Why you must get good protein on the go

Has this ever happened to you?  You rush to catch a plane for a business trip.  There’s no time to make breakfast – the most important meal of the day.

Your only source of breakfast is the coffee shop in the airport, and that means lots of “bad” carbs - doughnuts, bagels, and danishes as far as the eye can see.

At the other end of your plane trip, it gets worse.  Room service ended at 10pm and you arrived at 10:30pm.  You’re exhausted, you’ve got a 6am meeting…and your only “food” choices are a row of vending machines stuffed with sugars and starches . . . more “bad” carbs.

You need a portable protein solution pronto or your body will bonk—the carbs you’ve eaten will trigger an insulin response and within thirty minutes to an hour, your energy levels will sag.

What’s bonking?  It’s when your body’s hormone system is flooded with too much insulin.  This happens when you eat a meal or snack that’s high in carbs and very low in protein.

All calories are not equal when it comes to providing a sustainable energy level. Carbohydrates are metabolized more quickly than proteins or fats. That is why carbohydrates provide you with a burst of quick energy. However, if you have eaten carbohydrates without any protein, your energy will start to sag within an hour after eating.

Protein acts as a control rod to slow the rate of gastric emptying and of digestion.  It prevents the sugar from the carbs from spiking your blood sugar and causing an overwhelming insulin response that produces a lethargic, sluggish feeling.

To solve the protein problem when you’re on the road, you could carry around a few things like:

• Turkey jerky
• Raw nuts and seeds
• High-protein energy bars

Or, you can take advantage of EnergyFirst’s convenient ProEnergy Travel Packs. They're easy to carry and simple to use. All you have to do is...

• Select a Chocolate Decadence ProEnegy Protein or Ultimate Vanilla ProEnergy Protein packet
• Open and pour the packet into the EnergyFirst Blender Bottle included in every Travel Pack
• Add a stick pack of Greenergy
• Add water
• Shake and Enjoy!

Travel Packs are also great to have on hand at home or in the car, for when errands run long or you find yourself without food choices that include protein.

They’re also great to have at the gym or in your workout bag for quick post-workout recovery.

Plan ahead and stock up them, and keep one Travel Pack in your car, one in your workout bag, and one at home for future business trips.

A little planning goes a long way in terms of fueling your body, and you’ll be glad you invested in Travel Packs when you are bouncing off the walls with energy at 3pm!

Gerry Morton, CEO of EnergyFirst, holds an MS in Nutrition and is an experienced athlete who has competed in 25+ marathons and 4 Ironman triathlons.  Gerry is an excellent source of information on nutrition, supplementation and exercise.  Since 1997, he has been educating and motivating others on how to attain peak performance.