9 Reasons Why MEN Over 40 Should Leverage a Daily Protein Shake
1. Protein is king
The fuel to operate your body and mind can be made from carbs, fats or even proteins. Yet, the building blocks for your body can only be attained from protein.
It is for this reason why the word “Protein” literally means, “of prime importance.” Yes, protein is the essential nutrient — for brain cell function, liver detoxification, for initiating almost ALL enzyme reactions in your body and is an important “anabolic” (building) nutrient.
Protein is the dietary king and we don’t get as much as is optimal unless we eat more than most of us would like or need to at “this age.” What you can do — and should do — is add a daily protein rich shake for a much needed additional protein boost.
2. Protein needs increase with age
Most middle-age men I talk to think, “protein is muscle building fodder for kids.” They seem themselves as less active, less athletic and more in a “getting by” sort of mode. Thus, a daily protein shake seems like a ritual for years gone by. “Not for me,” they say.
I’ve got two things to say about this:
First, stop it! Stop acting like you’re old and in some sort of age related free fall. The years are what they are but your age is significantly under your control — or influence. And protein, along with intense exercise, is a 1–2 cocktail for youth and vitality.
Next, fact is protein needs increase — not decrease — with age. With each passing year we need a little more protein to do the same job the lesser did last year. Lots of reasons for this but I’ll spare the science class. Just trust me, you need more protein!
3. Protein can boost metabolism and help you lose fat — faster
Protein is the macronutrient that your body has the most work to do to break down. This means, thanks to this little thing called the “thermic effect” about 25% of proteins calories are utilized (burned, if you will) in the process of metabolizing protein.
This is a good thing for many reasons. It makes your body work and sheds calories without an ounce of sweat. No doubt, you’ll take this caloric freebie. Right.
4. Increase mental Focus for better productivity
It’s not just the body that needs these precious amino acids. You brain is constantly in demand of these building blocks for the neurotransmitters that fire your focus, function and mood. Where carbs can be a catalyst to the feel good hormone of serotonin, the right balance of proteins can effectively elevate dopamine, the driver of focus and results.
The right form of protein with other essential nutrients can support stable insulin and blood sugar levels, as well as boost dopamine — the perfect formula for sustained energy and focus for getting stuff done!
5. Protein helps you eat less and get lean
Protein is well known to improve satiety pre and post meal. That means you are likely to be free from hunger and cravings longer following a high-protein meal.
I don’t think I even need to explain why this can be a good thing. Yet, I offer… Less time eating, thinking about food. Fewer out of control cravings and a greater freedom and capacity to eat healthier foods.
In my experience — with myself and thousands of clients — starting a day with a 300 calories Full Strength nutrition shake (for men) offers a 4–5 hour fully satiated, focused window to start the day. This helps high-achievers get ahead of the day with ultra focus and productivity.
Worth nothing that typically a 700–850 calorie breakfast of whole foods will only keep me hunger-free for 3 hours. It’s a huge difference in time, focus and overall calories. This is a really BIG DEAL. Find out for yourself…
6. START STRONG fast & focused with a Daily Shake
When it comes to living the Type-A performance life, one thing we’ve come to know with more certainty in the last few years is that willpower is a finite resource. Let’s assume you awake each day, rested, with 25 units of willpower to spend that day.
Now, if you’re the typical guy you grab a coffee and start ruminating, “Eat? What to eat? What do we have? How much time do I have? Where can I grab something?”
Guess what you just did? Yep… You just spent, 3…4 maybe 5 willpower units on a question that could have a ready made answer.
Here’s what I, and many thousands of hi-achieving men do each day: Get up, have a glass of water. Journal, meditate or whatever your morning ritual consists of…
Then make a perfect, delicious, nutrient rich, protein packed, complete and balanced Full Strength shake — truly, it’s “fast-performance-food.” There’s no questions, no guessing, no wasted time nor willpower reserve. We hit the ground running — well fueled, focused, with our full reserve of willpower units and and way ahead of the competition, each day.
Get it? Yeah, you got it.
You can learn more about this willpower, motivation and how to sustain your drive in these two great books: The Power of Habit, by award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg. And DRIVE by the one and only, Daniel Pink.
7. A Daily Shake helps you look, feel and live younger
Oh let me count the ways… In which a daily shake can fight fat, fuel strength, defy the calendar of time. Truly, there are dozens of ways but let’s talk about a few here.
First, the right fully integrated shake can have a supportive effect on managing lower and steady insulin levels. What we know about aging is that with the years our bodies are less adept at managing insulin. And as important a central hormone as insulin is, it’s also our worst enemy when out of control and balance. Hence the correlation between the diabetic epidemic(insulin) and obesity. Lower insulin levels can help us stay younger longer and keep us leaner.
A daily protein rich shake can also improve the look and texture of your skin. Protein makes of the essential elements of collagen — which is central to the firmness and structure of your skin. I’ve talked to many cosmetic surgeons who literally require patients to add a daily protein shake for 4–6 weeks before any surgery for it makes the skin more firm, and enhances healing.
8. Helps you recover faster, stronger from physical activity
Fact is, job #1 of protein is and has always been recovery — to grow stronger from the stresses of intense training and physical activity (yes, and surgery — see above). The amino acids of protein are the building blocks of muscle and nearly every cell, enzyme, hormone, immune response and molecule essential for life.
You may not feel you’re training often or intense enough to need protein but fact is you do. Even if you can train harder, your overall body vitality and strength is still relying on the daily process of regeneration and rebuilding.
May I add, if you’re not training as deeply and often as you’d like, start. ASAP or sooner. Not only will it save your life, revive your youth, it’ll make the rest of your days worth living.
9. It will make you stronger, sexier and way more alpha!
Perhaps you don’t need but ONE reason for adding a daily protein shake to your day… Well, here you go. This be it — for sure.
Protein is anabolic — in that is helps rebuild and strengthen your body. It’s the key to more muscle — and muscle is what we all need more of. And in addition to supporting healthy insulin levels, it can support a more robust and healthy testosterone level.
And let’s face it, without some much coveted muscle and a healthy male hormone levels you got no shot at carrying Alpha male energy. {mic drop}
Your Next Move…
If you’re a man in the middle third of life, I hope this message is reaching you — affirming a daily ritual you’ve long been living: The daily shake. It’s one I believe in with absolute conviction and have been living for nearly three decades. I have no doubt that this daily shake practice has played a significant role in my life and I wish that same for you.
At the risk of making this simple practice less simple, I must add that not every shake and not every protein is optimal — or even good — for the man in the middle. For many reasons, some proteins do exactly what you do not want, spiking insulin and leaving you tired and hungry.
A decade ago I set out to resolve this issue and make a perfect life-performance shake for the man in the middle. I called it, Full Strength. For that’s what it offers and what we want. Not a life of “good enough”, nor a battle with mediocrity but a life at Full Strength.
Now, before it looks like I’m selling you — be aware that chances are good you can’t get Full Strength. It’s never been in retail. For it’s small batch, hand built with the most premium ingredients and made available only to the limited members of our Full Strength Man community.
You can find out more about the Full Strength Man and whom gets allowed in the door, by visiting here and signing up for our VIP List.
Right now, Full Strength is being built in the same small batches, only a couple times a year. This means when it’s time we let our members know and they can come and get their chosen supply.
More About Me & The Full Strength Man
You can learn more about my work in integral mind-body fitness, my books, programs and coaching by grabbing a copy of my FREE book, The Owners MANual to Living Your 40’s at Full Strength — here.
To Your Full Strength Life!
