I've recently started trying to Exercise and I've been drinking protein drinks to combat the weight-loss (as well as assisting with the exercise).

But I can't seem to get the powder ever fully mixed into the milk, even with a cake-blender. The grainy feeling in my mouth from it makes me heave, but these are the only drinks that will really help me at all with my extreme weight-loss (supplemented with exercise of course).
What are some ways I can get this powder to mix in so I can actually drink the stuff?

I would like to know the answer to that question as well...

My boyfriend is a health freak and he recently had me try the Carnation Breakfast drink. I was very hesitent to try it, knowing how nasty these health/nutrition drinks are. To my surprize it is awsome! The powder mixes great and it tastes JUST LIKE CHOCOLATE MILK! No yucky powder/chalk taste!
Nestle Nutrition Carnation Instant Breakfast. I have the one that is 2X protein and 2X Calcium

Try mixing it with sugar free instant pudding mix. Mix both powders together first then add the milk. You can either add enough milk that it's runny pudding or add the milk recommended to make the pudding and just eat the pudding. Then you have high protein pudding...and your dessert all at the same time.

I do this and it works great. You'll end up with a little bit of the clotted or chunking protein on top of the pudding but you can just mix that back in before you eat it.

What brand of protein powder are you using? You may need to change to something else. Let me know.

I think I'm going to buy a new brand... the kind I'm using is just something my Mother had... seems to be more geared toward dieters than people who are using it for an exercist suppliment.

I'm baffled at how these drinks can be superior to real food. I do not trust them to be good for me. A certified nutritionist might be of some help.
Ian

I'm baffled at how these drinks can be superior to real food. I do not trust them to be good for me. A certified nutritionist might be of some help.
Ian
No one said they were superior... But I've also got my appetite back, so I'm not using them to replace the food... But they do assist in building muscle etc... So I'll still use them for that...

OK! found a method for powder mixing that works!
Required tools:
Brain
egg beater (blender)

Instructions:
Find a large cup (big enough to fit the egg beaters whisk attachement into).
Fill this cup 1/3-1/2 way full of milk.
Insert the usual amount of powder. (the powder will sit on top of the milk instead of sinking to the bottom and staying there)
Insert whisk attachment (attached to beater) into the milk, then turn on lowest setting.
The powder will be mixed, and any remnants that stick to the sides of the cup will be washed back in and mixed by the "whirl pool" effect.

Note: this may not COMPLETELY mix the powder. The fiber/protein drink I'm using doesn't mix fully, but this made it almost enjoyable to drink because it got rid of the grain.

I am getting off the meat and dairy products now, myself, but in the Past -- When i have mixed up powdered skim milk (+ water) -- i have noticed the same thing.

Ewww.

I found that itt mixed better if i used boiling water.

NB. Too much protein can be hard on the kidneys.

Emma
:)

I don't mean to be a troll here, Really I don't. Please just disregard this if it's making you angry. I have a deep love of food and feel the need to defend it's properties here.

How can I build muscle better with a supplement than with a whole food that is a good source of protein? I just don't buy the idea that somehow a narrow band of nutrition can approximate the complexities of what we require to maintain health.

We are such complex machines, that a varied diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruit and comprising less than 25% fat calories is the best chance for me to build better muscles. It's also the best way for me to address the short comings of deficiencies I'm as of yet unaware.

Eat lightly and tread gently. I've looked to the athletic world for much of what I've learned about fuel. Nancy Clarke's book called Sports Nutrition Guidebook (http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?isbn=073604602X) is a bible in those circles. It's remarkably free of miracle foods and supplements.

Another good over view of how the world diets work and how we might benefit from that over view is Annemarie Colbin's Food and Healing. (http://www.foodandhealing.com/)

Of course you are free to believe what you will. However I would suggest there rarely a place where a processed food designed for profit is going to be of greater benefit than a high quality whole food.

The only thing going for the liquid supplements is that of convenience, but if retaining weight, health and muscle goes I won't accept that a supplement is the better product for the job at hand.

I suppose now that I've alienated the whole of this thread's membership that I should don my flame suit and pray for asbestos protection. :D I love food! I know it shows.

We had a member from this board come to stay with us for a week last summer and she arrived, underweight and in my not so humble opinion malnourished. An ensure in one hand at all times but no time to eat, she was slowly converted. She was always remarking on the quality of the food here. It's not fancy, but we know something about getting around the kitchen and have made it a priority.

Cooking from scratch and reducing processed foods means buying base ingredients and living with a cook book for a while. Slowly, one begins to see the quality of the narrow band foods for what they are, narrow.

People drink sport drinks like pop (soda) too, but if you do any homework on that stuff it's a mistake to even bother with it unless you have been sweating up a storm for over an hour. It's not an appropriate drink in any other context. It's full of salt and sugar that will only harm, rather than help. It may taste good, but if like drinking beer, if I drink it knowing the consequences, that's one thing, but do drink it in ignorance is another.

I'd like to see you gain your weight too. I was trying to build some muscle for strength (high reps) earlier and then I found out that doing my strength routine before running was a waste of my efforts. I needed to be doing them after or the aerobic activity negated the strength work almost entirely. There are always things to learn. I hope you can see your way to a better diet that leaps you toward your goals of a strong and resilient you.

Respectfully. Ian

I am getting off the meat and dairy products now, myself, but in the Past -- When i have mixed up powdered skim milk (+ water) -- i have noticed the same thing.

Ewww.

I found that itt mixed better if i used boiling water.

NB. Too much protein can be hard on the kidneys.

Emma
:)
Somehow I carry around with me that skim milk powder is a source of trans fat, but now that doesn't make sense. Hmmmm.

I've been toying with a vegan diet, but an not clear on how to balance my nutritional needs. What are the nuts and bolts of it? I know for women a big concern is getting enough iron when you lose the red meats.

How much protein do we need? I know a vegan and we recently ran a 5km race together. I don't know if it was her training or her diet or a combination of both, but she was weak. She has more experience than me, but maybe her training wasn't as effective or something as we were aiming for a similar time goal. I'll have to ask her.

Ever cerebral :P Ian

Ian, Just because I am supplementing the protein intake I get from other foods with these drinks does not mean I am not getting those other foods.

I am not able to eat a full meal containing the things I am getting from this kind of drink, in addition to my other meals. I prefer to just have one of these shakes in the morning, and probably in the afternoon to supplement, not replace, the protein in my body.

Ive noticed that some brands mix better than others. one brand ive tryed that not only mixes well but tastes good is champion nutrition whey protein mixes.

and id like to ad that these drink mixes are called nutritional supplements for a reason- there designed to supplement your diet, not replace it. if you dont alredy have a good diet there not going to help very much

I'll have to go back under my rock. If you have a good diet already, they are redundant, if you don't, they can't help... hugs.

Oh....so much to respond to in this thread :eek:

First of all....a protein supplement is just that...a supplement to your diet (the word "diet" being used to mean what you consume on any given day). There is nothing magical about protein powders...they are simply a convienient manner in which to get enough protein. Serious athletes and those trying to gain muscle require more protein than your average couch potato. They also tend to eat 5-6 meals a day, rather than just 3 large ones...liquid meals sometimes help, again, as a matter of convenience...sometimes it's not always possible to eat a real meal. That said..the best time for protein powders is immediately after your workout.

Some powders mix better than others....most nowadays are quite mixable however...get yourself a shaker cup and shake the crap out of it. Available at any supplement store.

Be sure you know what you're eating...you can get low carb/sugar, low fat, protein powders, and you can get meal replacement powders (MRP). MRP's are generally high in carbs and protein...again, most are pure sugar and not always desirable. I much prefer getting a low carb protein powder and adding my own carb, fruit, or fat source to the meal.

Carnation Instant Breakfast Drink....this stuff is crap. It is loaded w/ sugar and NOT ADD friendly! Nor is it healthy for anyone. I would never recommend this to anyone. Seriously...it takes no time at all to mix a low sugar protein shake.

Too much protein can damage the kidneys. This is only true if the kidneys are already damaged. There are NO studies done on healthy individuals which result in damaged kidneys due to protein intake.

Building muscle is about overall calorie intake. Eat more than maintenance, gain weight, eat less...don't gain weight. You still need sufficient protein intake, but it is a bit more than just eating healthy whole foods.

Sports drinks, such as gatorade or red bull, are NOT the same thing as protein powders. These drinks, again are often made up of sugar. Not always bad, but generally over used and certainly not needed often.

You will not gain strength by lifting high reps. HIgh reps is endurance work. If you're looking to increase your strength, you need to lift heavy and low rep...that's under 6 reps per set. If you are doing both weights and running (or any kind of cardio) during the same session, weights always need to go first. You need more energy for weight training, running beforehand will deplete you and you will find yourself shakey and weak.

Skim milk does not contain trans fats.

My bad. This is an excellent clarification. Thanks.
Ian

Use a regular blender. Put water or milk in first. The absolute best way to mix. Have tried everything else.... This is it.

Have you tried Monavie? I put my grand daughters on Monavie, hoping it would keep them from having to be on a prescription for their ADHD. So far I am convinced it is working.