Can icecream help you lose weight?
A new protein-only dairy treat has been hailed as the ideal treat for the bodyconscious. Does it live up to the hype, asks Peta Bee?
IF THERE is a poster boy of the icecream world, it is Greg Duggan. At 26, the former beach volleyball player and parttime model is the purveyor of this summer’s coolest food: an icecream that might help you to lose weight rather than gain it.
Duggan’s Wheyhey icecream, made with the ingredient of the moment, whey protein, is sugar and gluten-free and contains about half the calories (and considerably more health benefits) of a tub of Haagen-Dazs. It is a dream food for the health- conscious and has sporty types and fashionistas clamouring to get their hands on it.
Boxer David Haye and rugby players James Haskell and Sam Warburton are fans while David Gandy, the Dolce & Gabbana model, is so impressed he has invested in Duggan’s company.
What has tickled their tastebuds is not only that it is sugar-free – it is sweetened with xylitol, naturally derived and known to have dental and dieting benefits – but another, irresistible draw: it contains 187 calories per 150ml tub. With 22 grams of protein per tub – the amount in five glasses of milk and more than four times the amount in Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia icecream – it is also filling.
‘‘It is well established that high-protein foods promote satiety,’’ Duggan says.
Duggan, a sports scientist, was lecturing and studying for a Masters degree in Sport Sciences (Human Performance) at Brunel University in London – and also advising elite athletes about their diet – when he and his business partner, Damien Kennedy, came up with the idea for a healthy icecream that would also boost fitness. ‘‘Very active people need high-quality protein for recovery, but the athletes we were helping kept complaining that they were fed up with chicken breasts, turkey and yoghurt,’’ he says. ‘‘We went home one day, concocted an icecream based on whey protein powder and they absolutely loved it.’’
Why whey protein? Duggan says exercise scientists have produced plenty of research confirming its healthy benefits. In its natural form whey is a watery, leftover liquid produced when cow or buffalo milk is coagulated to make cheese. Whey protein powder, made when the liquid is commercially dried, is low in fat and easily absorbed by the body. Studies have shown that it can aid weight loss, help to enhance muscle tone and boost the immune system.
‘‘ Finally, science has established it’s a myth that whey and protein foods will bulk you up,’’ Duggan says.
It’s hardly surprising that demand for the previously overlooked milk byproduct is soaring. Gwyneth Paltrow is among the celebrities who recommend whey protein shakes.
Companies such as Maximuscle, and the Good Whey Co are promoting it for people who want to stay in shape.
Dr Sarah Schenker, a dietitian who has advised leading athletes, says: ‘‘ Whey protein is more effective than other types of protein when it comes to repairing and building muscles after intense activity.’’
It’s no magic fix, though. Don’t expect to look better after demolishing a few tubs.
‘‘You can’t get toned muscles just from eating more whey protein,’’ Schenker says. ‘‘You need to exercise with some effort and put your muscles under a degree of duress to ensure your body needs protein for the natural repair process. If it doesn’t, it will be excess to requirements and you might find you add a few pounds rather than lose them.’’