How to Make a Protein Shake

Proteins are the basic building blocks of any living being. Proteins are made up of essential and non essential amino acids, both of which are equally important in building up the muscles and cells in a body.

There are many people who go for regular work outs. It becomes very essential in these kinds of people to have a proper amount of protein in their diet. Regular gym goers and people who regularly work out generally tend to go for protein supplements like energy bars or protein shakes.

The main advantages for going for a protein shake is to recover faster from the tiredness of work out, to maintain lean muscle due to consumption of proteins like whey protein which are low in fat and carbohydrates but rich source of proteins. It also helps in acting as a meal replacement therapy, in the sense that if you regularly take protein shakes in your meal you can easily skip that one time meal since the protein shake itself provides you with enough and more calories required for that particular time of the day.

There are different ways to make a protein shake, but the below mentioned will be the best and easiest way to make a shake for your balanced meal. The blender must be off when the milk is poured into the jar. The whey protein powder must be added to the milk and the milk and protein must be blended in the jar for about 15-20 seconds.

Once the milk and the protein powder are blended, the blender must be turned off and any fruit of your choice must be added. The fruits added may be bananas, raspberries, strawberries etc that would give a good and refreshing flavor to the shake.

The ingredients must then be blended nicely in the jar in medium speed or a greater speed so that all of them get mixed thoroughly and the fruits are completely bended with the milk. A tablespoon of virgin coconut oil can be used to give a coconut flavor to the shake. Coconut oil increases the metabolic rate and tends to help in achieving weight loss at a faster rate. It also helps in reducing certain risks associated with cancer and other cardiovascular risks.

Flaxseed oil can also be used in the shake due to different roles of flaxseed in daily diet. Flax seeds are rich in omega three fatty acids and hence play major role in reducing cholesterol, blood pressure and arthritis.

The shake is now ready to drink with a wonderful flavor of your choice. The shake must be had after 15-20 of your workout since it is in this time that the body requires protein to a maximum extent.

The protein shakes must usually be made with simple but strong flavors to mask the taste of the protein as such. The flavors can include fruity flavors like bananas, raspberries, strawberries etc or flavors like chocolate, vanilla, honey nut and crunch or roasted almonds.

The protein shakes prepared can be for various purposes. It can be used by some to gain weight or by some to lose weight. People who go for protein shakes for gaining weight tend to use 2% or whole milk with extra protein powder in the recipe mentioned since that would help in gaining weight.

People who are on a diet to lose weight tend to use skim milk in the recipe since that helps in building lean muscle.

People who are allergic to dairy products can use soy milk. Soy milk is also an alternative for people who tend to go on a low carbohydrate and cholesterol free protein shakes.

Care must be taken that the fruits used and the milk used must be fresh ones, since if not they might harm your body. Natural fruits or nuts whatever used must also be rich in protein since that would increase the energy you get from your shake. It is always better to go for natural flavors rather than using artificial or synthetic flavors since they may cause harm to the body at a later stage in life because of the synthetic chemicals used for flavoring.

Thus by using all the natural ingredients available in your fridge all the time, a great protein shake that would boost your body can be made.

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What Happens When You Get Too Little Protein in Your Diet

Proteins are composed of long chain like forms of amino acids. Amino acids are basic and fundamental to life. As a chemical compound, it is made of amine and carbonyl functional groups. To put it simply, they are made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen and on some rare occasions, sulfur. These four or five materials build themselves into various chain-like structures and form different types of protein. Protein is the life line of human health.

Human cells, muscle tissue, and the organs of the body are made up of protein. Long chains of amino acids are structured to make different types of proteins. There are 22 types of amino acids and the human body needs all of them to be healthy.

Different types of proteins in our body execute different body functions. Our body's strength, its flexibility and elasticity are taken care of by a protein called collagen, and our hair and skin are composed of the same protein.

Proteins we consume through food are broken down into amino acids in the process of digestion and absorbed by the body only to be rebuilt into different types of proteins that are the requirement of the body. There are twenty two kinds of amino acids essential for the human body. And in that 14 are produced by the body and the remaining 8 are to be obtained though food.

Complete and incomplete Proteins

A protein that can be obtained through one food source like a meat or dairy product is called a complete protein. A complete protein is obtained generally though meat, diary products, eggs, fish and poultry. Vegetables, fruits and nuts do not contain all the essential proteins in one food items and so it is termed as incomplete.

Importance of Proteins

For proper growth, sustenance and repair of body cells, for the health of muscles, tissues, organs and for body function like metabolism, digestion, transportation of nutrients and oxygen through blood circulation, proteins are imperative.

Apart from that more importantly for the production of antibodies, or in other words, antibodies are little soldiers who fight any infection that invades into our body and fights diseases and makes us healthy. The healthy skin and shining hair of which we are proud of is due to the proteins.

Too little Protein means ill health

Like our grand mothers say often, 'anything too much or too little is harmful' is absolute truth in case of protein. Too much protein intake leads to many uncomfortable physical complications just as too little of protein intake can lead to complications.

Protein is needed to repair and create new cells, tissues, hormones, enzymes and muscles and lack of protein would impair these important body functions leading to grave situations. Many foods which supply protein do contain certain other minerals and vitamins like iron, a lack of which creates an eternal tiredness and fatigue. The person who lacks iron feels weak and becomes listless with lack of energy.

Physical activities consume protein daily, and so it is essential to give regular supply of protein to the body daily. And too little protein can cause severe skin ailments and would make you look lusterless and pale.

Children need a lot of protein as they are in the phase of growing and insufficient protein in children hampers their growth very much.

For a period of time if the body fails to get sufficient amount of protein through food, it starts breaking the muscles which contain large amount of protein to fulfill its need. This means eroding of the muscle and it is generally known as muscle wasting. And prolonged such situation leads to a vicious cycle of protein energy malnutrition where in when the body does not get any other source of energy, body's muscles and organs a re broken down for energy. The digestive system suffers with the loss of cell lining which is important for absorption of nutrients from the digested food. Thus a vicious cycle of poor diet and insufficient absorption of nutrients from food lead to severe body wasting.

So, too little protein intake is dangerous and very harmful to health.

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Tips for Breastfeeding Diet

There are several important things in the life of a woman. Among various things, breastfeeding is considered as the most important thing. Breastfeeding is really a very special experience for women. It is a phase of life which is equally important for both the mother as well as the child. For the women, proper diet at the time of breastfeeding is extremely important. For proper development and well being of the baby it is very important to follow some dos and don't about the breastfeeding diet.

Most of the people remain in dilemma as to take what sort of diet for breastfeeding. If you want to make some alterations in your diet then you are required to wait for a moment. To begin with, it is very important to first of all consult your health care professional so as to make sure whether the alterations made by you in the diet are going in the right direction or not. In case it is suiting your lifestyle then you can certainly go for it. However if it is not then it is advisable to leave that option and go for any other. It is so because you cannot take chances during this phase of your life.

Among various important things, the first and the most important thing is to focus on the proper intake of vitamins in the diet. If you want all the vitamins in right proportion then you cannot manage it with the help of any kind of nutritional supplement. It can be achieved only and only through a well balanced diet. Along with normal breastfeeding diets try to include some fruits as well as vegetables in it. If possible then try to go for five portions of vegetables and fruits in each day's meal. For proper amount of vitamin A and C you can include broccoli in your routine breastfeeding diet. If it is a season of winter then having a sun bath can be an outstanding idea. It is a fact that sun is a great source for vitamin D and it can fulfill your requirement in a natural way. In summer season, you can manage this requirement by going for dairy products, oily fish and margarine in your breastfeeding diet.

Some of the minerals like Zinc, Calcium and Selenium are considered very important for a breastfeeding mother. For including zinc in your breastfeeding diet you can go for red meat, sardines, baked potatoes, hard cheese, cashew nuts and fish like prawns and mackerel. The best sources for calcium include almonds, spinach, white bread, dried figs, tofu and calcium enriched Soya milk, and sardines.

This is all you require to include in your breastfeeding diet. But the description of breastfeeding diet is not confined to this only. There are some of the things which we require not to do while going for a breastfeeding diet. If you prefer the intake of alcohol then it is highly advisable not to have it now. The contents of alcohol indirectly reach to the milk which the young one sucks through the breasts. It can be extremely harmful for the physiological functions taking place inside the body of the young one.

Avoid caffeine as much as possible and go for calorie free sugar. Only go for home made food and avoid the processed food to a very extent. It is not advisable to go for foods which contain a large amount of additives in them. Thus one should not go for consuming peanuts as it is in the position to leave allergens in the breast milk thus it needs to be avoided.

If we talk generally then we can say that there is not at all any specific diet in terms of specific breastfeeding diet. The most important thing that one should take care is to focus on the well balanced diet. Still if you have any doubt or you want to know more about the breastfeeding diet, then either you surf the net or you must consult the doctor. There are several sites on the net that can provide you with all the useful information about the breastfeeding diet.

Breastfeeding is no doubt the most special gift for a woman. It is important to take care for all the aspects as then only it can prove useful for the mother as well as the baby.

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