Does anyone make their own weight gain shake? I was thinking of one that can be made easily at work?
I was wondering if Whey + Complex Carb Powder during the day or Whey + Flax Powder during the evening would make for good MRP-like shakes.
Thanks, Rene’
Sometimes I will make my own MPR’s. I’ll use whey or a mixed protein pdr. and some carb powder and may add banana and oats. I have at least one flax and protein shake as a p+f meal, I also make my own workout shake. It’s a good idea for convience and at work especially if you work in a bar/restaurant like me and the managers don’t want you chewing in front of the guests. But I try to limit my liquid meals to 2-3 at most with my other 4-5 meals being whole foods.
Generally I make a shake for my work hours in the morning 6-12. I use a mixed protein blend of whey protein concentrate,egg protein, and casein. I add half a container of lowfat cottage cheese, a small bowl of cooked oats, a bannana, some psyillium husk(for fiber) and some skim milk or water. I take this to work in a liter bottle and occaisionally have to dilute it with water as the thickness is a bit much. I usually add about 100 grams of pro powder and counting everything else the protein content comes up around 125-140 depending on whats in the fridge. I usually eat this as two meals 2 hours apart i checked the calories one time and it definitely came in over 1000. Sucks not being able to eat solid food though, glad I am a student and I only work 4 days a week and limited hours. Hope this helps, besides what else do you do with leftover oatmeal??
Complex carb powders can still be extremely high glycemic as they are highly refined. Just look at Maltodextrin.
More than 3-4 tbsp flaxseeds/day can potentially lead to thyroid problems. This seems to equate to gaining fat, or having trouble losing it. The OIL is good to go though.
Truth is, there is NOTHING like old fashioned food, cooked the old fashioned way. If it’s refined it’s no good - unless you’re having it as a post-workout shake.
Diesel, I’ve read some of the same stuff you have, about polyunsaturated oils having a negative effect on thyroid function. However, when “they” talk about polyunsaturated oils, they list sunflower, safflower, canola and soybean oils (and a few others). Even thought flaxseed seems to get lumped into the polyunsaturated oil group, from my readings, my belief is that flaxseed oil helps to raise the metabolism and is good for thyroid function.
Do you have any sources you respect on the subject? You’ve got the wheels turning in my brain, now, so I’m going to have to go check it out on my own. (grin)
Tampa,
Have you read anything about Flax Seed oil and prostate cancer, relative to cause and effect?
Tampa, It’s not the polys, it’s a certain substance found only in the actual seed that could affect the thyroid.
I forget the name of the substance.
Diesel, that more nearly ties into what I’ve read. Thanks!
Zeb, I’ve bumped into discussions that the two are related and that flaxseed oil intake might possibly be causal, but haven’t done enough research that I’m convinced.
There are a lot of things in life that are beneficial and even healthful up to a certain point, beyond which the negatives start to outweight the positives. Amount/quantity is another thing that I would be looking at in my research. I can’t see entirely avoiding Omega 3 fatty acids.
Snippdawg,
what does MPR stand for?
Zeb, upon further research, let me try answering your question again.
Fresh, whole flaxseed contain very weak phytoestrogens (as does soy). Epidemiological evidence suggests that phytoestrogens reduce the incidence of Estrogen-Receptor Positive (ER+) cancers; i.e., breast and prostate cancer.
The precise mechanism of action of phytoestrogens at the estrogen receptor is not yet understood, but clinical experience suggests that in some circumstances phytoestrogens block the receptor and prevent the symptoms of excessive estrogen activitation.
Secondly, flaxseed oil is a rich source of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids (PUFA) which do not contain phytoestrogens. There is some evidence that PUFAs are anti-neoplastic (inhibits or prevents the growth or development of malignant cells), and they are known to reduce the release of pro-inflammatory messenger molecules (cytokines) and increase the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines.
As far as the safety of using phytoestrogens in ER+ cancers, some argue that since phytoestrogens bind to estrogen receptors and produce some estrogenic effects, they are contraindicated in ER+ cancers. Others argue that since phytoestrogens have rather weak estrogen effects and bind to estrogen receptors, that they may be helpful by binding to estrogen receptors and blocking the more powerful estrogen from binding to receptors and stimulating the growth of the cancer.
The bottom line is that at this point there is no consensus in the medical community.
Myself, I tend to lean towards the epideological evidence of phytoestrogens being protective of the breast and prostate. But then again, I tend to be more alternatively minded.
What is your general conclusion regarding Flaxseed Oil?
At the end of my post, I said that in the case of cancer I probably leaned towards usage because I tended to be alternatively minded to begin with.
In the case of a person not having cancer, I see benefits to “weak” estrogens (i.e., phytoestrogens) binding to estrogen receptor sites. A certain amount of estrogen is necessary in men and in women, but the ideal situation would be to test hormonal levels (all of 'em) every so often. Not many people do that, but I’m getting ready to test estrogen and progesterone levels (saliva test), as there is an ideal ratio between the two. Too much estrogen, too high a ratio, is called estrogen dominance, and it puts a woman at higher risk for a number of things (cancer being one).
Soy, too, weakly binds to estrogen receptor sites. Same mechanism; it’s a phytoestrogen. However, there’s another downside to soy (for all its health benefits). Soy is what is called a goitrogen; i.e., it inhibits the uptake of iodine, which negatively effects thyroid function. Supplementing with iodine would negate the problem.
Back to your question about flaxseed oil, some Omega-3 fatty acid intake is required for health. It is an ESSENTIAL (i.e., required) fatty acid, after all. You don’t need to get your Omega-3s from flaxseed oil. You can get it from fish oil, walnuts and wild salmon. But based on what I read, I’m not going to stop taking my flaxseed oil. If it’s still an area concern or indecision, you owe it to yourself to research the topic further.
And while you’re at it, do some research on “calcium d-glucarate estrogen” on the web, without the quotes, of course. Calcium d-glucarate is found in Biotest’s product, M. Really, really good stuff!
Tampa,
Thanks so much for your lengthy post. It is easy to see why you are the MVP of our forum!
Good stuff, but to follow up on my question…
Real food is still #1 but in the case that you are at work and can’t cook or refrigerate real food I was thinking of a shake made of things that would not spoil at room temp and can be quickly made.
Almost all the weight gainers that you see are mostly Maltodextrin and protein so I was thinking that making something similar would be ok and cheaper than buying the pre-made stuff.
I was just thinking of a way to get 300-400 extra calories during the day.
Maybe protein (low or 0 carb) and peanut/almond butter is still the preferred shake.
Thanks, Rene’
Sorry, Rene, we sorta hijacked your thread.
My vote goes with Grow (a blend of casein and whey) and ground flaxseed thrown in with the powder. Add water, shake and drink. The fatty acids in the flaxseed are pretty fragile and oxidize when exposed to oxygen. My vote goes with keeping it in the fridge until you’re ready to add the water and chug (or sip) it down.
Peanut butter wouldn’t work real well unless you have a blender.
Grinding oatmeal and throwing it in with the protein powder is a good option. I like it as a carb source better than something like maltodextrin.
Does flax meal have to be refrigerated?
How long will it keep?
Rene’
Yes, it needs to be refrigerated after it’s ground.
Flaxseeds can be bought in bulk ultra cheap. It’s best to get a little coffee grinder and grind what you need at the time. The Omega-3s tend to oxidize after they’ve been ground.