Are Protein Shakes Bad For You?

Although research hasn’t proven their role in sports performance and muscle strength, the ubiquitous protein shake has become a central presence in the lives of most fitness conscious people today and is the golden boy of the multi-billion dollar supplement industry. Once chalky and foul tasting mixtures of calcium caseinate used almost exclusively by bodybuilders and power-lifters in the 1970’s and 80’s, protein shakes have evolved into slickly advertised and milkshake flavored smoothies sold at trendy shops. Sales of protein shakes and its cousin the protein bar, increase each year as more mainstream members of the public use them as a quick and handy meal replacement. A 2005 study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics even found that protein powders and shakes were the supplements most commonly used by those aged 12 to 18, which isn’t surprising given the advertising that promises muscles from a can. In the fitness world, protein shakes are seen as an indispensable part of achieving a lean, muscular physique and they are sold at just about every gym in the country. Without a doubt, the number of fitness minded people who don’t use protein shakes are few, and I will be first to admit that I used protein shakes religiously for over ten years earlier in my career. This is no longer the case as I don’t use them anymore, nor do I advise any of my personal training clients to use them. Experience has taught me that protein shakes are not that effective for building quality muscle in a drug free athlete, and using them can be an easy way to get fat and adversely affect your health.

Protein can be thought of as the building blocks for our bodies. Muscle, bones, skin and other tissues are all made from protein and everyone needs in varying amounts to stay healthy. The appeal of protein shakes is that most people don’t always have access to wholesome meals and so a ready to drink shake is looked upon as a handy and healthy alternative- but is it really? The past hundred years have been a too often ignored history lesson of what goes wrong when we add unnatural food products to our diet. Cardiovascular disease and diabetes now affect as much as 25% of the U.S. population[1] and blame for the increase lies squarely on the new foods introduced into our diet in the latter half of the twentieth century. Nothing could be more further from a natural human diet than a protein shake or bar and given the fact that there are no safety testing criteria required by the FDA for supplements, we have nothing concrete to vouch for how their long term use will impact our health. The list of  fallen ‘healthy foods’ consumed by the fitness minded over the years is an impressive one. Trans fats laden margarine became a staple among the health conscious during the 70’s and 80’s while low fat food products are popular items today. All sold based on nothing more than advertising hype and endorsements while time and science proves them all to be questionable for regular human consumption.  It is important for us to realize that over the past 150,000 years of our existence as a species, the human body has evolved along with the very foods that sustained us in a harmonious and mutually beneficial way. Societies labeled as primitive that subsist on only naturally occurring foods do not have the prevalence of metabolic disease.[2]

Protein Shakes Are Unhealthy &  Unnatural Food Products

Our bodies are a marvels of biological perfection, and so is the environment in which they evolved. For millennia, we have relied exclusively on natural food sources for our sustenance. Our ancestors ate meat, fish, grains, grasses, nuts, eggs and other foods, but their diets did not include protein shakes with cross filtered, pre-digested whey proteins or micellar casein. The argument that protein shakes are made with natural ingredients are a moot point, as many products made with natural ingredients are harmful to human beings. Potassium cyanide can be harvested from wild almonds, and stating that it has ‘all natural ingredients’ will do little to reduce its toxicity. The most popular protein shakes are made with whey or casein which are both milk derivatives, but although they exist in milk, they do not exist naturally in isolation without the presence of other nutrients- a factor we are learning to be critical in the way the body digests micro and macro nutrients. An excellent example would be vitamin supplements. You can take the most expensive vitamin tablet to ensure your intake of essential vitamins and minerals, but because the many other chemical compounds naturally present in meats, grains, fruit or vegetables are absent, our bodies simply cannot absorb the vitamins as efficiently. Since vitamins were first isolated in the early 20th century by biochemist, Casmir Funk, we have embarked on an unsuccessful quest to reduce foods to simple compounds of vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and fats with the creation of engineered food products. The failure of the modern food industry to create and sustain an overwhelmingly healthy population should set off an alarm in the heads of anyone serious about taking care of their bodies. It took thousands of years for our bodies and our foods to evolve. There is a very strong relationship between us and the foods responsible for our survival as our bodies have learned over time to extract vital nutrients from these foods, while they in turn evolved to be more appealing to our senses and our taste buds. You don’t need a label with well muscled individuals making outrageous claims to make an apple on a tree appealing, but you need a pretty good public relations campaign to make the idea of liquid proteins palatable to the general public- and that is exactly what modern marketing has done. Liquid proteins can never share the kinship that we have with real foods and it is doubtful that it ever will.

Protein Shakes Can Make You Fat

The protein found in many of today’s shakes are predigested, which means they are chemically altered to allow for faster assimilation. In terms of supplying protein quickly to needy muscles, this sounds like  an excellent idea, especially after a hard workout, but it actually isn’t. Many studies confirm that ingestion of protein can increase your metabolic rate over 30% more than other food sources. This increase in metabolic rate from protein intake is called the thermic effect, and is a key factor in effective body fat reduction and is one of the reasons high protein diets are recommended for promoting fat loss. However, by drinking a protein shake in liquid form, it will always be assimilated faster than its natural, real food, solid counterparts. The rapid assimilation will thus significantly decrease the thermic effect. Factor in that these proteins are also partially pre-digested, it becomes obvious that this will further reduce any thermic effect. The rapid ingestion of a high calorie liquid protein can also lead to diarrhea, bloating and have a negative effect on eating behaviors. The skills required to lose weight long term by making consistent healthy real food choices go out the window when a protein shake is used to replace a meal. Let us not forget that a protein shake is still a source of liquid calories, and even the low calorie varieties can add up.

There is growing evidence that our bodies are unable to detect the calories in these new ‘liquid foods’ as when we eat solid foods. Our bodies have evolved so that solid foods make us feel satisfied, fluid calories, like the ones you would get from a protein shake don’t have strong satiety properties, nor does it suppress hunger. In fact when using fluid calories from any source, studies have shown that people often end up eating more calories overall as they ingest calories from the liquid and then keep eating as they are not satisfied by liquids in the same way, which sets the stage for overeating and weight gain. Physiologically the mechanisms behind hunger and thirst are very different. Thirst is quenched when your brain sends a signal that your blood and cell volume has increased, but hunger is regulated by signals from your stomach and intestines. When you eat solid foods, the nerves in your stomach detect that your stomach wall is stretching and sends a satiety signals to your brain while your intestines release hormones that all contribute to you feeling full. Protein shakes are often used on an empty stomach to replace a meal, but as you can see from the way in which our bodies are designed, it can’t satisfy you the way solid foods can and my experience has been that people using protein shakes as meal replacements during the day tend to overeat at night as your body isn’t satisfied by the liquid calories. People using protein shakes as a way to reduce their overall calories for purposes weight loss are only able to do so for limited periods. Over time the urge to eat solid foods (and the wrong ones at that) become overwhelming and any weight lost while using the shakes as a meal replacement tends to be rapidly regained.

As an up and coming natural bodybuilder, one of the first rules I learned from my coaches is that you never have protein shakes before a contest, and that you should always eliminate them at least three months out if you really want to get your body fat levels down. In so doing, you rely solely on solid foods that take full advantage of the thermic effect. My coaches, maintained that long before there were protein shakes, men and women had no problems building muscle and reducing their body fat and it is hard to argue with the list of impressive natural bodybuilders before the 1970’s. They also believed that consumption of protein supplements promotes water retention and increased body fat that many mistake for an increase in muscle mass. Take a look at the average protein drinking gym-goer and chances are that they don’t sport well defined abdominals. Instead they tend to look a bit on the bulky side- a look that can be easily duplicated by drinking milkshakes instead of protein shakes. They are a lot cheaper and at the end of the day, will do the same thing- which is make you fat.

Get your daily requirements of arsenic from protein shakes.

Protein Shakes Are Unregulated & Often Contain Harmful Ingredients

‘Pharmaceutical grade’ is a common element on many protein supplement container, however the truth is that FDA regulations do not require protein drinks to undergo any form of safety testing. That being said, it is no surprise that a recent review by Consumer Reports found that all of the protein shakes tested had at least one sample containing lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury [3]

• A sampling of the three recommended daily servings of a popular Myoplex product by EAS found 16.9 micrograms of arsenic (the safety standard set by U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) is 15 micrograms) and 5.1 micrograms of cadmium- which is just above the USP limit of 5 micrograms a day.
• Muscle Milk samples contained all the heavy metals mentioned: lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury with the daily recommended serving yielding 5.5 micrograms of cadmium (5 micrograms is the safe limit), 13.5 micrograms of lead (10 micrograms is the USP safe limit), and 12.2 micrograms of arsenic.

These numbers should not be taken lightly, as heavy metals such as cadmium accumulates in the body and can bring about extensive kidney damage. Heavy metals also have a tendency to stay in the body and it can take as long as 20 years to eliminate just half of the cadmium it absorbs today. The Consumer Reports investigation notes that cadmium raises special concern because it accumulates in and can damage the kidneys, the same organs that can be damaged by excessive protein consumption.  And it can take 20 years for the body to eliminate even half the cadmium absorbed today.

Protein Shakes Can Cause Kidney Damage & Increase The Risk of Osteoporosis

Not only can the kidneys be damaged by high levels of heavy metals found in protein shakes, but also from excess protein consumption. Many routinely drink upwards of the recommended servings of protein shakes throughout the course of a day by adding extra scoops or by having over three servings. The idea that more is better is especially prevalent among those seeking to build muscular physiques and there are no protein supplements with labels spelling out what the maximum serving sizes should be, that of course would be bad for business. Anyone with diabetes or kidney problems could find themselves facing serious side effects from overdoing their protein intake and shakes make it all the easier to do so. People are not always aware that they have kidney problems or diabetes, so you should always be aware of your health status before consuming them- or even better, don’t consume them at all. Long term excessive protein intake has also shown to increase the rate of calcium excretion from the bones of the body, thus upping the risk of developing osteoporosis. As a somewhat unnatural product, it isn’t at all surprising that many doctors suspect long term protein shake consumption as a cause of liver dysfunction. I was diagnosed several years ago with a fatty liver and abnormal enzymes. As a lifetime drug free athlete who never drinks and eats a consistently healthy base of foods, it was a bit of a shock and my physician pointed to my protein supplement intake as a possible cause- as it was something he had seen before in other athletes. I got several other opinions from different gastroenterologists and they all concurred that protein shakes might be the causative factor and so reluctantly I stopped taking them. In time, my liver enzymes stabilized again at normal levels, even though I was still taking in the same amount of protein, only this time it was from real foods.

Protein Shakes & the Pressure Of Advertising

It wasn’t easy stopping the shakes. Everyone else used them and everywhere I went in the gym there were ads with all the top athletes with a shake bottle in their hands. (In later years I learned that few of the athletes endorsing the products ever really took them and I myself have been asked on several occasions to endorse products even given my well known stance against their use). It was hard, and the peer pressure was enormous, but slowly I weaned myself off of the shakes. I thought that perhaps I would see some reduction in my muscle mass a result, but nothing could have been further from the truth. Over the past ten years, I have made better and more consistent gains in strength, muscle mass and conditioning as compared to when I was having protein shakes on a daily basis. It did mean that I had to pay more attention to my diet and plan my meals a bit more, but I credit that transition with being able to naturally maintain a body fat percentage of 5% or less all year round. Not only do I no longer have the stomach upsets that I learned to live with when I drank shakes regularly, but I also feel better and my digestion and energy levels are much better than they were before. Who knew just eating real food could be so beneficial?

In retrospect, I should have stopped earlier. I never used protein shakes before a contest or photoshoot, so why was it logical to go back to using them when I felt and looked my best without them. These products are a testimony to the influence of pervasive marketing and it is hard to escape it when as much as 60% of fitness magazines today are filled with supplement advertisements- most of them being for protein shakes. They also appeal to our modern microwave mentality for quick over quality. It is a fundamentally flawed argument to say that having a protein drink is better than eating junk food as the two both pose potential risks to your health and are well outside the circle of real foods that our bodies are designed to consume. Such ideas of health relativity are akin to saying that it is better to jump from the 19^th floor of a building rather than the 20^th. Both lead to the same result while the true logical response is to ignore both choices. The other evil bestowed upon us by protein shakes and the like is the idea that we need something outside of ourselves to be healthy. That we have to purchase something to achieve our goals and that we are unable on our own to do great things. Changing your body in a positive way requires sacrifice and convenience does not always factor into the equation. A strong and healthy body comes from years of dedication, commitment, sensible eating and time, but most certainly not from a protein shake.

References:

1. Ford ES, Giles WH, Dietz WH (2002). “Prevalence of metabolic syndrome among US adults: findings from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey”. JAMA

2 McMurry MP, Cerqueira MT, Connor SL, and Connor WE. Changes in lipid and lipoprotein levels and body weight in Tarahumara Indians after consumption of an affluent diet [see comments]. N Engl J Med

3. Consumer Reports July 2010

Kevin Richardson is one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City and the founder of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training™. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and need help losing weight, building muscle or taking your body to the next level give Kevin and his team a call at 1-800-798-8420. Check out Kevin’s personal training services here.

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Healthy Foods To Avoid To Lose Weight- Part 2 of  2

Check out: Healthy Foods To Avoid Part 1

Are you tired of ‘eating right’ only to find that you are still out of shape and are nowhere near the body of your dreams? You can thank the wonders of modern advertising for most of your woes as the majority of so called healthy foods are in fact junk foods that will so do nothing but adversely affect your health and increase your waistline. In this the second part of my postings on unhealthy health foods we will take a look at the remaining members of the health food list that you need to avoid!

6. Margarine.

Whenever people gather around and cite the news, or media as a source of health information I always bring up margarine. In the 1980’s it was touted as the new health food, and a far superior alternative to butter, as it was low in saturated fats. Just as it is today, no one questioned the veracity of those statements and we seem to have ignored the fact that we know today that margarine contains the worst type of fat possible, trans fatty acids which we know well as hydrogenated oils. These fats are artificially created and the human body simply is not able to function well with this new synthetic fat that man has made to make foods last longer on the shelf and give them a smooth texture and taste. Banned in many parts of the world outright, trans fatty acids lower your good cholesterol, and hike up the bad cholesterol. It also has been linked to an increase in risk of heart disease and diabetes. Interestingly enough, this is a food that most people can remember being endorsed by the nutritional powers that be and should serve as a warning to anyone that loos to the government and expert nutritionists for information on what is healthy. 

5. Milk 

Milk is a high sodium, high fat and high sugar food that will bloat your physique and keep you from attaining the look that you are training for. We grew up hearing (thanks to the great sums of money invested by the dairy association lobbyists) that milk was the ‘perfect food’ and that’s true if you are an infant. As we get older however our ability to digest milk declines. This, along with the fact that adult mammals do not drink milk leads me to believe that milk is a food geared towards a particular stage of our development. As an adult, drink it regularly and just watch your toes disappear. If you have to drink it stick to the skim version and not the 1% and 2% variety. (Ladies, don’t worry about calcium and osteoporosis if you decides to skip milk- there are many better alternative and to be honest there are no validated studies to show that calcium loss is prevented by drinking milk or taking supplements. What has been observed is that calcium loss can be prevented by increasing weight bearing exercises and increasing exposure to Vitamin D. It doesn’t sell dairy products, but keep in mind as well that in Europe and the United States, milk is a staple, and yet we have high incidences of bone loss in our population, while many in third world countries where milk is not consumed they have no such occurrences. Sadly, contrary to the ads for milk and calcium supplementation, the studies conclusively show that bone loss has more to do with a high sodium, high caffeine, high phosphorus (from carbonated beverages) and or alcohol intake and lack of exercise and sun exposure than anything else.

4. Soy Milk.

Soy milk is one of the biggest selling soy products, with $300 million in sales in the year 2001, up from a mere $2 million in 1980 due to the advertising of its potential benefits. The irony is that this so called health food that is supposed to be a staple part of the Asian diet is virtually unknown in that part of the world. Vegetarianism itself, has become profitable for companies to promote as a result, and more and more people are trading soy over animal based proteins largely as a result of the overwhelmingly present push towards soy being a superior food source, with soy protein used for a wide variety of vegetarian friendly products. In fact you would be hard pressed to find someone that did not believe that soy was good for the body after such an extensive and pervasive campaign, but no matter how many people call an arm a leg, it remains a leg and processed soy products are not at all good for you! Refined soy products do not provide the full array of essential amino acids required by the human body and the chemical processing required to make it safe for consumption fast and  in large quantities denatures much of its useable amino acids, especially lysine. In fact, soy products are not as natural as one might think, since they are contain inherently harmful toxins such as phytic acid and protease inhibitors and are perhaps the most processed foods being consumed today. In terms of its effect on weight loss- very early on in my career I noticed that soy milk consumption made a huge difference in the amount of weight lost by my clients. My advice is to stay away.

3. Rice Cakes

One of the original diet foods. As odd as it may sound, rice cakes have a higher glycemic index than sugar- so forget about adding it to your diet if you are serious about getting and staying in shape. Again, it sounds like a great idea- as it is after all made from rice- but they are so highly refined that they are devoid of the fiber that makes rice a great food choice. Forget the advertising and avoid it and don’t even consider the chocolate and butter flavored versions.

2. Granola

A personal favorite. I love to hate granola in all of its incarnations. It is marketed in a manner  similar to the aforementioned rice cakes as a ‘health food’ with labels proclaiming that it is ‘all natural’, well, natural does not mean good for you! Granola is nothing but candy with good press. It’s chock full of sugar, fat and calories and last time I looked there is no such thing as a granola tree. Best left on the supermarket shelf.

1. Diet & Protein Shakes

Another one of those suspicious ‘health foods’- one popular brand whose name I will not mention has the ludicrous marketing slogan that life is too short not to slim fast! All of them, protein shakes included promise quick nutrition and weight loss in a gulp or two while the truth is usually far less promising. Firstly, the majority of those so called ‘shakes’ are nothing but glamorized milk shakes. That’s right- milk shakes, filled with sugar and fats, with some vitamins thrown in for good measure- the most hyped up cross filtered whey protein drink is nothing more than a milk byproduct at the end of the day and if you use them regularly you’ll see a nice rounding of your stomach over time. So forget about a quick fix- there are no quick fixes and there is a reason why we have evolved the way we have as a species to ingest solid food sources over liquid ones.

As depressing as the list may seem, there are indeed really good choices out there if you really want to lose weight and stay in shape. By choosing foods in their natural form and eating only foods that your great-great parents would recognize in the way that they ate it is the only tried and true way to help the general population take control of their health and their waistlines. It really is that simple- natural foods don’t need fancy slogans and neither do you.

Kevin Richardson is the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here.

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Protein Supplements- Do You Need Them?

Part 2 of 2

Protein supplements over the years have become one of the mainstays of the health/fitness and bodybuilding movement. Once used almost exclusively by bodybuilders and athletes, sales of protein shakes and bars continue to increase year after year as more and more members of the general public are using them. Within the framework of the fitness world- protein shakes are an invaluable part of achieving a lean and muscular physique. Without a doubt there are few within the industry that do not use them, I myself used protein shakes almost everyday for over fifteen years. I no longer use them, however as I believe them to be not only ineffective, but also potentially unhealthy.

The first and most important argument to be made is the fact that in spite of all the articles published and the innumerable number of bodybuilders, athletes and fitness enthusiasts that consume them religiously, protein supplements are inherently unnatural. The human body is a marvel of biological perfection, so is the environment in which it evolved. Over the course of one hundred and fifty thousand years human beings have relied mainly on certain food sources for sustenance, they consisted of meats, fish, grains, nuts eggs and milk of various kinds. They did not include shakes containing cross filtered, pre-digested whey proteins or micellar casein. Now one might make the contrary argument that both whey and casein are cow milk derivatives, but there are three points that invalidate this argument. One is that although they exist in milk, a naturally occurring food, they do not exist naturally in isolation. The second is that these proteins are derived from cow’s milk, a food source naturally intended for other cows, not for human consumption. The Physicians Committee on Responsible Medicine, headed by Dr. Neil Barnard, cautions against the near universal custom of giving children pasteurized homogenized cow’s milk, as it is associated with juvenile diabetes, allergies, and mucus conditions. However, the American Dairy Board has done a very effective job of marketing this product. Almost everything that most of us know about milk comes either directly or indirectly from this powerful lobby group. Also it should be noted that no other adult mammal consumes milk past infancy, only humans do so against every biological indication that they should not. Lactase, the enzyme needed to digest milk decreases as we age, a strong indication that consumption is meant only for infants along with the most obvious factor that human females do not breast feed indefinitely. All things considered, milk proteins are not good choices, especially in an artificially isolated form.

Now while milk proteins account for the overwhelming majority of protein supplements, there are also egg and soy protein products available, although to be honest neither one compares in any way to the only protein source that our bodies were designed to consume- real foods. One often overlooked factor in the hoopla about protein supplements is that most of them are predigested, i.e. they are chemically altered to allow them to be assimilated easier. Again, on the surface it sounds prudent, predigest a protein source so it is available even faster to muscles in need- but a closer look reveals the backwardness of this train of thought. A study done by the American Journal of Physiology confirmed what many in the fitness field knew for decades- namely that ingestion of protein increased the metabolic rate more than thirty percent more than other food sources. This increase in metabolic rate, called the thermic effect, is a key factor in bodyfat reduction and is one of the reasons why a high protein intake tends to promote fat loss. However, by ingesting a protein supplement that is in liquid form and thus will be assimilated much faster than its natural solid counterpart you significantly lessen the thermic effect. More importantly, the fact that these proteins are also partially pre-digested means that they will have even less of a thermic effect in the body.

The alternative to protein supplementation is to get your protein from real foods only. The irony is that almost all top (and I place the word ‘top’ here purposefully) natural bodybuilding and fitness related competitors start their regime to get into peak conditioning by dropping protein supplements from their diets and relying solely on solid foods. They do so to take advantage of the thermic effect offered by solid protein intakes and because experience has shown that consumption of protein supplements tends to create a somewhat bloated appearance. That being said, my epiphany came after years of using protein supplements in the off season and then cutting them out before contest or photo shoots. I realized that if I looked my best, and was at my absolute strongest when I wasn’t using protein shakes in the pre-contest phase, why should I go back to using them in the off-season. And so I stopped, reluctantly at first, but in time I realized that I was making the same consistent gains in strength, muscle mass and overall conditioning as when I was consuming protein shakes on a daily basis. It meant that I had to pay more attention to my food intake and eat more than I originally did, but in the end, it is that very transition that I credit for my current level of year round conditioning. Not only do I not have the bloated appearance from protein supplement consumption, but I also feel better. My stomach feels much better than it has in decades and my energy levels are significantly improved.

 
So the bottom line is that without protein supplements, you can actually look and feel much better, but there is one other important benefit- cost. Can you imagine how much money you would save if you didn’t have to purchase protein shakes all the time? Saved money that could be better put to use in buying real food. The supplement industry invests a considerable amount to make the athlete and fitness minded individual believe that they need protein supplementation, they do so because they profit tremendously from the sales. Almost 99% of the information that supports the use of these supplements comes from magazines/books/companies that make, advertise or distribute protein supplements or from an individual that was influenced by the aforementioned group. There is as of yet no scientifically validated evidence that protein supplements of any kind do actively contribute to increased muscle mass or an increase in performance over a prolonged period1, none whatsoever. All that exist are conjectures rewritten by those that stand to benefit from supplement sales- conjectures that are woven into articles and books that are no more than cheap quack science.

The marketing of protein supplements appeals to the public’s microwave mentality- a quick shake is sold as being ‘an intelligent alternative given today’s fast paced lifestyle’- (the line is taken from an article in a so called health magazine that is owned by a company that also has stock in supplement production and that makes millions from the advertisements placed by other supplement companies within its pages). That way of thinking is to be blunt- weak minded bullshit. Ninety eight percent of American households have television sets in them and most of them find the time to watch the latest reality show or popular prime time program. The hallmark of a lifestyle truly committed to health and fitness is that the needs of your body is given a certain degree of importance. If modern man can find time to watch ‘Survivor’ or ‘Desperate Housewives’, then they can surely find enough time to get off of their behinds and prepare themselves a healthy meal. In addition to being a father of three I have no less than four professions, each one demanding a significant part of my day, and yet I make the time to cook all of my meals and my family’s meals as well. Does eating well mean waking up extra early or staying up late to spend time in front of a stovetop or oven putting together a well thought out meal? It certainly does and if you are not prepared to do so, or find a viable way to have real food correctly prepared for you, then you need to reassess your priorities because you are not truly committed to getting into better shape.

Final Thoughts
Changing your body in a positive manner requires sacrifice, there is no getting around this universal truth, convenience simply does not factor into the equation. Now the industry would like you to think that it does, and it would be nice to take a shake here and there and achieve the body of your dreams, but I also think that every mature adult is aware of the fact that nothing of value in life comes from shortcuts- a strong, lean and muscular physique is no exception it comes from years of dedication, commitment, sensible training and time.

References:

1 Exercise, protein metabolism, and muscle growth. Tipton KD, Wolfe RR., Metabolism Division, Department of Surgery, University of Texas

Information contained in this article is not meant to treat, diagnose illness, nor substitute for medical counsel and is intended for purposes of information and education only. Consult your physician before modifying your diet or starting any exercise program.

Warmest regards,

Kevin Richardson

Founder, Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise™

Naturally Intense Personal Training NYC

www.naturallyintense.net

Protein Shakes Part 1 of 2

First of all, I should state that I do not advocate the use of any bodybuilding supplements, In the United States a legislative loophole makes it possible that such products are produced without any real oversee with regards to its claims and content, leaving open the possibility of contamination. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies dietary supplements as foods and are thus exempt from the stringent manufacturing practices required for the pharmaceutical industry. Quality control is largely left up to the discretion of the individual manufacturers, which is why so many products are often found to be harmful or containing harmful ingredients after being on the shelves for several years. In Europe all such supplements are banned due to the potential health risk posed by many of the unregulated vitamins, herbs and supplements that we here in the US use on a daily basis and with good reason. (Keep in mind as well that in the EU harmful food additives such as trans fats, and high fructose corn syrup are banned, and ask yourself why no such bans exist here in the U.S.)
There are no such safeguards in place to protect the general public here in the United States, as a supplement can be made with no safety assurances, without having to answer to any quality control standards, and the product need not have any scientifically proven benefit. The argument is not really about whether these products are effective or not, or even whether they should be available to the public at large- more so the question is truly why they are exempted from safety testing and standardized quality controls. In the end it is a matter of safety.

Every search on this subject will result in pro-supplement propaganda, as the supplement industry rakes in over 13 billion dollars a year, and a lot of money is funneled towards keeping you, the consumer believing that these products are not only healthy, and scientifically validated in their effectiveness, but are also an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, and nothing could be further from the truth. In the end, the numerous recalls on supplements found to be harmful as well as the lack of long term research on the safety of many mainstream supplements are more than enough reason not to use them. Besides, I have seen hundreds of people achieve their health and fitness goals, many reaching the highest achievements possible in terms of performance and the human physique, and they did due to their consistency and hard work, not from taking a pill or a powder.

Warmest regards,

Warmest regards,

Kevin Richardson

Founder, Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise™

Naturally Intense Personal Training NYC

www.naturallyintense.net