Part ll: Finding the needle in the haystack when it comes to protein shakes
As you might have read in my previous article ‘Finding the needle in the haystack when it comes to protein shakes’, I’ve accepted the challenge to explore the benefits of plant-based protein shakes. If you haven’t read the article yet, it is probably useful for you when you’re searching for alternative protein shakes. For those who are familiar with protein shakes, you probably already have developed your own habits in taking protein shakes. Personally I like to drink the shakes an hour before a workout. That way my body has enough ‘amino acids’ ingested to restore the muscles during and after a workout.
It has been nearly three weeks ago since I began taking the protein shakes of Enjoy Natural. Fully equipped with three different flavors, Baobab, Cacao and Moringa, I was more than ready to say ‘goodbye' to a bloated belly and a welcoming ‘hello’ to the benefits! I was very curious about the smell and taste of the blends and I couldn’t wait to open them all.
As a true and unbeatable ‘choco-holic’ I tried the Cacao flavour first, it smelled kind of bitter as pure chocolate would too. The instructions on the packaging says that you should take one scoop of the plant-based protein and blend it together with 300ml of water. Personally, I’ve never been a real fan of blending my shakes with water since it will lose its structure and taste when you do. And since I am also lactose intolerant I decided to blend it with almond milk or coconut milk. The taste of the Cacao protein shake was a small disappointment because I was actually hoping to taste the inimitable taste of a bar Tony Chocolonely. But then again, the shakes of Enjoy Natural are pure and 100% natural without any additives and basically that is what our body needs. Because you really need to get used to the taste, I decided to process the powder into a tasteful party of an oatmeal breakfast. Enjoy Natural has a lot recipes on their website where you can get inspired to vary with the plant-based protein shakes.
The second one I tried was the Moringa and this one seems familiar because I have used Matcha powder in my diet before as well. Although they look quite the same, there appear to be big nutrient differences and Moringa contains a greater quantity of important nutrients like Calcium, Iron and Magnesium. I tried the Moringa protein in a shake of cucumber, lemon, mint and apple. The taste was very refreshing and since the taste of Moringa powder is less bitter than Matcha powder it blends in nicely with all the other flavours.
The last one for me to try was the Baobab flavour and the name of the flavour already makes you feel like an exotic African queen. Baobab is an African super fruit and has countless benefits. This one seemed to have the mildest smell and taste out of all three and I decided to blend this one with only almond milk to discover the real and pure taste of the Baobab flavour. Surprisingly I really liked this one because of the distinctive Baobab taste and structure.
Before I started to take these plant-based protein shakes there was one obstacle that had to be eliminated and that was to get rid of the painful stomach cramps and a bloated belly which was caused by using whey protein shakes in my daily diet. After these three weeks I do notice changes in my body. So far I no longer suffer from irritable intestines which was causing abdominal bloating. This result alone makes me feel so good! People with an easily bloated belly will understand when I say it literally exhausts you when your whole body is turning against you and makes you feel horrible on the inside and makes you look awful on the outside as well. I initially thought that plant-based proteins would contribute less in repairing and gaining muscles but the contrary is proved. The positive effects of plant-based protein shakes are not any less than the positive effects of whey protein shakes. I actually gained more strength and endurance during my workouts and I had significantly less muscle soreness which can be literally a pain in the ass!
Although these plant-based protein blends require a little bit more creativity when it comes to processing it into tasteful smoothies or dishes, it has definitely helped me to solve a painful abdomen I had for a long time. So whether you are lactose intolerant or vegan and still want to experience the benefits of taking protein shakes, the plant-based protein blends of Enjoy Natural can be a worthy substitute in your daily diet!
Stay tuned for the 3rd and final part of ‘Finding the needle in the haystack when it comes to protein shakes’, full of simple and tasty protein recipes!
