Yesterday <a href="https://markbadeau.com/2018/08/07/my-10-week-plan-a-template-for-fat-loss/">I outlined a game plan to melt some butter off</a> while also maintaining the lean muscle over the course of the next ten weeks. In that post, I called out a few different supplements that I have been taking, and that I intend to restart in the next few days.
As a bit of a disclaimer, I’ll be sharing a few links to Amazon that if you were to click through and buy something – I’ll get a few pennies in referrals, as I am an Amazon seller/affiliate from time to time. If you read the disclaimer here – you will see that I have a few relationships online that I may recommend here and there.
You can be sure the stuff I’m mentioning in this article is legit based upon my actual usage. Let’s be honest – any referral fees – will be minimal at this point, and I’m offering this content up based upon a few conversations where I have been asked what I take.
Now to the point of this post:
BCAAs – Branched Chain Amino Acids – I like this HumaPro brand, it tastes good, mixes well, and is a decent value given the amount of servings involved. There are a few YouTube videos espousing this and trashing it at the same time – like most supps. For me this stuff has worked quite well in the past both in terms of bulking and cutting phases.
Here’s the backside of the label:
So tons of goodness here, now the best part of this is the absorbtion of the BCAA. Most proteins are largely wasted by your body. They even provide a helpful graphic here…
‘Toxic Catabolic Waste’ is basically the protein passing through unabsorbed…
The best part of this supplement is that it equates out to 25 grams of protein – that is truly absorbed by our bodies with literally calorie free. Especially awesome when you are attempting to lose weight while maintaining muscle.
You can over indulge this stuff – six servings a day is hardcore. At most, I’ll ramp up to 4 on heavy days at the gym – otherwise I’m intending to do 2 scoops first thing in the morning – which is a 50 gram protein jumpstart – with zero calories or impact to the ketosis/fasting during the first part of the day.
Collagen Protein – Bulletproof made this famous, and it is similar in makeup to bone broth – as the calories are minimal yet the protein density is crazy good. I have found Bulletproof Collagen to be awesome! I love the chocolate flavor, particularly mixed into my coffee in the afternoon. Highly dense protein infused, choco latte, made with organic non moldy coffee – of course!
This stuff can be found on Amazon for competitive prices, although their stuff is elevated as compared to other collagens that are seemingly just as good:
And here’s the backside of the label:
So you can see here that 12 servings for $50 is kind of steep. I have a jar of this stuff at all times in my home, however I only use it occasionally as a treat given the cost here.
So what do I actually use for collagen-based proteins?
This is the stuff:
It is the same mixture of types of collagen proteins (maybe I can go into different types later) – yet it is about half the cost per serving. Also, this type of collagen has zero taste or flavoring. This means we can get really creative here in terms of mixers. Just today, I found a clone recipe for Matcha Latte using this stuff, and I’ll be making some of that tomorrow in my Vitamix.
Backside label:
See that nugget of gold? 41 servings here, although it is really 20 servings if you equate it to what Bulletproof has in their canister…
This screenshot details out the mixture of aminos very soundly. Ignore that thumbnail…yikes.
I like this screenshot a lot as it details out the benefits really succinctly. I can say for certain that my skin tone has improved as a result of taking this stuff. This coupled with ghee has really helped.
If you are going to go collagen – this is the stuff based upon my research and results over the past 3 months. If you have extra money to burn – go full on with Bulletproof. Both are awesome products and I enjoy each of them.
KA COW! KA COW!
Okay – so this is not exactly protein, but it is legit Cacao powder without any additives that would detract from the all natural goodness. This is pure non genetically modified, organic – yadda yadda. Perfect for making a choco latte with the knock off collagen mix above – I love this stuff, and it gives a decent choco fix too.
Backside of the label here:
Pure chocolate goodness here without a ton of garbage calories. You can get this at Amazon, and I’m sure similar products exist locally too. This is an easy repeat purchase for me via Prime.
Whey Proteins – So I have very strong opinions on this piece of the pie. I learned the hard way that these supplements – particularly protein supps – throw all sorts of garbage into them. There is truly a grey market here regarding supplements. When you hear of pro athletes claiming that they did not know something was in their shakes – I tend to believe them now. I also think that they are incredibly lazy given that their careers are based upon what they put into their bodies…
Anyway, any whey protein I take onboard nowadays is predicted on an examination of an independent third party lab doing the analysis of what is truly in the bag…
This whey protein is infused with some coffee flavoring and caffeine – good for an afternoon boost if you like your coffee iced. It is verified as non GMO, and overall just plain pure whey.
Backside of the label:
Wow. Look at all those sugars… Yep, zero sugar. Stuff still tastes legit – pure protein that is easily mixed, and it is all natural. Their chocolate flavor is pretty good too.
As an added bonus – I have been playing with hydrolyzed protein supplements – highly digestible protein – zero waste – similar to BCAAs in that regard. This stuff is used in clinical settings where people cannot chew or easily digest protein rich foods. It is similar to the Brain Octane from Bulletproof in that it readily passed through the stomach and consumed right away. I’ll use this stuff a couple times a week if I need a little extra protein or if I’m feeling a bit stiff. This supplement is highly regenerative – particularly if you take 2 servings in day.
It is tart in flavor, and best if refrigerated ahead of time…
Lookee there – non GMO too. You see a pattern here? Also, this stuff was developed by a couple of Navy Seals. For me that screams credibility.
All of this stuff is third party verified, organic, non GMO validated, and proven to help by me over the past few months – in a few cases the past few years.
If you have a supplement that you particularly enjoy, I’d love to hear about it. Many of these were researched based upon tips from friends and online resources that I continue to scour.
These are the supplements I’m pouring down my gullet for the next few weeks!
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