What's in That Protein Shake? Healthy Sugars and Why You Need Them

 

 There is a gross misconception about sugars that have been vilified in the media.While it's true that what I like to call industrial sugars are damaging, the naturally occurring ones found in fruits,vegetables and grains are accompanied by a whole host of nutrients. Like anything dealing with the human body and the planet, a deeper look that goes beyond a sound bite is critical to getting the full picture. During a Let's Go Outside! fitness and fun class I co- lead this weekend, a guest had a question and wanted to know if the Dutch Chocolate Nutrimeal protein shake I was distributing "had sugar" in it. What the guest really wanted to know really was I offering something detrimental to everyone's health. The fact is your body and brain require sugars to function. The brain needs it and without it will cease to function properly. Some healthy sugars that you can use around the house are Raw Honey, Amasake, Organic Sugar grown without pesticides or chemicals, Black Strap Molasses, Stevia and Xylitol. As for unhealthy sugars four words: Stay Away from Soda! For young mother's Bernando LaPallo points out that applesauce one of the first foods you give your baby should be unsweetend to avoid setting up your child for diabetes. Add a little ground cinnamon that has a natural sweet taste to it if you like. Adding table sugar to it impedes the ability to enjoy the natural sweetness of the apple, hooks the baby on unhealthy sugars making it be hard for them to eat whole foods later on.

Clearing Up Sugar Confusion  

Oscar Puig, CN  has this to say about the topic:

"Sugars are found in whole foods in the form of simple glucose, fructose and galactose such as those found in dietary carbohydrates like vegetables, fruits and grains. These are classified has monosaccharides. They are easy to digest and fast to get to our blood stream. They are packed with nutrients and beneficial fiber because they come from whole foods. However, our food industry has created non-nourishing natural and artificial sweeteners that can be damaging to the body. The best examples of this would be processed sucrose and high fructose corn syrup (“natural” sweeteners) and sucralose and aspartame (artificial sweeteners). Although naturally-derived, sucrose and high fructose corn syrup present in most processed foods can increase the probability of impaired liver function and fat deposits (fatty liver)..." This article by Puig is very helpful and you can read More here
Getting back to the protein shake in question Dutch Chocolate Nutrimeal contains 17 grams of sugar derived from fructose or fruits. Here is the ingredient list. And one last point the way you will lose weight fastest and sanely is to watch your caloric intake. Nutrimeal is one way you can make sure you are getting all your body requires with only a 240 to 250 calories provided you use water only to make your shake. When you start adding milk and the like you double your caloric intake. Most today are consuming 3000 to 3500 calories per day when it is better to be around 2000 calories per day on average. This unfortunate trend is reflected in the skyrocketing epidemic of diabetes, obesity, heart disease and even cancers North Americans are experiencing in all age brackets. Adding plenty of fiber to your daily regime will also help you feel fuller while keeping your colon clean.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 3 scoops (60 g)

Servings per Container 9

Amount Per Serving

Calories

230

Calories from Fat

70 % Daily Value*

Total Fat

7g

11%

Saturated Fat 1g

5%

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol

0mg

0%

Sodium

400mg

17%

Potassium

590mg

17%

Total Carbohydrate

32g

11%

Dietary Fiber 8g

32%

Soluble Fiber 3g

Insoluble Fiber 5g

Sugars 17g

Protein

15g

30%

Vitamin A

15%

•

Vitamin C

25%

Calcium

25%

•

Iron

20%

Vitamin D

35%

•

Vitamin E

20%

Thiamin

30%

•

Riboflavin

35%

Niacin

20%

•

Vitamin B6

30%

Folate

20%

•

Vitamin B12

10%

Phosphorus

40%

•

Iodine

30%

Magnesium

25%

•

Zinc

20%

Copper

20%

•

Manganese

20%

Molybdenum

25%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your caloric needs.

Calories:

2,000

2,500

Total fat

Less than

65g

80g

Sat. fat

Less than

20g

25g

Cholesterol

Less than

300mg

300mg

Sodium

Less than

2,400mg

2,400mg

Potassium

3,500mg

3,500mg

Total Carbohydrate

300g

375g

Dietary Fiber

25g

30g

Protein

50g

65g

Calories per gram: Fat 9 • Carbohydrate 4 • Protein 4

Ingredients:

Protein Blend [Soy Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate, Pea Protein Isolate,

Rice Protein Concentrate], Fructose, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavors, Maltodextrin, Soy

Fiber, Oat Fiber, Gum Arabic, Cane Fiber, Oligofructose, Potassium Phosphate, Prune

Powder (Prune, Calcium Stearate), Tricalcium Phosphate, Magnesium Citrate, Sodium

Caseinate (a milk derivative), Cellulose Gum, Salt, Xanthan Gum, Inulin, Soy Lecithin,

Tocopherols (to protect flavor), Silicon Dioxide, Wheat Bran, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Zinc

Gluconate, D-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Niacinamide (Niacin), Potassium

Iodide, Vitamin A Palmitate, Molybdenum Citrate, Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D), Manganese

Citrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid, Copper Gluconate,

Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Ferrous Fumarate, Thiamin

Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1).

Contains: soybean, milk, wheat.

Produced on equipment that also processes peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, sesame, and shellfish.

Recipes with Usana Fruit and Veggie Shake

Ekayani's Test Run with Green Monster Fruit & Veggie Shake

Diana Yin is the person responsible for testing recipes with USANA Health Sciences test kitchen. I decided to give her take on Green Monster fruit and veggie shake using French Vanilla Nutrimeal a go. Although the idea of adding strawberries and a banana seemed strange,  I was moved by Diana's story about her vegan days in San Francisco. She did a lot of juicing!  Over time she found it difficult to maintain so she was happy to try a new twist on something old that added protein. Diana hasn't steered me wrong so far so I went for it. Verdict? Delicious!

Do's and Dont's
The recipe is easy enough yet I realized that for a smoother blend, taking the time to remove the stems from the spinach I used would have been worth it. Luckily, it was only me drinking this "test run"  so I was the only one who got greens caught in her teeth! Be sure to pulse the banana, strawberries or grapes with water in the blender first as this will prevent the shake from becoming too frothy. You don't need more than 60 seconds to whip this up!






Ingredients
10 to 12 oz of cold water

1 scoop of  USANA French Vanilla Nutrimeal
A handful of stemmed and finely chopped spinach
A handful of stemmed and finely chopped kale
1/2 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries
1 fresh banana
Pulse the banana,strawberries,greens and water in blender till smooth.
Strain through a sieve
Put juice mixture back into blender and discard the pulpy matter.
 Add 1 scoop of French Vanilla Nutrimeal.
Blend for 45 to 60 seconds.
Serve!

Bottoms Up! You will want to use a sieve to remove the green pieces.

I thought this recipe was great! It was truly satisfying and easy to make and made two servings.
Tip: If you want you can add a scoop of Fibergy for a little extra fiber. French Vanilla Nutrimeal is a gluten free non GMO soy based product.

Summer Fun at the Sugar Shack Spa with Nutrimeal Shakes

It's going to be a great summer!! I am excited about working with the Sugar Shack Day Spa in Fire Island presenting delicious way to keep off the pounds and staying fit! Usana's Nutrimeal protein shakes are a delicious way to keep off the pounds while getting everything you need to stay on your feet!  Summer is a time of celebration and trying new tasty treats. I have got some delicious low glycemic recipes for you to try at an  exclusive tasting event this Saturday May 19 from 1:30 to 2:30 with Q & A from 2:30 to 3:30 at the Sugar Shack Day Spa on Fire Island in the Pines!

I will be serving up delicious twists on Strawberry, French Vanilla and Dutch Chocolate Nutrimeal protein shakes. Quantities are limited so please get there early!  The Sugar Shack is situated right next to CANTEEN the sandwich and salad shop on the main boardwalk off the Harbor.

 

The Usana Difference

What sets Usana Health Sciences shakes apart is that they have been formulated with the right amount of sodium and healthy sugars with plenty of vitamins to boot such as A, C, D,  B6, B12 and required trace minerals such as calcium, magnesium, copper,zinc, manganese,iodine,iron, and more. (For a complete list of ingredients and the nutritional value look here under Diet and Energy) . A certain amount of sodium is necessary in the body to function properly otherwise you rub the risk  passing out.  However, be careful to avoid eating canned foods as they are laced with sodium and can lead to hyper tension. Eating fresh foods with the minimal amount of processing is always best.

 Consider this;  

"Although too much sodium can be of concern, please note that sodium is an essential mineral and electrolyte. The recommended sodium intake for healthy adults sits near 2,400 mg per day, and even doctor-prescribed low sodium diets rarely drop below 1,000 mg per day. Intakes below 500 mg per day can result in serious health conditions, including death. Because the Nutrimeals are classified as meal replacements, adequate sodium is absolutely necessary to prevent serious health consequences. This is especially true during hot summer months, during times of exercise, or in circumstances where individuals choose to use the products as a primary source of nutrition.
In modern times, many individuals have begun to take sodium for granted since it can be easily consumed in excessive amounts. However, this does not mean that sodium is inherently "bad." We have included a level in the Nutrimeals that is the lowest we would consider safe for adults subsisting entirely on our products for any period of time.
Many products claiming to be "meal replacements" run the risk of being much too low in sodium. In our opinion, the unscrupulous manufacturers of such products risk the health of their customers in an attempt to "look good" on a label.
If someone has additional concerns about the sodium content of a USANA Foods product, we recommending consulting a physician. He/she will be best able to know whether or not the amount of sodium in a given product is above an individual's current requirements." - from Ask The Scientist


See you at the Sugar Shack! 
Phone: (631) 766 - 1359
Visit the Sugar Shack online