One of the things that bothers many of my male patients about growing older is losing the strong, muscular body they enjoyed in their youth. There are lots of good reasons to want strong, healthy muscles. While "washboard abs" may not be a realistic goal for you, strengthening your abdominal muscles can play a big role in protecting your back against injury. Plus, a muscular body burns more calories than a fat body – even when you’re not exercising – by simply raising your "basal" (resting) metabolic rate.

Muscle in your body is constantly being built up and broken down. That makes whey protein an excellent food to consider. Whey comes from the liquid that remains after milk has been processed into cheese, and there are very good reasons why it’s so popular with body builders. In one study, published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, whey not only increased muscle more than casein (the protein found in cheese), but also contributed to loss of body fat.

But whey can do a lot more than help you build healthy muscles. It can help you build a healthy immune system and boost your metabolism, thereby helping to keep your mood upbeat and sunny. Simply put, its whey cool!

You can pick up whey at any health food store. Blend it into your favorite shakes or mix it into an eight-ounce glass of milk. You can also find lots of recipes online for other tasty beverages.

[Ed. Note: Jim LaValle is a licensed pharmacist, board certified clinical nutritionist, and doctor of naturopathic medicine, with more than 20 years of clinical experience in the field of natural therapeutics and functional medicine. He is a contributor to ETR's free natural health newsletter and the author of 13 books, including Cracking the Metabolic Code.]

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 26th, 2008 at 5:30 am and is filed under Diet and Nutrition, Healthy .