Protein is an essential part of our diets, yet a lot of us do not take a sufficient amount in daily.

​

WHY DO I

NEED PROTEIN?

​

Protein is digested down to the basic building blocks of amino acids.

 

Our body uses amino acids to repair and rebuild damaged tissue. Protein is essentially important for the maintenance of muscle tissue, so a deficiency can lead to a loss of muscle mass.

​

This is essentially important for people who exercise. When you exercise, you damage your muscle tissue, and your body responds by building the muscle up to be stronger than before.

 

If you do not have enough raw materials for your body to rebuild the muscle, you can end up with chronic aches and pains.

​

BUT I’M NOT A BODYBUILDER

​

Yes, protein is especially important for athletes who subject their bodies to tremendous stresses, since their muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons need to be repaired by their bodies on a very regular basis.

​

However, even normal people who do not participate in athletic sports still do need adequate protein in their diet, to build and maintain healthy muscle and connective tissue. 

​

A protein deficiency will lead to health problems, including unhealthy skin, hair, nails and bones.

​

WILL PROTEIN MAKE

YOU FAT?

​

Protein is not converted to fat in your body. Protein is broken down into amino acids, and these amino acids go to maintaining your body's tissues.

​

Some bodybuilders may look puffy and chubby, but this could also be due to the extreme dieting they do to quickly gain weight. Also, some athletes tend to still maintain a high caloric intake, even after stopping their training routines.

​

The problem lies in taking in unhealthy sources of protein. If you tend to eat very fatty meats, then you'll put on a bit more extra fat because of the extra animal fat in your diet (unless you're trying a low carbohydrate or ketogenic diet).

​

If anything, protein will help you lose some weight, and keep it off.

 

Protein has a thermogenic effect, so you actually burn some calories as your body digests lean meats. Protein also has a good satiating effect, so it makes you feel full for some time after eating it. This helps curb hunger pangs, and stops you from snacking between meals, or binge-eating and eating overly large meals.

​

LEAN PROTEIN IS BEST

​

Always stick with lean sources of protein. Animal fats are high in saturated fats, which are bad for your heart. They also increase the chance of you developing obesity, and problems with Diabetes, Hypertension, and Hyperlipidemia.

​

Choose lean sources of protein, such as chicken breast, flank steak, and egg whites.

Chicken breast is practically all protein - just make sure you discard the chicken skin!

 

It's an incredibly lean and healthy source of protein. It may be a bit dry compared to other cuts of chicken, because of its lower fat content. Just look up ways to prepare it to make it delicious, and replace your normal chicken dishes with chicken breast. 

​

100gm of raw chicken breast contains a whopping 20-23 gm of protein, and only 2-3 gm of fat. Very healthy!

​

Red meat is an important source of protein and iron, but a lot of meat cuts are fatty. Try to get flank steak, which is the leanest cut of steak you can get. Having said that, flank steak still contains a bit of fat, so you may want to limit your intake of red meat, especially if you are overweight or have Hyperlipidemia (high blood cholesterol and fat levels).

​

A 100gm cut of raw flank steak contains 21 gm of protein, and only 5 gm of fat. It's way healthier than a normal steak cut. For example, a 100gm of sirloin steak may have around 12gm of fat - more than double the fat content of a flank steak!

​

Egg whites are e very healthy source of protein. It's all protein, so you aren't getting any fat at all with it. Definitely a good choice for people who are trying to watch their weight! 

​

A single egg white contains 4gm of protein, and no fat. 

​

Fish is a very healthy source of protein. A 100gm of fish fillet contains between 20-30gm of protein, depending on the type of fish you're eating. The fat content varies, depending on what kind of fish you get, and how you prepare it.

​

For example, a fatty fish like salmon will have more fat than something like Tilapia. However, you shouldn't be afraid of the extra fat. The fat from fish is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which is good for you. This kind of fat helps keep your heart healthy, and minimises the risk of heart disease and strokes.

​

Shrimp is a rich source of protein as well, but is also high in cholesterol. 100gm of shrimp meat has approximately 14gm of protein, but also 160 mg of cholesterol, which is more than half the recommended daily intake of cholesterol.

​

DON'T MAKE THE

HEALTHY UNHEALTHY!

​

Apart from picking the right sources of protein, the way you prepare your food is very important. You can have a very healthy meat, but if you fry it up with a lot of unhealthy cooking oil, you'll be eating something unhealthy.

​

Always try to steam, boil or bake your proteins whenever you can. This lets you enjoy the benefits of a lean protein in your diet, without the unnecessary unhealthy fats you get from frying it. 

​

If you are going to fry your meat, you should use a healthy cooking oil, like Extra-virgin Olive Oil, which is high in mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids, which are good for keeping your heart healthy.

 

Just be careful not to overdo it - use a reasonable amount of oil to cook your meat, not the whole bottle. As a rough ballpark figure, I use only a tablespoon or two of oil to cook a 500gm bag of minced chicken breast.

​

Don't let large amounts of salt to your food as well - a high dietary salt intake will increase your risk of developing high blood pressure.

​

IN EVERY MEAL!

​

Try and include a helping of protein in every meal, so you have a balanced meal. This includes breakfast as well!

​

We'll look at how to divide up your plate for each meal, but a rough gauge of the portion size for your lean protein should be about the size of your palm.

​

There are more accurate ways to see how much protein you are eating, like using a food scale and counting your calories, but this is a little more advanced and requires more effort. 

​

WRAP IT UP!

​

Protein is good for you. You need your protein, even if you are not an athlete. Just make sure you stick with a lean protein!

​