Whey protein!

"Little Miss Muffet, sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey, along came a spider, who sat down beside her and frightened Miss Muffet away."

I'm certain we're all familiar with the Miss Muffet nursery rhyme, but why on earth am I starting this post with a nursery rhyme? Well, every day I get asked whether whey protein is safe and if it is truly needed.

So, is it safe? Well this is where our little friend Miss Muffet comes to play. Whey protein is basically a by-product from cheese and is a derived from milk. When milk is heated and you add a culture/enzyme/acid, the milk will start to curdle (curds ands whey). This is something very similar to cottage cheese and was very popular in the olden days, hence why Miss Muffet was tucking into a big bowl full of it. The CURD, will often be separated from the liquid (whey) and will be salted, pressed etc, to go on to make cheese. The whey is often discarded in the cheese making process, but will go on to be made into whey protein powders.

So to those who think whey protein is something dangerous, it is TOTALLY safe, it is totally legal and it's in no shape, way or form of a drug.

Now, is it essential? I personally believe that it is important to get most of your nutrients from whole, unprocessed, natural foods. Supplements like whey protein should supplement a well balanced, healthy diet. They should never be used to replace meals. So if you want to increase your daily protein intake or get a source of protein that is quick, easy and efficient post workout, then whey protein will be totally fine.

So what one should you choose? Well I always advise people to get a whey protein supplement that is 80%+ protein. This way you will be able to monitor your daily carb intake, include the protein powder into meals (e.g. Greek yogurt, oats etc...) without boosting carb intake and still use it as a post workout shake (just remember to add a few carbs in to help restore muscle glycogen stores).

But what ones should you buy? Well below are my top 3 "tried and tested" favourites...

1) Myprotein - Impact whey

2) Promax - MaxiNutrition

3) Optimum nutrition - 100% whey gold standard

I hope this has helped clear a few things up. If you want me to blog about a specific topic, send me a message either on Twitter or Facebook .

Hadee.

**If you are lactose intolerant or are vegan, I've heard good things about Sativa shakes , so I'd recommend checking them out.