Risks from protein powders

A new report issued by Consumer Reports indicates that some protein powders on the market may contain high levels of toxins and chemicals. This story needs to be analysed and given some clarification.

First, it might be true that protein powders made from an animal source could potentially contain high levels of heavy metal that would pose a health risk. But the ones that were found to have high levels were brands that came from the USA. Canada has very tight inspection and testing measures in place to prevent this.

Second, animal sourced protein powders always risk having higher levels of additives compared to plant based sources. There is a major difference between the amount of chemicals and drugs used in raising animals to those used in plants. You will always get a "cleaner" product from plant than an animal source. Good protein powder alternatives are hemp, rice and pea protein which provide you with your proper protein intake for the day.

The only exception to this is a newer protein powder that is sourced from New Zealand. It comes from cows but the producers have guaranteed that it does not contain any hormones, chemical or heavy metals because the cows are raised in a very controlled or "organic" environment. They are marketing this as the "cleanest" protein available on the market. So far, all the tests have come back clean.

Finally, if you drink protein shakes as part of you nutritional goal make sure you consult with a Nutritionist or Dietician. Sales clerks at stores where protein powders are sold may not know the full risks associated with nutritional supplements and how they might affect a person. For example, no one should be consuming more than 3 shakes a day. The body still needs whole foods to function properly. If you just consumed shakes all day it would be too much for the body to handle. Remember - everything in moderation. If you do too much of anything there will always be a negative side to it.



For the full story and detail follow the link below

CTV News-Protein powders

Thrive Nutrition carries both the New Zealand protein powder and the plant based proteins. Come down and see which one best suits your needs.

Rolfing Demontration

Saturday, June 19th between 1-4pm Thrive will be hosting an in store demonstration of the technique called Rolfing.

Rolfing is a "holistic system of soft tissue manipulation and movement education that organized the whole body in gravity. Claims include that clients stand straighter, gain height, and move better through the correction of soft tissue fixations or improper tonus".

This will be led by the talented and energetic Amy Lazer.

Come down to Thrive @ 755 Corydon and see first hand how it is done!

New Twitter account

Thrive Nutrition now has joined Twitter. Be sure to follow us @ ThriveWinnipeg.

Look of recent updates and happenings.


Tweet away!

Good gut health for all

Good gut health is vital for maintaining a health digestive system and immune system. One way to do this is to include more of something called probiotics into you diet. These are live, beneficial bacteria that live in our gut.
By adding more of them to the mix they help ward off the bad bacteria that also live in the intestines.
With their recent surge in popularity and uses you can find them in things like yogurt, orange juice and even cereals. Still, the more potent form is through an oral supplement. Taking in a pill form is usually 200 times stronger than in the food form.

To give you a better idea on how they work here is a clip showing how the probiotics in yogurt enter the body and start to work.

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO

If this is something you would like to take or want more info on feel free to contact me at support@thriveonline.ca

Veggies to protect the skin?

A recent study conducted at Johns Hopkins University showed initial findings that broccoli extract may serve as an added protector of the skin from certain types of cancer and from harmful UV radiation. The active ingredients in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables have been shown to act as powerful anti-carcinogens inside the body.

What does this mean?
These vegetables help protect the body against damaging free radical which are one of the main contributors to cancer causing mutations in cells. The test group that was fed the extract showed significantly lower rates of tumors and UV damage.

Along with these findings it has already been established that cruciferous vegetables like broccoli help to lower the rates of colon cancer. This benefit should also be another reason to increase your vegetable intake.

How can I benefits from this?
Here are a few of the cruciferous vegetables to add to your diet:

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Bok Choy
• Kale
• Turnip

They can be prepared any way you like. The idea is to have a few servings of these a week.

What's next?

The next question that should be addressed regarding skin cancer is: if cruiferous vegetable are beneficial for the skin when taken internally how much better might they be if they were applied topically in a cream or lotion form as a preventative approach.

New research by market research group Decision Analyst found that North American Baby Boomers, aged 45 to 64, are much more likely to choose healthy ingredients and supplements than younger or older consumers. Some of the supplements they were more likely to take were omega 3 fish oils and anti-oxidant formulas. This comes as no surprise because both of these products help to maintain a healthy diet and contribute to the anti-aging effects boomers seek out.

Here is a list of products people aged 45-64 should consider taking on a regular basis:

• Omega 3 fish oil
• Vitamin D
• Calcium & magnesium
• Coenzyme Q10
• Vitamin C
• Digestive enzymes

With the right combination of products on can feel just as they did when they were in the prime of their life.

Consistency is the key

According to a new poll, nearly two-thirds of Canadians have tried to loose weight within the past five years. The majority of them have failed, not reached their ideal goal or even put on more weight.

Some significant mistakes people made during their attempts were to not take the time to ask the right questions or stick with their initial plan. The people polled indicated that they tried several different approaches ( such as high protein, low-carb, or no fat diets) was well as a combination of different weight loss supplements. Most of these approaches were done with little to no thought on the long term maintenance and sustainability of them.

The best advice is to ask a health professional on what diet/meal plan will suit your lifestyle, age, fitness level and health in order to minimize the potential of failure. Also, if one was to consider using supplements to aid in the weight loss efforts make sure the right questions are asked ( i.e. safety, long term usage and compatibility) before wasting your money.

If nothing else, be sure to take your time in setting out your weight loss goals, be realistic with the amount you want to loose and ask as many questions needed until you feel comfortable with your approach.