My favourite weight loss supplement
Posted on March 01, 2013 by Tzabia Siegel, One of Thousands of Health and Fitness Coaches on Noomii.
Clinical Nutritionist and author of Jump Off the Diet Treadmill - 12 Weeks on Your Way to Lifetime Weight Loss shares her fav weight loss supplement.
Do you remember the nursery rhyme “Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet eating her curds and whey…”? The curds and whey is a reference to the two proteins in milk, casein (curds) and whey. Cheese processing transforms the casein into curds. The by-product of this process is the whey. Whey is then processed, preferably by filtration to produce a highly concentrated protein source. Whey is actually a functional food disguised as a supplement. Here’s why I recommend it to all of my clients (as long as they’re not vegans or have a sensitivity to whey).
Whey has been widely researched for its positive effects on bone, muscle, blood, brain, pancreas, immune, cancer, infection, metabolism, wound healing, learning, and aging. An entire book could be devoted to the benefits to be had from this substance, but we’ll focus just on its effects related to weight.
Protein stimulates the hormone glucagon, which stabilizes blood sugar in between meals and also does the most important job of releasing the sugar-fat molecule from the fat cells to be burned for fuel. Whey offers a super quick source of protein that is portable and highly bioavailable. In other words, our bodies find it easy to digest and make use of the protein fractions that are contained within it. One of these protein molecules is alpha lactalbumin. It is rich in tryptophan, which will stimulate serotonin production. Serotonin is the hormone that regulates our sleep, mood and appetite. If you have enough of it, cravings decrease, you feel happier and you sleep better. In fact, not only will you sleep better, but you may wake up with greater alertness and capacity to concentrate. There is another protein molecule in whey called glycomacropeptide (GMP). Research demonstrates that whey protein, especially one that is rich in GMP improves satiation. GMP is touted to raise levels of CCK, one of our satiation hormones. CCK is also a crucial factor for digestion. It stimulates the pancreas to secrete digestive enzymes. So all combined, in relation to weight loss, a good quality whey protein can shrink the fat cells, regulate your cravings, support you to feel satisfied and improve your digestion.
There are a lot of whey protein powders out there. You want to look for an isolate that has a higher concentration of protein and more purity than a concentrate. Also avoid ones that are processed via ion exchange. In this case, they will be prepared with heat or chemicals that will increase the sodium content and destroy some of the health promoting protein molecules, such as GMP and immune stimulating lactoferrin. Look on the ingredient list to check that it is processed via cross-flow microfiltration or ultra cross-flow microfiltration. This method produces an undenatured whey that still contains GMP’s and important immune enhancing nutrients. Watch out for any additional ingredients that are artificial, such as sweeteners and artificial flavourings.Forms: powders
Dosage: 1 scoop of cross flow microfiltration whey isolate should provide between 25 – 35 g of protein, depending on the scoop that they provide in the container.
Recipes for whey protein shakes can be found on my website www.foodcoach.ca
