Tag Archives: going healthy

Is Protein Powder Really Worth It?

03/28/2016 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Just the other day, I set out on the simple task of finding a new protein powder that wasn’t filled with junk. Before I knew it, 2 hours had passed as I perused the plethora of options for this popular supplement!

This made me ponder whether I should really stress over the different types, flavors, functions, and brands. I recently shared the benefits of protein and making it complete with all 23 amino acids, so it’s obviously an important macronutrient. But, do we really need protein in powder form, and, more importantly, is it even worth it?

You can find protein powders made out of things you’d never expect. We all know the common whey protein, which is broken into concentrates, isolates, and even goat whey protein. Other popular varieties are soy, egg white, and casein. Some less common, but still good types are rice, hemp, and pea proteins, but did you ever hear of beef protein powder?

Beef is an excellent source of protein, but having it in a smoothie seems a little odd. I might try it as long as the ingredients are good, but it’s also one of the most expensive forms. Expensive and very processed! I mean, I can accept processed beef when it’s put through the grinder, but how much has to happen to turn it into a flavored powder?

Can you really see yourself paying a premium to drink beef protein powder that’s Blue Raspberry, Peanut Butter, Cherry Vanilla, Fruit Punch or other some other flavor? MuscleMeds has all of these flavors if your answer is yet, but it’s filled with artificial colors and flavors that I avoid in any product.

MuscleMeds Carnivore_Beef Protein Powder — Carnivores like meat, not blue raspberry powder….

Anyway, back to the question at hand. Do I really need protein in the form of powder instead of enjoying freshly cooked chicken, beef or fish? There are also many sustainably caught and packaged canned options like tuna, salmon, and sardines I always have around. These are just as quick and the ones with pull tabs require no can opener to lug around wherever you go. My current favorite are canned anchovies in water, and even my 2 year old daughter loves having the “little fishies” with me.

Whole food sources of protein are obviously the better choice since powder, no matter how clean, organic, or super-duper ultra filtered it is, is still highly processed.

There are many healthy plant based protein powders packed full of enzymes, superfoods, cleansing herbs, and they taste good too. I have tried several and enjoy them in smoothies as well as many recipes. But in retrospect do I really need all of these “extras” in a protein powder? Isn’t that what a good vitamin or, better yet, having a diet rich in whole foods should provide?

I was all about buying this high quality Garden of Life Raw Protein, but then thought about how I like to cook a lot with my powders. Wouldn’t cooking pretty much make the whole “Raw” aspect obsolete? Then I just paid a premium for higher quality protein and destroyed the premium part. And again, there are plenty of whole food based multivitamins that will give you everything in these superfood protein powders.

Maybe I will break down and buy a raw protein powder just for mixing into drinks or no-bake recipes like these No-Bake Quinoa Almond Protein Cookies as they are great to take along when traveling for a healthy snack option both kids and adults will enjoy.

I have used many protein powders, both good and bad over the years. Currently, my favorite brands are Legion, BiPro, and Naked Nutrition. If you haven’t tried my healthy Legion Banana Vanilla Protein Pancakes recipe, I highly suggest you do…..fast!

As you can see, I enjoy protein powder and by no means am I quitting the stuff, but maybe not stressing over the the slew of extra ingredients. Now I when I’m in the market for a good protein powder, I focus on the one thing that matters, the protein!

Setting guidelines before you make a purchase will help save a lot of time and stress when choosing a protein powder. Trust me, I would really appreciate having those 2+ hours back!

Here are the main things I look for in (or not in) a protein powder:

No artificial sweeteners…EVER!
Non-GMO, preferably organic
If whey protein, I typically prefer that it’s sourced from grass-fed cows not treated with antibiotics
Very little to no sugar (less than 3g per serving); prefer no sugar and only stevia or unsweetened
No added soybean or other oil
No nonsense “super pump” marketing/gimmicky ingredients
Short, simple list of ingredients; unless it is the raw green food kind

These guidelines for a quality supplement will narrow your options in a good way. Yes, it usually means higher prices, but I’m willing to pay more when it comes to things that go in my family’s body. Plus, as long as you’re not relying on powder as your main source, it should last a while.

What type or types of protein powder do you use?

Do you get caught up searching for the “right” protein powder or anything else? Too much information makes too much confusion sometimes!

Food, Going Healthy

Protein-Packed Spicy Black Bean Burger Recipe

03/16/2016 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

These spicy black bean burgers were created by accident. I intended to make them more of a cake (think crab cakes without the crab), but ended up with more of a flat, burger-like patty.

Do you ever do that; set out to make one thing, and wind up with something else? I guess that’s how a lot of great things have come into existence…..the slinky, microwave, Post-it notes, and even chocolate chip cookies, to name a few.

I mixed everything together, thought it was too runny, so I added more dry ingredients. Then a little more dry ingredients. You know, just to be safe.

Apparently, the addition of dry ingredients was just a little too much. Instead of a moist and tender bean cake, I wound up with a slightly crispy and tasty black bean burger.

Meh, I’m still eating them like a cake and leaving out the bun! These would’ve great formed into rectangles for a fun kid-friendly finger food you could use with cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, or just mustard as delicious dips.

Remember when I mentioned these on my last Meatless Monday post? Well, here’s the recipe as promised. This recipe is one delectable mistake that I’ll be making again; on purpose this time. Try it for yourself and let me know how you like it or what you did different.

Spicy Black Bean Burgers

black bean burger, cake, recipe, healthy, vegetarian, cooking — Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Shittake Mushrooms take the…errr…um…cake?

by RC Liley

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 50 min

Ingredients (Serves 4 – 6)

1 cup dried black beans, soaked overnight or 2 (15oz) cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
6oz of your favorite salsa; the amount varies, just eyeball it and add more towards the end if needed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bell peppers (any color); chopped
4 cloves garlic; crushed and minced
4 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2 whole eggs or 3 egg whites; you can use 1/4 cup ground flaxseed or chia seeds to make this vegan
3/4 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup unflavored protein powder; can use more coconut flour as a substitute
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 teaspoons cumin
Ground black pepper to taste; no need for salt as there should be enough in the salsa and mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons dried cilantro

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat, sweat onion, bell peppers, and garlic; add beans, cilantro, and spices and cover to let simmer for 20 – 30 minutes.
Remove beans from heat and transfer to large bowl to let cool; you don’t want to cook the eggs!
Using a large fork or potato masher, mash most of the beans leaving a few ones intact for texture.
Add remaining wet ingredients to bowl and mix well. Sift dry ingredients in small bowl and slowly mix into wet.
With a large spoon, scoop the mix onto a parchment lined baking sheet, form into patties or whatever shape you want, and bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes, and then flip over and cook another 10 minutes.
Remove from oven (should have a crispy brown crust) and let cool on pan for 5 to 10 minutes.
Top each cake with salsa, plain yogurt, cottage cheese, or mustard and any of your favorite toppings. Serve with a big side of steamed veggies.

Food, Going Green, Going Healthy

Why Meat Lovers Should Partake in Meatless Monday

03/14/2016 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Remember when the USDA retracted its statement referencing “Meatless Monday”? Yeah, the Cattlemen’s Beef Association flexed its “beefy” bicep when the Ag Dept posted a message to its employees about helping to reduce the environmental impact of eating meat by skipping it one day of the week.

I know very little on the inner-workings of lobbying and getting messages out to the public, but I figure money is the biggest concern; not public health. When I see/hear any sort of “this is good for you” promotion from the government or any big business, I raise my brow and take what’s being pushed with a grain of salt.

Just ask yourself these 2 questions when you see claims on packages, the television, magazines, billboards, etc:

Who or What will reap the most benefits of this statement? – It says it’s healthy, but the 50 ingredients in this pretty package don’t seem very good or natural.

How much money was spent so people like me can see this claim? – Only the big industries have great power to push their products for all to see. Small, local companies producing small batch, whole food goods, don’t have the funding to really advertise as well.

I like all types of meat and fish, but I eat red meat sparingly and only grass-fed…preferably local too. The economic cost of producing beef is just not worth it to me. Just think of all the cheap, junky beef products fast food chains are rolling out to so many people each day; it’s crazy! Sure, the $1 menu “deals” seem appealing to those who are ignorant to health and are short on cash; sadly, this is a common correlation.

Costs associated to produce a quarter pound of beef.

But consider other costs; the cost to get the meat wrapped in a paper package and handed to you through the window of a drive-thru…mmm. Producing just a half pound of beef requires 7.40 pounds of CO2, that’s equivalent to driving 9.81 miles. Now take into account that in 2009 the U.S. consumed 14 million tons of beef; and 72 million tons for the world. That’s a lot of gas! (Source for this info.)

meatless monday spicy black bean burger

I will happily choose a couple meatless meals per week to help reduce emissions just a little bit. If we all did this, our little changes will have a big impact on the health of our economy and bodies. So give the USDA and Beef Industry the finger a carrot, and enjoy a meal with the spicy black bean burger in the pic above instead! Recipe coming soon.

Check out wannaveg.com for a list of 10 reasons to go vegetarian one day each week.

I wonder what what the CAFO supporting beef industry would do if more people helped the health of the Earth and their bodies by abstaining from meat for one day? They’d be as mad as cows for sure, so I would assume their well-paid lobbyists made sure the posting was removed. And it was……only hours after being posted.

I would never ask anyone who loves meat to go vegetarian (I’m certainly not!), but please reduce the consumption of meat, especially from fast food or the cheap store-bought kind, and reap the benefits on cost, healthy, and experiencing new food!