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Choices4Wellness
Protein Importance
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Facts:Amino Acids make up protein.
Amino acids are categorized as either "essential" or "non-essential." When protein is broken down by digestion the result is 22 known amino acids. Eight are essential (cannot be manufactured by the body) Protein makes up basically everything in your body – in fact there are around 50,000 different forms of protein. In fact, the only thing our body has more of than protein is water.
Protein is the building block of our whole body - muscles, tissues, hair, nails, etc - all made up of protein. If you do not have enough protein in your body you can NOT build and maintain muscle mass. The body needs to break protein down to amino acids to build muscles. So, no matter how much you work out - if you don't have protein - you will not gain or maintain muscle mass.
Muscles are one of those things that most of us take completely for granted, but they are incredibly important for two key reasons:
1 They are the "engine" that your body uses to propel itself. Although they work differently than a car engine muscles do the same thing -- they turn energy into motion.
2 It would be impossible for you to do anything without your muscles. They are efficient at turning fuel into motion, they are long-lasting, they are self-healing and they are able to grow stronger with practice. They do everything from allowing you to walk to keeping your blood flowing!
Are you getting enough protein in your diet?
There is no exact answer to this question. There are two different formulas that are commonly used:
To ensure that the body is in a positive muscle building state, in other words, that it is burning fat--not muscle, you should ingest at least .9 grams of protein per lean pound of body weight.
For example, a 200 lb. man with 12% body fat requires 158 grams of protein daily. ?200 X .12 = 24 lbs ?200 - 24 = 176 lbs ?176 X .9 = 158 gms
The latest study from the International Journal of Sports Nutrition says that people involved in strength training should get 1.6 - 1.7 grams protein per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of bodyweight per day. That is .7 grams per pound. Therefore, a 200 lb man (200 * .7) would need 140 grams of protein. Slightly less than the first formula.
As an estimate we figure that you should consume between .7 - .9 grams of protein per pound of body weight. These numbers vary based on the amount of body fat you have. Women have higher body fat than men, so they should be on the lower end of the scale. Here are some examples:
150 pounds = 105 - 135 grams of protein a day?160 pounds = 112 - 144 grams of protein a day?170 pounds = 119 - 153 grams of protein a day?180 pounds = 126 - 162 grams of protein a day?190 pounds = 133 - 171 grams of protein a day?200 pounds = 140 - 180 grams of protein a day?220 pounds = 154 - 198 grams of protein a day?240 pounds = 168 - 216 grams of protein a day?260 pounds = 182 - 234 grams of protein a day
I would have to say most likely we do not get enough protein . Most of the people I talk to, after going through their daily food intake, their intake consists of mostly carbohydrates.
Secondly take a look at the society as a whole we are becoming fatter. There are many factors as to why but one of them is the lack of protein at every meal.
Created equal:
All proteins we ingest are not the same including supplements as a matter of fact, not all protein is absorbed in the same way in the body. The better a protein is absorbed by the body the higher the Biological Value (BV) the protein is said to have.
Biological value measures the amount of protein (or more precisely - the nitrogen) retained in the human body per gram of protein absorbed. This measure started out as a percentage - with a whole egg being at the top of the chart - 100% nitrogen absorbed. However, things got a little more confusing when Whey Protein was discovered. Since whey is a better source of protein than an egg it actually scores higher than 100. This means the percentage must be dropped - because greater than 100% does not make much sense. So, today BV is a number which lets you compare different types of protein.
Here is a table of BV rated protein
ProteinBVWhey isolate110-159
Whey concentrate104
Whole egg100
Cow's milk91
Egg white 88
Fish83
Beef80
Chicken79
Casein77
Soy74
Rice59
Wheat54
Beans49
As I have said before balance is the key in your food intake that being said if you eat protein with every meal you will not get fat. In fact it may help you if you are on a diet. The amino acids in protein can help keep your blood sugar levels stabile. This is important because it keeps you feeling good all day and stops your craving for food that occurs when your blood sugar level drops. If your diet is too high in carbohydrates your blood sugar levels go though peaks and valleys. You go from a burst of energy and feeling full to a lull feeling lethargic and being hungry.
I am a big proponent of protein shakes. A few a day can make a huge difference in your health and performance. Your best times to blend up a quality shake are as follows:
Right after a workout - this is when your body goes into a stage of recovery and growth. Having the amino acids that make up the protein is key at this point.
First thing in the morning - because your body has just gone though 8 hours (or however long you sleep for) of not having food - so the protein levels are way down.
Before you go to sleep - this helps prevent the protein breakdown that naturally occurs when we sleep. If you are not trying to build muscle mass then this protein breakdown is fine. But if you are working out - you want to try to minimize any losses you suffer when you sleep and your protein metabolism slows down
For an athlete 30 to 45 minutes before your event along with some EFA's and complex carbs.
The following Research shows that whey protein has the following health benefits:
• Stabilizes blood sugar and prevents diabetes by slowing assimilation of carbohydrates into glucose in the blood stream.
• Reduces stress and alleviates depression by slowing production of the powerful stress hormone, cortisol, and promoting the release of seratonin, a calming neurotransmitter (brain chemical) ( Am J Clin Nutr June 2000)
• Promotes fat loss by enhancing the release of glucagon (builds muscle, burns fat) and inhibiting release of insulin (encourages fat storage).
• Builds muscle by stimulating maximum protein synthesis.
• Enhances your immune system by raising your body's levels of glutathione, which is a powerful antioxidant produced by the body to protect cells and neutralize toxins. Whey raises glutathione levels more than any other protein . (Bounous G et al. Clin. Invest. Med. 1991) It also contains sub-fraction Lactoferrin, which is a powerful immune system booster and antioxidant. (Oram J et al. Biochem. Biophys. Acta. 1968; Bellamy W et al J. Appl. Bacteriol. 1992)
• Increases exercise capacity ( Lands et al. 1999 )
• Fights infections (Bounous G. et al. Clin. Invest. Med. 1988)
• Encourages bone growth helping to prevent osteoporosis (Toba Y, et al. J Appl Phys, 1999, Oct; 87(4))
• Fights cancer - (Baruchel S. et al. Anti-cancer Research 1996; Clin Invest. Med, 1988).
• Has the highest biological value (a measure of nitrogen retained for growth or maintenance) of any protein because it is absorbed, utilized and retained by the body better than other proteins. (Colker CM et al. Med. Sci. in Sports Exercise. 1998)
• May help lower triglycerides and cholesterol ( Zhang X Beynen AC. In: Br J Nutr (1993 Jul) 70(1):139-46
• May help prevent prostate cancer ( Toxicolgy In Vitro, Feb 2003)
• May help prevent chronic periodontal disease
Bottom line: If you are lacking in strength, if you can't lose unwanted fat, if you are an athlete and can't gain muscle or if you are older and are losing muscle mass, then consider supplementing your diet with a good quality Whey protein!
Go to a health food store and ask a qualified individual to help you choose the product that is right for you. You will see and feel the difference.....thanks for reading Greg Foster
Inspiring quote of the week: A positive attitude and thoughts are maintained by the inner conversations we constantly have with ourselves, both consciously and subconsciously.
Greg Foster, owner of Choices4Wellness has a long history in the Natural Health industry. Since 1987 Greg's goal has been to own and operate his own store. While working toward his goal, he was a sales associate for Prolab a sports nutrition company. Greg also worked as a personal trainer and helped people achieve their fat loss and fitness goals, while also teaching them that these goals were about a "whole" lifestyle approach and the benefits of supplements and healthy food choices . Always teaching that it's about FAT LOSS not weight loss, Greg is now able to live out his dream of owning a health food store so that he can better meet the needs of his clients. Greg has a personal training room at the store where he has one on one time with his clients. They range from teenagers to couples that want personalized time and attention to achieve fitness goals without the busy atmosphere of a gym, where sometimes your precious work-out time is gobbled up by socializing and waiting your turn on the equipment.. It is during this time that Greg is able to recommend lifestyle choices to enhance your work-out routine & a positive mental attitude. Being a father of 3 boys, ages Trevor 18, Chad 10,and Shane 9 , Greg is sympathetic to living a busy life, and helps to make fitness goals realistic as well. At 41, Greg Foster , has embarked on a journey of entrepreneurial spirit, meshed with a passion to see people lead healthier ,happier lives. Truly, a business combination for success. Kim Iles, the manager of Choices4Wellness, is no stranger to the Natural Health Industry. She formerly founded and owned Alternative Choices from 1993 until its closing in 2004. During those 11years, Kim achieved many levels of business experience. She was on the board of directors for the CHFA (Canadian Health Food Association) as well as developing and franchising her Alternative choices concept. Kim's real passion however is with teaching, providing lectures, and spreading her knowledge of natural health through out Chatham-Kent and beyond. Kim is a mother of a 22 year old daughter , Nicole and a 17 year old son, Jordon . To Choices4Wellness, Kim also brings her knowledge of the water purification side of the business. Kim is a former owner and co-founder of Pure Choice Water Centers. The new store located inside of Choices4Wellness is appropriately named Choices4Water with a slogan "water you can believe in", offering state of the art purification better tasting and at better prices than the old business she left behind. Kim has always been a familiar voice on the radio, as well as in the newspaper, as she believes education and creating awareness is vital to getting people use and accept natural health products to create wellness and a lifestyle that enhances their lives.
