Protein
Protein and the Protein Powder Minefield
Amino Magic
What is Protein, what does Protein Powder do and is it Important?
Yes! Yes it is and unfortunately, it’s just one more nutrient to think about when you’re trying to support multiple life sources, including your family’s, maybe an ageing parent and God forbid, your own too.
In a nutshell, protein is a macronutrient essential for the growth, repair, and maintenance of various tissues in the human body. It is made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. Proteins play crucial roles in various biological processes, including enzyme and hormone activity, immune function, muscle development, and structural support. Whilst all of this biological wizardry may not be at the top of your priority list to nurture because who has time to worry about enzyme activity? It’s important to note that good protein consumption is vital for children’s growth and development, immune health, hormone production, joint and organ health, energy levels, and overall healing.
Amino Acid Magic
Without a full amino acid profile, your body will struggle to work its magic and unfortunately, there are some amino acids that the body cannot produce itself. Instead, we must look to our diets and nutrient consumption to help keep our hormones balanced. For example, with your thyroid out of balance, your metabolism is negatively impacted and your weight loss goals scuppered. Without the right combination of amino acids, you might find yourself constantly battling the sniffles or be more prone to infections; your energy levels might be pulling a Houdini on you and you might find that your skin, hair and nails are suffering. In a nutshell, amino acids really are the golden chalice when it comes to your overall health and well-being, and in order to feel like a rockstar, you really need to pay attention to your amino acid intake.
Now, you can absolutely take control of your amino acid consumption and flood your diet with rich, bioavailable protein which can be easily absorbed and utilised by the body. However, the bioavailability of protein can vary massively and it completely depends on what you eat, how you eat it and its amino acid profile.
Getting Back to Basics
Animal-based proteins, such as those from meat, poultry, fish and dairy, are often considered highly bioavailable because they contain all the essential amino acids in proportions that are well-suited for human needs. Just one more reason to eat the paleo way, eat like our ancestors and get back to basics! Plant-based proteins, on the other hand, can vary in bioavailability as they lack certain essential amino acids or have compounds that can limit protein absorption.
In an ideal world, we would all have the time to concoct nutrient dense plates of food that are teeming with amino acid magic, but the sad reality is, we don’t! At WillPowders, we believe that no one should have to miss out on essential nutrients because the kids have 500 clubs after school, yet another meeting has run late or you simply don’t have the brain power to construct another version of the one meal your child will eat without moaning at you. There really are only so many ways you can tart up sausage and beans after all - we totally feel your pain! We also know that sometimes you can have the best intentions, opting for plant based meals that promise you the world or a quick “healthy” fix (so says the packaging), but the truth is, when food is ultra processed or cooked in the wrong way, it can alter the bioavailability of protein, impacting how many amino acids you actually consume.
Introducing WillPowder’s Protein Powder (which is kid friendly- we know!)
Now we know what you’re probably thinking - Dear God, not another protein powder! Not another company promising the Earth and an easy solution to boost your health. We get it. There are so many on the market because of the growing demand for convenient and effective sources of protein; however, because companies know that customers want a quick fix, they also know that they will fall, hook, line and sinker, for clever marketing campaigns. With a plethora of supplements to choose from, it can feel overwhelming, hard to know what to believe, leaving you wondering which ones are going to be the most effective and right for you.
Not all Protein Powders are Made Equal
Lots of protein powders on the market are ladened with sugars and sweeteners, which will spike your insulin and leave you searching for the snacks. Sweeteners, like aspartame or sucralose, can detrimentally impact your health and wreck your gut, completely negating the benefits of consuming a protein powder. I mean, it’s criminal, really, and we think companies flogging a lie should be held to account. In addition, many protein powders contain artificial colours and flavourings as well as fillers and additives, which are just harmful and unnecessary chemicals that your body does not need and will not thank you for.
Many ingredients that make up these so-called magic protein powders are shipped from China because it’s so much cheaper to grow and manufacture them. GMO laws and regulations surrounding the use of pesticides are different in the EU, meaning countries like China can grow crops very quickly at a small cost. At WillPowders, one thing we know for sure is soil quality matters and food grown in dodgy soil can wreak havoc on our health. Companies that formulate their powders using ingredients that have been unnaturally grown are master swindlers, whopping massive markups on their products, selling you a lie. In addition, many of these Chinese ingredients are blended with veg oils and sucrose, so 20 minutes after you have necked their protein powder, your insulin spikes and Big Food wins. WillPowders aim to disrupt this monopoly they have in the market, dispelling the lie and providing you with a protein powder that actually does what it says on the tin. We have created a powder that is jam packed with nutrients, without emulsifiers or without any other addictive ingredients. WillPowder’s Protein Powder is the ONLY not from concentrate bone broth protein powder out there, which will heal, not hinder your gut and actually curb cravings for snacks. I mean, it’s a no brainer, really!
Pea, Whey and Soy Protein
Don’t even get us started on pea, whey and soy protein. Whilst we understand that you might be looking for a vegetarian or vegan protein option, we simply cannot ignore that pea protein has an incomplete amino acid profile- it does half a job, so why bother? Furthermore, our bodies simply cannot absorb the grammage on the package; instead, we simply pee it out. In addition, there have been reports that suggest pea protein can cause digestive discomfort and flatulence, which might be worth it if it didn’t taste like soil. I mean, you’re not an Earthworm.
Whey is not much better - not only can it exacerbate intolerances and allergies to lactose, it can quickly spike insulin levels, causing fluctuations in blood sugar levels, putting you right back on the train to Snacksville. Chew Chew!
Soy protein might just be the baddest of the bad with its difficult to digest makeup and phytoestrogens: plant compounds that mimic the hormone oestrogen in the body. As women, we just cannot seem to escape bad oestrogen and that sluggish, hungover misery that comes with oestrogen dominance or the mimicked effects of it. Not only that, there is evidence that suggests soy interferes with thyroid function, just one more hormone soy has got its hooks in. To learn more about how food can impact your Hormones, check out Davinia Taylor’s Hack Your Hormones.
Always Read the Ingredient's List!
Don’t take our word for it, simply read the ingredients’s list and compare it to our Protein Powder:
Leading Vegan Protein Powder:
Protein Blend (92%) (Pea Protein, Fava Bean Isolate), Flavourings, Vegetable Creamer (Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavouring, Anti-Caking Agent (Silicon Dioxide), Antioxidant (DL-Alpha-Tocopherol)), Thickener (Xanthan Gum), Sweetener (Sucralose).
WillPowder’s Protein Powder:
Beef Bone Broth, MCT Keto Powder with grass fed butter, Madagascan Vanilla Extract, Stevia, Celtic sea salt
ALL FOOD BASED NUTRITION
I rest my case.
What's in a Protein Powder?
The reality is, protein powders can vary in ingredients and lots of them derive from genetically modified sources. At WillPowders, we live and die by counting chemicals and not calories to fully take control of hormone health and overall physiological well-being. Therefore, avoiding GMOs and protein powders, particularly plant based ones, like pea protein, which can contain heavy metals such as arsenic, lead and cadmium are just non-negotiables for us.
We wish there weren’t any more red flags that you need to consider, but unfortunately there are. Here’s what you need to know and how our Protein Powder compares to others on the market…
Choose the Right Protein Powder
When choosing a protein powder, you need to be aware of the efficacy of the protein source. Lots of protein powders promise the earth and only deliver some of what they claim to provide. If the source of protein is not bioavailable, your body will struggle to digest it, preventing the amino acids from doing their work in the body, making it a completely pointless and possibly an inflammatory addition to your diet.
Always always read the ingredients! At WillPowders, we believe there is no place for additives like sweeteners, flavourings, or preservatives in our products and definitely not in our protein powder - low quality powders will often be riddled with nasties, affecting the nutritional value, so make sure you do your due-diligence and give the ingredients a once over. We use Stevia Leaf in our Protein Powder, which is anti-inflammatory and blood sugar stabilising.
Bioavailability
Often, the way that protein powder is processed can impact its quality and bioavailability. WillPowder’s Protein Powder is simmered for over 36 hours then dehydrated to ensure the best quality nutrients remain intact, whilst protecting those rich and nutrient dense amino acids.
Don’t be fooled by clever marketing and ensure you know where your protein powder started out life. The last thing you want to be adding to your menu is powder that derives from intensive farming, which is designed to maximise agricultural output at a cost to our natural world and your health. The truth is, if you don’t buy responsibly, you could be buying protein powder that has been grown in soil with depleted nutrients, ladened with fertilisers and pesticides. Furthermore, your purchase could contribute to the loss of biodiversity and habitat reduction; it could be responsible for poor animal welfare as well as the overuse of antibiotics, which, in turn, contributes to antibiotic resistance in humans; your carbon footprint could increase exponentially when you consider the resources that have been needed to provide you with your substandard product, and finally, you could be contributing to putting smaller farms out of business, playing right into the crafty hands of Big Food. No thanks, we want you to sleep at night.
We've Got You!
Luckily, at WillPowders, we have a conscience and we care about how our products not only benefit you, but how they impact the environment. Our Protein Powder is sourced from grass-fed cattle farms in Scandinavia. We know exactly where it comes from, how the land is farmed and how the cattle are reared. You can sleep easy because we care too much to produce a product that could detrimentally impact our natural world - we’ve got you and your conscience covered.
Is that All?
Nope! Not only have we developed a sustainable protein powder with a full amino acid profile, meaning you don’t have to worry about counting nutrients, we’ve added our MCT Keto Creamer, supporting your weight loss goals, a ketogenic lifestyle, resulting in full control over those pesky sugar and ultra processed food cravings.
Is that All?
Nope! We have added beef bone broth because, to be honest, we get that drinking gelatinous animal bone juice above and beyond collagen can be a bit much. It really is like a double whammy, further supporting your skin, hair, nails, bones, gut, organs systems - the list is endless.
Is that All?
Nope! By incorporating the highest quality flavours from nature, our protein powder tastes utterly delicious. It’s beyond and actually a bit unbelievable to be honest. Your kids will love it and you can guiltlessly sit back knowing you are giving them what their little bodies need to thrive. Choose from vanilla or chocolate for a little bit of indulgence and luxury, whilst balancing your blood sugar levels, supporting a healthy gut, aiding fitness & recovery goals and supporting those cyclical cravings we all know too well.
It is recommended that protein intake should make up around 35-60% of your daily calories to support staying in tip top shape and at WillPowders, that’s what we want for you. We have developed a delicious (it really is delicious - I can’t stress the deliciousness enough - I mean, it shouldn’t be good for you, it’s that yum), bioavailable, sustainable, craving curbing protein powder with a full amino acid profile that the whole family will love.
It really is sneaky nutrition at its best, made by women for women and the rest of your family. We can’t wait for you to try it!
Check out our protein recipes here for some high in protein snacks and increase your amino acid profile today.
Disclaimer
Our blogs are written with love in the hope that they go some way in helping you feel like the rockstar you are, and whilst we do our due diligence, research like maniacs and fact check our stuff, we know everyone’s journey is different. They are intended to educate and empower you, not usurp medical advice. We would never advise you to stop, adjust, or modify any prescription medication without the direct supervision of your healthcare practitioner, but don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor about your new found knowledge, brought to you by the marvels of nature because they don't know everything! Blogs are always informed by Davinia but often written by a member of the team. Not all blogs reflect Davinia's experiences and sometimes provide alternative perspectives