We have all heard it a hundred times, prioritize protein! And as most of us know Proteins are the building blocks of life. Every cell in the human body contains protein. The basic structure of a protein is a chain of amino acids which help your body repair cells and make new ones.
But just how much of our body is made up of protein?.
Protein is the main building block of muscles, bones, organs, skin, and nails. Except for water and fat, the human body is composed almost entirely of protein. It plays many roles, right from building the tissue lining inside to maintaining healthy hair and skin outside.
Protein is an essential nutrient for the normal growth and development of the body. Take muscles, for example, they are composed of about 80% protein, making this nutrient especially important for athletes. Even if you are not so much into fitness and sports topics I’m certain you have heard of protein boosted products for building and maintaining muscle bulk. I’m sure you have also heard of Collagen supplements for youthful, glowing skin? Guess what, it’s a protein. Healthy bone supplements also have a high Collagen content.
“I’m prescribing a vitamin for your fragile nails that contains Keratin”, your physician says. This is because hair, nails and skin are all composed of a protein called Keratin.
The last fact is about our brain and nervous system. A single neuron contains about 50 billion proteins, these proteins are needed for the essential functions of the neuron. In a recent study, scientists discovered that nerve cells have the ability to not only make amino acids (building units of a single protein molecule) in the body of the neuron but also in the axons for faster delivery of nerve signals. I find this extremely fascinating. ( Reference: A.-S. Hafner et al., Science 364, eaau3644 (2019). DOI: 10.1126/science.aau3644)
Ok, I’m convinced. I need enough protein in my diet
We need to know that not all proteins are the same in terms of delivering all types of Amino Acids our body needs. There are 2 groups of proteins:
- Complete : Most animal sources of proteins are in this category because they contain all 20 amino acids, especially 9 of them that are named “essential” because our body cannot make it. Examples are meat, eggs, dairy, poultry, and seafood. With one exception in the plant world – quinoa, that is said to contain almost all the essential amino acids
- Incomplete: They have most but not all the essential amino acids. Many plant-based proteins are incomplete proteins.
How can you add protein to your daily meals
As recommended by health organizations worldwide everyone needs 0.6-1.0 g of protein per kg of body weight. The amount varies based on activity level, age, gender, health conditions. They are other factors to take into consideration but these are the major ones.
Here is my nutrition tips when it comes to taking enough protein:
- Mix animal and plant proteins with more emphasis on animal for the reason explained above.
- If you are on a plant based protocol combine foods that contain some of those essential amino acids in order to make them complete. You don’t have to do it at every meal as long as each day you have ticked 9 boxes. It’s time to study your food.
- Nuts are amazing plant proteins. Go nuts! Add them to your salad, smoothies, snacks and dressings. I give you an example: A handful of almonds secures 6g of protein for you.
- Eggs are my super friends. 7g of complete protein in every single egg in the most delicious way is delivered to your body. They are fixtures in my daily food.
- Chicken breast is another amazing source of protein that you can easily prep and keep in the fridge for your weekly consumption. A small portion gives your body 30g complete protein.
- In the dairy world yoghurt and cheese (especially cottage) are high contenders.
Keep your eyes on our website for the next blog with some protein-rich recipes ….
The aim of Movetoimprove is to not only coach you in movements but also in sustainable, healthy and enjoyable eating too…. I always hope that “Move to Improve” is a source of knowledge for your holistic fitness journey!
Don’t forget to subscribe to Move2Improve for a library of enjoyable Pilates workouts to help you along your fitness journey!
