The Importance of Protein

Protein is one of the basic building blocks of the body so it is an essential part of your diet and can influence your strength but probably not your energy. Your muscles are built with protein and in fact protein is made up of 20 amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and 9 are essential, they cannot be created and must be eaten meaning the other 11 amino acids can be created by our body.

Many times we here that you need to eat steak for energy but in actual fact as we learned earlier carbohydrates are the body's favored energy source. I always think of muscles as being made out of protein but really muscles are mostly water and protein so if you think about how people tend to diet they will cut out things like steak and carbohydrates so the body is not getting as much protein and carbohydrates as it needs to burn for energy so it will tend to burn protein and fat in equal parts to get energy. This is great for losing weight and good for losing fat but it is really bad to lose muscle. One of the ways to stop your body from burning muscle for energy is to do a fair amount of exercise, especially weight training to increase your muscle mass on a consistent basis.

So what kind of foods contain protein and how much do we need? Full proteins are found in steak chicken and fish and non-full proteins (those without all of the essential amino acids) are contained in lentils, beans, corn, peanuts. A can of Tuna has 20-25 grams of protein and if you look around you can probably get about 80 grams of protein a day comfortably. Some bodybuilders will eat 250-500 grams of protein a day but realistically if you have protein in a couple or three of your meals you are doing pretty good. One of the things to think about is that water is needed for your body to break down protein so if you are increasing your protein intake drink more water to gelp take the load off of your kidneys. Here are a couple links to protein resources here and here

Bill Nadraszky is a lifetime fitness and exercise junkie. Main website for more information is 30 days to fitness

---

The Most Effective Treatments for Acid Reflux Disease

Acid reflux disease, or GERD, is a common compliant of... Read More

Go Nuts!

Nuts of all kinds (I am talking peanuts, cashews etc)... Read More

Studies Prove Magnesium Boosts Memory & Learning Ability

According to the National Institute of Health, Magnesium is needed... Read More

Must Have List Of Foods That Lower Cholesterol

Cholesterol is present in our bodies by one of two... Read More

Water and Water Filters: How Much Do You Know?

Water is a vitally important component of any valuable and... Read More

Benefits of a Variety of Fruits and Vegetables

We know we need to eat a minimum of 5... Read More

Curbing Your Carbohydrate Addiction

Some experts consider carbohydrate craving and addiction as something more... Read More

The 9 Most Common Mistakes to Avoid When Reading a Food Label

NutrientsFat, Sugar, Sodium and CarbohydrateThe sections on a food label... Read More

Dietary Sources of Glutathione

DIETARY SOURCES OF GLUTATHIONE: Glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant and... Read More

South Beach Diet - US vs. World

Diets concern especially Americans as they do have a "national... Read More

The No 1 Reason Why Most Diets Fail & What to Do About It

How many times have you tried to diet/lose weight in... Read More

Reverse Disease and Maintain Optimal Health

PROTEIN DEFICIENT? CHANCES ARE YOU ARE!Did you know that 9... Read More

Aspartame -More Dangerous Than High Fructose Corn Syrup

It's really hard to believe that something could be worse... Read More

MonaVie Acai Berry Juice - The Tree of Life from Amazonian Rainforest...

What ancient tribes and people of the Amazon have known... Read More

Fat: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

When it comes to planning a healthy diet, fat is... Read More

Nutrition Secrets Never Before Revealed

The topic of nutrition is one that is always present... Read More

Fluoride in Drinking Water

Are there any benefits to be obtained from drinking water... Read More

Power of Oatmeal

Come on, guys and gals. Those Trix are for kids.And... Read More

Good Fat Diet or How to Choose the Best Foods for Your Family?

Some fats are good for you. Your body can't function... Read More

4 Steps To Brain Health

New studies bring to our attention that high levels of... Read More

3 Important Differences Between White Bread and Whole Wheat

For any kid who grew up eating doughy, thick Wonder... Read More

Salads Take Center Stage

The reason I remember the first time I was served... Read More

The Four Cornerstones of Nutrition

What is nutrition? We hear so many reports today on... Read More

5 Favorite Summer-Break Tips

You can trust me that I make sure to take... Read More

Eating to Gain Mass

This is usually the forgotten element of most mass programs.... Read More

Food for Healthy Nails

Nails are a protective horn at the end of our... Read More

Cherries - A Natural Joint Pain Killer

Fruit Advantage Tart Cherry capsules are a nutritious, all-natural alternative... Read More

Relieve PMS with the Food Diet Changes

Almost every woman suffers with premenstrual syndrome at one time... Read More

The Dangers of Honey

Before we get to honey we have a question from... Read More

Are You Lactose Intolerant?

Do you know anyone who can't consume milk or milk-based... Read More

Healthy Eating Tips for Healthy Living

Eating healthy is fast becoming a way of life. American's... Read More

Lingzhi A Miracle Herb For Peak Health

The secret of success is knowing how to deal with... Read More

What Is an Essential Fat?

You may have heard that essential fats are an important... Read More