NOW Foods Sports Nutrition, Whey Protein Isolate, 25 g With BCAAs, Unflavored Powder, 5-Pound

I'm no expert but I feel like this is one of the better Whey proteins out there. No added junk, just pure whey. Others have reviewed the nutrition merits so I'll go into consumption.When taking this I recommend only 1 cup of water per scoop. If you add more water I think it tastes worse. When I first started taking this I didn't like the taste and needed to add a spoon of my hot chocolate mix to it for taste. Now I actually really like the taste of it with nothing added. If you didn't know Whey is actually the protein from milk. It doesn't taste like milk but you get maybe a hint of that taste. I can't really describe it.Another trick I use is if you mix 1 cup of fruit punch and 1 scoop of Whey you get something that tastes like a delicious berry smoothie. This will also give you a 1:1 carb / protein ratio in itself. If I'm not working out at home I take one of these drinks with me so I can take it immediately after my workout or hockey game.Now just some tips I've picked up since you're looking to get Whey - muscle bulked up. (keep in mind I'm on that route but I'm not all muscle yet)Carbs are you energy - I recommend getting your carbs in the morning, before your workout so you have enough energy to get through it, and post workout to help restore energy. Half of a PB&J sandwich is my go to energy carb right now. White bread gets absorbed and converted to energy very fast and it works well for me. Carbs are needed to get the protein where it needs to go so don't go cutting them out completely. Update - Sounds odd but don't neglect fat - you want about half as many grams of fat or less (preferably unsaturated) as you do protein. You will suffer if you don't have any fat in your diet. Sunflower seeds, nuts, peanut butter, avocados all have some fat you can use.I'm trying for somewhere around a 2:1:.5 to 1:1:.3 grams of carbs:protein:fat per pound daily.When to take your Whey? There's some debate on whether to take Whey pre-workout or post-workout. Some say both. I used to go post but I recently switched to taking it pre-workout when I take my carbs (simple carbs around 45 minutes before workout) - logic being the protein will already be in your system for muscle repair. I haven't practiced it enough to say which way is best though. I also take a scoop in the morning. If you go for the daily recommended 1 gram per pound you'll be taking it throughout the day.Burning Fat: I'm a fairly skinny guy - however I've always had fat over my lower abs. I want abs so that had to go. I've lost almost all of that fat and here's how I did it. To lose weight you simply need to burn more calories then you take in. First, small meals / I make half sandwiches instead of whole ones now - when you go out to eat take home some of your meal in a doggie bag rather than forcing it all down. I only eat when I'm hungry, wait for your hunger pangs and fight them a little. If you're preoccupied with other things you can ignore hunger pangs easier. If they get too bad go make make yourself a small meal. If you fight hunger pangs for too long your energy levels will drop so go eat some carbs and it will pick them right back up. I'd take a multivitamin to make sure you're getting everything you need. Do this and watch fat go away - it doesn't take long, I can see / feel a difference in my stomach every day. When I do have a cheat day - sometimes the stomach wins or peer pressure and you just want to eat - the extra fat added on my belly is noticeable - but don't fret, you can burn it off in a day or two.Doing the above routine I lost a lot of fat eating a small bowl of cereal in the morning and a homemade hamburger for dinner. So honestly I don't think what you eat matters so much as waiting for and resisting the hunger pangs a bit. The end goal is to just burn more calories then you take in - so simply taking in less is an easy way to do that.Eating healthy: Recently I started eating healthier. It's a lot easier then you think. Vegetables, low fat meats, egg whites. Spend some time in the produce section of the grocery store and you'll find a lot of good, quick finger food you may have not considered before. My lunches are mostly all vegetables now. Cherry tomato's, broccoli, mushrooms, baby carrots, lettuce. All things you can just grab out of your fridge and snack on. Hard boil some eggs, put them in a bag in your fridge and you'll have egg whites whenever you want. Tuna, mackerel, sardines, frozen tilapia fillets (microwave for 1:30 or so) for fish protein. Skinless chicken breasts or whatever - marinate them in Italian dressing - sprinkle some Weber Gourmet Burger seasoning on right before cooking - cover in tin foil and pop in the oven at 350 degrees for around 40 minutes - delicious. I cook extra to refrigerate and microwave later. Not as good as out of the oven but still good. I've never been much of a chef - just picking up stuff along the way. If you have other healthy foods you like please share. I'm always looking to add to my menu.Workouts: Why the heck is this last? Hah, I'll just say I've been doing the p90x routine, I'm on week 5 and loving it. I find it helps to have something guide you rather than just going to the gym and doing whatever you feel like. When you're working out you get exhausted and don't want to think so I would find a good complete routine that switches things up, allows rest days, keeps you motivated, and is easy to follow. Of course take that with a grain of salt, as I said I don't have huge muscles yet - this is just what I've learned so far.

I buy the 5 lb tub of this on auto ship. I hate most protein powders bc they taste unnatural, too sweet, chalky. This has none of that. Most of the time I can’t even taste it. I put it in smoothies and sometimes yogurt. The unflavored powder blends right in

I love this protein; it's my go-to option for a flavorless protein powder. I put it in breakfast smoothies as well as drinks when I work out.

I use Now Foods Whey Protein Isolate to boost my brain/neurotransmitter health more than a weight lifting supplement. Amino Acids are profoundly powerful in regulating the functions of the brain and body and unfortunately today's modern diet is so devoid of these powerful substances that we can see the symptoms everywhere: chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, etc. Now Foods Whey Protein Isolate is the ONLY protein supplement I have ever found that has every ESSENTIAL amino acid and every NON-ESSENTIAL amino acid, go look at the back of any and every other brand you come across, at best they'll have a half dozen amino acids, and nowhere close to the same density of protein to calories![This doe NOT contain Asparagine, Glutamine, and Ornithine; however (1)Asparagine is derived from Aspartic Acid, which the supplement does contain, via transamidation; (2)Glutamine's side-chain is an amide formed by replacing the side-chain hydroxyl of glutamic acid with an amine functional group, making it the amide of glutamic acid, again, which is contained in the supplement; (3)Ornithine is not an amino acid coded for by DNA, and, in that sense, is not involved in protein synthesis, but can be biosynthesised in the body by arginine and Aspartic Acid, so even there, Now Foods Whey Protein Isolate has you covered.With regard to the amino acid profile, what I like the most is the presence of several specific amino acids that all revolve around the problems of fatigue, depression, and insomnia. Now Foods Whey Protein Isolate contains both L-Phenylalanine and L-Tyrosine (and in quantites large enough to achieve the effects described below) which are instrumental in healthy mind and body function. Phenylalanine is a precursor for tyrosine which together produce the three most abundant catecholamines in the human body: dopamine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and epinephrine (adrenaline). Catecholamines (the number two most common deficiency amongst neurotransmitters) are the brain chemicals that make us feel energized and give us the ability to concentrate. Got ADD? It’s caused by a deficiency in catecholamines. Need that cup of coffee to get going? You’re most likely low in catecholamines. And if you’re self-medicating with coffee or chocolate, you’re doing damage to your serotonin levels in the process. Tyrosine is such a powerful amino acid that it has even been researched for use in Military applications. Its potency was explained with three major conclusions in the Journal "Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine." [1992 May;63(5):364-9.]:"First, various forms of stress induce brain depletion of catecholamines, especially norepinephrine, in animals. Second, brain norepinephrine levels are closely related to stress-induced performance decrement in animals. Third, the administration of tyrosine may minimize or reverse stress-induced performance decrement by increasing depleted brain norepinephrine levels. "Need a more "tangible"piece of evidence for the importance of L-phenylalanine and L-tyrosine in energy? Look at the back of those "5 Hour Energy" shots which have become ubiquitous, you'll notice that they're nothing more than a dose of L-Phenylalanine and L-Tyrosine. One thing I do wish the Now Foods Whey Protein Isolate contained is D-Phenylalanine which is a powerful supplement that can be used to regulate your bodies natural opioid system which recent research is now showing to be MORE important in regulating mood and depression in certain individuals than the serotonergic system (which all SSRI and SNRI class antidepressants like Paxil and Zoloft work on or DON'T work on depending on your experience). D-phenylalanine, in particular, has been postulated to inhibit the enzymes that breakdown enkephalins (natural opioid compounds 50x more potent than morphine) by blocking the enzyme carboxypeptidase A, giving it a potential analgesic or pain-killing profile.Lastly I like how Now Foods Whey Protein Isolate contains L-tryptophan an essential amino acid that CANNOT be produced by the body and as such must be consumed through diet. Tryptophan is instrumental in the production of Serotonin, which can in turn be converted to melatonin (both serotonin and melatonin deficiencies are thought to produce insomnia and irregular sleep patterns) and Niacin. Serotonin is the number one neurotransmitter deficiency recorded which would explain why so many people feel depressed and are on anti-depressants. In almost every study however, Anti-depressants have been proven to be less effective than exercise alone. Furthermore, the addition of L-tryptophan and 5-htp to one's diet has been proven to elevate levels of serotonin higher than both paxil and zoloft.So, if you're like me and not a body builder, but want to greatly improve one's own physical and mental health, Now Foods Whey Protein Isolate is the ONLY protein supplement you will need. I urge you to compare the the nutritional facts on the back of the label to that on any other protein supplement and you will see that not one comes close to the amino acid profile of Now Foods Whey Protein Isolate.