Want to get back in shape? How about starting a workout routine? Not only will it help with weight loss, but it’ll also boost your mood, brain health, and energy levels. Not to mention that it’ll reduce your risk of certain diseases! Given that, there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t incorporate it into your schedule. Don’t want to go to the gym? No problem! You can easily work out in the comfort of your home—you just need to get the right equipment.
Is your goal to build muscle? If so, you might want to supplement your workouts with protein shakes. They’re exactly what they sound like—they’re drinks made by dissolving protein powder in water. Considering that, it’s not surprising to know that they come with a bunch of health benefits!
Benefits of Protein Powder
Protein powder is a popular supplement among athletes and for good reason—the macronutrient benefits your health in various ways! Let’s take a look at what it’s capable of below.
Muscle Growth
Protein is one of the building blocks of muscle—you simply can’t build muscle without it! The more you consume, the stronger your muscles will be. Ultimately, this is the reason why so many athletes consume protein shakes—they want to bulk up!
Weight Management
Eating protein-rich foods make you feel full for longer. In other words, you’ll likely eat less, which will contribute to weight loss. The results are particularly noticeable in those who are overweight or obese.
Repairs Damaged Muscle
Protein not only contributes to muscle growth, but it can actually help repair damaged muscles after a strenuous workout. Not only does it boost muscle synthesis, but it improves muscle performance as well.
Added Nutrition
The recommended daily intake of protein is 56g for men and 46g for women (more if you’re an athlete). Depending on your diet, however, it can be difficult to meet these amounts. Well, you know what? You can solve this problem by drinking protein shakes! If anything, it’s one of the easiest ways to add protein into your diet.
How to Make Protein Shakes?
Protein shakes are easy to make. What’s more, is that there are many recipes that you can try! First things first, though, you’ll need to get the actual powder. Luckily, they’re quite easy to find—you can get them at many stores including Walmart, Amazon, GNC, and other retailers. There’s another thing that you’ll need to get as well—a shaker. How else would you be able to mix the powder with your desired liquid?
What is a Protein Shaker?
Protein shakers are a type of bottle that’s meant for making protein shakes—they allow you to mix the powder without the use of a blender or mixer. How do they work? They come with a built-in whisk ball or wire, which helps to mix the powder with the water. Given that you use it properly, you won’t have to worry about there being any lumps in your drink!
When buying a shaker, you want to pick one that’s easy to disassemble—that will make it much easier to clean. The last thing that you want is for bacteria to build up in the nooks and crannies!
As far as how to use a shaker—well, it’s easy. Start by adding the liquid (either water or milk) into the bottle. From there, add in your protein powder (adding the liquid first will help to prevent clumps from forming). Once you’ve measured and scooped it in, all that’s left is for you to shake the bottle. Of course, you want to make sure that the lid is securely snapped in place, otherwise, you’ll end up with a mess!
How to Keep Shaker Bottles Clean & Odor-Free
It’s crucial that you clean your shaker after every use. Believe it or not but it can become a hotbed for bacteria—this is especially true for non-transparent bottles as the inside would be dark (bacteria prefers dark environments). How can you tell if there are bacteria? Chances are, there will be an unpleasant smell when you take off the lid. Remember, just because your shaker doesn’t look dirty doesn’t mean that it isn’t! As you can imagine, drinking from a dirty bottle can have its consequences. You wouldn’t want to risk your health, would you?
What’s the best way to clean your shaker bottle? Why, that’s what we’re here to talk about! Keep reading to learn more on the topic.
Cleaning Instructions for Blender Bottles
It’s best to wash your blender bottle by hand. Depending on its design, the heat from the dishwasher can damage the seal, which can cause leaks. As far as the actual cleaning goes, it’s easy—just wash it with warm soapy water in the sink. You can use a bottle cleaning brush if necessary but avoid abrasive cleaners. Don’t forget to disassemble the parts before starting, otherwise, certain areas can retain smells or flavors.
Alternatively, if your shaker bottle is dishwasher safe (always check beforehand), you can just use that. Simply unscrew the lid, and place the parts on the top-rack. Add in some soap and let it do its thing! Keep in mind, however, that this method might cause the labels to dissolve, which can make it sticky over time.
How to Remove Odors From Shaker Cups
Grossed out by the fact that there’s an odor coming from your shaker cup? Don’t be! As it turns out, you can clean it quite easily. Here are a few different ways that you can remove smells from your bottle.
Using Baking Soda
Baking soda is a great cleaning agent—the best part is that most of us probably already have it in the house! Well, guess what? You can also use it to get rid of smells! That’s right, it’s a natural deodorizer. Ultimately, what you want to do is to add a teaspoon or two into your shaker bottle. From there, add in some warm water and shake—just like you would with a protein shake! When you’re finished, pour out the water and rinse the bottle in the sink. The odor should be gone! If it’s still there, you might want to leave the baking soda/water mixture in the shaker—that will give the powder more time to work its magic.
Using White Vinegar
White vinegar is similar to baking soda in that it’s an excellent deodorizer. Don’t worry, it won’t make your shaker smell like vinegar! The first thing that you want to do is to fill the sink with warm water. From there, pour in a cup of white vinegar and mix. Once it’s combined, disassemble your bottle and submerge the parts in the vinegar mixture. Let it soak for at least an hour before removing the shaker from the sink. Nine times out of ten, that will be enough to get rid of any odors! Easy, right?
Using Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide will not only deodorize your shaker bottle, but it’ll also disinfect it as well. In other words, it’ll kill any bacteria that are inside. Start by rinsing the bottle with water and soap. Afterwards, pour in 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide (3% works the best). Once you’ve done that, close the lid tightly and give the bottle a good shake. From there, pour the contents out and rinse it under the sink—you want to make sure that there’s no hydrogen peroxide leftover.
Using Lemon Juice
Does it surprise you that you can use lemons to deodorize your blender bottle? As it turns out, lemon juice has acidic properties, which allows it to remove odors quickly and easily—just like vinegar. First things first, you’ll want to squeeze the fruit for the juice. Once you’ve done that, mix it with some water and pour it into the bottle. From there, swirl it around to spread the mixture. If necessary, leave the contents in for a while before pouring it out—that will maximize the lemon juice’s deodorizing effects.
Using Coffee Grounds
Does it surprise you that coffee grounds can be used to trap unwanted odors? It’s simple—start by drying out the coffee grounds (you can do this by putting them in the oven). Once they’re dry, place them in your shaker cup. That’s all you need to do—leave them in overnight and you’ll be amazed at how fresh your bottle will smell the next day!
Freeze It
Another easy way to get rid of that gross smell is to put your protein shaker in the freezer. Leave it in overnight and the odor will probably be gone by the next morning. For the best results, leave a little bit of water in the bottle.
How to Prevent Odors From Developing in Shaker Bottles
There are a few things that you can do to prevent odors from developing as well.
Wash It After You’re Done Drinking
Over time, protein powder residue can clump up and become glue-like in your bottle. As you can imagine, this makes it difficult to clean—not to mention that it’ll also start to stink! For this reason, you want to wash your shaker cup as soon as you’re finished the beverage—that way, the residue won’t have time to clump up. At the very least, you want to give it a good rinse (ideally with hot water) after your workout.
Keep It Dry
This goes without saying but you want to make sure that all of the parts are dry (pay extra attention to the cap and whisk ball) before reassembling the shaker. As you probably know, bacteria thrive on moisture. In other words, they can grow on your bottle, which can lead to an unpleasant odor.
