Choosing a Protein Powder: What Isabel Looks For

In the nutrition and health world, there will always be new products that come out on the market. I always do my best to give everything a "fair chance" and below I've described the process I go through when choosing supplements to use personally and to share with you.

You will also find a detailed description of how I implement BioTrust Protein Powder into my own daily meal plan (along with several reader questions answered).

Isabel's 5 Step Supplement Approval Process

1. Does it contain any of the following? (If the answer is YES, I immediately say "NO, thank you" to even trying out the product.) Artificial sweeteners, vegetable oil, processed sugar, agave syrup, processed grains (in high amounts), soy. Nine times out of ten (yes, that many times) health food products I am sent contain one of these and I quickly tell the company owners that it is not something I would ever ingest personally.


2. The owner/creator of the product MUST be willing to get on the phone with me to have a thorough discussion about the product. I always ask where the ingredients are sourced, what the manufacturing process is like, and who exactly is involved in the production of the product. If the owner is not willing to discuss these critical components with me, I do not try the product.


3. Once I feel comfortable with what I have read and discussed with the creator, I use the product myself for a minimum of 30 days before sharing it with my readers and clients. During the "test" process I evaluate how the product makes me feel immediately after using it (gas, bloating, energy) and what its long term effects are (decreased body fat, weight loss, weight gain, etc.).


4. If I am happy with the product and find myself using it regularly, I contact the owners again and ask for a discounted rate for my readers (hey, it doesn't hurt to ask, right?).


5. I share all great stuff with you so you can decide whether or not it is a product that fits into your lifestyle and your healthy eating plan.

Frequently Asked Questions about BioTrust Protein Powder

Here are a few answers to questions I've received about my new favorite protein powder:

BioTrust contains "natural flavors"... what are they?

According to the chemists at BioTrust (I had a very thorough conversation with them), "natural flavors" constitutes whatever minimal flavoring comes off the extraction and low temperature processing of the protein. I can see how the extraction process of a protein would result in some residual "flavor" that has to be accounted for but is not necessarily an exact ingredient. Regardless, I am still not a huge fan of this term and would still encourage you to keep your ingestion of products listing "natural flavors" to as few as possible.

In my case, since all of the food I eat is natural (no processed food), this protein powder is really the only item in my current nutritional regimen that contains "natural flavors."

What is ProHydrolase?

ProHydrolase is a special enzyme designed to assist your body in breaking down whey protein, making it more usable by your body.

For me personally, I always thought the digestive discomfort I suffered as a result of using protein powder was because of the lactose in the formula or the fact that it came from cow’s milk. But after using BioTrust's protein powder and NOT experiencing any gas, bloating or digestive discomfort, I think the root cause may have been my body not having the ability to breakdown the whey protein into a digestible form. ProHydrolase is the enzyme that will break down whey protein so you do not suffer from digestive discomfort from ingesting whey protein.

Do I have to use protein powder to lose weight?

OF COURSE NOT!

Whole foods will always be my #1 recommendation and you can get all of the nutrients you need by using the foods I recommend to you in Beyond Diet. Having a protein powder that you like on hand may give you a few more quick and easy meal options when time is an issue, but it is not necessary by any means.

The ingredients include Natural Smooth and Sweet Blend (creamer, Swerve, stevia leaf extract). Is this really okay?

The creamer is a natural oil based ingredient derived from a light-protected, cold-processed sunflower oil. It occurs at less than 0.5 gram per serving. Swerve is a sweetener containing erythritol and oligosaccharides, both naturally occurring in fruit.

The allergen warning states that BioTrust Protein Powder contains trace amounts of soy lecithin. Should I be concerned about this?

Soy lecithin must be added to most protein powders as an emulsifier in order for the whey protein to mix well. Soy lecithin's effects on the body are much less than harmful soy proteins, especially since the amount is so minimal. Using a protein powder that contains trace amounts of soy lecithin is drastically different than using a protein powder where the protein is derived from soy. I would never recommend a protein that used soy as its protein base, but I feel comfortable using BioTrust's protein powder that only contains trace amounts of soy lecithin.

Isabel, how and when do you use BioTrust protein powder?

Here's exactly how I use BioTrust protein powder in a typical week:

• Add 1 scoop of vanilla or chocolate in my morning oatmeal if I have no time to make eggs.
• Add 1 scoop of vanilla or chocolate to ½ cup of organic Greek yogurt and top with blueberries or strawberries as a quick snack any time of the day. (This is one of my favorite snacks right now.)
• Mix 1 scoop of chocolate with 1 tablespoon of chia seeds in the evening for a small pre-bed snack.
• If you are someone who enjoys smoothies, 1 scoop is a great addition to any healthy smoothie recipe.  Isabel's Favorite Protein Powder  #beyonddiet #healthlifesuccess