Over the past few years, many focuses have been brought forth in weight loss.
Carbohydrates, fat, calories, were all brought to the forefront for fad diets
and to increase public knowledge on the topics. This has been a great step for
making people more aware of the many facets of weight loss, but has also reduced
the span of that knowledge, away from certain important topics. One of these
topics is protein. Protein is one of three types of nutrients, the other two
being carbohydrates and fat. But if fat and carbs have gotten so much attention,
why not protein? Since people are more concerned with the things that can hurt
you, carbs and fat would be considered major culprits. Yet protein is a critical
aspect of healthy living, and is necessary for a healthy body.
The three forms of nutrient, carbs, protein and fat, are our only source of
calories. All calories are broken down into one of these three substances. Fat
provides 9 calories per gram, and protein and carbohydrates provide 4 calories
per gram. However, one glaring difference between these 3 substances is their
uses in the body. Carbohydrates provide the energy needed for most of our daily
activities, and the basic functions of the body. Fat is stored in the body to
provide energy during days when we do not consume enough energy, and also to
provide certain oils to cells in the body, as well as to be burned for energy.
Protein is responsible for carrying out the processes in cells, cellular repair
and synthesis, and plenty of other functions in the body.
Since carbohydrates are the source of the majority of the calories you consume
in a day, and fat is the culprit of much of the weight gain people endure, people
tend to focus on these two nutrients. However, this should not be the case,
as protein is also a substantial form of the calories we consume. The benefits
of proper protein consumption are numerous, and go beyond the major capabilities
of the other two nutrients we eat.
Proteins are made of amino acids, and are essential aspects of proper body functioning.
A lack of protein can lead to multiple problems, including, but not limited
to, growth deficiencies, loss of muscle mass, weakening of the heart and respiratory
system, and even death.
Protein is the material that makes up about 75% of your weight if you remove
the water mass from your body. It is responsible for muscle mass, and is the
main substance used for repairing torn muscle tissue after strength training.
It is also the form in which your lean muscle mass is, and is the substance
that makes up all the bone, tissue, cells, and almost all of the pieces of your
body. When body builders try to gain muscle mass, they must increase their protein
intake, as it is the main constituent of muscles.
Can too much protein hurt you? Yes and no. High protein diets like Atkins and
generally any unbalanced diet that is ridiculously high in protein can have
negative effects on your body in the long term. For starters, the fact that
protein is usually consumed through animal meat means that a lot of the protein
you eat is also included in food that is typically laced with saturated fats.
If you don't go overboard on meat consumption though, you should be okay. However,
taking the Atkins diet as an example, people who eat all the fat and protein
they want end up over consuming fat due to all the meat they eat. Another major
concern with over-consumption of protein is the way our bodies digest protein.
When we eat protein, it is metabolized through the use of calcium. Typi cal
amounts of protein are taken care of with the calcium we get through dairy and
such. But when we eat large amounts of protein our body struggles to achieve
an amount of calcium to help break it down. This means that it can draw the
calcium from your bones to satisfy its needs, and a consistent deficiency of
calcium can mean osteoporosis in later years.
Another thing to keep in mind about protein is that various sources of protein
contain different amino acids. Our bodies need all the types of amino acid to
function properly, but a large portion of the sources of protein are not "complete"
sources. The best source of protein is from lean animal meat, this source is
known as a complete source, whereas the protein derived from vegetables and
tofu are "incomplete" as they only contain a few of the amino acids
required. Therefore it is important for vegetarians to eat a variety of protein
sources to ensure that they receive all the amino acids necessary.
It may seem that we are suggesting a major up shift in your protein intake,
but in reality it is very simple to achieve proper numbers. Pay attention to
the recommended portions of meat and alternatives, which is 2 to 3 per day.
Try to make one of these come from animal meat, and you should be alright. Dairy
also helps add to your protein count. Knowing more about the food you eat is
a main aspect of being healthy, and knowing that you're getting the right levels
of protein is key.
Page 1 of 1
Recent Articles 
Email 
Discuss  Print
Subscribe
More Stories:
 Let Go Of Emotional Eating
Eating Healthy During The Holidays
The Role Of Sugar
Weight Gain With Age
Weight Loss Tips For Teens
View Complete List of
Articles
|
Get
Your Free Profile Analysis