How to Choose a Healthy Protein Powder

I began examine my foods and Be Intentional about what I put in my body in 2005. My big “aha-moment” came after a 21-day cleanse eating mostly veggies, a little fruit and some whole-food supplements. You see I had been trying the “Standard American Way” of diet, calorie counting and exercise to lose weight and improve my health. 4 Years Later I was still…Fat, Sick and Tired and becoming sicker by the day! The 21-day cleanse completely restored my health, removed 16 pounds in 21-days and assisted me in removing an additional 60 pounds over the next 4 months…for a total of 76 pounds and all I did was walk 30 minutes a day and follow a cleansing diet! WOW! WOW! WOW!!!

What is in the food?

The biggest change in my view of food as a result of this process was understanding the huge importance INGREDIENTS plays in the food you put in your body. I learned it’s not just the amount of food, calories, fat or sodium or sugar content (as diets track) but what the food is made of that matters most. Where does the food comes from, how it is prepared and processed and what is added to it to make it look good, taste good and last a long time? Over the following years I became aware that the ingredients in Health Food Supplements is also vitally important. While working out of Whole Foods Market in Franklin, TN, I became acquainted with most supplement companies and learned to ask some questions about manufacturers and production of supplements.

Many people, myself included, enjoy a smoothie with protein powder for breakfast, there are hundreds of choices and we have used many of them over the years. We’ve finally landed on one that we really approve but before we tell you what it is and why we like it….

Ask This About Your Protein Powder

1. Does Your Whey Protein Have High Quality Ingredients?

Whey comes from a cow. Therefore we must ask these questions: does the cow eat genetically modified foods, is the cow given proper food for it’s kind (Grass for cows), is the cow given drugs or chemicals, is the animal’s environment clean and proper for the animal?

These are important questions because like humans, animals, (cows in this case) are what they eat! If cows get good quality grass for food they will produce highly nutritious milk and thus whey. If the cow is fed genetically modified foods such as GMO Corn or Soy (which is highly likely) then humans are in danger of contamination from these genetically modified foods with the weed killer round-up in the DNA of the food. If cows are feed lot cows they will eat something along the lines of dog food, live on antibiotics and other chemicals to keep them alive and guess what…their milk and whey will be harmful to humans.

If cows are in a poor environment like a feed lot they are likely in poor health and again will produce a lesser quality of milk/whey. Are they in the farm fields of the midwest or are they next to a radiation dump in Washington state. Only the manufacturer knows for sure…are they telling you?

The only whey protein I can recommend is from organically raised grass-fed cows that are not given hormones or anti-biotics or GMO feed of any sort and live in pristine non-polluted areas of the world. I would not touch anything else. As of this writing I only know of one whey protein that meets this criteria.

In the case of animal based foods – You are what THEY eat!

A further question is how is the WHEY produced? Most whey protein powders are a by-product of cheese or yogurt making. Is this done in a clean environment and in a way that preserves the quality of the whey protein? You see there are many more questions than does it taste good to consider!

2. What is the quality of ingredients of a Soy or Rice Protein?

Where is it grown…in a pristine pathogen and pollution free environment or next to a radiation dump (yes, this does happen often). Is the soil cared for so it is replete with nutrients? Does the soil have excess minerals to a point of harm? Many Rice proteins contain dangerously high levels of Arsenic. In 2014 some of the best supplement manufacturers Rice proteins were tested and found to have dangerous arsenic levels; the ethical manufacturers have agreed to change that…by 2016. Hmmm…

Soy brings another level of concern…genetic modification. You see, soy one of the 5 most genetically modified foods. It is really very hard to find organic non-GMO soy these days due to cross pollination in the fields. What does that mean to a human consuming soy…genetically modified foods are created to allow massive amounts of pesticides and herbicide spray before planting, during the growth cycle and even after harvest. GMO soy is created by introducing the weed killer Round-Up into the DNA of the soy plant. This is done by putting the DNA of Round-Up into an ecoli virus and then inserting the ecoli virus into the DNA of the soy plant. So, I personally don’t want any of that in my food…who would if they really understood it right?

Soy also has some negative health ramifications. It is a natural estrogen; if you only had a non-GMO organically grown soy-based protein shake every day and NO OTHER SOY PRODUCTS WHATSOEVER you would be fine; over exposure to estrogen would not be a problem, however this is not the case. Look at the labels on your food. You will find nine out of ten processed foods will list Soy Bean Oil or Soy Protein Isolate on the label. So 9 out of 10 foods you eat also contain soy, this is where over-exposure to natural estrogens becomes a problem.

I cannot in good conscience recommend ANY Soy or Rice protein at this time.

What Protein Powder Do We Choose?

Since 2005 we have used some form of protein powder, soy, rice, whey, hemp, however, the longer we live a healthy lifestyle the more concerned we are about the ingredients, processing and growing conditions of our food. This is how we found AIM ProPeas. We looked for a company with good quality control over the environment, processing, ingredients and packaging of their products. We have a personal relationship with the microbioligist from AIM and anytime we have a question about how our product measures up to others we ask and they produce DATA…not just opinions.

This became especially clear when the Rice/Arsenic issues came up in early 2014. I immediately sent an email to Ryan Davis, microbiologist at AIM asking about the arsenic content of our protein powder, ProPeas. He sent me DATA, tests that showed that the levels of arsenic in our protein powder were less than broccoli grown in your garden. I love that the AIM companies know their sources, test for pathogens, viability and quality of their ingredients.

Just recently Phillip Jerman, another AIM microbiologist sent this graphic comparing ProPeas with Whey and Soy based powders.

We also find ProPeas to be nutrient dense and delicious. You can learn more about ProPeas vs other proteins here.

Each serving contains 12 grams of protein with a high amino acid profile including BCAAs which build muscle and delay the aging process.

ProPeas is non-acidic protecting your body from osteoporosis, high cholesterol and excess pain.

ProPeas is created through a water-only process; no harmful chemicals and is NON-GMO as well.

ProPeas is sweetened with Stevia, an herbal sweetener so there is no sugar!

Our My Busy Healthy Life participants use ProPeas as their protein smoothie source. Those who follow the program as written typically decrease their physical complaints; aches, pains, allergies by 60-90% in a matter of weeks. Those who follow the program as written typically lose from 7-15 pounds in a matter of weeks. They normalize blood pressure in about 10 days, see cholesterol drop from 25-100 points in a matter of 4-6 weeks.

In fact, of the hundreds of clients I have worked with through My Busy Healthy Life only 2 have not had good results from ProPeas, one was allergic to peas as a child and did not find out about the allergy until after her program, the other found she needed an animal protein to lose weight. Everyone else, hundreds of people and thousands through the AIM companies have loved and benefited from ProPeas.

Here is our favorite smoothie recipe, mix in a magic bullet or blender: