Is Whey Protein Dangerous? Three Potential Negative Side Effects.

One of the most popular supplements for those seeking to gain additional muscle mass from their workout regimen is whey protein powder. Because of its versatility in use and function, as well as its relatively low cost, whey protein has become a favorite amongst exercise enthusiasts of all ages. But like any supplement, whey protein is not without its risks and potential downsides also. Used improperly, or by the wrong person, whey protein can have some extremely negative side effects. Below is a list of some possible troublesome side effects one should recognize when using whey protein:

• Unwanted Weight Gain

Whey protein is generally, though not exclusively, used as a weight gain supplement, so weight gain by protein powder use is generally looked at as a good thing. But excess consumption of protein powders can cause an increase in fat as well as muscle. Protein powders have calories, and an increase in calorie consumption will result in an increase in fat if not coupled with other beneficial changes in your lifestyle. If the only thing you change about your diet and workout routine is to start using whey protein, not all of your weight gain will be the kind you want.

•  Dehydration

Like any protein supplement, whey protein is effective only when the user also increases their daily intake of water. But a failure to properly consume water will not render the protein ineffective, but can have serious ramifications on overall health. Dehydration can cause symptoms as easy as a paler complexion or as serious as fainting and organ damage. If you use whey protein, you must be extremely careful in increasing your water intake also.

•  Liver and Kidney Damage

Your liver is an amazing organ. It filters everything that goes into your body and prevents damage to other organs by sorting the good from the bad. But your liver is unable to process a high amount of certain substances, and this can lead to serious health complications. Liver failure is most commonly associated with abuse of alcohol, but unregulated consumption of whey protein can overload your liver as well. Especially if combined with inadequate hydration, excess protein can place an inordinate amount of stress on your liver and kidneys.

Therefore whey protein can be helpful, but it is very easy to misuse also and can have extremely negative side effects. Protein can come from delicious foods you eat every day like free-range eggs and steak, organic poultry or many different varieties of fresh beans and legumes plus nuts and seeds are also a beneficial source. Consider natural options first if you want to pack on muscle. A healthier lifestyle depends greatly on what you eat, so visit our website for allergen and suger free snacks to help you live healthier.

Belly Bulge

There's only a few people, I think, which can actually admit they have never had to worry about this common "disease of inconvenience". But what most people don't realize, a belly bulge, in most cases, is actually a condition known as inflammation in the gut.

Think of it as an "ow-wee" in the digestive system. Fix the "ow-wee", preferably with the aid of a holistic practitioner, and the gut will actually start to heal itself.

The advantage here, your belly bulge is actually going to start to disappear. With time, patience and transitioning to a new lifestyle (some people call it a diet but it's truly not a diet), you are going to find your new lifestyle is going to allow you to steadily lose those extra handles stubbornly stuck all around your waistline.

So what's so special about these foods? Nothing, actually. They just happen to be high in natural fiber and each has its own list of fat-burning qualities. Translated, that means it is an optimal fuel source for this type of "machine" - namely, the human body.

So, start EVERY day from now on adding some of these to your daily diet, up to about 50% of the foods you consume, and with time, patience and perseverance, the belly bulge is going to start shrinking and eventually, with good behavior adhering to this new lifestyle, for you, a belly bulge will become only a not-so-fond memory.

The name for all of this : a whole foods diet.

• fresh tomatoes/cooked tomatoes
• spinach/kale/arugula/plus other varieties of lettuce (skip the iceberg - it has no nutritional value)
• green beans
• broccoli
• sweet peppers - red, green, yellow
• cucumbers
• radishes
• cabbage/brussel sprouts
• cauliflower
• onions/fresh garlic
• pinto beans/navy beans/garbanzo beans
• lentils
• squash - any variety but especially helpful is spaghetti squash and zucchini
• apples/peaches/pears/plums
• oranges/lemons/limes

Now obviously, the whole point of this program is transitioning to a lifestyle with "good fuel foods" for your body. I'm not asking you to eliminate the fast food, processed and packaged foods, the soda's (whether that's regular or diet varieties), but to be realistic, success on this program relies on quality foods, not factory processed, imitation food-like substances your body doesn't recognize as fuel.

Another important point to consider is organics vs conventional varieties. Sure, conventional produce, meats, eggs, and dairy may all be cheaper, more readily available and look just as good as the organics - they also have the advantage they last longer -  but the combination of all of the excess chemicals, food dyes and additives, hormones and antibiotics, low quality feeds and grains (the standard diet of beef, poultry and pork), all of these disadvantages add up inside your body also.

So don't ever make the mistake a cheeseburger is a cheeseburger. A cheeseburger from a fast food chain and a cheeseburger from a pasture-raised source of quality beef may look the same but to your digestive system, the difference is like night and day.

Decide for yourself just how important this is to you and your health, then take the necessary steps to allow it to happen. It does happen - you just have to give it a chance!

Fructose: Natural vs. Refined Varieties

It's all over the news now... Stay Away From Fructose! This could be from high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), agave syrup, molasses, processed honey and corn sugar etc.. That's because the end-product is metabolized by our liver and then stored directly as fat within our body.

So what's the first thing many people think of? What about all of those fruits and vegetables which all contain fructose? Why is everyone always recommending we eat more and more of them daily?

Why Refined Is Different Than Natural Fructose

Natural fructose from fruits and vegetables has several distinct advantages. It is a dry pebble-like crystalline substance which is water soluble within the body. This form includes a high percentage of natural fibers, complex carbohydrates (the type which slow blood sugar spikes), a whole host of natural vitamins, minerals and enzymes. All of this adds up to increasing levels of ease of digestion and elimination within the human body.

Refined fructose though is a chemically-derived formula derived from three main sources. Whether it is from corn, sugar cane or sugar beets, each variety is completely devoid of any type of vitamins and minerals, natural fibers or enzymes which can enhance your health. This is because the high heats used in processing actually kill off and denature the plants natural components.

 Next, being a chemically-derived formula foreign to the body itself, the liver is our "flushing organ" responsible for ridding the body of unwanted toxins. An un-naturally large accumulation though will lead to fatty storage, the majority of it settling around the waist, hips and thighs.

 Another disadvantage, since the body itself does not recognize these foreign components, your built-in hunger hormones themselves never do get ignited within the system, therefore overeating leading to obesity is generally the final result.

Within reasonable limits, unless under specific doctor's orders, never be concerned about the excess levels of fructose which may enter your body from fresh organic fruits and vegetables. Your body was designed to accept, digest and eliminate every part of these living organisms. Unfortunately, the same thing can not be said for a laboratory experiment turned into a common factory sweetener.

For many more easy ways you can combine "Nature's Produce" into your daily diet, please check here for some help in making your decisions about your everyday choice of foods.