Clear protein

Lift heavy, they say. And eat your protein.

At the beginning of the month I decided to tweak my fitness routine towards higher-intensity exercise, as well as much heavier weights in my strength training but shorter sets with longer breaks in between.

I’ve also decided to up my protein intake significantly, to about 100-120g a day. I have reasons for doing that, and I will share more a little bit later. I can simply say it is directly related to fighting back against hormonal disruptions from the joys of perimenopause.

The next obvious question is, how the hell do you get that much protein in a day without eating half a cow? I can’t metabolize that much meat (and also $$, ouch). I love eggs but more than two or three a day is too much. Beans (red, black, lima, etc.) are very good, as are smoked oysters. I am sensitive to soy and too much whey protein doesn’t really work well for me, because it makes me bloat like crazy. Hemp hearts sprinkled on salads is an easy to add tasty protein. I drink bone broth, too. But that still doesn’t get you to triple digits.

Supplementing with protein shakes is the obvious thing to do, and I do it. But I do get tired of the taste and texture. I’m excited to have decided to try clear protein — protein supplements that taste like and feel like lemonade. They pack a punch of pea protein, taste great, and have very little or no sugar, depending on the brand. It’s not cheap, mind you, at $60-65 or so for a tub, but man.

I looked at several brands and decided to try Surge from Vegain and I like it after about a week. You have to be careful not to drink it too fast, I find. But it’s easy to use, it mixes well and it gets you to your protein goal without overloading you with calories you don’t need. I wasn’t going to mention the company, since I don’t do endorsements, but I had an issue with a purchase and I found their customer service helpful so I thought I’d give them a free plug.

I’m always curious to hear what solutions work for other people when it comes to upping protein intake without breaking the bank or the calorie budget. Holler if you have something to recommend.