How to Shop for Protein Powders

Navigating the protein market when there are thousands of ads for brands daily and fitness influencers saying their protein is the BEST one, makes it that much harder to know what is really good for you. 

I mad this post for my instagram to get people to make the most informed decisions they can and also know when they are being scammed. 

I do want to say, good protein almost always comes with a higher price. If you are being sold a protein for $19.99 at Costco we really need to ask ourselves is this quality, because for that same amount you can buy chicken/meat and get in a real source of protein. 

Protein powder is a luxury and the way fitness influencers act like it's a necessity is just a way to get you to use their coupon code and make them more money. Real protein will always be more important than not. 

How to spot a good protein, it DOES NOT CONTAIN:

Artificial Dyes: dyes like RED40, BLUE1, BLUE2, YELLOW5, YELLOW6 and so forth. Many of these dyes have been linked to hyperactivity in children, skin rashes, respiratory reactions like asthma, and tumors.

Gums: some gums aren't bad like Gum Arabic which can be a helpful prebiotic but most people who suffer with gut problems or are on a gut healing journey it would actually help to stay away from gums as much as possible. Xanthan Gum, Gellan Gum, Tara Gum, Guar Gum and Cellulose Gum are some to look out for in your protein powders. They are there to thicken these shakes and don't add any nutritional value.

HFCS: or high fructose corn syrup has been linked to a wide array of health conditions especially obesity. Most fitness influencers I come across think they don't eat a lot of sugar but sadly they're not looking at their protein powders where things like this are hiding. ALWAYS AVOID.

Synthetic Vitamins: If there are vitamins added to the "other ingredients" you know that it has been added synthetically. Although it's great to get in your vitamins, these ones are bioavailable meaning our bodies can't utilize them therefore they are worthless. They can lead to nutrient deficiencies because people think they are getting their required about of (x) vitamin when they simply aren't.

Synthetic Sugar: these are the worst culprits and are usually the reason why people may not see the results they want to see because of the hidden sugars in their daily shakes. Aspartame, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium to name a few. If it says "0 sugar" on the front or is super low in calories we know that something has been added to make it sweeter. I approve of monk fruit or stevia leaf extract, as long as its from a natural source. 

Natural Flavors: these flavors can literally mean anything. There is no regulation and the FDA protects the brand from having to reveal what it is made from, go ahead and ask any brand, 99.9% will NOT tell you. This mystery ingredient is a recipe for disaster. The only time I let flavoring slide is when its "organic x ingredient" - this is just telling me its going by organic regulations and I know where its coming from they just used a little bit of science to enhance the flavor which for ME I personally don't mind since I don't want my protein to taste like dirt either 

Pesticides: well how do I know there are pesticides? well, there are always going to be pesticides in anything since that's how things need to be grown. What I personally avoid is non organic protein since it is sprayed with literally any harmful pesticide they have and especially if there are GMO crops used in the protein then we know it has been sprayed with cancer causing RoundUp. Always aim for organic and go the extra mile to ask for the COA, you can email any company it is public information and you can see the heavy metal content of the powders you are looking into buying.

I hope this rundown helped and please take your time when buying supplements, I promise you protein powder should not be 1. cheap and 2. a rush job. If you aren't going to get the real thing you should be getting something as close to the real thing as you possible can.

Quick shopping links here

Blog By: HealthIllie