Protein: Just how important is it?

What is protein?

Protein is made up of a chain of polypeptides which are made up of amino acids. Sounds smart but just what the heck does it mean?

 Every single cell in your body is made up of protein. Your brain cells are 10 percent protein. Muscle and red blood cells have as much as 20 percent. Protein is the second largest building block of the human body (Water is number 1) comprising approximately 15% by weight.

To keep your cells thriving, you must give them protein on a daily basis.  

Proteins are made of amino acids that are linked together in long chains. Our bodies can make certain amino acids however other types of amino acids must be consumed. 

In a nutshell amino acids are molecules made up of Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen and Nitrogen. 

Protein is a building block in muscle growth. I will explain muscle growth in a bit. 

Our bodies do not manufacture protein on its own. To get protein in our bodies we have to consume it. 

How much protein does the average person need?

Our protein needs depend on our age, size, and activity level. The standard method used by nutritionists to estimate our minimum daily protein requirement is to multiply the body weight in kilograms by .8, or weight in pounds by .37. This is the number of grams of protein that should be the daily minimum. According to this method, a person weighing 150 lbs. should eat 55 grams of protein per day, a 200-pound person should get 74 grams, and a 250-pound person should eat 92 grams.

What if I am looking to grow bigger muscles?

Although it is controversial, there is evidence that people engaging in endurance exercise (such as long distance running) or heavy resistive exercise (such as body building) can benefit from additional protein in their diets. One prominent researcher in the field recommends 1.2 to 1.4 grams per kilogram of body weight per day for endurance exercisers and 1.7 to 1.8 grams per kg per day for heavy strength training. 

You can use this Kilogram converter here to convert your body weight in pounds to Kilograms. http://www.manuelsweb.com/kg_lbs.htm

How do Vegetarians get protein in their diet?

Protein has been marketed to be synonomous with Meat and Dairy. However there are a variety of Plant based foods that contain protein and some of them are very high in protein. 

Protein Rich Foods: Quantity (grams) Protein Content (grams)

White rice, regular, cooked 100g 3g

Brown rice, cooked 100g 3g

Wheat flour, whole grain 100g  14g

Whole wheat bread 100g 10g

Cornmeal, whole grain, white 100g 8g

Oat bran, cooked 100g 3g

Almonds, roasted, without salt 100g  21g

Cashews, roasted, without salt 100g  15g

Peanuts, dry roasted, without salt 100g  24g

Pecans, roasted, without salt 100g 9g

Sunflower seed kernels, roasted, without salt 100g  19g

Pumpkin seeds, 100g  38g

Beans: Quantity (grams) Protein Content (grams)

Mung beans, boiled and without salt 100g 7g

Asparagus, cooked, boiled, drained 100g 2g

Pinto Beans, boiled, without salt 100g 9g

Navy beans, boiled, without salt 100g 8g

Kidney beans, boiled, without salt 100g 9g

Black beans, cooked boiled without salt 100g 9g

Lima beans, boiled and without salt 100g 7g

Soybeans, boiled, cooked, without salt 100g 12g

White beans, cooked, boiled, without salt 100g 9g

Baked beans, without salt 100g 5g

Chick peas, cooked, boiled, without salt 100g  15g

Refried beans 100g 5g

If you are trying to limit your intake of saturated fat and cholesterol then you can follow the vegetable protein list for good sources of protein. You can also supplement your diet with Vegan powdered protein. I bought mine through Amazon.com by searching for Vegan Powdered Protein. 

Is protein from animals bad?

No, not when consumed with in reason, but there are those who for personal, ethical and health related concerns choose not to consume animal based protein. It has been shown that a diet high in animal based foods leads to increased disease in the body. Diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabeties, some forms of cancer and prostate enlargement. (for the men: enlarged prostate is what makes it difficult to get and maintain an erection as you get older.) 

Is too much protein bad for you?

In a review of the research, the National Academy of Sciences reported that the only known danger from high-protein diets is for individuals with kidney disease. After careful study, they recommend that 10 percent to 35 percent of daily calories come from protein. People who have or are being treated for kidney stones should avoid diets high in protein. 

How are muscles made?

Strenght training effectively by using enough weight to sufficiently overload a muscle, micro trauma and micro tears are created in the muscle. The muscle then goes about repairing itself. It may take many strength training sessions, before you add one pound of pure muscle to your body. Nutrition, training, recuperation and stress levels all play a part in the process. If you eat excessively, your blood sugar will remain elevated and sabotage your efforts, so nutrition is truly an important component for success.

What happens if we don’t eat enough protein?

Unlike fat and glucose, our body has little capacity to store protein. If we were to stop eating protein, our body would start to break down muscle for its needs within a day or so. So having a daily intake of protein is essential. 

Shakeology is an excellent vegetarian source of protien. It has 18g of protein per serving. When you add an additional scoop of either Vegan or Whey protien to it you can easily meet your daily protein needs if you are a heavy lifter. 

To order Shakeology you can contact myself or your Beachbody Coach. 

http://myshakeology.com/esuite/home/coachcherokee