Category Archives: Protein Shakes

#Protein Shakes…Should you be drinking them?…

Protein Shakes….over the last few weeks I have shared some homemade protein shakes…But who should be drinking them and why?

For someone like me who does regular exercise…walking 10,000 steps at least 4/5 days a week on my rest days I average 3-5,000 steps a day…As I eat a well-balanced diet I don’t need to drink protein drinks…

If someone is following a rigorous training or weight loss regime … it is likely their gym or trainer will advise them to drink protein drinks …protein is an important nutrient and can help in weight loss…getting enough protein boosts your metabolism, reduces your appetite and helps you lose body fat without losing muscle…they are an easy way to add protein to your diet…

Some protein drinks are high in added sugars and calories…although some protein powders have little added sugar, and others have a lot (as much as 23 grams per scoop). Some protein powders wind up turning a glass of milk into a drink with more than 1,200 calories.

If you wish to drink protein drinks choose them wisely or make your own…

You can risk weight gain and an unhealthy spike in blood sugar.

When should you drink a Protein Shake?

Between meals, either as a snack or around your workout. People who exercise regularly need more protein to support muscle recovery and growth.

Can you drink too many protein shakes in a day?

As always the short answer is yes…however if you’re a veggie or vegan who struggles to hit your daily protein needs or need an alternative to grabbing a sugary snack mid-afternoon, an extra protein shake could be just what you need.

Protein Shakes and powders concern me…I think that many people who take them to aid weight loss or build muscle do not do their research and they can do more harm than good and as do many products there are great ones and there are the not-so-great made by unscrupulous individuals whose aim is profit…

The markets are full of fake bodybuilding supplements. Here’s what to keep in mind before you buy a protein powder off the shelf.

How to make your own…as I use Greek yoghurt if I make protein shakes I haven’t personally tried these recipes…Homemade Protein Powder

These TWO recipes are quick and easy to make ..the ingredients vary it just depends on what kind of proteins you want to include.

What is whey Protein?

Whey protein is commonly used alongside resistance exercise to help improve muscle protein synthesis and promote the growth of lean muscle mass…But what is it?

Milk is made of two proteins, casein and whey. Whey protein can be separated from the casein in milk or formed as a by-product of cheese making. Whey protein is considered a complete protein as it contains all 9 essential amino acids. It is low in lactose content.

The downside of using whey protein…some people who are allergic to milk may be specifically allergic to whey. In moderate doses, whey protein does not typically cause any adverse events. However, consuming very high doses can cause stomach pains, cramps and nausea…

To drink protein drinks or not …opinions are varied…some athletes will NOT touch them and many non-athletes will not leave home without one…me I say eat a banana…

if you take protein powders you will generally have three options…Buy the cheap ones where the list of ingredients has weird names plus chemicals you haven’t heard of and quite frankly I wouldn’t feed them to my resident mosquitos and I loathe those…

Then you have the outrageously priced ones…I mean why would you?

The third option is to make thy own…

Making your own proteins has many benefits:

    1. You control the sugar
    2. No chemicals
    3. No nasties
    4. No fillers
    5. it’s cheaper by far
    6. You know what is in it
    7. Peace of mind.

I hope this post has gone some way to helping you decide which camp you would rather be in…has given you options…I mean if you are doing resistance training and aiming to lose weight instead of counting calories why not count the chemicals in some outrageously priced Protein Drink/Powders and save that money to buy yourself that beautiful outfit you are aiming to fit into… be it the wedding dress of your dreams, that pair of size 12 jeans …I have left holidays as unless you live by the sea most of us ain’t going anywhere at the moment…sigh…x

I hope you are enjoying these recipes for homemade protein drinks if you are and you make your own please share your tips in the comments I love to hear from you…Love Carol  xx

 

 

Homemade Protein Shakes…Banana and Papaya…

Papaya and Banana Protein Shake.

Now for those who exercise quite hard and take or think you should take protein drinks then how about making your own?

I know many people who exercise who take these… So I thought I would do a little research and make my own… Cost-wise it is a no-brainer against the cost of some most Protein powders.

The protein shake is 3/4 cup of liquid and 1/3 cup of your main protein…

This is the third protein shake I have made and today I have used Papaya and Banana.

Below are what you can use to make your own protein shakes and in all honesty, they taste really nice although having never, ever used powders and the like I can’t really compare taste except to say I have been told the tastes are not always great and those who know me know I  don’t do manufactured stuff…I prefer to know what is in my food.

Liquids:-

Almond milk, Coconut milk or water or Soya milk… It is important to get the right balance not what liquid you choose.

Proteins:-

Greek yoghurt, Silken tofu, nut butter i.e raw cashews ( which) require soaking overnight to soften.

Extra proteins:-

Chia seeds, hemp hearts, ground flax or whole oats.

Oats

Papaya and Banana Protein Shake.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups of frozen Papaya
  • 1 small banana sliced and frozen
  • 1-2 tsp fresh ginger grated
  • 1/2 limes…1/4 cup or  60ml
  • A piece of carrot sliced
  • 1/3 cup of Greek yoghurt
  • 3/4 cup coconut water
  • 1 tsp chia seeds ( optional)

 

Let’s, Blitz.

Put all the ingredients into blender and blitz …Taste and add more lime if required.

Enjoy!

I hope you are enjoying these recipes for homemade protein drinks if you are and you make your own please share your tips in comments I love to hear from you…Love Carol  xx

Homemade Protein Shakes…Mango and green Apple …

Mango and Apple Protein Shake.

This is my second Protein shake with no powders…so much healthy for you and you can choose all your ingredients and protein which means you can have a change around when you wish…more variety…

I hope those of you who were looking for a hot protein shakes liked the chocolate one…I have been thinking about other hot protein shakes and we could do chocolate and coffee or maybe a matcha tea one…Let me know…

Mango and Green Apple Protein Shake.

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup of coconut water or liquid of your choice.
  • 1/3 cup of Greek yoghurt
  • 1 Cup of frozen Mango
  • 1/2 a green apple peeled and sliced
  • 2 cheeks of lime juice ( optional)
  • 1 tsp of chia seeds per glass ( optional)

Prepare your fruit and your other ingredients and just blitz together…Taste and adjust lime juice or add a little honey for your taste…Pour into a glass and enjoy!

I didn’t add any sweetener to this mixture as it was sweet enough for me but if you need a little more sweetness then add some honey.

Play with your fruits and flavours as long as you stick to the measurements when making a protein drink.

I still much prefer the very first protein drink I made the Raspberry and Beetroot Protein Drink 

It tastes amazing and the colour just pops it is such a vibrant pink colour and all-natural ingredients… If you missed this post it gives you further information on making your own protein drinks and what alternative liquids you can use instead of my prefered coconut water.

Enjoy!

Thank you for popping in and having a read if you love fresh homemade protein shakes then please leave a comment I just love to chat and swap recipes…Love Carol xxx

CarolCooks2 weekly roundup…31st January-6th February 2021…Recipes, Whimsy, Music and Lifestyle Changes

Recipes, Whimsy, Music and Lifestyle Changes…

Welcome to this week’s edition of my weekly roundup of posts…Especially for you just in case you missed a few posts during this last week… we are a week into February…February comes from the Latin word februa, which means “to cleanse.”

I’m sure for those of you who have snow… cleansing and spring cleaning are the last things on your mind…here where the sun shining thoughts do turn to spring cleaning and cleansing of the mind and body…  the streets are already being decked out with the beautiful red and gold banners which signify that Chinese New Year celebration will soon commence…the shops and market stalls are full of pretty red and gold decorations and there are lots of red and gold clothes for sale the children’s ones being so lovely…

RED AND YELLOW CHILDRENS CLOTHES CHINESE NEW YEAR

This month we have Valentine’s day on the 14th and a snow moon at the end of the month…aptly named because February is typically the snowiest month in the United States. In the 1760s, when Captain Jonathan Carver visited the Dakota tribe, he recorded that this was their name for February’s full moon.

However, this moon was also called the Black Bear Moon, due to the cubs born around this time, and the Hungry Moon due to the lack of food that was common in winter.

Time to catch up on last weeks posts I am waffling again…lol

Meatless Monday’s:

Meatless Monday’s are going well and proving quite popular… I am enjoying my meatless meals and I wish to thank everyone who has sent me tips and recipes to try you are all awesome… I will also credit back to you once I have made them and my taste testers have given their verdict…

 

 

 

This was certainly a lovely curry and I know mushrooms and eggplants are not for everyone…it took me years before I really liked eggplants and I certainly have eaten more since living here as there are so many different varieties of eggplants available…

For those of you who don’t like curry’s, eggplants and mushrooms I will be experimenting with all foods so I am sure in the coming weeks there will be a recipe or two which you will love…Please speak to me and let me know your favourite foods and I can come up with meatless recipes based around those foods…

https://carolcooks2.com/2021/02/01/meatless-monday-week-4-thai-red-curry-with-mushrooms-and-purple-eggplants/

Tuesday: Homemade Protein Shakes…Raspberry and Beetroot…

Raspberries and beetroot are two of my favourite foods and combinations although beetroot and oranges go well together as well…As you know I try really hard unless it is impossible to get the ingredients or make something easily at home to replicate a healthier version in my own kitchen…Protein shakes are something which is so easy to make at home from fruits and vegetables that are in season…over the next few weeks, I will be sharing other combinations of protein shakes…

https://carolcooks2.com/2021/02/02/homemade-raspberry-and-beetroot-protein-shake/

Wednesday: The Culinary Alphabet with a little twist…Food terms ending in the letter U( tirasamU)…

This series is so much fun to research as I have discovered so many new foods and foods which also have so many different names depending on where in the world you live…fascinating…I am sad though that the series is coming to an end soon only 2 maybe 3 more posts if I can stretch the last 5 letters out…

https://carolcooks2.com/2021/02/03/the-culinary-alphabet-with-a-little-twistfood-terms-ending-in-the-letter-u/

Thursday: Homemade Protein Shakes…Hot chocolate …

A hot Chocolate Protein Drink especially for those of you who live in colder climes…xx

https://carolcooks2.com/2021/02/04/homemade-protein-shakes-hot-chocolate/

Smorgasbord Health Column – Turning Back the Clock 2021 -Anti-Aging and The Hormone Factor by Sally Cronin.

I think many of us wish we could stop Father Time and turn back the clock… have fewer pounds and inches, lines and maybe health problems associated with our advancing years…well you can if you head over to Sally’s and have a read…No magic bullet and results in 5 days it takes time and commitment on your part but it is proven to have results  …

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2021/02/04/smorgasbord-health-column-turning-back-the-clock-2021-anti-aging-and-the-hormone-factor-by-sally-cronin/

Fruity Friday’s…Nutmeg and Mace…

Nutmeg is normally an autumnal and winter spice which is often used in autumn and winter desserts, soups, hot beverages it also pairs well with cheese and cream-based recipes…my abiding memory is rice pudding and that lovely brown skin which formed by my mother grating nutmeg over the top before baking the pudding we used to argue over it…Mace… although both spices come from the same tree, nutmeg and mace do differ from each other. The mace is the outer coating of the nutmeg seed, this is removed first and ground into a red-coloured spice, while the nutmeg pit or seed can either be kept whole or ground up.

https://carolcooks2.com/2021/02/05/fruity-fridays-nutmeg-and-mace/

Saturday Snippets: 6th February 2021…

My muse is coming back…part of the reason methinks or I know is just because it was January the time after the festive season the time when our annual visa is due and we have to generally say how high when faced with differing hoops…but the passport is now stamped for another year in Paradise although after January the lily has lost some more of its gilding…

Saturday Snippets, however, is back on track…xx

https://carolcooks2.com/2021/02/06/saturday-snippets-6th-february-2020/

Well, that’s it for today…Thank you so much for dropping by…I hope you have enjoyed the read…if you have please head over and leave a comment it makes my day to hear from you …Love Carol xx

 

 

Homemade Protein Shakes…Hot chocolate …

Doing more exercise also turns our thoughts and our thirst to drinks…Water is my go-to drink when I am exercising …If you are doing high-intensity workouts then it may be that your friends or the gym you attend tell you to take a protein drink to help decrease body fat or promote weight loss, but protein shakes aren’t a magic bullet for weight loss.

Replacing meals with protein shakes may help you reduce your daily calories, which can help you lose weight. They are also costly and may make you gain weight…

Which means choose wisely ..do your research…

It may be high in added sugars and calories. Some protein powders have little added sugar, and others have a lot (as much as 23 grams per scoop).

Some protein powders wind up turning a glass of milk into a drink with more than 1,200 calories. The risk: weight gain and an unhealthy spike in blood sugar.

The answer…How about making your own? Today due to popular demand it is a hot protein shake …CHocolate and Banana…

Ingredients: Serves 1 depending on the size of your cup.

  • I ripe Banana
  • 1/4 cup oats
  • 1 tbsp of peanut butter, almond butter or other seed butter of your choice,
  • 1/2-1tbsp chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp chocolate powder
  • 2 cups of milk of your choice…I used coconut milk
  • Maple syrup or 1-2 pitted dates to sweeten(optional)

Let’s make a shake…

Ingredients for protein Shake

Add all the ingredients into your blender and blitz…Taste and adjust if necessary…more milk to thin drink down or cocoa or nut butter or dates or syrup to sweeten…it was fine for us the right level of sweetness but we don’t have a sweet tooth.

Hot chocolate Protein Shake…

I then gently warmed the mixture in a small pan but didn’t allow it to boil…I did find it thickened slightly on heating probably due to the oats so I added more milk…but if drinking cold it was fine for us…

Thank you for dropping in I hope you have enjoyed the post and I would love to hear from you in comments…I love to chat…Love Carol x

 

 

 

 

Homemade Protein Shakes…Raspberry and Beetroot…

 

I think this time of year always gets most of us thinking that better weather and longer days are on the way and also the excesses of the festive season sometimes weigh a bit heavy …we are finding we are wearing our Jim jams or joggers more often than our jeans or trousers/skirts(with) a fixed waistband and no elastic to give us a helping hand…

Couple that with the quarantine and restrictions put in place last year and for some they are still in place I know my thoughts are turning to the fact I need to move more and eat less of certain foods…too many comfort foods have been the name of the game… it all adds up…

This time of year also means that all the new diets appear and what promises lies they tell…Nothing will make you lose belly fat or any other fat that quickly and keep it off unless you are following an extremely restricted diet…

Doing more exercise also turns our thoughts and our thirst to drinks…Water is my go-to drink when I am exercising …If you are doing high-intensity workouts then it may be that your friends or the gym you attend tell you to take a protein drink to help decrease body fat or promote weight loss, but protein shakes aren’t a magic bullet for weight loss.

Replacing meals with protein shakes may help you reduce your daily calories, which can help you lose weight. They are also costly and may make you gain weight…

Which means choose wisely ..do your research…

It may be high in added sugars and calories. Some protein powders have little added sugar, and others have a lot (as much as 23 grams per scoop).

Some protein powders wind up turning a glass of milk into a drink with more than 1,200 calories. The risk: weight gain and an unhealthy spike in blood sugar.

The answer…How about making your own?

I know many people who exercise who take these… So I thought I would do a little research and make my own… Cost-wise it is a no-brainer against the cost of some most Protein powders I made one today and it was nice…It tasted good..my son was my guinea pig/taste tester and has been a protein drink customer in the past and it got the thumbs up from him.

The protein shake is 3/4 cup of liquid and 1/3 cup of your main protein…

Liquids:-

Coconut milk or water or Soya milk… It is important to get the right balance not what liquid you choose.

Proteins:-

Greek yoghurt, Silken tofu, nut butter i.e raw cashews ( which) require soaking overnight to soften.

Extra proteins:-

Chia seeds, hemp hearts, ground flax or whole oats.

Today I made a Raspberry Protein shake and for an extra boost could have used chia seeds.

Raspberry Protein shake.

Raspberry Protein Shake

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup of coconut water
  • 1/3 cup of Greek yoghurt
  • 1/2 cup of frozen raspberries
  • 1/2 medium beetroot(raw) peeled and diced.
  • 1 tbsp honey ( optional)
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds ( optional)

Let’s, Blitz!

Measure all the ingredients into your blender and blitz away… The colour was amazing a beautiful colour and it tasted very nice not too sweet and I did add honey.  Having never had a protein drink I do not know what they taste like although I have listened to others who say well they don’t taste great BUT I drink them anyway…Really! Why would you?

Personally, I like to drink something which tastes pleasant.

Thank you for dropping in I hope you have enjoyed the post and I would love to hear from you in comments…I love to chat…Love Carol x