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What Is Textured Vegetable Protein or TVP? | Ask The Fitness Nerd

What Is Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) And Where Does This Mysterious Vegetable Protein Come From? We Unlock The Secrets of This Common High-Protein Food Ingredient

Dear Fitness Nerd,

I’ve been reading ingredient labels a lot more lately and trying to eat cleaner and healthier. I’ve come across something a number of times called “textured vegetable protein.” What is textured vegetable protein? What is it made out of (I assume vegetables) and is it considered a clean eating food? Thanks for your help! — Karen (St. Louis, MO)

You’re right, textured vegetable protein, also known as TVP or “textured soy protein“, is a fairly common ingredient in all kinds of pre-prepared foods and mixes — especially meatless or vegetarian foods. While you’ll typically see textured vegetable protein in a list with other ingredients, you can purchase the stuff in bulk on its own at health food stores.

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How Long Will Whey Keep? | Ask The Fitness Nerd

How Long Does Whey Protein Last For? We Take A Look At The Shelf Life of That Cannister of Whey Protein

Dear Fitness Nerd,

I have a quick question about the shelf life of whey protein powder.  My ex boyfriend left a 5lb tub of Optimum Nutrition 100% whey protein powder in our apartment, but I can’t seem to find an expiration date on it. We’ve been broke up for about a year, so I know it’s at least 12 months old. It still has the seal on it, so I think he may have bought it right before we split. Is it safe to use? And do you have any idea how long it will keep?  Thanks! –  Tasha (Las Vegas, NV)

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What Is A Complete Protein? Complete vs Incomplete Proteins | Ask The Fitness Nerd

Completely Confused About Complete Proteins? Learn What A Complete Protein Is and How Balance Your Protein Intake

Dear Fitness Nerd,

Can you explain exactly what a complete protein is? I’m 23 and pretty into fitness, working out, etc. I lift weights several times a week and run daily.  But I’m also a vegetarian and concerned I may not be eating enough protein every day to support my activity levels.  I’m also worried that since I primarily eat plant sources of protein, I might not be getting a complete protein. Can you help me out here? Thanks!   – Jessa (San Diego - CA)

A complete protein is a protein source that contains all eight essential amino acids in the sufficient proportions to support normal biological functions.   In adults, the eight essential amino acids are:

• Phenylalanine
• Valine
• Threonine
• Tryptophan
• Isoleucine
• Methionine
• Leucine
• Lysine

These amino acids are called “essential” because the body cannot make them, so they have to be supplied through diet.  Recently, histadine has been added to this list as well, as scientists discovered that adults cannot synthesize it.

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Calorie Cycling: What Is Calorie Cycling and Does It Work? | Ask The Fitness Nerd

Can Calorie Cycling Help Pull Off More Body Fat and Hold On To Precious Muscle?

Dear Fitness Nerd,

I recently heard about something called “calorie cycling.” Apparently it’s a way to prevent weight loss plateaus and maybe burn additional body fat. Do you know anything about calorie cycling or how it works? Is this different from the zig-zag diet concept, or the same thing?  And will it help me add more lean muscle?  — Marcus (Arlington, VA)

Calorie cycling (also known as “calorie shifting” or “Zig Zag dieting”)  is an approach to eating that is intended to prevent weight or fat loss plateaus by “tricking out” your metabolism. 

Calorie cycling or Zig Zag diets are not really ”diets” in the sense of something like Atkins or South Beach, but instead a method of manipulating the metabolism through varying your calorie intake day-to-day.

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How Many Calories Are Burned Weight Lifting? | Ask The Fitness Nerd

Can You Burn Meaningful Calories Lifting Weights?

Dear Fitness Nerd,

How many calories are burned during weight lifting? I ask because I lift weight 5-6 days a week, but really hate doing cardio. If I’m trying to keep body fat off, are the calories burned through weight lifting enough? Or do I have to do cardio on top of it? – Adam  (Waco, Texas)

The amount of calories you burn weight lifting depends on your weight, the intensity of your weight training, and the duration (and your age, to some extent, but this is less important.)

A 180 lb male performing 60 minutes of  weight training with vigorous effort (meaning little or no rest periods between sets) and at an intensity that causes your heart rate to remain somewhat elevated during exercise would burn approximately 400-475 calories weight lifting.

If you tend to take long rests between sets and your intensity is lower, the same person can expect to burn around 250 calories weight lifting for one hour.

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Does Whey Have Casein? | Ask The Fitness Nerd

Does Whey Protein Also Contain Casein? We Sort Out The Milk Protein Mystery Once and For All.

Dear Fitness Nerd,

I’m a little confused about whey and casein protein. Does whey also contain casein? And vice versa?  All I know is that both whey and casein are in milk.  Can you help me sort this out? — Janine (Dunwoody, GA)

You’re right that both whey and casein are proteins in milk.

But the important thing to grasp is that they are two totally different kinds of protein.

So in their purest form – isolated from the milk itself (for example in protein powder supplements) — whey typically doesn’t contain meaningful amounts of casein. Same goes for casein in regards to whey content.

Understanding Milk Proteins: Whey vs. Casein

The easist way to think about this is in the context of milk.

Milk contains about 80 percent casein protein, and 20 percent whey. Under normal conditions, you would never be able to differentiate between the whey and casein in milk visually. It just looks … well … liquid and “milky.”

However, when you add an acid or enzyme like rennet (which is used in cheese production), the milk will curdle. This literally separates the whey from the casein proteins.

The result is that the whey — which is a semi-clear liquid — will rise to the top, while the casein (which is heavier and coagulates in the presence of an acid or enzyme) will usually sink to the bottom.

In cheesemaking, the whey is siphoned off from the casein, and the solids are then drained through a cheese cloth, further extracting any residual whey or water and leaving the firm casein solids, which are then shaped into blocks of cheese (there are more steps, but I won’t get into them here.) 

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Is Instant Oatmeal Good For You? | Ask The Fitness Nerd

Is Instant Oatmeal a Good Stand-In for Old Fashioned Oatmeal, Quick Oats or Thick Rolled Oats? You Might Be Surprised At The Answer.

Dear Fitness Nerd,

I don’t mind oatmeal, but I’m kind of rushed in the morning and preparing the usual Quaker old fashioned oatmeal is kind of a pain.  I’d really prefer to use instant oatmeal. Is instant oatmeal good for you? I mean, how does it compare to  regular oatmeal in terms of healthiness and nutritional value?  Thanks! — Aaron (St. Paul, Minnesota)

Given the choice between eating no oatmeal, and eating instant oatmeal, I would say the instant oats are still a good breakfast choice (with some caveats.)  Maybe not ideal, but eating healthy is a matter of degrees.

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