I received an email from a client asking the question, “Does whey protein make me fat?” She was inspired to inquire due to a post she read on the internet written by a man who claims he has been wrong all these years for suggesting whey protein to his clients because whey protein spikes insulin, and that makes people fat.
Below is the response that I wrote to my client…..
“Yes it can spike insulin – how high depends on what you combine it with. I would argue that spiking insulin sometimes isn’t all that bad either. If you have a healthy metabolism and you’re about to workout, or you just finished a hard training session, then spiking insulin might be in your favor. Does it make you fat? Well….yes, it can; however, it’s not so much the insulin response (although this is a piece of it for some) we need be concerned about. Dairy products are VERY high in hormones, as milk’s primary purpose it to sustain the life of what’s to become a VERY large animal (referring to cow’s milk here). Even cow’s that are not given additional hormones, or milk that has “no added hormones”, is still very high all by itself. Women in-particular may find that when they use milk products regularly, they notice an increase in water retention, breast swelling and even tenderness. This is because of the effect the added hormones are having on their own hormonal balance. Personally I see absolutely no reason why anyone should ever need to use milk products. There are safer and more cosmetically friendly alternatives today for any goal. Besides, using less dairy products will do the planet some good too.”
Keep in mind that losing weight and keeping it off will never come down to just removing one food from your diet – however, there have been many who’ve seen amazing changes by removing dairy. My philosophy is, and always has been, eat whole foods most of the time and avoid processed foods and sugar. If more people learned the skills they need to make lasting changes rather than looking for quick fixes, they could end their own cycle of torment and get off the diet hamster wheel for good. This is where coaching and the precision nutrition program can, and will, change your habits, and therefore your life forever.
In your corner, Coach Rae