Powders tips for diet control | update 2019

Protein powders

 are packed with the nutrients that our bodies require to build strong muscles and tissues, and they also are great for suppressing hunger pangs. You might be looking for a quick pre-workout or post-workout snack or a full meal replacement on busy Monday mornings.

 The convenience of easily adding protein to shakes or smoothies has made this powder a staple in pantries of weight-builders, busy moms, working professionals, and dieters alike.

These supplements are the end result of various manufacturing processes that isolate protein from its whole-food source, allowing it to be refined into a shelf-stable product that is ready for use. Often vitamins, minerals, fiber, fat, and flavoring are added. The result is an easy way to boost protein intake and it can be added to beverages or used in cooking or baking.

When shopping for protein powders, you’ll be looking at factors like the protein source, whether or not it has added flavoring, and if it's compatible with your fitness goals or diet. While whey dominates the protein powder market, egg, soy, and other plant-based proteins are other readily available options.

What to Look for When Buying Protein Powder?

• Protein Source

One of the biggest ways to separate protein powders is to consider what food the protein is being extracted from. Milk, eggs, soy, and rice are some of the most common, but there are a lot of possibilities.

Look for a protein powder that matches your nutritional needs while avoiding any allergy triggers or food intolerances. If you are lactose-intolerant, protein from a dairy source like milk may not be ideal. This may rule out whey and casein, two of the most popular protein powders on the market. 

If you are looking for a lower-carb option, rice protein may not be your best option. On the other hand, if you are following a plant-based diet, protein powders from peas, hemp, or artichokes are available.

• Purpose

Determining your primary purpose for using protein powder can help you to identify which powder may be the best choice for you. Some of the most common reasons people reach for protein powders are to support muscle gain, lose weight, or for other wellness reasons.

For building muscle mass, many people turn to whey protein since it contains a high concentration of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) and is quickly digested by the body. This means that the building blocks needed for lean muscle will be quickly absorbed by the body and put to work as your cells rebuild fatigued muscles post-workout.

On the other end of the spectrum, you may be looking to lose weight by drinking protein shakes or smoothies as meal replacements. This can be a quick, convenient way to get enough protein while skipping excess fat and carbohydrates—and resisting the draw of a fast-food drive-through on your daily commute.

 You’ll still see plenty of whey protein powders for weight loss, but some add another super-food ingredients to boost your nutritional intake.

Plant-based protein powders are also very popular in this segment since they generally offer a great ratio of protein to calories and have virtually no fat or cholesterol. Just watch out for added sugars, which can hinder your efforts to shed a few pounds.

Unflavored or naturally-flavored protein powders are the best bet if you’re looking to lose weight but stay satisfied with a smoothie or shake.

• Exercise

If you’re lactose intolerant, don’t despair. While whey does hold sway for building muscle, studies have shown that muscle growth is boosted just by increasing protein intake post-workout regardless of the source. So beef, egg, soy, or plant-based protein powders can still be beneficial for muscle-building.

For those looking to add protein powder to the mix in order to support a general wellness routine or specific diets, such as Keto or Paleo diets. It can sometimes be tough to come up with healthy, good-for-you breakfasts or snacks, and a smoothie with protein the powder can hit the spot.

This is especially true if you’re on a diet that excludes one or more major food groups. People that follow a paleo or keto eating plan often find that a protein shake or smoothie is an easy way to boost protein intake while nixing hunger pangs.

 Many plant-based protein powders have been of benefit to paleo dieters as well as vegetarians, including options like pea or hemp protein powders. Egg and bone broth protein powders have also attracted fans. Keto-adherents especially appreciate the convenience of finding a protein powder with added MCT oil, a staple of the Keto way of eating.

• Protein Form

Protein is processed to take one of several forms: concentrate, isolate, or hydrolysate. This is a more technical point to consider, but the form of protein can impact how quickly it’s digested and what percentage of the powder actually contains protein versus fats, carbs, and other nutrients.

Protein concentrate results when the other nutrients in the food are eliminated. This yields a protein powder with anywhere from 70–85 percent protein. 

What is making up the other 25–30 percent? It’s usually a combination of other nutrients, like carbohydrates and fat. The the protein level is concentrated by volume, compared to the protein if you ate the food whole.

Concentrates are formed by using high heat to dehydrate the protein source and acid extraction to eliminate non-protein components. Some people feel that high heat may have a damaging effect on the nutritional value of the protein. But protein concentrates are typically the most affordable type of protein powder available.

Protein isolate is a purer form of protein powder, with about 90–95 percent of the finished product being pure protein. Ionization is the most sophisticated form of manufacturing protein isolate, but a water or alcohol wash is also commonly used.

 Once the isolate has been created from the protein source, it is filtered to remove additional trace components. The result is a very pure protein source.

Not only does it provide a killer workout for your upper and lower abdomen, but it also tests your grip and hip flexor strength.

Whilst this exercise deserves a place in your workout regime, there are alternatives if you’re looking to diversify.

In this article, I will be discussing 9 of the best substitutes for this movement, which requires similar patterns of movement and, therefore, develop your core and hip flexor strength

Below you will find a list of 9 hand-picked exercises you can do as well as, or instead of the hanging leg raise.

They range in difficulty, so whether you’re looking to broaden your ab workout horizons or build up suitable strength to be able to perform the hanging leg raise – you’re

This exercise is as close to a hanging leg raise as it gets.

The roman chair provides upper body support, by means of ‘armrests’, whilst you perform your leg raises.

Of course, these can also be done with bent knees, in which case it would become more of a beginner level exercise.

Either way, roman chair leg raises do everything that hanging leg raises do, less the grip strength development.

If grip strength is holding you back from effectively performing the hanging leg raise, then give these ones a whirl!

Keep your lower back firmly against the backplate whilst lifting your legs.

A slight bend in your knees will help maintain an appropriate load on your core.

V-ups hit every muscle in your core and give your hip flexors something to write home about – so, there’s no wonder this exercise features on this list!

It’s a challenging exercise that requires an appropriate level of spinal stability to be able to perform.

This exercise has you go from full body extension on the floor into a ‘V’ shape through hinging at the hips, contracting through the core and raising both your straight

Variations exist whereby you can sit on the edge of a bench and support your upper body with your arms and keep your knees bent.

This exercise utilizes a very similar movement pattern to the hanging leg raise, albeit in a lying down position whilst you grip the bench behind your head for additional support.

The ‘hip raise’ element of this.

exercise is not essential but gives your upper abdominals a bit of extra work to do.

This creates a large range of movement and an exceptionally challenging eccentric phase.

Look out for excessive lower back hyperextension on the way down.

The leg and hip raise and lower should be performed in a slow and controlled manner to maximize time under tension.

This is a good entry-level exercise that requires the tucking/ lifting of the knees towards your chest, like in the hanging leg raise, but without the additional forces of gravity!

You are still required to stabilize through your spine, especially as you roll the ball away from you and extend through your body.

Supporting your upper body on extended arms on the ground with your shins on the fit ball, roll the ball towards you and then away from you by tucking your

knees in and then returning to starting position via an extension of the hips.

The more advanced version of this would be the fit ball pike, which is one step closer to the hanging leg raise and is discussed a little further down in

Keep your body in a straight, strong line on the extension.

Don’t let your hips sag as this puts unnecessary pressure on your lumbar spine.

Avoid bending your arms and loading your chest and shoulders to concentrate the load on your core and hip flexors.

A popular exercise in gymnastics training, the l-sit is another brutal core exercise that requires pre-conditioning to master without injury or excessive strain.

This exercise differs from hanging leg raises in that it is a position held for a time, rather than a range of movement repeated several times.

Whilst supporting your weight on extending arms, you are required to lift your (straight) legs to form a 90-degree angle at the hips… and then hold this position for a

Long story short, it’s the hardest part of the hanging leg raise, frozen in time.

Don’t let your hips swing back behind your arms.

Drive forward through the hips (keep them in front of your arms) to maximize the load on your core and minimize the load on your arms.

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