As a cancer survivor I am constantly checking ingredients and products to ensure that I am eating and drinking the right stuff!

There are so many items you are told to reduce, eliminate or increase and its alot of information. At times it feels very overwhelming.

But I’m constantly learning how to better my health, which means I want to take my learnings and share with all of you so that you know as well. In case you need the info for yourself or a loved one in the future.

One of the items that is constantly talked about is the need for protein in your diet and lifestyle. In fact you should be having a protein source with just about every meal and try to get at least 1gm per bodyweight a day.

This might seem hard, but it isn’t, as long as you know what protein to keep on hand.

One item I always have in my pantry is protein powder. It is a very easy way to get at least 20gm of protein into your day. Great for a breakfast shake, post workout, or drink on the go. It isn’t to replace a meal, but just a really great way to incorporate protein.

However, when it comes to protein powders, there are so many different protein sources that make up the protein powder so you need to pay attention to what you are buying.

Whats good? The most common are pea protein & whey. Typically those are both safe and don’t need to be avoided. However you should check the ingredients to ensure they are clean. Some protein powders are higher in certain amino acids called branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), and there’s some controversy regarding BCAAs and breast cancer, so it may be wise NOT to use whey as your main protein source. Plant based diets have also shown to have better outcomes for cancer patients.

Here’s what you DON’T want in a protein powder:

✨Avoid protein with soy. It is safe, although it is a phytoestrogen. But in this form it is highly processed so you won’t get any benefits from it.
✨Casein + WPC. These are also known as whey protein concentrate and sodium caseinate
✨Gluten
✨Artificial sweeteners
✨Skim milk powders/milk solids
✨Soy protein
✨Vegetable oils and fats
✨Thickeners and gums

I obviously have a brand I love, that doesn’t contain any of the above and completely trust it. For an amazing vegan protein powder that has been approved by pharmacists, oncologists & naturopaths check out the link here. I also love that it comes in a variety of flavours so I can change it up and not get bored!

So far one of my fav recipes is 2 scoops of the simply1 Vanilla protein, mixed with frozen blueberries, banana, fibre and almond milk. DELICIOUS!

And of course don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or want some amazing recipe ideas! You can find a ton of shake recipes on my Instagram feed or the guide I created!

xo

D