Herbalife Protein Drink Mix (PDM)
What are the benefits? What does it taste like and how to use it?
What is it?
It is a Protein shake made by Herbalife who employs over 300 scientists of which 50 are at PhD level to make sure that the products are optimum for you. It is an easy and very tasty way to up your protein.
The optimum macronutrient intake is believed to be a third from fats, a third from carbs and a third from protein. I have been tracking my intake for the last 6 months or so, and I was surprised to find that my protein intake was below 20% but my carbs and fats were way too high. Herbalife's Protein Drink Mix (PDM) is an easy way to correct that.
What is in it?
47% of the product is made up of Soy. I know that soy has a bad rep in some places, but that is what happens if the media gets hold of science documents. The science tells us that the whole estrogen soy thing is not true. Although the isoflavones in soy are similar to estrogen, it is, in fact, different and actually improves female fertility and boost testosterone in men. The rest of the benefits I will cover later in this article.
The PDM contains some compounds extracted from milk, which does not make it Vegan friendly. It does contain over 20 vitamins and minerals, of which vitamins B12 and B6 stand out, and copper to support normal energy-yielding metabolism as well as zinc and manganese to help protect cells.
What are the benefits?
As mentioned earlier it increases your protein intake, mostly with soy. Here are some of the benefits of soy will provide you.
Benefits:
Protein - Soy is one of the very few plants that give you the complete amino acid chain your body needs to repair cells. These complete chains are normally only found in animal products.
May reduce menopause symptoms - By binding to estrogen receptors in the body, soy isoflavones are believed to help somewhat reduce the severity of these symptoms. For instance, research suggests that soy isoflavones may help reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes. Soy isoflavones also appear to help relieve the fatigue, joint pain, depression, irritability, anxiety, and vaginal dryness experienced during menopause and/or the years leading up to it.
May improve fertility - In one study, women with high intakes of soy isoflavones were 1.3–1.8 times more likely to give birth following fertility treatments than those with lower soy isoflavone intakes.
May lower blood sugar levels - One review including 17 randomized control studies — the gold standard in research — suggests that soy isoflavones may help slightly reduce blood sugar and insulin levels in menopausal women. Soy isoflavones may also help lower insulin resistance, a condition in which cells no longer respond to insulin normally. Over time, insulin resistance can result in high blood sugar levels and lead to type 2 diabetes.
May help reduce cholesterol - Several studies suggest that diets rich in soy foods may help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol. A review suggests that soy-rich diets may help reduce total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels by 2–3%. They may also raise HDL (good) cholesterol by 3% and reduce triglyceride levels by around 4%.
May protect your heart - It appears that soy isoflavones may help reduce inflammation in blood vessels and improve their elasticity — two factors believed to protect the health of your heart. A recent review further links soy-rich diets to a 20% and 16% lower risk of stroke and heart disease, respectively.
May reduce the risk of cancer - Studies suggest that high intakes of soy isoflavones may reduce the risk of endometrial cancer by around 19%. In addition, some studies have linked soy-rich diets to a 7% lower risk of digestive tract cancers and an 8–12% lower risk of colon and colorectal cancers, especially in women. On the other hand, men eating soy-rich diets may benefit from a lower risk of prostate cancer. Finally, one recent review of 23 studies linked diets rich in soy foods to a 12% lower risk of dying from cancer, particularly cancers of the stomach, large intestine, and lungs.
What does it taste like and how to use it?
There are 2 ways in which you can use Herbalife's Protein Drink Mix.
Mix 2 tablespoons (28g) of PDM with 250ml of very cold water in a hand shaker and shake it.
This is how my wife and I do it. Mix 1 Tablespoon (14) and 2 tablespoons of Formula 1 Shake to 300ml of water in a hand shaker and shake it. We use this recipe, as the one recommended makes it too thick for our taste.
On its own, with water, it tastes much like a vanilla milkshake. Very pleasant shake with not allot of strong flavour. However, if you mix it with a Formula 1 shake it tastes like whatever flavour Formula 1 shake you are using.
The key benefit of adding it to the Formula 1 Shake is that you do not need to add milk or soy milk.
If you would like to try it out, click on this link and we will make sure you get your product anywhere in the world. Herbalife products get dispatched locally from over 90 countries, which means you do not have to wait long or pay excessive shipping fees.