In one of my previous post I wrote that I stopped taking any kind of supplements because I am not really seeing much difference other than some rather expensive pee. There is no good way to put it, but most supplements are just waste of money and the rest are just a convenience rather than being beneficial.
I replaced all my protein shakes and bars with lean cuts of meat and fruits and that is working out very well. I don't see any difference and in fact my digestive system is happier digesting natural food. I don't eat as much vegetables because they fill me up very quickly and being an ectomorph I need more calories than what vegetables can offer.
Here are a couple more excerpts from the book "Burn the fat, feed the muscle" that reinforce my arguments
... The truth is that as long as you eat a sufficient quantity of whole food proteins at frequent intervals throughout the day, it's not necessary to consume any protein supplements whatsoever to get outstanding results.
The main advantage of protein supplements is convenience. Whey-based protein powders are an excellent way to get protein if you're not consuming enough from whole foods, but they're NOT better than whole foods. The human digestive system was not designed to process liquids all day long; it was designed to digest food...
I replaced all my protein shakes and bars with lean cuts of meat and fruits and that is working out very well. I don't see any difference and in fact my digestive system is happier digesting natural food. I don't eat as much vegetables because they fill me up very quickly and being an ectomorph I need more calories than what vegetables can offer.
Here are a couple more excerpts from the book "Burn the fat, feed the muscle" that reinforce my arguments
... The truth is that as long as you eat a sufficient quantity of whole food proteins at frequent intervals throughout the day, it's not necessary to consume any protein supplements whatsoever to get outstanding results.
The main advantage of protein supplements is convenience. Whey-based protein powders are an excellent way to get protein if you're not consuming enough from whole foods, but they're NOT better than whole foods. The human digestive system was not designed to process liquids all day long; it was designed to digest food...
Hmmm... pun aside, thats definitely a lot of food for thought Chandan. For pure vegetarians (and "eggatarians") though, it definitely is hard to find sources of pure protein without the extra load of carbs that come along with plant sources of protein. And worse, plant protein is harder to digest than milk-based or animal-based protein sources. But yes, I would have surely followed suit with you had I been a meat-eater :) Maybe I should try to force a change in my food habits. I am glad this is working for you though - eating natural and whole foods are hands down better than supplements. I find it hard to disagree.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely agree that it is harder for vegetarians. They may have to depend on supplements. But if you can eat egg and dairy products, you should not need any more supplements. Egg whites and milk have all the essential amino acids that you need. Milk comes with some simple sugars which is bad if you are trying to lose fat, otherwise I strongly recommend it especially for ectomorphs like ourselves (some suggest we should drink a gallon a day, seems excessive, but 2 glasses a day is what I drink). Anyway egg is excellent and meets all the protein needs (throw away the yolk though :) if you can eat 6 eggs a day along with whatever protein you get from nuts, seeds etc.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post Chandan - it made me think about the supplements I consume and I am now trying ways to cut down on them - I started with extra milk today and hopefully over the next few weeks will add more milk and extra egg-whites as well. I am sure it is healthier in the long run as well.
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