Protein…it’s not all created equal

>> Why Protein?

Next to water, protein is the most abundant substance in the human body. The word "protein" is derived from the Greek word meaning "of primary importance."

• Protein aids in proper wound healing.

    It helps to build and repair body tissues including skin, muscle and major organs.

• Protein helps keep your hair, skin, bone, and nails healthy.

• Protein helps form hormones, enzymes and immune system antibodies to help your body function properly.

• Protein helps your body burn fat instead of muscle for a healthier weight loss.

When you are trying to lose weight, you reduce calories. Unfortunately, the human body tends to view fat stores as more precious than lean muscle tissue, and will burn or "catabolize" muscle tissue, before it goes to fat for energy.

• Protein supports your natural metabolism so you lose weight quicker.

The more muscle you have on your body, the higher your metabolism and the more fat calories your body will burn, even while at rest.

• Protein curbs your hunger between meals and avoid "snacking temptation". 

One of the amino acids in protein, tryptophan (a precursor of serotonin) has been shown to work on the satiety (hunger) center in the brain.

    When you consume a protein along with a carbohydrate, it will slow the absorption of the carbohydrates to assist you in keeping level blood sugars, sustaining fullness, and improving energy.

>> Which Protein?

Your body is made up of amino acids, which comes from protein.

The body can make 13 amino acids, but 9 amino acids are essential,

meaning they cannot be made by your body and must come

from food sources. Food that are considered “complete” contain

all of the essential amino acids that your body needs.

>> How much is enough?

Before you think that you need to take up farming, let’s look a little closer on how much protein you need and which kind?

Depending on how your diet is set up, you will consume 30-40% of your calories from protein, a combination of both complete and incomplete protein.

>> If your average caloric intake was 1800 calories and you consumed 35% of those calories as protein, that would be 158 grams of protein. Yes, that is a little overwhelming. Your goal protein from complete protein (meat, cheese, egg, cottage cheese, milk, yogurt), would be…

YOUR “Ideal”* WEIGHT LBS ÷ 2.2 = YOUR WEIGHT IN KILOGRAMS

YOUR “Ideal”* WEIGHT* IN KGS x .8 = YOUR COMPLETE PROTEIN NEEDS

If your “Ideal”* weight is 180 lbs ÷ 2.2 = 100 Kilograms x .8 = 65 grams of protein

65 grams would come from Complete protein and the remaining 93 grams would come from incomplete proteins like beans, nuts, legumes, and soy products.

>> If your average caloric intake was 800 calories (ex. A bariatric patient) and you consumed 40% of those calories as protein, that would be 80 grams of protein. Although your overall protein needs are decreased because you are eating less calories, not that your goal for complete proteins increase from .8 g / kg (the average diet) to 1.1 g / kg. The reason for this increase is because your volumes are much smaller and your variety of food is decreased significantly. It is very important that the foods you choose are nutrient rich, high protein foods.

YOUR “Ideal”* WEIGHT LBS ÷ 2.2 = YOUR WEIGHT IN KILOGRAMS

YOUR “Ideal”* WEIGHT IN KGS x 1.1 = YOUR COMPLETE PROTEIN NEEDS

If your "Ideal"* WEIGHT is 120 lbs ÷ 2.2 = 100 Kilograms x 1.1 = 60 grams of protein

60 grams would come from Complete protein and the remaining 20 grams would come from incomplete proteins like beans, nuts, legumes, and soy products.

*Ideal Weight – That unrealistic weight written in a book somewhere.

Men = # Inches over 5 foot x 6 + 106

(Example = 6’2” would be 14 inches over 5’ so 14” x 6 = 84 + 106 = 190 lbs)

Women = # Inches over 5 foot x 5 + 100

(Example = 5’7” would be 7 inches over 5’ so 7” x 5 = 35 + 100 = 135 lbs)