Best Protein Shakes

Protein shakes are all the rage these days it seems: everywhere you look there is another canister of protein powder, and all of them claim some sort of health benefit or another. Big canisters of the stuff with buff looking men and finely sculpted women grace the shelves of pharmacies and mart type stores in almost every city, all of them claiming to be the very best. But what makes the best protein shakes?

Well, certainly not snips and snails and puppy dog tails, even though sometimes the taste of them makes you wonder what they were thinking when they concocted the stuff! Some are so gritty and gross you can barely choke them down! So why do we need all that extra protein?

Protein is an essential building block of cells, and since we burn through cells at an alarming rate, eating well and getting enough protein is key to good health. The best protein shakes have a good balance of nutrition, including fiber. The best protein shakes to gain weight will have a higher fat and carb content, while the best protein shakes for weight loss will be lower in sugar as well as fat.

Using protein shakes for meal replacement is a good idea if you are trying to lose weight, however, you should not try to replace all your meals with them. When you wake up in the morning, your body has been without nutrition for several hours and needs fuel fast to get you started on your way. Skipping meals has been proven to thwart anyone trying to lose weight, and breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so using one of the best protein shakes for weight loss as a healthy breakfast when you are on the go will ensure that you start the day off right.

If your goal is to gain weight or build muscle, then take your cue from the bodybuilders who have been at it a while. Find out what their opinion is on the best protein shakes to build muscle, and then do your research. Remember that these protein shakes will likely be higher in fat and calories, so if bulking up isn’t your goal, steer clear of these, or you may turn into a blob instead of the cut looking buff you were after.

And speaking of blobs…

Keep in mind that using a protein shake alone will not give you the desired results – exercise is the key whether you are trying to lose weight or buff up.  Sitting on the sofa drinking the best protein shake on the planet still makes you a couch potato! So learn how to burn or bulk up properly by incorporating exercise into each and every day. Following a meal plan and supplementing with protein shakes is one of the best possible ways to keep your body fueled with the protein it needs to replace cells, repair damage done by over exercise and keep your body as the finely tuned machine it was meant to be!