“This tastes like a milkshake!”

I overheard this comment after providing bottles of Boost to my friends Sean and Cal who are mountain bikers. They were surprised by how great it tastes and asked for more.

As we talked about how to stay healthy after 50, Sean related that he had just read about the importance of having protein both before and after a ride. This is something that athletic trainers and coaches have known for years. During workouts, our muscles undergo changes as the protein fibers break down preparing for new muscle fibers, made of protein to be added.

The amount of breakdown and repair depends upon the intensity of the workout. A person doing yoga would need a different amount of protein than someone who lifts weights. What is constant though is the muscles’ need for more protein to have available for recovery and repair.

Protein before and after a workout

It’s difficult imagining having a steak before or after a big workout. It’s just too heavy for the stomach and would stop your momentum and ability to move freely. The key is to find something that won’t make you feel heavy and bloated.

It’s not just protein though. Our bodies need calcium and other nutrients to function at our best. That’s where Boost comes in. With 20 grams of protein, 26 essential vitamins and nutrients, plus 35% of the daily requirement for Calcium, it’s a nutritional supplement that also tastes great. How much protein do you need?

This link will direct you to a protein calculator that factors in your weight, height, exercise levels and your gender.

Hidden benefits of protein

As we celebrate birthdays past 50, exercise and maintaining our muscle mass is essential for a healthy lifestyle. Here’s a few hidden benefits of keeping our muscles strong and healthy that many of us forget:

1. Posture – Remember when your mom told you to sit up straight. Well, without strong muscles to support the weight of our bones, especially our backs, we would be hunched over.

2. Maintaining a healthy weight – Our muscles require energy and that means that they use calories for energy, which is why exercise helps us lose weight. By maintaining your muscles, you’ll be able to use the calories you take in more efficiently and are less likely to gain weight.

3. On the move – Our muscles are what enable all of us to move. Whether it’s the small muscles in your fingers and hands that enable you to type or text, or the large muscles in your legs that are essential for walking and moving, we need healthy muscles to move our bodies the way we want.

4. Your heart – Your heart is also a muscle that contracts pumping blood to your body all day, every day. By keeping all of the other muscles in our bodies healthy, our hearts can beat more efficiently.

What kind of exercise is best?

Everyone is different, so what I recommend as the best, is the one that you enjoy and will do regularly. Whether it’s walking or tennis, swimming or a dance class, it really doesn’t matter. What does matter is being active for at least 30 minutes each day and finding ways to get some resistance or weight training too.

One of the easiest ways to do that is doing pushups or planks. True confession here: When I first started doing planks, I could barely survive holding it for 10 seconds, now with practice, I’m over 1 minute and I can do 2!

There are a lot of people who are in much better shape than I am, but I’m moving, doing squats, planks, hiking the hills around my house and enjoying my Boost chocolate mocha with coffee in the morning and some Strawberry boost as a snack in the afternoon. 

What else to look for

In my busy life, I’m always open to using hacks and tips to optimize my day. I like Boost because I can slip it into a purse, gym bag or backpack and take it with me. Right now, I’m really enjoying the Strawberry flavor. It’s just the right amount so that I don’t feel overly full, but after drinking it, I also don’t feel hungry. The taste is yummy and the protein helps me feel satisfied.

My Mom Loved Boost®

Like many health care providers, I have been recommending and relying on Boost® as a nutritional supplement for friends, family and patients when they are sick and unable to eat. My mom was battling a late stage cancer and was very tired and unable to enjoy her grandchildren and the friends who would come to visit.

To help her regain some much needed energy, her hospice doctor recommended Boost®. I bought a few different flavors and very gently suggested that she try it. At first she was hesitant to try it because she thought it would taste like the nutritional drinks she had in the hospital. I coaxed her, very gently of course because she was very feisty and wanted to maintain her independence in everything including what she ate and drank. She did agree to try just one sip and once she tasted it, she smiled, winked at me and kept on drinking the container.

She loved the various chocolate flavors and the strawberry so to mix things up a bit, I would pour a some Boost® into small cups and add a popsicle stick to make frozen treats for her. She loved sharing these with the grandkids, who vied for their favorite flavors.

My mom’s nutrition was directly related to how much energy she had for the family and so Boost became part of our daily routine. I’m very grateful for her experience because there were not a lot of nutrient dense foods that she liked and foods with a lot of protein left her feeling bloated and heavy. Luckily, she liked the taste and she felt better when she had better nutrition, so we were able to enjoy our time with her.

Disclosure: I’ve been recommending it for years to friends, family and anyone who need to improve their nutrition. And now I’m proud to be an official partner of the BOOST brand.

Disclosure: I’ve partnered with Boost® to discuss ways people over 50 can improve their nutrition with protein, calcium and high quality nutrients for active lifestyles.

As a women’s health care provider, I am always talking to women about optimizing their health by getting enough of the nutrients, calcium and protein their bodies’ need. Many are so busy living their lives that healthy nutrition is often overlooked, and yet a healthy body starts with plenty of sleep, good nutrition and a balance between work and play.

Our Bodies and Muscles Need Protein

Many women are surprised to learn that their bodies’ need for protein may increase as they age. That’s right! After age 30, everyone, yes everyone, starts to lose lean muscle mass. It’s estimated that people lose 3-5% of their muscle mass each decade. That means by age 50, a person may have lost 10% of their lean muscle mass. As people head toward their late 60’s and 70’s the muscle loss accelerates from a number of factors.

It’s much worse for people who are inactive, and less of an issue for people who stay active. While resistance training and more strenuous activities will help preserve and increase muscle mass, any exercise, from swimming and cycling to attending a dance class and walking will help. Weight training, yoga, Pilates and resistance training are also key to keeping lean muscle mass.

Here’s a few secrets:

• With regular exercise, people find their energy levels are increased and their moods and sleep improve.
• Regular exercise translates to increased stamina, better balance and more likelihood that you’ll be able to continue your active lifestyle.
• If you’re working on weight loss, unless you’re doing resistance training, a lot of the weight you lose will be muscle. If you put the weight back on, it’s likely to be fat.

Enjoying Life to Its Fullest

Virtually everyone I talk to wants to live their lives to the fullest, especially as they pass those milestone birthdays after 50. Many people are seeing friends or family who are not able to do the things they enjoy and they then become even more determined not to let that happen. The people I talk to have no intention of slowing down, in fact, they are often more active and planning more fun activities than ever before. People know that being healthy is the only way they’ll be able to enjoy the things that have meaning for them.

What About Nutrition? 

One concern that I hear all the time, is that our busy lives make it difficult to get the recommended 5-7 servings of vegetables and fruits each day, plus adequate calcium for healthy bones and 3 servings of protein, and do all of this without gaining weight. Oh yes, and make time to shop for healthy foods and cook. If it seems overwhelming and like too much to even contemplate, let alone do every day, you’re not alone, because I hear this from patients every day, who ask for tips and advice.

A High Protein Nutritional Drink

As a nurse practitioner, I have been recommending Boost® to my family, friends and patients for years. I think a lot of people look at Boost and think of it as something that’s reserved only for people who have health issues or who are recovering from an illness. The truth is, Boost is a healthy nutritional option for many people at various ages and stages of life for many reasons. I drink it myself, because I like the taste, and with Boost® High Protein drink, I know I’m getting 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including 35% of my daily requirement for Calcium plus 20 grams of protein. (link to client’s choice of websites)

Protein calculator

How much protein do you need every day? This is a good question, because unlike many other nutrients that your body can store, we need to get protein every day. I used the protein calculator on the Boost.com website (link here: https://www.boost.com/protein-calculator ) to calculate my daily need for protein. At my height and weight, for my activity level, I need about 80 grams of protein a day.

This might be my typical protein intake for a day:

1 large egg: 6 grams of protein

1 ounce of cheese: 7 grams

1 cup of yogurt : 10 grams

¼ cup of almonds: 7 grams

3 ounces of fish: 17 grams

Grand total: 47 grams

Gosh, even if I have an extra egg, and more cheese, I’m not even close. And, like most of my patients, weight gain from eating too many calories is a concern. That’s why having a convenient, tasty, high protein nutritional option, like Boost can make all the difference when looking for ways to increase protein.

What Works for Me

I like the taste of Boost. I add a half a bottle of Boost’s High Protein Rich Chocolate to my morning coffee, and now I have my Boost Mocha! It tastes great and means I’m getting at least 10 grams of protein every morning. I take the rest of the bottle in my purse and usually finish it during my commute or have it with lunch.

I have patients who drink Boost before or after a work out. One told me that Boost tastes just like a milkshake and she/he (depending upon the photo) likes knowing she/he can get the protein and nutrition she/he needs without the heaviness of a big meal. Another friend who mountain bikes downs a Boost before long afternoon rides on the trails.

When it comes to enjoying a healthy, active lifestyle at any age, and especially after 50, having optimal nutrition, plenty of protein to maintain muscle mass and strength combined with regular exercise are the keys that will keep you moving in the right direction.

Disclosure: My mom’s doctor recommended Boost® for her nutrition, which is when I started drinking it too. I liked the taste and would pour Boost® into little cups, add a popsicle stick and make frozen treats for her. I’ve been recommending it for years to friends, family and anyone who need to improve their nutrition.