Dr Michael Colgan - Daily Amounts of protein - Part 3

WHEN YOU EAT PROTEIN WHAT DOES IT DO?

A GUIDE FOR ATHLETES:

PART 3: DAILY AMOUNT OF PROTEIN
Dr Michael Colgan 4 March 2015
In response to the unexpected hundreds of questions from readers, I have to review where we are in this series. In Part 1, I documented the huge advances in the Proteome Project since 2005, confirming how protein is far and away the most complex nutrient in your diet (1).

You Are a Protein Machine
We know now that food proteins provide the environmental signals to release the DNA codes for over 350,000 different proteins that compose every working unit in your body. All other nutrients, essential fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals are simply supports for your protein system (1). There is no controversy regarding this science. It is accepted by all major scientists I know.
Food proteins provide not only the signals to your DNA, but also provide the raw materials to make each of your body proteins, in response to the release of its code. Each body protein code is precise. Different proteins can differ from each other by many thousands of lines of code. Your structure is built of, and you are operated by, these proteins. The quality of the protein you eat, determines the quality of the proteins that compose all the muscles that move you, and all the brain cells that operate your mind (2).

You Are Controlled by Light
I also explained how the manufacture, life, and regular death of all the proteins that compose us, (and all other creatures), developed under the tight control of light. This first occurred when life began on Earth over 400 million years ago. The life of all our proteins is still controlled by light today (3,4). By stimulating an area called the suprachiasmatic nucleus in our brains, the changing light of the revolution of the Earth, imposes a circadian rhythm which controls every aspect of human biology, 24 hours a day, including the birth, and life, and death of all our proteins. To achieve optimum performance, the quality, type, amount, timing, and frequency of your protein nutrition, and its integration with athletic training, have to be in synchrony with this circadian rhythm (3,4). In combination with correct training, protein nutrition provides what we first termed THE ADAPTIVE STIMULUS in 1982. The body responds to the adaptive stimulus each night to repair and remodel the muscles stimulated by exercise that day. To achieve best results, the adaptive stimulus must be provided EVERY DAY. Otherwise, that particular circadian cycle finishes that night with little remodeling of muscle, and that day’s opportunity for growth of muscle and strength is lost forever (3,4).

Most Proteins Now DegradedIn Part 2, I explained how the bulk of proteins in America, from livestock, poultry, (and farmed fish) has been progressively degraded since 1950. Stupid errors in government farming policies - now constantly denied and swept under the Washington carpet - have forced most animals off the land into feedlots and battery farms. Over the last 65 years, they have been fed unnatural diets, and inbred into animal grotesques (5). These degraded animals provide proteins so inferior they have no place in the athlete’s diet. Eat battery chicken for your protein and you will devolve progressively into a battered chicken. You will run with battered chicken legs, and think with a battered chicken brain. Even if you manage to retain sufficient wits to change to a healthy protein diet, it will take several years to undo the damage (5).High BCAA Whey Proteins BestI also showed why the government classification of complete proteins by the PDCAAS system, developed in the 1970s, is obsolete and untenable (6). The PDCASS is retained today only to support agribusiness profits. I documented how modern science shows clearly that incorporation of a food protein into muscles, organs, and brain, depends on its amino acid profile (7-10 ). Proteins with the highest content of the three branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), leucine, isoleucine, and valine, are incorporated into muscle best. Leucine however, is the sole amino acid able to trigger the DNA code system to release the codes for many muscle proteins. Whey proteins have the highest content of leucine, making whey the amino acid profile of choice (7-11 ).

Proteins also differ greatly in their speed of digestion and absorption into muscle. The fastest proteins yield the greatest muscle recovery and growth (7-12). Solid proteins from meat, fish, eggs, cheese, and vegetables are slowly digested and absorbed over 2-4 hours. Almost all protein bars, especially bars high in casein or soy, and all casein and soy drinks, are also slowly digested and absorbed over 2-3 hours. Whey protein concentrate dissolved into a drink is rapidly digested and absorbed, over about 45 minutes, making whey an ideal protein source for athletes (7-13). Whey is also the only commonly available protein that can take advantage of the 90-minute ANABOLIC WINDOW immediately after training. This is the crucial period we first identified in 1992, during which muscle will take up more protein than at any other time (2).

Cold MAP Processing EssentialThe whey, however, has to be from range-fed animals eating their natural diet, and also has to remain undenatured. That is, it must be cold-extracted and minimally processed, using what is termed, modified-atmospheric-protection (MAP) technology. MAP technology excludes light, heat, moisture and air (2).

Range-fed cows, cold-extraction, and MAP processing, are essential to maintain the quality of the whey: to preserve its amino acid profile, sulfur bonds, di-peptides, tri-peptides, and live immunoglobulins. Most commercial whey proteins do not fulfill these conditions.

Unfortunately bogus claims are rampant on ads and labels, owing to the lack of government control of protein, which can be sold freely as a food. Food labelling was initially meant to be an exercise in revelation, to inform the public what they are buying. Over the years, it has become largely an exercise in deception.

If you buy nutritional supplements by comparing labels, you have fallen for this deception. Buy only from companies with a long-term, spotless reputation, companies with a reputation to lose. Remember, you can buy a watch that looks like a Rolex in any airport for $20. But a real Rolex costs at least $4,000. It is the same with protein. The real thing is likely to be expensive, but worth every penny.

Integrity of Protein Must Remain Until You Eat ItThe exclusion of light, heat, moisture, and air has to prevail until you eat the protein. Once opened, all tubs of protein powder immediately begin to oxidize. Just like an opened bottle of wine, once opened, tubs of protein quickly spoil, and lose their ability to build muscle or brain. This basic science is well appreciated by biochemists who have to prevent oxidation, in the laboratory. But about 90% of protein powders now on the market do nothing to prevent oxidation, and are next to useless for athletes.
Oxidized protein is a major reason why results from using many protein powders are generally poor to none. It is also why all athletes on Colgan Institute programs only use shakes made with whey protein powders sold in single-serve, sealed, opaque, foil or plastic packets. If kept cool and dry, these remain good for two years on the shelf.

Daily Amount of ProteinThe next question is how much protein to use every day. Modern science has long since rejected the obsolete, government stipulation of 0.8 grams per kilogram bodyweight per day. Controlled studies show clearly that this level of protein intake leaves even moderate exercisers in chronic deficit (14).

Back in the 1980s, we calculated from basic principles of biology that maximum muscle remodeling in lean athletes would occur at an average intake of top quality protein of 1.8 grams per kilogram bodyweight per day (15). Actual measures of nitrogen retention in lean, fit, young men doing intense exercise, by protein expert Dr Peter Lemon at Kent State U, showed maximum incorporation of protein into muscle of at 1.7 grams per kilogram bodyweight, almost identical to our theoretical calculations (16).

For a lean athlete of 70 kg (154 lbs), in hard training, that is about 130 grams of top quality protein each day. In the Colgan Power Program, it equates to three of our 36-gram shakes of whey protein concentrate, plus two small meals of free-range meats or eggs, wild meats, or wild fish, plus unlimited organic vegetables, seeds, and nuts, each day.

We generally eat little to no grains, milk, cheese, or sugars. Two of the protein shakes are taken immediately after training, as all our athletes train twice per day, six days a week. (Seventh day is light training only.)

More recently, respected sports scientists have done meta-analyses of the best controlled studies. Results indicate that additional remodeling of muscle, plus remodeling of gut, vascular, and mitochondrial proteins, continues to occur over 24 hours after training, with timed protein intakes up to 2.4 grams per kilogram lean mass per day (17-19). There are no reported side-effects from this level of intake, rather, considerable benefits.

This high level of protein is especially suitable for power athletes, such as weightlifters, bodybuilders, powerlifters, football players, and field athletes, whose training is focused on maximum muscle and strength. For an athlete of 70kg (154 lbs), that is about 170 grams of top quality protein per day. In the Colgan Power Program, it equates to four of our 36-gram shakes of whey protein concentrate, plus two small meals of free-range meats, or wild meats, or wild fish, per day. Excepting for potatoes, that are all now degraded in the US, we eat vegetables, nuts and seeds freely.

Eat between 1.8 and 2.4 grams of top quality protein per kilogram lean weight per day. In conjunction with the right timing and frequency of intake, and the right training, it will provide the adaptive stimulus you need to release the enormous genetic power you have latent in your genes.
I will cover the optimum timing and frequency of protein nutrition, and its integration with training, in Part 4.

Thanks a million for the huge response to this series, over 80,000 hits on our pages and blogs in the last week, and for the enormous number of great questions. The only way I can answer readers is to add a little more depth to each short article in the series. I will enjoy revealing the new findings of sports science, that I am confident will help you release your athletic potential. Go for the gold ! It is waiting in your genes.

If you believe you can be a fit for our winning team, go to, drmichaelcolgan.com

1. Wang K, Huang C, Nice E. Recent advances in proteomics: towards the human proteome. Biomed Chromatogr. 2014 Jun;28(6):848-57. doi: 10.1002/bmc.3157. Review.2. Colgan M. Optimum Sports Nutrition. New York: Advanced Research Press, 1993.3. Erren TC, et al. Light, timing of biological rhythms and chronodisruption in man. Naturwissenschaften, 2003;90:485-494.4. Dawson KA. Temporal organization of the brain: Neurocognitive mechanisms and clinical applications. Brain Cogn, 2004;54:75-94.5. Colgan M. Nutrition for Champions. Vancouver: Science Books, 2007.6. Schaafsma, G. The protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score. J. Nutr. 2000;130(7): 1865S–1867S. PMID:10867064.7. Tipton, K.D., and Witard, O.C.. Protein requirements and recommendations for athletes: relevance of ivory tower arguments for practical recommendations. Clin. Sports Med. 2007;26(1): 17–36. doi:10.1016/j.csm.2006.11.003. PMID:17241913.8. Tipton, K.D., Ferrando, A.A., Phillips, S.M., Doyle, D., Jr., and Wolfe, R.R.. Postexercise net protein synthesis in human muscle from orally administered amino acids. Am. J. Physiol. 1999a 276(4): E628–E634. PMID:10198297.9. 8.Tipton, K.D., Gurkin, B.E., Matin, S., and Wolfe, R.R.. Nonessential jamino acids are not necessary to stimulate net muscle protein synthesis in healthy volunteers. J. Nutr. Biochem. 1999b; 10(2): 89–95. doi:10.1016/S0955-2863(98)00087-4. PMID:15539275.10. Phillips, S.M., Tang, J.E., and Moore, D.R. The role of milk- and soy-based protein in support of muscle protein synthesis and muscle protein accretion in young and elderly persons. J. Am. Coll. Nutr. 2009;28(4): 343–354. doi:10.1080/ 07315724.2009.10718096. PMID:20368372.11. Drummond, M.J., and Rasmussen, B.B.. Leucine-enriched nutrients and the regulation of mammalian target of rapamycin signalling and human skeletal muscle protein synthesis. Curr. Opin. Nutr. Metab. Care. 2008;11(3): 222–226. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e3282fa17fb. PMID: 18403916.12. Pennings, B., Boirie, Y., Senden, J.M., Gijsen, A.P., Kuipers, H., and van Loon, L.J. Whey protein stimulates postprandial muscle protein accretion more effectively than do casein and casein hydrolysate in older men. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2011;93(5): 997–1005. doi:10.3945/ajcn.110.008102. PMID:21367943.13. West, D.W., Burd, N.A., Coffey, V.G., Baker, S.K., Burke, L.M., Hawley, J.A., et al. Rapid aminoacidemia enhances myofibrillar protein synthesis and anabolic intramuscular signaling responses after resistance exercise. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2011;94(3): 795–803. doi:10.3945/ajcn.111.013722. PMID:21795443.14. Tarnopolsky, MA, et al. Evaluation of protein requirements for strength trained athletes. J Appl Physiol; 1992;73:1986-1995.15. Colgan M. The Anti-inflammatory Athlete. Sound Concepts: Indian Fork, UT, 2012.16. Lemon P et al. Protein requirements and muscle mass/strength changes during intensive exercise in novice bodybuilders. J Appl Physiol, 1992;73:767-775.17. Kreider RB, Campbell B. Protein for exercise and recovery. Phys Sportsmed. 2009 Jun;37(2):13-21. doi: 10.3810/psm.2009.06.1705.18. Areta J.L., Burke, L.M., Camera, D.M., West, D.W., Crawshay, S., Moore, D.R., et al. Reduced resting skeletal muscle protein synthesis is rescued by resistance exercise and protein ingestions following short-term energy deficit. Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 2014,306(8): E989–E997. doi:10.1152/ajpendo. 00590.2013. PMID:24595305.19. Areta, J.L., Burke, L.M., Ross, M.L., Camera, D.M., West, D.W., Broad, E.M., et al. Timing and distribution of protein ingestion during prolonged recovery from resistance exercise alters myofibrillar protein synthesis. J. Physiol. 2013,591(9): 2319–2331. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2012.244897. PMID:234

Dr Michael Colgan - When You Eat Protein What Does It Do - Guide For Athletes Part 1

Dr Michael Colgan 24 February 2015

According to popular belief, protein is simple. You need just a good dollop of any complete protein every day to provide all the proteins necessary for optimum muscle growth. After all, locker rooms are awash with burger and bacon wrappers, and Mickey D is an official supplier to the Olympics. They must know their stuff, right. Wrong ! If you swallow this hogwash or the food behind it, don’t bother to read any further. You’ll be fine. But you will never achieve your athletic potential.

The recent science of protein is a complex story. I will attempt to tell it in a few simple words. After 20 years of cooperative research by thousands of scientists worldwide, the human DNA was finally decoded in 2003. By then, however, the same scientists realized that DNA is not the key to life. DNA is simply a code book for making proteins, locked up forever in your chromosomes. It does nothing by itself. Each one of your millions of different DNA codes is released only in response to a precise signal from your environment. In unraveling these signals, biological science is up to its neck in the vast mysteries of protein (1).

Begun in 2005, the Proteome Project has confirmed that every working unit in the human body is a protein. We know now that you are made of about 350,000 different proteins. And all of them are made from the proteins you eat (1).They form your complete structure. Your foundations and pillars, beams and rafters, floors and ceilings, the engines of your organs, muscles, and brain, are all made of proteins.

Our body proteins are far more complex than we ever imagined. The enzymes that operate every movement you make are all proteins. The longest known protein, for example, is an enzyme called titin. The DNA code for titin is 33,000 nucleotides long. It controls the last bit of contraction of muscles. So titin is crucial for athletes.

For titin to work properly, each of its 33,000 nucleotides has to be exactly right, and in exactly the right place in the code. Whether your body makes titin correctly depends on the raw materials you provide. Those materials are the proteins you eat. First, they have to provide the right environmental stimulus to trigger DNA to release the titin code. Then, they provide all the materials the body can use to make the titian.

Athletes of 150-200 pounds, in top shape, have a bit over a pound of titin in their bodies. Do not believe all the obsolete commercial blather about animal proteins being complete, and providing everything required to make it, and all your other bodily proteins. I will state the science plainly. I have documented it many times before (2,3). Most proteins in North America today are too inferior in quality to support top athletic performance.

The vast bulk of so-called “complete proteins” in North America, that is, feedlot beef, battery poultry and eggs, farmed fish, and GMO soy beans, have been progressively degraded. They no longer contain ideal amino acid ratios, nor ideal amounts of dipeptides and tripeptides (pairs and triplets of amino acids linked by sulfur bonds) for the body to make titin, or thousands of other proteins involved in building muscle, strength, and power.

Worse, anyone who gets their proteins from processed meats, chilidogs, burgers, bacon, sausages, ham, spam, or meat from a can, has been conditioned to be dumb, dumb, dumber about their nutrition. Eat chilidogs for protein and you will run with chilidog legs, and think with a chilidog brain. Eat even one chilidog and the inferior protein is built into your muscles and brain for the next six months.

Quality of dietary protein is THE big problem for every one of the 350,000 proteins your body has to make. All other essential nutrients you eat, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, simply oil the gears, seal the pistons, and provide the body’s fuel to support its protein structure and function (2,3). Contrary to obsolete beliefs that protein is simple, these recent discoveries make it far and away the most complex nutrient in your diet.

For both power and endurance athletes, the quality, type, amount, and timing of protein nutrition, and its integration with training, determine performance. These processes determine recovery of damaged muscle fibers, growth of new muscle cells, production of energy-producing muscle mitochondria, development of muscle capillaries that deliver oxygen and nutrients, and manufacture of the thousands of enzymes that govern muscle contraction.

Unless you optimize all these processes, you will never properly activate your DNA, nor build the protein structure required to achieve your athletic potential. Just like your cell phone, you do not have to know how protein works. But, if you want to be a successful athlete, you sure as hell better know where to get top quality protein, and how to use it. Here, in a nutshell, is the latest science.

You Are Controlled by Light
For 400 million years the creatures from which we sprang, evolved to the tune of light. We have the same circadian system today built into our brain. Many folk associate the circadian rhythm merely with sleep/wake cycles. On the contrary, we know now that it controls every aspect of our biology lifelong (4-6). By sensing light, it programs thousands of bodily functions to the 24-hour revolution of the Earth. It also programs when, how often, and how much protein we should eat.

To be in synchrony with the circadian system, optimum training stresses the body just enough each day, and provides just the right protein nutrition, to yield what is called the ADAPTIVE STIMULUS. This stimulus is used that night by the sleep recovery system, to repair and remodel muscle proteins, mitochondria, blood vessels, and enzymes.

To effect recovery from an optimum Adaptive Stimulus, and to reset the circadian cycle each day, the recovery system requires a minimum of 7.5 hours sleep each night. Most athletes, especially college athletes, do not get it.

Performance is devastated by reduced sleep (7). Peak power in cycling is significantly reduced (8). Knee extension strength bombs in trained athletes (9). Strength in leg press, bench press, and dead lift is much reduced (10). Endurance performance also bombs, as does sprinting speed (11,12). You have to get your sleep right first to reset the circadian system each night. Only then can you get your protein and training to work.

Here is a recent example. Researchers at Stanford U led by Dr Cheri Mah recently tested the Cardinals basketball team. The players recorded average sleep of only 6.5 hours per night. The men volunteered to increase their sleep to 8.5 hours per night for seven weeks. No other changes were made to their nutrition or training. They were tested before and after the seven weeks on the 282-foot sprint drill, free throws, and three-point shooting.

Results were tremendous. By the end of the extra-sleep period, players had improved their sprint drill by 0.7 seconds. Every single player on the team was quicker than before the study began. They improved their free throws by 11.4 percent and their three-point shooting by 13.7 percent. These are massive improvements in seven weeks. Simply increasing their sleep provided the right amount of recovery time for the circadian rhythm to respond fully to the Adaptive Stimulus provided by their nutrition and training.

But sleep alone is insufficient. EACH DAY you also have to provide an Adaptive Stimulus from a combination of training, and correct protein nutrition, at the right amounts, right times of day, and right frequency. Without an Adaptive Stimulus, remodeling and growth of the muscular system do not occur that night, and the opportunity for adaptation is lost.

The lost day cannot be made up by doubling training tomorrow. All the make-up strategies, such as doubling training next day or adding a bit to training for a few days to make up the loss, inevitably over-stress the system. Then the sleep recovery and growth system that night cannot complete the job. So the next day’s training is begun with an already inflamed and damaged system, and must be cut back to avoid further damage.

Of course, some adaptation occurs with almost any training and almost any protein, even chilidogs and intermittent training, say for an hour, 3 days a week. These gains in muscle and performance have misled many trainers and athletes to believe that what they are doing is optimum. We have had several thousands of these athletes switch to our program through the Colgan Institute, and it is not unusual for them to make gains in performance in one year that are 400% better than they achieved the year before.

Here is how we do it.

In Part 2 of this series I will cover the type, frequency, and timing of protein nutrition and its integration with training to produce optimum performance. To join our winning team go to www.drmichaelcolgan.com

1. Wang K, Huang C, Nice E. Recent advances in proteomics: towards the human proteome.Biomed Chromatogr. 2014 Jun;28(6):848-57. doi: 10.1002/bmc.3157. Review.
2. Colgan M. Optimum Sports Nutrition. New York: Advanced Research Press, 1993.
3. Colgan M. The Anti-inflammatory Athlete. Sound Concepts, Grand Fork UT, 2012.
4. Pierpaoli W, et al, (eds). The Aging Clock. New York: New York Academy of Sciences, 1994.
5. Erren TC, et al. Light, timing of biological rhythms and chronodisruption in man. Naturwissenschaften, 2003;90:485-494.
6. Dawson KA. Temporal organization of the brain: Neurocognitive mechanisms and clinical applications. Brain Cogn, 2004;54:75-94.
7. Dattilo M, et al. Sleep and muscle recovery: endocrinological and molecular basis for a new and promising hypothesis. Med Hypotheses. 2011;77(2):220–2.
8. Souissi N, Sesboue B, Gauthier A, et al. Effects of one night’s sleep deprivation on anaerobic performance the following day. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2003;89(3–4):359–66.
9. 20. Bulbulian R, Heaney JH, Leake CN, et al. The effect of sleep deprivation and exercise load on isokinetic leg strength and endurance. Eur J Appl Physiol. 1996;73:273–7.
10. Blumert PA, et al. The acute effects of twenty-four hours of sleep loss on the performance of national caliber male collegiate weightlifters. J Strength Cond Res. 2007;21(4):1146–54.
11. Oliver SJ, Costa RJ, Laing SJ, et al. One night of sleep deprivation decreases treadmill endurance performance. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2009;107(2):155–61.
12. Skein M, Duffield R, Edge J, et al. Intermittent-sprint performance and muscle glycogen after 30 h of sleep deprivation. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011;43(7):1301–11.

Processed Food: What Makes Isagenix Different

A food revolution is starting across America. It’s one where consumers are no longer purchasing any kind of food-like stuff that comes in a box, a bag, or a wrapper in an act of defiance against the culture created by the food industry; with its seemingly endless products that drive us to overeat, gain weight, and from which we derive little nutrition.

Replacing these hyper-palatable, overly processed foods is a new food trend epitomized in a few words from the acclaimed food writer Michael Pollan, “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants” (1). In his books, this is taken to mean whole-type, or minimally processed “real food”, containing only recognizably few ingredients. And it means cooking more at home, plus choosing to prepare meals made up mostly of fruits and vegetables.

From the outset, it’s easy to find value in the movement. The huge increase in the diversity of processed foods in the supermarket in the last half-century has been anything but helpful for people’s waistlines. The general formula food companies used in creating these has not been nutrition. In fact, the very definition of “processed” in this regard has been to remove all that doesn’t taste that great or that is satisfying—namely protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, polyphenols—and leave only sugar, salt, and fat.

The goal of laying sugar, fat, and salt on top of each other is to arrive at what other writers including Michael Moss and David Kessler have called the “bliss point” or the “you can’t eat just one” phenomenon (2). In perspective, an epidemic of obesity rising in an environment where food companies have been focused entirely on hijacking the brains and taste buds of people to eat limitless amounts of their products is not surprising.

But not all processed foods are the same in their design to encourage overindulgence. There’s a point where even the simple advice of shunning all processed food can go too far. To borrow a phrase, there’s risk of throwing out the processed baby with the salt-sugar-fat bathwater. Also, while the general idea of adhering to a diet comprising of mostly whole foods is praiseworthy, it’s well known that 90 percent of people who try them can’t stay on them for long.

Wherein processed foods are formulated with express intent to improve and satisfy nutritional requirements and appetite is a major difference. Bringing some perspective is a recent review in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition that makes the case for several processed foods being useful in enhancing nutrition in foods and making them available for more people, as well as reducing food waste (3). These include canned fruits, vegetables, and protein-foods like beans, meats, yogurts, trail mixes, and meal-replacement shakes and bars. It’s unfair to place these types of foods in the same category of potato chips, ice cream, pizza, and soft drinks.

Here’s where Isagenix is completely different from most people’s perception of processed food. As opposed to formulating foods where protein, micronutrients, and fiber are removed for the purpose of accentuating salt, sugar, and fat, Isagenix does exactly the opposite. The company focuses on putting back the protein, micronutrients, fiber, as well as other bioactive components of food from fruits, vegetables, and herbs—and of the highest quality, as determined through rigorous testing—in food in a way that is also convenient and tastes delicious.

The company’s meal replacements shakes, bars, and soups as well as snacks, are formulated for nutrient density, portion control, and appetite satisfaction. The company also invests heavily in clinical research for substantiation of their use within systems for healthy weight management, lean muscle gains, and nutritional support. For this alone, Isagenix deserves to be set apart in its own category for advancing the definition of nutrition and health through food technology in improving people’s health.

References

Pollan M. In Defense of Food (1st ed.). New York: Penguin Books. 2009.
Moss M. The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food. The New York Times. 2013 Feb 13. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/the-extraordinary-science-of-junk-food.html
‘0wWeaver CM, Dwyer J, Fulgoni VL, King JC, Leveille G, MacDonald R, Ordovas J, Schnakenberg D. Processed foods: contributions to nutrition. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Apr 23;99(6):1525-1542. [Epub ahead of print]

Raw Cacao Power Balls

 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried fruit (try 3/4 cup dates  + 1/4 cup of dried apricots)
• 1 cup nuts (I used almonds and cashews)
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup organic raw cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Method:

Soak medjool dates (if using them) for 15 minutes in warm water to soften.  While waiting blend nuts on high speed until they reach a fine crumb/meal texture. Remove nuts from bowl and set aside. Blend dried fruit, cacao powder,1/4 cup of shredded coconut, coconut oil and seeds until it reaches a smooth texture.  Add the ground nuts and blend together until combined. Once the mixture is completely combined, remove the mixture from the processor with a spoon and roll into small balls.  Coat in shredded coconut and store in an airtight container in the fridge.  Leave them for at least a few hours so they reach a firmer texture.  These can also be stored in the freezer. The awsome part about this recipe is you can really get creative with the fruit and nut selections and you can also add your favourite seeds, superfood and Isagenix powders to make them even better.

Isagenix Athlete Lori Harder

 Isagenix has improved my body and taken my fitness to a whole new level. I swear by it and would only recommend a product I truly believe in to my clients and loved ones. I use Isagenix products every day and only wish I found it sooner! I have never felt better or seen more results from my clients.
 

~ Lori Harder

 

Why Doctors Recommend Isagenix

Paul: My name is Dr. Paul Anderson. I am a Canadian medical doctor and a nutritional formulator of the IsaDelights Chocolates. One of my favorite products is the IsaLean Shakes. These are delicious, low calorie and nutritionally complete meals, full of the vitamins, minerals, amino acids that you need. It supports nutritional cleansing. One of the things that make the IsaLean Shakes different than a lot of other meal replacement shakes is the form of whey they’re using. They use the highest grade of whey. It’s from happy New Zealand cows. They exceed the USDA organic regulations. The cows are pasture-fed, they don’t get hormones or antibiotics. Now they’re using a new proprietary technology that’s making the whey protein even better than before, and there’s less lactose so it’s easier on digestion. They add enzymes that make it easier to digest, but also it’s better for the body and absorption.
Nicole: My name is Dr. Nicole Kafka. I am a colorectal surgeon in New York City. One of the wonderful things about Cleanse for Life and the cleansing program is that it does not zap your energy. On a cleanse day, most people, including me, feel more energy at the end of the day than they had when they started. Even doing two days in a row can improve that feeling further, and you’re not hungry when you finish. In fact, your appetite may even be decreased for several days afterwards.
Carlos: Hello everybody. I’m Dr. Carlos Perez Cortes. This is a very extraordinary product that balances the body. It’s a nutritional enriched rejuvenated drink that restores and protects the body from stress and helps increase your ability to perform mentally and physically. It enhances the cognitive capacity. It contains over 100 specially-stored active ingredients in a [inaudible 00:02:23] from around the world and no other product, believe me, competes with this exclusive combination of quality ingredients that are tested for maximum potency and purity. It also contains [adapting] that energize cells, adapting your body to any form of stress. It also contains our advanced super-charged blend of trasiantic minerals which support the body vital functions. Over 200 powerful nutrients help rejuvenate the body. A focus on the brewing [causes] enhances the benefits of antioxidants and at the beginning had to support mental and physical performance.
Cheryl: My name is Dr. Cheryl Hart. I have been a gynaecologist for 30 years. On every cleanse day, you’ll want to include low-calories snacks. This is a perfect balance of proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats to help fulfil your body’s nutritional needs. They contain quality proteins that help reduce your cravings. They come in two delicious flavors, natural chocolate and French vanilla.
Mark: IsaPro is the essential part of Isagenix product line. This is a superb supplement for people who have a high-demand lifestyle, whether it be a professional athlete, an amateur athlete or a busy high stressed individual, and even for people that just want to ensure that they have the best protein available for their body. The building blocks of our muscles and our muscle system are amino acids and the proteins that go along with them. So what happens is, IsaPro allows the body to build lean muscle mass. It contains the highest quality whey protein concentrate available. It uses a new and proprietary processing technology for the whey protein that’s contained within it. It actually has a higher amino acid profile and lower lactose levels. It gets down to something as detailed as even the way that the cattle are processed. It’s been shown that because of the rest that the actual amino acid content and the protein available elevates in cows that are rested. Most commercial cattle never have that.
So what happens is, they use a New Zealand dairy group, whose standards actually exceed USDA organic regulations. The cows are pasture fed and not treated with hormones or antibiotics. Many cattle are fed grain, and grain contain chemicals, and things that can be absorbed by the cow, and it can become harmful when consumed. So the whey that is contained in this product, is sourced through New Zealand because it is the highest quality that exists. It contains ionic Alphalfa and it contains an advanced super charged blend of chase minerals that supports the body vital functions. It helps with stubborn weight loss plateaus, it curbs hunger and just one scoop of IsaPro contains 18 grams of nutritious lean building whey protein. It’s also ideal for athletes who really want to increase and build their lean body mass, and they can do it in a way that’s hormone and antibiotic free. I truly believe if every athlete on the planet knew the superior quality of this whey protein, they would all be on it.
Nicole: The oatmeal berry slim cakes are wonderful, wonderful healthy snack. They are good for your heart, your gut, and everything in between. They are low in calories. They are nutritionally packed. They contain five grams of fiber, which is one-fifth to one-sixth of the total fiber that we need in our diets today, which is something that almost none of us achieve otherwise. That fiber comes from whole grain oats, oat bran, amulet and flaxseed, wonderful sources which is also sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to be good for your heart and your bowel function. They contain blueberries and cranberries. They are sweetened with natural agave which has a low natural glycemic index, what that means is that they keep your blood level and your insulin levels steady. This is great for your metabolism. It’s great for your weight. It makes you feel better. You don’t get those sudden spikes of energy and then just falls of energy that comes with sugar. They’re cholesterol and preservative free. There are no transfats and they are a delicious, delicious snack. It tastes great.
Cheryl: Essentials for Women, this product is a powerful multi-vitamin formula that activates and supports advanced health for women, especially during aging. Premium vitamins, minerals, and fido nutrients create the foundation for the optimal health. Bone nourishing minerals for lasting bone strength also contains specialized herbs that reduce discomfort from monthly cycles and life transitions, often eliminating the need for hormones. This product also contains minerals for stronger hair and nails.
Mark: The other wonderful product that exists for men is Essentials for Men. This is an especially designed blend of premium nutrients that sustain and support the best possible health for men. Comprehensive B vitamins support stamina, energy, endurance, and mental concentration. Adaptogens included in the product support all-around health, endurance, and reduced symptoms of stress. Saw palmetto is also a key ingredient because it also promotes a healthy prostate.
Nicole: Natural Accelerator naturally enhances the body’s fat burning ability, but it does that without making you feel wired or speedy. It contains carefully selected natural thermogenic ingredients, that mean they help your body up its metabolism and burn fat. Those ingredients include cayenne, green tea, cinnamon and ginseng, and they help your body easily release unwanted pounds. This product does not contain any ephedrine or ma huana or any other stimulant that makes you feel wired and it’s completely caffeine free. These thermogenic herbs help your body to lose weight naturally and in a healthy way. It provides what are called lipotropics nutrients, which support you liver’s ability to metabolize fat quickly, and it contains a rich supply of the vitamin niacin. This helps to reduce your appetite and keep your metabolism chugging along. Finally, this contains royal jelly extract, a great source of natural B vitamins.
Announcer: I’m glad to see that Isogenix has an antioxidant formula. This antioxidant formula is very, very important because it contains a full spectrum of antioxidants that help protect from damaging free radicals. Denholm Harmon, back in the 1950s, came up with the theory of aging, which was associated with free radicals. He, at that time realized that by taking antioxidants you might be able to prolong this aging process. Isagenix provides one of the strongest antioxidants that is available on the market. It protects you from free radical damage and may reduce the risk of certain forms of cancers. Antioxidants promote wellness and protects against illness as well. It tends to reverse accelerated aging and boosts energy.
Nicole: IsaFlush is a collection of herbs and minerals which help the gut to work better. It effectively and safely encourages regularity and helps to soothe intestinal discomfort. It includes magnesium, which supports improved water absorption. It helps with improved digestion and reduces intestinal discomfort, and it supports heart and lung health. IsaFlush helps to support a balanced digestive system which improves your ability to withstand stresses, physical, emotional, and environmental, and keeps you in balance. It helps you to remain regular, which is important for the body to eliminate waste, maintain water balance, lessen fatigue, and support cardiovascular health.
Paul: One of my favorite Isagenix products is Want More Energy.

 It’s a natural energy drink. It’s loaded with vitamins and nutrients that replenish the body. The thing I like about it is low calorie. It only has 35 calories, but it helps increase your mental and physical performance. One of the best ways I know to use this product is about a half hour before exercise, combine it with IsoDelight. It has tremendous good results. You can also use it on cleanse days. It really helps you get through those long cleanse days.
On non-cleanse days, to support you when you start to get some cravings, and I can see why it isn’t a knockout. One of the best apects about it is that it doesn’t contain caffeine, ma huang, epinephrine. There’s no artificial sweeteners or coloring. It’s caffeine-free. It provides a natural energy boost and it’s just a great product that I love to use personally, and I recommend it to you.


Content by Steve Deane
These statements relating to Isagenix, have not been evaluated by the FDA. Isagenix products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. An unpublished 2008 university study showed a statistically significant weight loss of 7 lbs during the first 9 days of the Cleansing and Fat Burning System. This Web site is owned and operated by an Isagenix Independent Associate and is not endorsed by Isagenix International, LLC. Any opinions on this Web site are that of the Isagenix Independent Associate and should not be construed as a representation of the opinions of Isagenix International, LLC. Information provided on this Web site and on all publications, packaging, and labels is for general purposes only and designed to help you make informed decisions about your health. It is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or health-care professional. Read the full Isagenix disclaimer

PEAK ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE RESULTS IN CROSSFIT WIN FOR YURRI

Check Out this epic video Testimonial Link
Getting the right protein and nutrients is absolutely essential for peak athletic performance, making Isagenix^® IsaLean Shakes and IsaPro protein powder the choice of world class athletes and anyone wanting maximum results from their workouts. Watch the video for more information on how Isagenix^® supports athletes everywhere, and why Yurri Hanson recommends Isagenix^® to CrossFit athletes who want to be competitive.

 

For the Isagenix-Fueled CrossFit Athlete

Source

Please check the source for full article  -  I’ve noticed an overwhelming amount of athletes coming on board to Isagenix and here is why:

• Results are genuine and Isagenix never pays anyone to like or use their products
• Their whey comes from New Zealand and is grass-fed, no steroids, no hormones, and exceeds the USDA standard for organic
• The bioavailability of their protein is the highest available on the market
• This superior protein becomes a part of your body, thus building superior muscle
• Isagenix does not rely on stimulants and synthetic materials to mask issues and create temporary improvements.  Their WHOLE nutrition literally changes you from the inside-out to create a more well-rounded athlete to the core
• No artificial sweeteners and absolutely no soy products whatsoever
• Lactose levels so low that many who are lactose intolerant can use the protein
• Gluten free
• Paleo II friendly
• Stimulant free
• Passes all athlete testing, nothing banned

Being in the CrossFit community I understand the reluctance to try new things.  We can be VERY set in our ways!  I encourage you not to get too wrapped up in the shiny marketing by other companies to find what is genuinely good for you.  After all, those of us in CrossFit know good and well that popularity does not determine superiority!  Isagenix is the FUTURE of CrossFit nutrition.
On this site, you will find real stories of CrossFit athletes using Isagenix to gain a competitive edge and instructions, information, and support for those of you currently on or looking into Isagenix.