Supplement Guide: Ginkgo Biloba

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Product Review: Ultimate Prostar Whey

I regularly get questions from friends and clients alike about protein powders. Questions like,

"Which is the best brand?"

"What is the best flavour?"

"How many grams protein so-and-so product has in a serve?"

"How to take and when?"

and my all-time favourite, "Which is the cheapest ar?"

Granted, some of these are pretty valid questions and asking them is a perfect exercise of consumer savvyness. But in all honesty, I also believe that one man's meat is another man's poison. What works for me might not apply to you and vice versa. Think about it, isn't it the same with infant formula? or medicine? or fashion? Everyone's made differently and variety is the spice of life.

Having said that, finding a supplement that works for you can be like searching for true love so sometimes it's just best to judge for yourself. While I may be able to tackle the technical questions with absolute certainty, I usually just find middle-ground for the more vague ones and leave it to interpretation.

Case in point. Let's observe a simple product here: Ultimate Nutrition Prostar Whey. Another bread and butter product for any gym rat. Good ol' Chocolate flavour in a 2 pound tub with 22 grams of protein per serving. With 35 of these servings per tub and having almost no fat and sugar, it's food champions are made of.

But is it the best brand?

What constitutes a best brand? Is it the overall product quality? It's efficacy? The magnitude of following or customer loyalty? Company strength? If so, then Ultimate Nutrition definitely checks out... c'mon, they're even the title sponsor for Mr. Olympia this year!

But let's not get caught up with all that. Just look at the product before you and be rational.

The modest container hides a fine instantized powder. No surprises here. It's the industry's standard these days so if you're still getting crummy ass products that clump from some pharmacy or personal care shop, STOP. That's wasting your top dollar man.

Give it a few whirls in a shaker and the homogenous mixture is ready for consumption. As expected from a regular whey, it's not very rich unless mixed with milk (yum yum..) or other flavour enhancers like peanut butter, honey, oats and the like.

But to some of us, taste is secondary. We care about what's in the potent mix and what it can do for the body more than anything else. Having this kind of mindset really makes a difference how one looks at food on a daily basis. lol

Anyway, Prostar's ideal for that anabolic window post-workout. It's rapidly absorbed and with about 10 flavours to choose from, I don't see how anyone can't be pleased.

Supplement Guide: Gamma-Linolenic Acid

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Product Review: EAS Myoplex Original

Are you,

1. A bachelor/bachelorette living on your own in the city trying to eke out a life with no homecooked food?
2. Someone with terrible nutrition timing due to work or other contraints?
3. An avid traveler with a hectic schedule?
4. Trying to manage weight with some funky diet programme?
5. An athlete, gym rat or someone who leads an active lifestyle?
6. A curious monkey with a knack for trying the unknown?

Well if the answer is 'Yes' to any one or more of the above, then this product is a lifesaver.

EAS Myoplex Original Meal Replacement Powder (MRP). Essentially, it is designed to be a complete meal, providing all the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals in a shake. Pretty nifty eh?

Just to yammer a lil' on the company, EAS is one of the earliest sports nutrition company to hit the market and they really do have quite an expansive range of products. In fact, they are credited with releasing the very first commercial grade creatine product, Phosphagen, a simple monohydrate. Together with Myoplex, these have been their flagship products for some time as many fitness buffs can attest.

The insulated paper packet comes with an easy-to-tear top and I'm treated to a pleasant chocolate whiff as the fine powder hits the water in my shaker.

One serving packs about 280 calories, which I think cuts it right down the middle. It is not too much like a gainer which typically packs 600-1000 calories a serve and neither is it too little like a standard whey protein which would usually hover around 100 calories or so a serve.

That's makes it ideal for diet programmes and weight watchers. I also find it quite satiating even for myself (with my crazy metabolism) and this could be due to its mid-range Glycemic Index rating.

Coupled with 42 grams of protein and only 3 grams of fat, this is quite the superfood really. The carbs are a little low with only 23 grams but that can be easily remedied if one chooses to binge on crackers or rice cakes with this shake.

The shake itself is a little too frothy when shaken vigourously. It mixes very well though so no real complains but I wonder how it would fare in a blender instead.

Supplement Guide: Forskolin

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