Complete Protein

  • Breakfast, Food

    A protein start to the day

    They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I look to get the best start possible in the easiest way possible. I have the same thing every week day so I do not have to think about what I am doing (I am not the best as early rising and mostly brain dead until coffee). I am following Tim Ferris’s slow carb diet in which he states you should look to consume 30g protein within 30 minutes of rising. He states 30 in 30 is easy to remember and the protein will leave you feeling full. Google slow carb diet to find his blog post.

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    To achieve 30 in 30 I use 60g of Braham And Murray Natural Hemp Protein Powder and 26g of It Works Chocolate Protein Powder to compensate for the bitter taste of the hemp protein. This provides 45g of complete protein which leaves me feeling full until lunchtime. A protein is considered complete when it includes all the essential amino acids. The shake also contains over 12g of fibre to keep the body in running order and as discussed in a previous post is a source of Omega 3 with a ratio to Omega 6 as (Omega6 3:1 Omega 3)

    Both shakes are vegan with the It Works Chocolate Protein Powder made from Pea Protein and Brown Rice Protein.

    In terms of calories, it breaks down as 208 k/cals from the Hemp Protein Powder and 105 k/cals from the It Works Chocolate Protein Powder giving a total of 313 k/cals.

     

    The calories breakdown looks like:
    60g Braham And Murray Natural Hemp Protein Powder – 208 k/cals
    26g It Works Chocolate Protein Powder – 105 k/cals
    Total – 313 k/cals.

    The carb breakdown looks like:
    60g Braham And Murray Natural Hemp Protein Powder – 15g with 3.2g sugar
    26g It Works Chocolate Protein Powder  – 5g with no sugar
    Total – 20g

    Although I cannot find the exact amounts, the Hemp Protein Powder also contains magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron to boost mineral intake making it an excellent start to the day.

  • Breakfast, Food

    Strawberry & Vanilla Cupcake Protein Shake

    Who loves Strawberry & Vanilla Cupcakes?

    If you like your morning shake with a little bit of yumminess then look no further, today I have a really tasty strawberry and vanilla cupcake protein shake recipe to share with you. This is one you definitely will not want to live without. Like Strawberries? Like Cupcakes? Then keep on reading!

    Nutrition and what I put into my body is hugely important to me and being lactose intolerant pretty much excludes me from a lot (although in hindsight I am glad because I don’t really want to be putting much dairy into my body anyway.

     

    Why protein?

    Protein is an extremely important nutrient to have in our diets and many of us are not taking on enough protein daily. Protein is vital component for every single cell in your body, it helps to build and repair tissue, you need it to make hormones and enzymes and it it is important for building bones, muscles, cartilage, skin and blood. You body needs protein in relatively large amounts to stay healthy because unlike carbohydrates and fat, protein is a macronutrient and you body has no reserves to pull from when you are running low. This is why a daily protein shake can be so beneficial to your health.

    When protein is digested it leaves behind amino acids which are essential for your body and a complete protein will provide your body will all the amino acids your body needs. A protein rich diet comes with a whole raft of health benefits including curbing hunger by making you feel full, building lean muscle and helping you to maintain a healthy weight.

     

    Protein shakes & me

    I try to stay consistent and have a protein shake every day, usually with or after my breakfast and it helps to keep me full all day long. My usual favourite is a chocolate peanut butter cup or my cherry bakewell inspired shake. For todays recipe I stepped a little outside my comfort zone (because that is where the magic happens) and created this yummy strawberry vanilla cupcake flavoured protein shake.

     

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    Strawberry Vanilla Protein Shake Recipe

    Ingredients

    • 1 handful of strawberries, either fresh or frozen.
    • 1 handful of banana.
    • 250ml of coconut almond milk (or any non dairy milk of your choosing).
    • 1 scoop of It Works vanilla protein shake powder.
    • 1 tsp of agave nectar (or Manuka honey for any non-vegans).

     

    Method

    The method is simple – throw it all into your blender and blend until smooth. We used to use a Nutribullet but we are now big fans of the Blend Active.

     

    This shake is absolutely amazing and here is why:
    • Tastes just like a strawberry cupcake.
    • A complete protein so it nourishes you body with 9 branch chain amino acids.
    •  Dairy Free.
    • Gluten Free.
    • Soy Free.
    • Vegan.
    • Plant based.
    • Non-GMO (Meaning no ingredients are genetically modified).
    • 15g of organic plant based protein (Sprouted brown rice & yellow pea).
    • Only sugar is the naturally occurring sugar in the fruit.
    • 5g of Carbohydrates.

    It is clean, healthy and everything your body needs. Stay tuned for my Peanut Butter Cup and Cherry Bakewell inspired shakes coming soon!