Protein shakes are often associated with active sports activities, for the effectiveness of which athletes take this type of food. But many people who want to lose weight easily and quickly, without putting any effort into it, also drink these cocktails in order to reduce the calorie content of the food they eat. Protein shakes help to feel full with a relatively low calorie content of the product. They are made from soy protein and an egg or milk base. Due to the fact that the cellulose in the cocktail is able to swell in the stomach, it dulls the feeling of hunger and leaves a long-lasting feeling of satiety.
Much greater results in the issue of weight loss can be achieved by a constant diet and active physical activity. However, taking just one protein shake a day instead of the main meal can give good results in terms of weight loss. It is not scientifically proven that this product is able to burn fat, its effectiveness comes down only to reducing the number of calories consumed and not feeling hungry at the same time.
Most protein shakes are harmless to the body. They reduce appetite due to the fact that they supply a person with proteins, vitamins and amino acids necessary for health. Thus, the body receives the energy and nutrition it needs for life at the cellular level. Many protein shakes for weight loss, which are offered by brands specializing in such nutrition today, are hypoallergenic. In addition, drinking protein shakes for weight loss is recommended by some nutritionists on fasting days, as they do not contain any chemical additives that are harmful to health. Individual intolerance to protein shakes for weight loss is extremely rare, but it is still better to consult a specialist about this before you start using them.
Benefits and risks of taking
Protein, like fiber, can provoke weight loss by saturating the body, dulling the feeling of hunger and a long feeling of satiety. In addition, protein, unlike fats and carbohydrates, is a building material for muscle tissue, so with a sufficient amount of protein and regular physical activity, you can achieve excellent body relief.
The best protein shakes for weight loss contain calcium-rich dairy products (cottage cheese, yogurt, etc.), which prevent bone loss, promote healthy bone growth, and prevent the development of osteoporosis.
However, all the laudatory reviews about this kind of nutrition relate only to the moderate consumption of protein shakes. If you drink too much of these drinks, then there is a risk of developing very serious diseases, which will not be easy to cure. Despite the calcium content in protein shakes, if they are abused, the risk of developing osteoporosis increases, since with a high-protein diet, calcium begins to be washed out of the body. The risk of developing diseases of the cardiovascular system, diverticulitis, cancerous tumors, constipation, kidney and liver diseases increases.
Among the less terrible consequences is weight gain if you consume protein shakes in large quantities for a long time. This is due to the fact that muscle mass begins to grow, and if you ignore sports, then the volume of the body will become awkward and heavy in appearance.
With excessive consumption of protein shakes for weight loss in the body, there is a deficiency of nutrients that can only come with ordinary food. Thus, many organs are deprived of essential minerals and nutrition, become more vulnerable, often start to worry.
In connection with the foregoing, it is worth paying special attention to the composition of the products used, especially if protein shakes for weight loss are purchased in pharmacies or sports nutrition stores. These shakes contain more chemicals and artificial ingredients – sugar, cholesterol, salt and fat – compared to homemade protein shakes. Even well-fortified ready-made options cannot replace a complete meal, so you should try to choose protein shakes that are low in fat and sugar and high in fiber and protein.
Mechanism of action
Protein shakes for weight loss must be introduced into the daily diet to tame the feeling of hunger. The body digests protein foods much longer, which means that it takes more energy and calories. Just one cocktail will practically not affect the total caloric content of the daily diet, but will give a boost of energy, vigor and a feeling of satiety. When a person goes on a diet, his fat and muscle tissue begin to decrease in volume. To start the process of maintaining muscle tissue normal, you need to consume a lot of protein foods. In addition, if you eat a small amount of fats and carbohydrates, then when digesting protein foods, the body will spend a third more energy.
Protein shake for weight loss at home is best taken in the morning, supplementing the dish with a piece of bread or fruit. Such a breakfast will replenish the calories lost during the night, along with bread the body will receive the necessary dose of carbohydrates, and fruits will supply sugar and fructose. Without carbohydrates, the drink is more difficult to digest, but in order for bread, in addition to them, to bring fiber to the diet, it must be whole grain.
Walnuts are a good addition to a protein shake. They are an excellent regulator of cholesterol levels, give the body the necessary and healthy fats, and perfectly nourish brain activity.
You need to drink the drink immediately after preparation, however, if you get too large a portion, you can store the remainder in a glass dish for a day.
The calorie content of protein shakes for weight loss is quite low, about 200 kilocalories per glass of drink, while the nutritional value can be equal to a whole beef steak. Shakes contain water-soluble proteins derived from whey, soy or egg white. Sports protein shake for weight loss contains vitamin and mineral complexes to compensate for the loss of salts during active sports. And for energy shakes, protein drinks are sometimes supplemented with fats and carbohydrates in the form of sucrose or fructose.
A whey-based drink is absorbed by the body without residue, it is hypoallergenic, and also has a restorative effect, which is very valuable after heavy physical exertion, such as training.
A milkshake tastes better, however, it is not suitable for everyone due to the frequent lactose intolerance. An egg protein-based product has a high biological value, it is well absorbed, but due to the allergenicity of eggs, it may also not be suitable for everyone. Soy-based vegetable smoothies lack many essential amino acids, and besides, plant-based protein is less absorbed by the body. This type of drink is suitable mainly for vegetarians. Manufacturers add ingredients to all ready-made protein shakes that reduce appetite, such as chromium picolinate, and accelerate the breakdown of deposited fats, such as L-carnitine.
Homemade cocktail recipes
For complete control of the composition and the possibility of choosing ingredients, you should prepare your own protein shakes for weight loss. Reviews of those who regularly use such drinks indicate that with home cooking, unsuitable ingredients can be completely excluded and an absolutely natural product can be made, without a gram of chemistry. So, how to prepare a protein shake for weight loss in your kitchen?
The recipe is simple, you need to follow the sequence of actions and use only high-quality proven raw materials:
- Pour the skimmed milk into the blender. 1-2 cups of this drink provides 12 grams of carbohydrates and 9 grams of essential protein.
- Add half a cup of fat-free whey protein ricotta to the milk. This serving of cheese contains about 14 grams of protein, 10 grams of fat and 6 grams of carbohydrates. The advantage of using whey cheese is that it is easily absorbed by the body and stimulates muscle protein synthesis.
- Add half a cup of fat-free cottage cheese containing casein to the mixture. This substance is digested very slowly and forms the flow of amino acids into muscle tissue cells. Casein also suppresses appetite. The amount of cottage cheese used contains 14 grams of protein and 5 grams of carbohydrates.
- Next, 150 grams of fat-free yogurt is added to the blender, which adds 8 grams of protein and 14 grams of carbohydrates to the cocktail, and the mixture is whipped until smooth. Yogurt contains probiotics, which are very good for health, and calcium, which promotes weight loss and prevents the deposition of fat.
- To enhance the milky taste, you can add 1 tablespoon of low-fat cream to the mixture.
- As a source of vitamins and carbohydrates, fresh or frozen fruits are added to the protein drink. This additive flavors the drink, and if you use frozen bananas as fruits, then instead of a liquid cocktail you get the consistency of ice cream.
- To prevent the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases, homemade recipes suggest adding healthy fats to protein shakes – olive or linseed oil. Just a couple of tablespoons can help improve a person’s overall health, as polyunsaturated fats are excellent at offsetting the damage to the body caused by saturated fats and trans fats.
- The resulting cocktail should be consumed immediately after preparation. If part of the mixture remained and was stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day, it should be shaken well before use, since the cocktail tends to delaminate.
To make it easier to prepare a protein shake for weight loss at home, you can buy a protein isolate (powder) at a pharmacy. It is a concentrate consisting almost entirely of pure protein.
To prepare a lemon drink with a refreshing effect, take 1 lemon, squeeze the juice out of it, add 2 tablespoons of protein powder, half a glass of water and some ice to this juice. The mixture is passed through a blender and taste is enjoyed.
If you need to prepare an invigorating drink that can wake up and give strength in the morning, a coffee and protein shake will come in handy. To prepare it, take 1 glass of water, 1 teaspoon of coffee or cocoa, 2 tablespoons of protein powder and 1 teaspoon of cream. You can add ice, some bananas and a handful of walnuts to the drink, which will make the product more satisfying and flavorful. The mass is passed through a blender and drunk immediately after preparation.
Homemade protein shakes for weight loss, reviews of which attract more and more people who want to lose weight to their manufacture and use, can be very useful for both athletes and ordinary people who are watching their own weight. Many professional sites offer ready-made drinks to buy on the Internet. Everyone knows Herbalife protein-protein slimming cocktails, which have a huge army of fans around the world. If you know the measure and use these drinks correctly, you can achieve real benefits for the body, which is expressed not only in stable weight loss, but also in the overall healing effect. Improving well-being, lack of heaviness in the stomach, muscle tone and beautiful body relief are far from the full range of positive effects of protein shakes. If you get recommendations from a nutritionist and your doctor before using them, you can safely start adjusting your diet by introducing healthy protein shakes into your diet.