Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Whey to go? The whey, the truth and the life?

I think I'm just going to call my super new protein mix "96% ultrafiltered WPC with microfractions". The whole ultrafiltration and microfraction thing is very trendy these days. I think EAS started it when they marketed Precision Protein 'with microfractions'. Here's a big secret... microfractions are in nearly all milk products (maybe all but I can't say for sure). They have exciting names like alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin and immunoglobulins and look flash on the label. I feel almost dirty making a big deal about it, considering that I didn't exactly order up my whey with microfractions added, however, if I don't put it on the label then people might think they are not there. My first twinge of supplement inspired morality.

I've been looking around and I just don't get the point of some labelling. For example, what about this? I'm not suggesting the product is inferior, but I am sure that it's not '100% whey' because a casual glance at the ingredients reveals that there are flavourings and sweetners in it, as there should be because plain whey protein is nasty tasting. So how is it 100%? Is my maths bad?

I have taken the UPA a bit further and signed on for an extra dance class in the 'Bachata' style. Dancing is very good for someone with an overactive brain. It's like a meditation because I have to go into a state of 'no mind' and think only of the steps and where to position my arm so that I don't knock my partner out when I do a turn. This requires that I empty my head of anything non-essential to the dance. Thoughts such as 'does my bum look big today?' and 'will I pass my exam?' and 'why isn't there world peace yet?' and 'I've got 20,000 emails to reply to by lunchtime tomorrow' just have to take a hike and by the end of class I feel... dizzy, sweaty and totally revived.

3 comments:

  1. I often wonder if consumers are actually more likely to buy whey protein that states in big letters that it contains X, Y and Z, when I know darn well that the tub right next to it has all of those things too, even if it only says so in weeny little letters on the nutrition panel.

    As for Bachata...um...just WHO is your dancing partner going to be? Because, well...actually, it looks like a little too much fun to be having with anybody but your significant other...

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  2. Well, Jason refused to take 'yet another' dance class so I went on my own. You swap partners twice every song. I've been urging him to check out the style in case he might reconsider but nah, he's happy to live in ignorance. Anyway it's not really so raunchy at the start. You have to learn the basics before you get REAL close and in danger of tripping over each other.
    Bachata is actually a fantastic dance for a beginner because, in spite of how it looks, it is very easy to learn. Much easier than Salsa.

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  3. Perhaps they just mean that 100% of all the bits that could possibly be Whey, are in fact 100% Whey?
    Hmmmm.. it is slightly confusing.
    Meanwhile, I got completely sucked in recently when buying new protein powder. I bought it at a health food store, and shelled out an extra $10/kg for something that was marketed at women. When I then went to get my supps from Australian Muscle a few weeks later, he carefully showed me the list of ingredients, compared it with a few others, and I found out that it was basically exactly the same, or inferior, to stuff that I'd been taking in the past. Oh, and that I could get it at about 1/2 the price too! DERRRRRR.... Just goes to show how persuasive the marketing to women can in fact be!

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