What’s the Deal with Protein?

What is protein? 

To put simply, protein is pretty much the composition of life itself. From the basis of your DNA, protein can be found in every single cell of your body, creating and repairing everything that makes you exist.

For you science nerds out there, protein is composed of various amino acids such as oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and hydrogen. Some amino acids however can not be produced by the body and must be consumed through food. Examples you may have heard mentioned before would be tryptophan, lysine, and phenylalanine.

Thought it was all about the muscles? Try your bones, your blood, your skin, cartilage, tissue, hormones, everything!

Protein is what you call a “macronutrient,” a food that your body needs in larger quantities. Fat and carbohydrates are the two other macronutrients. Macronutrients supply the body with much needed calories and energy. And while we know all too well that our bodies like to hang on to fat and carbs, it can’t hold on to protein.

Thankfully, we’re easily able to keep this balance in order simply by the food we eat each day!

Why is consuming protein so important?

Although your mind may immediately jump to body builders and gym junkies when you think of protein, everyone benefits from it. In fact, it is a common misconception that simply consuming protein causes you to gain muscle mass.

Why?

As mentioned before, protein is responsible for repairing the cells. Without tearing your muscles, the protein will have nothing to repair. Therefore, exercise is crucial, where you can create these tears that the protein can then fill, increasing the muscle mass.

With that out of the way, protein is beneficial for your metabolism, your immune system, and for keeping you fuller longer. Obviously with it composing every cell, neglecting it in your diet can have some harmful effects.

Where can we get protein?

One of the best things about protein is it’s easy to find! No matter what type of diet you have, odds are there is a protein source out there for you.

Great options would be meat, seafood, poultry (no skin), eggs, and dairy. Some vegetarian options would be beans, nuts, soy (such as edamame), hemp, and whey (whey is not vegan).

As always, I am a big supporter of eating foods for exactly what they are and avoiding the processed option. However, there are times that protein bars or shakes may come in handy. Honestly though, I would view these to be more supplemental than anything as opposed to daily consumption. Many are loaded with sugar and unnecessary ingredients.

It is also very important to pay attention to the fat content of the protein you’re eating, particularly the saturated fat (high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, etc.). Here is where fish becomes a great option in lieu of steak.

And while the trend recently has been to avoid carbs, food such as beans and whole grains provide not only protein but high amounts of fiber. Double win!

Nuts can be one of the easiest ways to get some protein in, as they pack a powerful punch for just a small amount. An ounce of almonds (about twenty almonds) has 6 grams of protein. A couple tablespoons of peanut butter provides 8 grams of protein.

How much do we need a day?

Remember how we said protein begins with your DNA? Well, reminisce on that while I tell you that there is no set, magic amount of protein required each day. Each and every body is different, and every detail from your age to your weight to your physical activity affect this number.

Still, most nutrition experts have come to an agreement that protein should make up 10-35% of your daily calories, which is still quite a range.

The good news is, this is not exactly a number to worry about. Protein is found in so much of our food that deficiencies are not commonplace. So while you don’t necessarily need to keep track of how much you’re eating, you should keep an eye out for how often you’re eating it.

The frequency is what is important. You should eat protein at every meal, where you can reap the benefits of stabilizing your metabolism, staying full, and maintaining a healthy weight.

While words of weight loss can tickle the ear, high protein diets may not always be the best solution for your overall health. Consuming too much of one thing (i.e. protein) can cause you to eat less of other food that your body actually needs, such as carbs and fiber.

So it is possible to overdo the protein. Your body gets no benefits from the excess because it has no place to put it. As with overdoing anything, several health issues can arise.

In Summary

Protein is life. It helps shape who we are. Our bodies depend on us to consume it the right way through the right foods. And there should be no excuses as to why you aren’t doing so.