The 5 Best Protein Powders on the Market

Is This Protein Powder Good For You?

How many times have you read or heard about a dynamite protein powder only to give it a try and end up having your stomach tied in knots, tremendous gas issues, diarrhea, getting bloated, experiencing nausea, developing a headache, runny nose, etc.? Some of these protein powders are proclaimed by experts to be the absolute best, backed by university studies, yet taste like the inside of a garbage can and cause the aforementioned issues. I just want to quickly point out that bloating, nausea, gas, etc., are NOT normal human reactions. Your body was not meant to have these issues so when you have them your body is speaking to you. It's your body's way of telling you to avoid these powders at all costs!

So, one more time. If you cannot stomach the taste of a certain protein powder or if it leads to any of the above unpleasant experiences, this means that your body is telling you - this protein powder is NOT for you no matter what expert, university study or guru tells you. Your body knows better than all of them combined.

2 Types of Protein Powders You Should NEVER Consume

I have probably tried and tested hundreds of protein powders over the past 40 years, many of which probably almost killed me by taste alone. I have also consulted over thousands of clients on nutrition and proper selection of protein powders. With this experience I have found that there are two types of protein powders you do not want to have.

You do not want to have any type of protein powder that contains Casein, an extremely unhealthy form of protein. Casein is very cheap to produce and the profit margins are very high so you see it everywhere. Unfortunately humans cannot digest Casein and it is usually the culprit of the digestive issues mentioned above among other things. Real quick, it takes the human body 2-4 hours to digest a carbohydrate and it takes the human body 4-6 hours to digest a fat or protein. Research tells us that after 14 hours in the human digestive system Casein does not even begin to digest. It just gets caught up in your digestive system, putrefies, builds up in your system  and has been shown to cause things like allergies, digestive and skin issues just to mention a few.  Many manufactures of Casein protein powders promote it as a "Slow" digesting protein where I would more likely call it a "NO" digesting protein. If you want to avoid the unpleasantness of stomach issues, gas, bloating, etc., and actually have a chance to digest, absorb and utilize your protein powder stay away from casein.
The second type of protein powder you want to avoid is Soy protein. Many people still think Soy is a "Health" food and many Vegans use it as their "go to" protein powder but if you would take the time to read the following article you would probably not have Soy protein again. There is a lot of research explaining how Soy affects your thyroid function as well as lowering your testosterone levels. If you are a consumer of protein powders I think these are two areas of concern for you.  170 Scientific Studies Confirm the Dangers of Soy

Blood Type Can Help You in Finding The Right Protein Powder

Over the course of the past 30 years of consulting with thousands of clients I have found that blood typing is a quick and easy way to find a protein powder that will be easily digested and assimilated without going through the painful and expensive process of choosing the correct protein powder. How many cans of protein powders have you thrown out over the years because of taste or digestive issues? Below is a chart of protein powders that are good for each blood type:

Blood Type O:  Egg White Protein Powder and Rice Protein Powder. Two brands I recommend are Jay Robb's Egg White Protein Powder and Nutribiotic Raw Rice Protein Powder.
Blood Type A: Pea Protein Powder and Rice Protein Powder. Also any "Green" Protein Powder that does not contain Soy such as Vega, Vega Sport or Vega One and Plant Fusion.
Blood Types AB and B: Egg White Protein Powder, Rice Protein Powder and Whey Protein Powder. Dream Whey is an excellent choice as it comes from cows who are not treated with hormones or antibiotics.

If you do not know your blood type then you should try Rice Protein since it is good for any blood type. You could also buy a home blood typing kit for between $8-$15 by Googling "Home Blood Typing Kit." This way you will have other choices when it comes to your protein powders.

Be Aware of Sweeteners in Your Protein Powder

One final word on protein powders is to use the ones that are lowest in sugars (5 grams or less per serving) and do not contain artificial sweeteners such as Sucralose, Equal, NutriSweet or sugar alcohols. I have seen many great protein powder formulas only to not have them used by my clients because they contained a substance like NutriSweet. Read your ingredient labels!

If you need help in choosing a protein powder, how to use a protein powder or any questions on protein powders you can contact me by clicking the following link and entering your contact information. Mike Duffy Contact Us Page

How to Lose 10 Lbs Fast

1.  Get Motivated!  Hire a personal trainer and set a goal with a date, enter a contest or challenge, make a bet with a friend or co-worker. Take action and find someone or something to motivate you. 2. Reduce or Eliminate Starches-The number one rule to permanent, quick weight loss is to severely reduce (one fist sized serving a day) or eliminate starchy foods such as pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, cereal and beans, yes beans too! These foods contain a ton of sugar waiting to invade your body, cause you to over release insulin and drive your body into fat storage. Yes, all carbohydrates turn into sugar inside your body and believe it or not starches contain more sugar than any other foods! 3. Exercise Daily-You have to MOVE! It could be as simple as taking an easy 10 minute walk after dinner each night, performing calisthenics at home or jumping into a class at a local gym but you have to MOVE! If you have not been working out then start easy and work your way up, don't be in a rush and go at your own pace. If you have been working out then step it up and either workout a little harder or completely change what you are doing.Change will bring change! 4. Eat! Guess what? You have to EAT to lose. Yes, you do. You need to eat 3 healthy meals a day and 2 snacks. Snacks are "mini meals" strategically placed throughout the day to starve off HUNGER and SUGAR cravings as well as STIMULATE your metabolism. Try to have something healthy about every 3 hours. Eat less as the day goes on by making Breakfast your largest meal and Dinner your smallest, this way you have all day to burn off breakfast and your body can digest a small dinner overnight. 5. Reduce or Eliminate Sugar-Sugar is the leading cause of obesity in the country. You can increase the amount of healthy fats and protein you consume to make up for the sugars you are lowering. Proteins and fats give you satiety and you will quickly see sugar cravings and hunger disappear when you include more of them in your diet.

Do you suffer from neck pain, tightness in your traps, reduced neck range of motion or headaches?

Many people who suffer from neck pain, tight or knotted traps and headaches have what we call "forward head syndrome." This syndrome has many different causes but all can be easily fixed with a balanced exercise/stretching program. If you drop a plum line from your cheek bone it should align straight down to your collar bone. This indicates that your head is properly aligned over your spine and will have proper support with no added tension on the trap muscles. However, for every inch your cheek bone is in front of your collar bone you will double the force of the weight of your head on your trap muscles. This, over time, will cause added stress to your traps and neck which can cause limited range of motion in the cervical region, pain, stiffness as well as headaches and other issues.
The fix for this is very simple. All you need is an exercise/flexibility program that brings balance back to this area. Simply performing cervical extensions, scapula retractions, rows and rear delt movements along with stretching your chest, shoulders, traps, SCM and adding in some massage techniques such as a myofacial release or accupressure will fix this in a short period of time. For information on a program to get you out of pain, restore range of motion and eliminate headaches from forward head syndrome contact us at Mikeduffyspt.com.

Do you really need Cholesterol Meds?

I met with a client today who was concerned with his recent blood test. He works out consistently, eats healthy, looks and feels great. He had a complete blood test and everything was perfect except for his cholesterol numbers or so he thought. His Total Cholesterol was 246 and his doctor strongly recommended he take cholesterol lowering medication (statin). My client, wanting to be healthy was reticent. "Mike, healthy people don't take medications right?"

Looking at his numbers in a little more detail we saw that his HDL (good) cholesterol was 86 MG/DL and the recommended range was over 40 MG/DL, so far so good. His Cholesterol/HDL Ratio was 2.9 and the recommended range was less that 5.0, so far so good.

I have been taught that HDL percentage is a far more potent indicator for heart disease risk. Here are the two ratios that I thought should have been considered but were not:

1. HDL/Total Cholesterol Ratio: Should ideally be above 24 percent. If below 10 percent, you have a significantly elevated risk for heart disease. His percentage was 35%, well above the 24% ideal.
2. Triglyceride/HDL Ratio: Should be below 2 and his was 0.5, again well below.

Speaking of Triglycerides, his were 46 and the recommended range was less than 150 and right now things are looking much better for my friend and he was feeling a little relieved.

So what was the cause for distress here?

•  All his numbers were looking pretty good except for the 246 Total Cholesterol number. Why does this seem so high? There were two things causing it to be high. First, his HDL was increased which we discussed above and that is a good thing but more importantly his LDL or what is considered his "Bad" Cholesterol, was 151 where the recommended level was less than 130. All his other cholesterol indicators were great except for this so clearly he needs to be on meds right?

Maybe not:

• Recent research into LDL or "Bad" Cholesterol has given us some insight into 4 different kinds of LDL and all of them are not "Bad" for you. There is a big, fluffy form known as large LDL, and three increasingly dense forms known as medium, small, and very small LDL. A diet high in saturated fat mainly boosts the numbers of large-LDL particles, while a low-fat diet high in carbohydrates propagates the smaller forms. The big, fluffy particles are largely benign, while the small, dense versions are cause for extreme concern.

But here's my client's problem:

• The typical LDL test doesn't distinguish between large and small LDL particles — it can't even spot the difference. And people can have mostly large LDL or mostly small LDL in their overall LDL, depending upon a host of genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. My client's mix may make all the difference between having a healthy heart and circulatory system and one in a disease state.

So if all of his numbers looked healthy and one did not, why not check his LDL profile before putting him on medication?
Another thing to consider would be his coronary risk factors, which by the way, he passed with flying colors when reviewing them with him.
So, as we sat there and reviewed all this information I told him that if it were me or if he were my wife, father or close relative I would not go on the medication but, and this is a real big but, he must listen to his doctor. I am only a personal trainer and holistic health consultant. I will point out research and educate him. What he needs to do is approach his doctor and go over this research with him to see what his doctor wants to do. I am hoping that he will have an open minded doctor that will further analyze his LDL and look into his other factors. He exercises regularly, he eats healthy, he doesn't smoke, his parents did not have heart disease, he looks and feels great and doesn't want to be on a medication and enjoy the benefits of it's side effects!

The moral of this story is to take your Cholesterol readings into your own hands, do your research and have a discussion with your doctor-question everything and only take a medication when it is absolutely necessary (there is a time and place for everything). And never, ever stop a medication without your doctors permission. 

5 Healthy Alternative Milks

Mike Duffy's Personal Training

•  52 Monmouth Rd, Oakhurst, NJ 07755 phone#  (732) 263-0202
•  147 Markham Pl, Little Silver, NJ 07739 phone# (732) 530-4066

About

Little Silver Studio

“Experience the Area’s Most Reputable Personal Trainers”
At Mike Duffy’s Personal Training we believe that in order to be the best person you can be, the best YOU, starts and ends with proper nutrition and exercise. Nutrition and exercise nourishes your body and helps you to run at your optimal level. Whether you want to look or feel better it all begins with eating and training properly.
Since 1997 we have helped thousands of clients become a healthier version of themselves through a tried and tested system of a nutritional and training system developed by Mike Duffy. Mike has been training clients for over 25 years with fantastic results. “I find when people are given a workout schedule to follow, given a nutrition plan that is right for them (everyone is different) and are coached through the program and held accountable -then they will be much more capable of attaining their goals.”
Mike Duffy’s Personal Training offers cutting edge, one-on-one attention by utilizing the latest techniques in the fitness field.  Our fitness professionals will design and implement creative workouts.  These workouts include a combination of any of the following or a full workout in just in discipline.  We accommodate all ages and interests from weight loss and toning to general fitness, sports, specific training and post-rehabilitation.  Whatever your goals… we can help you achieve them.
All programs are available as one-on-one training only.

• Pilates (Reformer, Tower and Mat)
• Kickboxing/Boxing
• Kettlebell Training
• Weight Loss Training (21 Day Rapid Fat Loss, Body Fat Challenge)
• Cardiovascular Training
• Sports Specific Training (Golf, Tennis and much more)
• Strength Training
• Post Re-Hab Training (Injury Prevention & Recovery)
• Flexibility Training
• Functional Training (TRX, Balance Boards, Tubing, Cables, etc.)

Services Overview
Our trainers’ goals each and every session is to motivate you to train more intensely, push you to feel the specific muscles you want improvement in and to strive to transform your body to look and feel better over time.  When this is accomplished safely, our goals has been accomplished.