The lazy days of summer are here! Maybe your days aren’t as lazy as you’d like them to be, but you are still enjoying summer fun and perhaps some travel adventures. Navigating barbeques, pool parties, hiking, beach visits, travel, and so much more during these summer months can potentially make healthy eating a challenge. Especially when it comes to consuming quality protein.
You’ve worked hard to get in your best shape possible for swimsuit season, right? So don’t let the events of summer derail your healthy eating routine. This is not to say that you should avoid all the great foods of summer – you should enjoy them! But in moderation. And summer offers such great options for fresh fruits and vegetables you can easily keep up your healthy eating habits with this fresh produce. And don’t you find that fresh tastes SO much better than store bought? And what better “refreshing” snacks to take with you to the beach or the pool or hiking than fresh fruits and vegetables!
However, produce doesn’t contain much protein – and protein fuels so much of our body – not just muscles. Protein also is important for supporting the immune system, the production of enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, bones, skin, nails, and so much more. And, as one of the three macro-nutrients (which are proteins, carbohydrates and fats) we require, protein is the key macronutrient that provides us with nitrogen – which is essential for us to stay alive!
So how much protein do we need? Often a topic of conversation with a variety of thoughts and recommendations, the National Institutes of Health states that depending on your age, activity level, and protein quality, the daily grams of protein needed can vary dramatically.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5872778/
The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends people who exercise consume 1.4 – 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. One kilogram is approximately 2.2 pounds. So if your weight is 150 pounds that is approximately 68 kilograms, which would mean, according to ISSN, you should consume about 68 grams of protein per day.
Let’s think about that first meal of the day – breakfast. Maybe when you are at home you mix up that smoothie to start your day. This is one of the easiest ways to incorporate protein powders – adding a scoop of your favorite protein powder to your blender helps you start the day working towards your daily protein needs. Perhaps that morning cup of coffee is what you crave. Add a scoop of protein to your coffee and enjoy a new flavor! And what about adding protein powder to your oatmeal? This trick is such an easy option and provides the goodness of oatmeal and protein! Start you day off right with some quality protein and the rest of the day will thank you for it!
Moving on to lunch and dinner. Our day might get so busy with all the summer activities we might have a tendency to skip lunch. Or we just grab a snack bar or something quick so we can get back to our summer fun. That is not a good idea. Providing fuel for your body throughout the day can help you stay focused and have enough energy to power through whatever you have to do. There are so many delicious options in protein powders that mix up easily you should never miss this body fueling time of day. Or maybe mix up some protein powered quick “grab and go” snacks to take with you on your next adventure. A quick and easy snack is a scoop of protein powder with your favorite beverage. Or maybe you want to make some energy bites with protein powder, some oatmeal and nuts. Or make up some protein rich muffins that you can put in your back pack or cooler for the day. So many options!
A great choice for a complete protein powder to use in your recipes would be Biochem’s 100% Whey Isolate Protein powder.
Providing a complete amino acid profile, 99% lactose free, soy free, great tasting and easy to use, Biochem protein powders can help you reach your daily needs for protein. What’s even better is the recipe suggestions found on the website www.biochemprotein.com . You can use the recipes on the website or create your own.
Having convenient healthy snacks to keep you fueled all summer long is a great way to avoid unhealthy fast foods.
So what about dinner? If you’re traveling you might want to try some local cuisine at the local restaurants – and that’s great! And part of enjoying your summer vacation. Try to make the best choices possible, but don’t deprive yourself.
Often we think protein powder is only for smoothies but it’s not. There are many great options out there. And when you try the Biochem 100% Whey Isolate Protein and check out all the delicious recipes on the website, you will see just how versatile protein powder can be!
Take yourself to #NextLevelLiving with Biochem protein!