The right protein protects muscles while helping you shed pounds.

Exercise is the ultimate anti-aging secret—helping to balance blood sugar, protecting the heart and bones, lifting mood, boosting metabolism, and (if done right) paring off inches and pounds. Even during pregnancy, regular physical activity provides significant benefits to mother and child, a new study in the journal Sports Medicine shows.

However, Stanford University research with middle-aged men and women suggests that extremely vigorous workouts can weaken bone density later in life. And increasingly, experts are pointing to the need for protein to support healthy weight loss from exercise.

A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association shows that older women who supplemented their diets with whey protein lost weight—without losing muscle mass. Because lean muscle mass is metabolically active—even at rest—it helps maintain healthy weight loss.

An antibacterial and antioxidant, whey protein not only enhances exercise performance but also offers immune benefits, according to Alternative Medical Review. Australian research even shows that “supplementation with whey protein improves blood pressure and vascular function in overweight and obese individuals.”

Dr. Ann Louise’s Take:

Kudos to the Stanford University researchers. They recognized what I have long observed among health-conscious women, who often march to the mantra of “what’s worth doing well is worth overdoing.” While most Americans need to move more, what few people realize is that overexercise—for a variety of reasons—actually makes it harder to lose weight!

Overly strenuous exercise—especially combined with insufficient sleep, unrelenting stress, and poor eating habits—can push your body into survival mode, raising your level of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol’s job is to boost energy levels by any means necessary. If these levels stay high for too long, cortisol starts breaking down the cells in nerves, muscles, and bones, converting them into energy. In the short term, it’s a rush. In the long-term, it’s debilitating.

Cortisol has another job: storing energy where the body can get at it quickly. And guess where that is? In the most accessible place, biologically—belly fat. Ongoing high levels of cortiosol lead to weight gain, fatigue, nervousness, and possibly osteoporosis (loss of bone mass).

So it’s more important than ever to support your body when you measurably increase your physical activity.

That’s why I designed the purest whey-based protein powder on the market—Fat Flush Whey Protein—derived from disease-free New Zealand cattle, non-denatured and unheated to preserve fragile amino acids. That country’s Safety Authority has not just 1—but 2—programs for product safety monitoring and surveillance, eliminating over 250 dangerous compounds including aflatoxin M1, organochlorines, organophosphates, antibiotics and other veterinary medicines, and toxic metals.

Available in both chocolate and vanilla, Fat Flush Whey Protein is an ideal way to support weight loss, lean muscle mass, high energy levels and immune health, and combat aging. Using whey concentrate—rather than the less nutritive isolate form—this whey powder contains glycomacropeptides with branched amino acids and natural appetite suppressants, as well as inulin, a prebiotic that helps nourish friendly bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.

Whether you’re exercising aerobically or strength training, enjoying warm-weather sports or squeezing Yoga Quickies into your busy schedule, start off each day with a protein-rich breakfast. Here’s one of my favorite recipes:

Whey Delish Pancakes
(Makes 6 or more 3-inch pancakes)
4 eggs
1 scoop Fat Flush Vanilla Whey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Olive oil spray

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until well mixed. (This batter will be a bit thin and runny.)
2. Heat a nonstick pan, and spray with olive oil to lightly coat the pan.
3. Spoon the batter (about 3 tablespoons) into the pan, spreading to create a pancake by gently shaking the pan.
4. Flip the pancake when the edges are lightly browned. Continue to cook for a few seconds longer.
5. Remove the pancake from the pan and place on a flat surface.
6. Repeat until all the batter has been used up.

To boost your exercise benefits even more, top these healthy pancakes with blueberries. A recent study in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research finds that blueberries are “good candidates to combat muscle oxidative damage” in exercise.

Note: Check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program if you haven’t had a physical exam in over 2 years or if you have an unstable medical condition, joint problems, or wounds that are slow to heal. And then work with a professional to create an exercise program that suits your particular health needs.

Sources:
Fat Flush for Life
The Fast Track Detox Diet
The Fat Flush Fitness Plan
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20531348
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20524714
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20507300
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20377924
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19893505
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19465192
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15253675
www.nutraingredients.com/Industry/Sports-nutrition-driving-whey-success
www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Blueberries-may-protect-muscles-from-exercise-damage