Whenever people think of protein powder, they almost always think of whey. Whey is a protein made from cow’s milk. More specifically, it’s made from the leftovers of cheese production (uh, yum?). For a long time, whey has dominated the protein powder world so much that not many people know that it isn’t the only type of protein powder out there. But now, we’re seeing more and more plant-based protein powders around – and there’s very good reason why.
Usually made from pea, rice or soy protein, plant-based protein powder can actually be much more effective and beneficial for our bodies than whey protein. Alex, one of our (very fit) co-founders, goes into detail about why he switched from taking whey protein to plant-based protein – and why you should too.
I’ll be honest, I used to think whey protein was the only option too. I used it to recover from a heavy lifting sesh at the gym, or a gruelling 90 minutes on the football pitch, or as a morning meal replacement. It was pretty affordable, it tasted okay, and I was seeing some decent gains from it.
But then, around 7 years ago, I realised that I was getting more and more bloated and uncomfortable after my shakes. I actually began dreading the moments when I had to take them. Turns out whey wasn’t my body’s best friend – and it was trying to tell me that in some pretty awkward ways… Sure, I was seeing some okay results in the gym, but it wasn’t worth all the digesting and absorbing problems, not to mention the acne it was causing me. So, I started looking for alternatives.
While I was at uni in London, I saw a few of my friends having plant-based protein powders – these seemed so alien to me at the time, but I decided to try some. And to my amazement I discovered three things: first of all, I was surprised by how high the protein content of plant-based protein powder could be (this is coming from a guy who thought you had to have at least three steaks a day to get your protein fix!).
Secondly, I was also surprised that some plant-based proteins actually tasted good. Like, genuinely delicious. But most importantly, I noticed my body was much happier – I wasn’t getting bloated anymore; I was digesting the protein much better; my skin was clearing up; I felt light, energetic, and I was seeing amazing results in the gym. I’ve never looked back to whey since.
To this day, I stand devoted to plant-based protein powders. Honesty, those dairy alternatives are simply *whey* out of date, you guys. I started Heyday with my solid belief that plant-based protein is truly the superior option for living your best life. With our Heyday plant protein powders, I’m super psyched for you all to make the switch like I did. You’ll be so glad you did.
Our other (also very fit!!) co-founder, Karn Chatikavanij is equally devoted to plant-based nutrition. A vegetarian since she was 18, she came to realise you can easily and deliciously get all the protein you need from plants.
I was an accidental vegetarian. When I started university, it was my first time doing my own grocery shopping and cooking. At the supermarket, I often found myself subconsciously staying away from the meat section because all the uncooked meat looked and smelled quite weird to me. I guess it was sort of the first time I really became aware of what meat was like before it was cooked and prepared for you on a plate! I also didn’t like the way meat felt, and couldn’t bring myself to cook it. So, gradually, I stopped eating meat. Even at home I began to find meat much less appetising.
Then, after about a year of not eating meat, I realised I had lost a lot of weight – both fat and muscle. I was also feeling more tired than before and was told that I was deficient in vitamin B12 and iron – nutrients that are mainly found in animal products. Because I was an accidental vegetarian, it meant I was quite bad at it.
I was recommended by a lot of people to start eating meat again, and I almost did. But then, I was given another reason to give up meat. The world had started waking up to the huge environmental damage that the meat industry was causing, and after reading countless articles and watching several documentaries, I decided I wanted to stick to my plant-based diet. But I had to make it work for me nutritionally.
It’s true that going plant-based is difficult. But with a little more knowledge and dedication, you can start to eat smarter and better. I started following a bunch of plant-based influencers on Instagram; collecting recipe and meal inspiration from blogs and Pinterest; listening to audiobooks by plant-based health gurus, and finding advice from vegan fitness trainers. It turns out that the plant-based world has so much to offer. People always think your diet becomes much more restricted when you don’t eat meat, but there are far more varieties of plants you can eat than meat. And contrary to popular belief, many of them contain even more protein than meat on a weight-to-weight comparison. I started having a lot of fun getting creative with my plant-based meals.
