Thursday 5/12/16.... Run, Toes to bar, overhead walking lunge

from Incendia:

Warm Up: EMOM x 10:00
Even: 5 Strict Pull Ups
Odd: 20 Air Squats

WOD: 3 Rounds for Time
Run, 400 m
12 Toes-to-bars
20 Overhead Walking Lunge With Plates (45/25)

5 Toxic Protein Powder Ingredients

If you are consuming Protein Powder, it is probably a safe bet that you are trying to increase your fitness and overall health. Many people have already discovered the issues with consuming Soy Protein and have made the smart choice to use Whey Protein instead. So clearly not all Protein Powders are created equal. Additives in protein powders can vary from brand to brand and can turn a good idea into a very unhealthy choice.

Some products include additives to enhance the flavor, mix-ability, texture, shelf life, convenience or simply to make it look like you are getting more product than you actually do.  When reading labels, it’s important to know that ingredients are typically listed in the order of the highest amount used in the product to the least amount.

Here are the top 5 Toxic Protein Powder Ingredients:

1. Soy Lecithin

This additive is extracted from soybeans, either mechanically or chemically, using hexane. It’s actually a byproduct of soybean oil production. According to WebMD, it can cause side effects such as diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal pain. Johns Hopkins Medical Institution conducted a study and found that soy lecithin has negative effects on fertility and reproduction. And another study conducted by Cornell University observed increased risk of cancer with consumption of soy lecithin.

2. Artificial Growth Hormones and Steroids

Many farmers inject growth hormones and steroids into dairy cattle to increase milk production. These artificial hormones lead to an increase in the amount of a compound called IGF-1 in the cows’ milk, which you then consume. Science Journal published a study that found that elevated levels of IGF-1 are linked to various types of cancer.

To make matters worse, cows are injected with antibiotics, which may lead to antibiotic-resistance. You do not want to be consuming steroids and unnatural hormones and cause all kinds of havoc to your body.

3. Artificial Sweeteners
Aspartame (Nutrasweet and Equal) and Sucralose (marketed as Splenda) are sweeteners that contain no calories (that could be a big reason protein powder manufacturers add this)and they can affect the taste without changing the calorie composition for consumers that are calorie counters) and are even sweeter than sugar. The Center for Science in the Public Interest study found a correlation between sucralose and leukemia in mice. This study changed the safety rating of sucralose from “Safe” to “Avoid.” Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious, including seizures and death. There are over 90 documented symptoms listed in the report as part of aspartame dangers including migraines, dizziness, nausea, numbness, rashes, depress, fatigue and tachycardia just to name a few.

3. Maltodextrin
Eating products with maltodextrin has side effects and health risks similar to most food additives. This may include allergic reactions, unexplained weight gain, bloating and flatulence. Maltodextrin is an artificial sugar that has a mild, sweet taste.  Maltodextrin is actually a term that applies to any starch hydrolysis product containing fewer than 20 glucose units.

4. Soy

Soybeans contain large quantities of natural toxins known also as “antinutrients”. The worst of these are potent enzyme inhibitors that block the action of trypsin and other enzymes needed for protein digestion. Soybeans also contain haemagglutinin, a clot-promoting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together. Another huge reason to avoid the soy protein powders is that 99% of soy is genetically modified and it is amongst the highest contamination by pesticides of any of our foods. Lastly, it contains phytic acid which can block the ability to assimilate minerals such as calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc.  Consuming excess soy products can impair thyroid function, lower testosterone levels, lead to hormonal imbalances and reproductive issues and cause digestive issues. Watch out for soy, soy protein isolate and soybean oil, lecithin, hydrolyzed vegetable protein and/or texturized vegetable protein as they can all be made from soy.

5. Gluten

Its true that some protein powders will contain gluten. Many manufacturing facilities are cross-contaminated with gluten so these can end up in your protein powder. And there are companies that simply add gluten to their powders (watch for glutamine peptide on the label) to increase protein while cutting costs.

Excess gluten intake has been shown to increase inflammation, contribute to leaky gut syndrome and may be the key factor in many other health issues.

So while you are trying to do your body good by adding a nice healthy shake into the mix, don’t compromise by grabbing a protein powder mix without reading the label first.