Bodybuilding, Protien and an allergy to dairy?

Question

Im 27 and have trained for 13 years... had acne since the age of 13 and have only just discovered its due to a dairy allergy. As whey is derived from dairy - whats the next best type of protien available to supplement with? I have a clear complexion (sort of) now but im struggling to keep my protien intake up without supplements. Any ideas appreciated :)

Answer 1

Dude I have the same problem as you.  Im 16 and I've tried mass gainers, protein shakes all you can think of.  I am a mild acne sufferer and when I do take these things I break out.  You might have a allergy to dairy products because after all whey protein is make from milk.  Try taking Lactaid while taking one of these shakes and see what happens.

Answer 2

I've come to understand that the amount of protein we need often depends on the TYPE of protein we are taking in, and how it has been prepared:  cooked or raw?  whole state or blended?  

I wouldn't say that the following options are "next best," because in some ways, they are superior, whether they are vegan super-foods or raw animal foods.  Most whey proteins are over-heated and over-processed, but I also added a quality controlled goat-whey powder for your consideration.  It has been produced at low temperatures.  

Vegans love adding things like spirulina, chlorella, blue-green algae for protein, and they are available in powders.  David Wolfe is probably the a good name to google, and he's a pretty healthy specimen for a vegan, too.  You can easily find him on You Tube.  One of his buddies is a raw vegan body builder, I believe his name is Steve Arlin.  He wrote a book about raw body building.   David also has a website selling some of his stuff, and he's pretty picky about what he offers. www.sunfood.com

A less expensive and more palatable way to get high quality vegan protein is by using a high powered blender (commercial vitamix or a blendtec) and adding actual green leaves to fruit smoothies and making energy soups.   I really like the articles on the blendtec at www.blindguru.com. The greens have a similar protein level as meat, ounce for ounce, only it is totally bioavailable when well-blended, and meat protein is only, like, 20% bioavailable when it is cooked. For a great story, research study and recipes about "green smoothies," read Victoria Boutenko's "Green for Life."  Try a quart a day, and watch the change in yourself!  It is a great way to get plenty of just about ALL minerals, especially if you switch up your greens.  Adding green smoothies to either raw or cooked diets has really good results.  At www.gogreen.org you can find some energy soup recipes, too.  

Another possibility is hemp seed.  A perfect protein, tasty, nutty flavored, easy to digest, and has a perfect balance of omega 3, omega 6 and omega 9.  I like the freshness of the Miracle Source brand, but those "in the know" have their favorites, and Miracle Source is only one of them.  I feel really good when I eat it, and I even like it straight from a spoon, though you can also toss it onto cereal, yogurt, casseroles, etc.  Just don't COOK it, or the fats will no longer be beneficial, nor will the protein be as available.  

Way cool now that I understand it - raw meat.  Don't be scared.  Or if you are scared, just freeze it for two weeks.  The USDA says that will kill the pathogens.  Read Aajonus Vonderplanitz's "We Want to Live" and the companion volume "Recipe for Living without Disease."  The author  put his cancer into remission on a raw carrot juice regimen, but became healthy, totally healed, skin cleared up, unstable emotions balanced, muscular with little exercise, etc, etc, by adding raw animal foods including, raw meat, raw chicken, raw fish, raw eggs, raw (really raw, totally unheated) honey,  and raw dairy products like raw butter, cream, milk.  Every culture has a raw animal product recipe or two, so it isn't so very "out there."  We just aren't used to it.  See "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig, PhD.

Since you are into training, the raw meat thing could take you to the next level.  One of Aajonus' books talks about a champion body builder that used raw animal foods.  

Regarding dairy - I know some people who are allergic to pasteurized milk, but do great on raw milk - even after a lifetime of intolerance to pasteurized dairy.  Also, not everyone who is allergic to cow milk will be allergic to goat milk - which has the added benefit of being easier to digest. For superior nutrition, having raw yogurt or raw kefir (another fermented dairy product) is another option.   If you haven't tried out raw dairy, don't shut the door on dairy just yet.  Check it out, you may be pleasantly surprised.  For the lowdown on raw milk benefits, see www.realmilk.com.  They can also point you to the closest farms that will sell you raw milk.   See also www.westonaprice.org .  

If you like the idea of a powder, you might try Goatein, a goat-based whey protein recommended by Dr. Joseph Mercola. www.mercola.com.  He's another stickler for quality in the products he offers.  And funny thing, he's learning about the values of raw eggs and meat, though he's been sharing about raw dairy with his readers for years now.  He also offers metabolic typing.  

With your acne problem,  Have you ever tried to go grain-free to see if it changes your skin problems?  For some people, grains don't digest well, and the body tries to push out the extra stuff thru the skin.  

Going on a raw diet does sometimes aggravate skin conditions, but only if your body is very toxic.  Raw diets allow your body a rest period from the hard work of digesting cooked foods, and the body starts trying to cart out the garbage any way it can.  Getting colonics, doing a fiber cleanse (like from www.drnatura.com), rebounding on a trampoline every day, can help clear out the NORMAL routes of detoxification, so your body won't have to resort to your skin, as well.  On the other hand, raw fats, like the ones in meat and butter, may do a great job of escorting poisons out of the body the normal way, anyway.  The raw meat may also help rebuild the tissue of your skin faster when it is done repairing more critical parts of your body. The body tends to prioritize healing in its own way.

On rebounding, check out the benefits at www.cellerciser.com, just ignore the initial audio recording and find the page about benefits.  Google Dave Hall Mr Rebounder for the video where he talks about rebounding and shows off his abs, pretty impressive.  You can detox and get great abs at the same time.  Of course, he's selling the Cellerciser, but you might also like to consider the less expensive Needak or the absolute best in rebounders from Bellicon.

On other thing to mention - often, after going through periods of "diet clean up," people find themselves less reactive to former "problem foods."  Green smoothie study participants found they had decreased indigestion and heartburn.  I no longer react much or at all to my many documented tree and grass allergies.  I have also heard this anecdotally from many people who have changed their diets to less processed and more raw/whole food foods.

By the way, if you decide to try raw vegan, make sure you take vitamin B-12 unless you are positive that your body is producing it (as it is supposed to).  Raw food expert, Dr. Gabriel Cousens, found that only about 20% of us are actually producing our own B-12, which is only found in animal products. Or occasionally break the raw vegan rule for some raw animal product that is rich in B-12.  We don't need it every single day, it can be stored up.

Also, with the prevalence of heavy metal and pesticide/herbicide in people's bodies today, I recommend taking care in detoxing and including raw animal fats as one of the best ways to protect your body during a detox, along with other natural  chelators like cilantro and chlorella and blue-green algae, and commercially available products like Zeolite. These toxins can do damage on the way OUT of your body if they aren't properly "escorted."