Why I’ll NEVER Use Whey Protein Powder!

Ok here’s my take on why most protein shakes are absolute horse shit and why I’ll never use whey protein or recommend it in any of my nutrition plans.

Yep, you heard me right, WHEY protein, that stuff that’s great for building muscle and supposed to be really good for you after a hard weight training session? It must be true because the supplement companies told you it was, right?

Well I used to think like this aswell. During my bodybuilding days I used to slug down 3 protein shakes a day like it was going out of fashion, that was until I researched the actual ingredients in these protein powders a while back and I was shocked at the actual truth. Not only are they full of sugar and chemicals but the “whey” protein that’s considered bad ass by top strength coaches & nutritionists, isn’t as good as we think it is.

In this article I’m going to address the reasons why most protein powders are making you fatter, a waste of money and are detrimental to your health. I’m also going to tell you the only 2 powders that I recommend but bare in your mind that if fat loss is your goal then you don’t really need to worry about a protein shake.

So let’s take a look at some of the ingredients put in these “amazing super-duper” protein shakes:

First up, Whey Protein

There are 2 different types of whey protein, whey isolate and whey concentrate.

Whey Protein isolate is a by-product from cheese-making. It’s the clear liquid used after the milk has curdled and is often used to feed pigs. Those of you that read my blog regularly will know that I’m not a fan of cow’s milk. Humans aren’t designed to drink cow’s milk, baby cows are!



Not only is cow’s milk highly allergenic for most people but the process of refining whey protein isolate involves heat and acid treatment which kills off any friendly bacteria which would be good for your gut health. The treatment process also leaves the milk putrid (yep, you’re drinking putrid protein when you slug down that protein shake!) and hard to dissolve which is why manufacturers have to use additives to make it easier to mix.

Ever noticed that some protein powders are a bitch to dissolve? There are always lumpy bits in it that don’t seem to dissolve aren’t there! Well now you know why 

Whey protein concentrate could be considered a slightly better option than whey isolate. Unpasteurised whey protein from hormone free, grass fed cows, is better because it doesn’t go through the pasteurisation process however it’s still COW’S MILK and we can still get better sources of protein elsewhere without having to resort to whey.

Secondly, Sweeteners

Sucralose is a sweetener manufacturers use to give the protein its flavour and has exactly the same effect on your body as normal sugar does meaning it will play havoc with your insulin levels which is bad news if you’re susceptible to love handle fat in particular. Plus the fact sugar gives you diabetes and is also terrible for your health.

Acesulfame Potassium or Acesulfame K is another popular sweetener that manufacturers use. It’s also found in food and beverages aswell. It is 200 times sweeter than normal sugar so you’ll get all the same problems sugar will give you plus MORE!

The problem with Acesulfame is that there have been no long term studies done on it. Acesulfame K contains the carcinogen methylene chloride.
Long-term exposure to methylene chloride can cause headaches, depression, nausea, mental confusion, liver effects, kidney effects, visual disturbances and cancer in humans.

There has been a great deal of controversy to the use of acesulfame K but at this time, the Foods Standards Agency has not asked for any tests to be done on this sweetener.

Aspartame is also found in some protein powders and is a highly controversial sweetener; it’s been banned in several countries. Basically the liver cannot break aspartame down so it’s sent straight to the brain. Not only is this found in protein powders but also sports drinks, chewing gum, children’s food and loads of other stuff. There are over 92 different health side-affects from consuming aspartame. Horrendous food additive!

So basically the body has no use for any of these sweeteners in the body so in order to reduce their circulation, the body will dump them into your fat cells which will add to your toxic load which in turn will make you fatter. It’s as simple as that really.

Not only this but research is clearly showing that our bodies cannot cope with these sweeteners and are seriously damaging our health.

So what if I was to tell you that there are MUCH better alternatives to using whey protein? Alternatives that are free from all these additives and sweeteners and won’t compromise your health?

Would you be interested?

Well you should be because there is!

Protein powder made from rice or hemp is just as good as whey and in my opinion is better as you’re not consuming putrid milk! There are only a couple of powders I recommend and they are:

Sun Warrior Protein
And Vega Protein

Both are made from (non-soy) whole grain rice protein, are gluten free and have a complete amino-acid profile. I’m not affiliated with either of these products however I do believe that these are the cleanest protein powders out there at the moment and I have personally had good results using both.

Peace out and stop drinking cows milk! You're not a baby cow! :-)

SAM :-)