That’s Just the Whey It Is!

Created by Leslie J. Bonci, MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN
Retained Medical Advisor* (biography click here)

When your goal is to be fit, fed and fierce, you need to combine the 1-2 punch of exercise and food choices. To develop strong muscles, weight or resistance training must be part of your repertoire, as must emphasizing the type, amount and timing of foods, fluids and, if need be, supplements to complement your workouts and overall body goals.^‡

The Whey to a Leaner you
Optimizing protein intake is essential to keep your muscles strong and healthy.The recommended amounts range from 10-35% of the total daily calories, or anywhere from 0.5-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day, depending upon your body goals and fitness program.

Whey-t a minute
Keep in mind that the distribution of protein is as important as how much to consume. In general, the lowest protein intake for most people is at breakfast and snacks, with the bulk of protein being consumed at lunch and dinner. In order to maximize muscle protein synthesis, a meal must contain at least 8 grams of essential amino acids, which translates to about 20-30 grams of protein per meal.

Whey protein is a naturally occurring protein found in dairy foods and can be a way to help you meet your needs. Whey protein is one of the highest sources of leucine, one of the amino acids. Leucine is critically important for muscle protein synthesis as it assists in protein synthesis by acting as a dietary trigger to support an anabolic response in muscle tissue. A meal plan adequate in leucine ↑ Muscle Protein, whereas a meal plan inadequate in leucine → block Muscle Protein Synthesis. Vegetarians will need to eat more total protein to get adequate leucine.

Whey-t Training
After exercise, both cardio and strength training, the goal is for your body to return to balance. This is a key time for muscle protein resynthesis to help with repair, restoration and recovery. Choose your post workout foods carefully to get the maximum benefit. Whey is absorbed more quickly and has a higher content of leucine, the amino acid that is important for muscle protein synthesis.

Why Whey?
Klean Whey protein isolate is very low in lactose, which makes it acceptable for those who cannot tolerate milk or other dairy foods, and is ideal after hard workouts to help with recovery and repair. Whey protein is low in calories: about 85 calories per ¼ cup with 19 grams of protein. Unflavored whey protein isolate is extremely versatile and can enhance the protein content of meals that tend to be lower in protein.

Whey protein isolate can be added to:

• Coffee beverages
• Smoothies
• Water
• Oatmeal
• Pancake mix
• Juice
• Soups
• Muffins
• Sports drinks
• Meatloaf, burgers, meatballs
• Sauces

Wheys to optimize your snacks
You can give your snacks a protein stack-up instead of smackdown by adding whey protein to:

• Peanut butter
• Dips
• Energy bites
• Shakes

Bonci’s Bites

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup honey roasted peanuts
• ½ cup roasted sunflower seeds, shelled
• 2 cups mixed raisins/craisins (or other chopped dried fruit)
• 1.5 cups dry oats
• 2 cups Crispy rice cereal
• ¼ cup Klean Whey protein isolate
• 1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
• ¾ cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Coat 4 ice cube trays with cooking spray.
2. Combine peanuts, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, oats, protein isolate and Crispy rice cereal in a large bowl.
3. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine peanut butter, honey and vanilla. Microwave on HIGH for 1-2 minutes until bubbling. Add this to dry ingredients and stir well.
4. Transfer mixture to prepared ice cube trays and press down firmly. It may help to spray fingers with cooking spray. Put in refrigerator or freezer briefly to set.

To change it up
Substitute crushed Oat cereal, crushed corn flakes, or wheat flakes for rice cereal
Different dried fruit: tart cherries, banana chips, golden raisins, dried plums
Almond butter instead of peanut butter
Could add some coconut to replace the sunflower seeds
Instead of peanuts, could use pecans, almonds, cashew pieces or a mix of these

Take A-Wheys
Make a plan to get what you need everyday:

• Know your protein requirements
• Be selective
• Spread protein out over the day

Consider adding whey to meals and snacks

• Stir it in
• Blend it with
• Shake it on

Created by Leslie J. Bonci, MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN•
Retained Medical Advisor* (biography click here)

*Our medical experts have been retained as consultants in advising Klean Athlete. They are compensated for this service.