP than on the BOTTOM of the glass, you are not blending it thoroughly or not using a thickening agent (like xanthan or guar) to thicken and bind the liquid. You need a powerful blender to smooth everything, including the ice cubes to a thick and even consistency.

Cocoa and vanilla go VERY well together, try it!

im using their half soy, half whey protein mix. i figured it would be the best combination of amino acids. should i switch to soy?

Like I said,

I found the GNC WHEY protein gritty and their soy smooth. If you want whey, see if you can find the EAS Whey protein (stands for Easy Advantage Systems or something like that.) It's very smooth and has added flavoring, the chocolate is tasty but still needs cocoa. It also seems to thicke better than GNC and Vitamin Shoppe.

i think i'm going to try soy only next time, but i'm loving these protein shakes. my muscles and body really need this protein because i don't get enough in a day.

do you think this protein is 100% usable by the body?

It IS 100% useable but of course only SOME will be used to build lean body mass. What the body doesn't need at the moment will either be burned as fuel or stored as fat; protein cannot be stored as protein.
We usually get far more protein than the body needs to replace bodily breakdown...but it ALL gets used but not necessarily as building blocks.
If we always eat MORE protein than we ever need, we never run short.

i took a shake to work this morning and i wasn't hungry at all for 3 hours. it was awesome. thanks for all of the help. so unused protein gets burned as fuel if i'm working out?

I find they keep me filled long, too. I had a 22 ouncer this morning (that's what my recipe makes) and it kept me content for hours and hours.

Right, what protein you don't need in the hours after you eat it are either burned as fuel or converted to fat.

and you said protein does or doesn't make a good fuel?

Oh, it's a ROTTEN fuel with lots of dirty wastes (ammonias and ureas) but it is a fuel nevertheless, the body can burn it as is or make glucose out of it (40% conversion) to burn in the brain.

Carbohydrates are the body's "clean burning " fuel. Fats are so-so.

oh man, thats why my kidneys and liver hurt so bad yesterday. i drank a protein shake and my kidneys and liver hurt so so so bad. i was like ***? how come i didn't get pains before drinking protein shakes?

how can i monitor it? i thought if i have tissue in my body that is damaged that i need protein to heal it!?!

how often should i be drining protein shakes?

and what is the best carbohydrate to eat before working out? fruits?

also, i know there is a lot of websites that give general amounts of calories that are burned in activities, but is there a website that calculates the amount of carbohydrates burned in activities? because it seems like watching the carbs would be easier than watching calories as long as i have protein covered in a day.

like, i eat high protein, low fat meals, but then try to calculate my carbs before working out, but don't know how many carbs i should be having before my soccer games.

lenin have u heard of vp2 protein powder, 100% hydrolized protein supposedly the best check it out

Smith,

Maybe you are somewhat allergic to milk? A shake shouldn't cause any pain otherwise. Sounds like intestinal cramping to me.

sinnister,
I buy my protein for price (I'm a cheapskate.) But I'll look for VP2 and see what the price is.
I REALLY like the nice EAB stuff for $4 a pound in bulk...it tastes good and thickens shakes nicely and is REALLY cheap!

OKAY looked it up...found two things:
VP2 costs over $15/pound (4 times as much as I pay)
Hydrolyzed protein tastes like DEATH!
I guess it's not for me.

Lenin its the most expensive stuff out there but ur body gets all of it. its next generation in protein 26 bux for 2 lbs. But it actually tastes really friggin good.


Also, Ive never head of Xanthan gum, what is t and where do i get it. how much does it cost.

Smith,

Maybe you are somewhat allergic to milk? A shake shouldn't cause any pain otherwise. Sounds like intestinal cramping to me.

sinnister,
I buy my protein for price (I'm a cheapskate.) But I'll look for VP2 and see what the price is.
I REALLY like the nice EAB stuff for $4 a pound in bulk...it tastes good and thickens shakes nicely and is REALLY cheap!

OKAY looked it up...found two things:
VP2 costs over $15/pound (4 times as much as I pay)
Hydrolyzed protein tastes like DEATH!
I guess it's not for me.

Lenin, wasn't it you that suggested I was getting an access amount of Urea from the shake? And that that in turn would cause pain on my liver and kidneys? I'm having a hard time knowing when to drink protein shakes.

lol, and i have to say that i did have the protein shake after 2 energy drinks througout the day, along with 4 beers. Extremely unhealthy day for me.

sinnister,

BOB'S RED MILL is the major maker of xanthan. It costs about $3 for an 8 ounce bag but that much will last you a year or more (put in a tight jar.)
I can get it in my supermarket but if your supermarket is less "super":D any natural foods store has it. The Bob's Red Mill line makes flour out of EVERYTHING so look in your bakery aisle.

Xanthan's claim to fame is that it wiill thicken COLD...no need to heat or boil like flour or cornstarch. It is also ALL fiber and thus NO CALORIES! An extremely useful product.