The Power of Protein Everything You Need to Know

The Power of Protein and why you need it in your diet!

I recently had the honor of writing an article in a fabulous magazine called, SCOTTSDALE HEALTH MAGAZINE.  This magazine has done an amazing job educating about fitness, health & wellness, but also shows us excellent ways in finding the joy & happiness of living a healthy lifestyle.  You can go to their website to read my article and many other articles, or you can read below about why I wrote about, The Power of Protein. 💪

DO YOU WANT TO BUILD MUSCLE? 

PROTEIN IS YOUR ANSWER! You need to deliver your body a constant supply of protein throughout the entire day for optimum muscle growth. WHY? Because protein is made up of amino acids and amino acids are the building blocks of your muscles and body. Without them, it would be impossible to build, repair or even maintain muscle tissue.  I aways recommend to my personal training clients to eat protein within 30-45 minutes after their workout, as their muscles are broken down and ready to begin the process of building the muscles back up!

DO YOU WANT TO LOOSE WEIGHT?  

PROTEIN IS YOUR ANSWER! First, you can lose more weight on a high-protein diet (but I’m talking lean protein, not foods like bacon & fatty meats, 😒bummer I know) because your body spends more energy processing protein than it does carbohydrates.  Protein can assist you in keeping you slim because it is slower to digest than carbs, therefore you need a smaller amount to keep you feeling fuller longer.   If you were to eat 100 calories of protein, your body will burn about 20 to 30 of those calories while processing the protein.  Compare that to 100 calories of carbs, and your body will only burn about 5 to 10 calories.  Secondly, the weight loss occurs because protein helps preserve muscle mass and muscle mass burns more calories than other types of mass, the additional calorie burn can result in a decrease in weight.

WHY DO YOU NEED TO EAT PROTEIN REGULARLY?

Well, here are just a Few of the Many Great Benefits of Protein:

✅contains amino acids to create muscle ✅maintains bone health ✅keeps blood pressure in check ✅builds and repairs tissues, skin, hormones & blood

When choosing protein, you need to focus on lean meats🍗 poultry 🐟 fish 🏐eggs and 🍶dairy as this is an excellent way to stay fit and keep you slim! If you are a vegetarian, no worries, there is also 🌱 plant based proteins, like beans and nuts too. There are different types of nutrients found in each protein type, so it’s important to combine the 2 to get the most nutritious balance.

HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO I NEED TO CONSUME DAILY?

The RDA suggests 0.36 grams protein X per pound of body weight (example, 0.36 gr. X 150lbs. = 54 gr. protein per day) , BUT that is only the minimum. For optimal health and to maintain or build muscle YOU will need to eat more protein than the minimum!

Here is a Daily Protein Intake Suggestion:

non-exerciser/minimal exerciser (0 to 1 day/week): 0.4 grams

regular exerciser (3 days/week): 0.5 to 0.7 grams

very active exerciser (5 to 7 days/week) : 0.7 to 0.8 grams

Formula: 0.__grams (determined by above) X ____lbs. (your weight) = 0.__grams protein per day

WHAT FOOD ITEMS HAVE THE LEANEST PROTEIN?

look for grams (gr.) to best determine the amount of protein

Chicken breast or turkey breast, 4 oz. (skinless) 34 gr. (170 calories)

Beef or pork, 4 oz. 30 gr. (300 calories)

Salmon, 4 oz. 28 gr. (200 calories)

Shrimp, 4 oz. 26 gr. (140 calories)

Greek yogurt, 6 oz. (plain, 0% fat) 17 gr. (100 calories)

Cottage cheese, 1/2 c. (1% fat) 14 gr. (80 calories)

Tuna, 2 oz. (canned, in water) 11 gr. (50 calories)

Tofu, 4 oz. (extra firm) 11 gr. (110 calories)

Milk (fat free), 1 c. 8 gr. (80 calories)

Edamame, 1/2 c. 8 gr. (100 calories)

Beans, 1/2 c. 8 gr. (120 calories)

Quinoa, 1 c. 8 gr. (220 calories)

Spaghetti, 1 c. 8 gr. (220 calories)

Cheddar/swiss cheese, 1 oz. 7 gr. (110 calories)

Almond or peanut butter, 2 T. 7 gr. (190 calories)

Egg, 1 large 6 gr. (70 calories)

Whey Protein Powder, 1 scoop, 23 grams (180 calories) varies depending on type

Whey protein powder is one of my favorite choices for getting fast, easy and nutritious protein which helps keep you stay fit and slim! BUT not all protein powders are created equal. I like whey protein powders, as they are one of the purest forms of protein you can get. When you buy protein powder look at the ingredient list, as whey protein isolate should be listed first in the ingredients to be considered a great product.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST PROTEIN POWDER?

✅look at ingredient list – confirm whey protein isolate is listed first
✅look for natural sweetners (stevia) and avoid artificial sweetners (sucralose, aspartame, formaldehyde) read about the truth of sugars, for more information
✅protein should be 70% to 80% of the ingredients, but how do you know? Calculate below!

Calculation for Protein Content in Protein Powders:

Look at label at take __gr. of protein divide by __gr. serving size = __% protein

For example, 25 gr. protein divided by 28 gr. serving size = 90% protein, to be considered a great protein amount, it should be 70% to 80% protein, if not, you’re consuming too many fillers!

Now you should have a much better understanding as why I call this The POWER OF PROTEIN.  The benefits are amazing for you body in building muscle and also assisting you in loosing weight, if that is a desire of yours.  BUT, you must remember to choose wisely with lean proteins and also consume it throughout the day.  Don’t shy away from protein, find ways to add it with each meal, whether it is a meat-based protein or a plant-based protein; there is something out there for everyone to fill their daily protein requirements!

FIND YOUR POWER!