“This tastes like a milkshake!”
I overheard this comment after providing bottles of Boost to my friends Sean and Cal who are mountain bikers. They were surprised by how great it tastes and asked for more.
As we talked about how to stay healthy after 50, Sean related that he had just read about the importance of having protein both before and after a ride. This is something that athletic trainers and coaches have known for years. During workouts, our muscles undergo changes as the protein fibers break down preparing for new muscle fibers, made of protein to be added.
The amount of breakdown and repair depends upon the intensity of the workout. A person doing yoga would need a different amount of protein than someone who lifts weights. What is constant though is the muscles’ need for more protein to have available for recovery and repair.
Protein before and after a workout
It’s difficult imagining having a steak before or after a big workout. It’s just too heavy for the stomach and would stop your momentum and ability to move freely. The key is to find something that won’t make you feel heavy and bloated.
It’s not just protein though. Our bodies need calcium and other nutrients to function at our best. That’s where Boost comes in. With 20 grams of protein, 26 essential vitamins and nutrients, plus 35% of the daily requirement for Calcium, it’s a nutritional supplement that also tastes great. How much protein do you need?
This link will direct you to a protein calculator that factors in your weight, height, exercise levels, and your gender.
Hidden benefits of protein
As we celebrate birthdays past 50, exercise and maintaining our muscle mass is essential for a healthy lifestyle. Here’s a few hidden benefits of keeping our muscles strong and healthy that many of us forget:
1. Posture – Remember when your mom told you to sit up straight. Well, without strong muscles to support the weight of our bones, especially our backs, we would be hunched over.
2. Maintaining a healthy weight – Our muscles require energy and that means that they use calories for energy, which is why exercise helps us lose weight. By maintaining your muscles, you’ll be able to use the calories you take in more efficiently and are less likely to gain weight.
3. On the move – Our muscles are what enable all of us to move. Whether it’s the small muscles in your fingers and hands that enable you to type or text, or the large muscles in your legs that are essential for walking and moving, we need healthy muscles to move our bodies the way we want.
4. Your heart – Your heart is also a muscle that contracts pumping blood to your body all day, every day. By keeping all of the other muscles in our bodies healthy, our hearts can beat more efficiently.
What kind of exercise is best?
Everyone is different, so what I recommend as the best, is the one that you enjoy and will do regularly. Whether it’s walking or tennis, swimming or a dance class, it really doesn’t matter. What does matter is being active for at least 30 minutes each day and finding ways to get some resistance or weight training too.
One of the easiest ways to do that is doing pushups or planks. True confession here: When I first started doing planks, I could barely survive holding it for 10 seconds, now with practice, I’m over 1 minute and I can do 2!
There are a lot of people who are in much better shape than I am, but I’m moving, doing squats, planks, hiking the hills around my house and enjoying my Boost chocolate mocha with coffee in the morning and some Strawberry boost as a snack in the afternoon.
What else to look for
In my busy life, I’m always open to using hacks and tips to optimize my day. I like Boost because I can slip it into a purse, gym bag or backpack and take it with me. Right now, I’m really enjoying the Strawberry flavor. It’s just the right amount so that I don’t feel overly full, but after drinking it, I also don’t feel hungry. The taste is yummy and the protein helps me feel satisfied.
My Mom Loved Boost®
Like many health care providers, I have been recommending and relying on Boost® as a nutritional supplement for friends, family and patients when they are sick and unable to eat. My mom was battling a late stage cancer and was very tired and unable to enjoy her grandchildren and the friends who would come to visit.
To help her regain some much needed energy, her hospice doctor recommended Boost®. I bought a few different flavors and very gently suggested that she try it. At first she was hesitant to try it because she thought it would taste like the nutritional drinks she had in the hospital. I coaxed her, very gently of course because she was very feisty and wanted to maintain her independence in everything including what she ate and drank. She did agree to try just one sip and once she tasted it, she smiled, winked at me and kept on drinking the container.
She loved the various chocolate flavors and the strawberry so to mix things up a bit, I would pour a some Boost® into small cups and add a popsicle stick to make frozen treats for her. She loved sharing these with the grandkids, who vied for their favorite flavors.
My mom’s nutrition was directly related to how much energy she had for the family and so Boost became part of our daily routine. I’m very grateful for her experience because there were not a lot of nutrient dense foods that she liked and foods with a lot of protein left her feeling bloated and heavy. Luckily, she liked the taste and she felt better when she had better nutrition, so we were able to enjoy our time with her.
Disclosure: I’ve been recommending it for years to friends, family and anyone who need to improve their nutrition. And now I’m proud to be an official partner of the BOOST brand.
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