The Pros of Protein

Most people already know that protein is an important component of the daily diet. What few realize is that your health actually revolves around protein. Almost everything in our bodies is made from protein including our skin, hair, eyes, organs, fingernails and more.

Protein is responsible for the growth, repair and maintenance of every cell in your body. It is also essential for a properly functioning nervous system. The bottom line is that if you want to function well and stay healthy throughout your life, then you will need to consume the optimum amount of protein each day.

The recommended amount of protein intake per day is as follows: adult men need about 56 grams per day, while adult women need about 46 grams a day. However, every body shape and size is different.

To find out how many grams of protein you should be consuming, take your weight, divide it in half, and subtract 10. For example, a 140-pound person should be consuming around 60 grams of protein per day. To give you some perspective, a hardboiled egg has approximately 6 grams of protein while a 4 oz. chicken breast has about 30 grams of protein. A good tool to determine the protein content and other nutrition facts for popular foods can be found on this website.

Protein consumption is especially important when dieting to lose weight. Calories are a measurement of energy and when you consume less than your normal calorie intake, your body has to get that energy from somewhere. As you lose weight, the first calories you burn come from carbohydrates (sugar). When all of the body’s carbohydrate reserves have been depleted, the body then burns fat and protein in equal measure.

For example, if someone loses 30 pounds, oftentimes only half of that will come from fat. The other 15 pounds is from protein, which is mainly in the form of muscle tissue. Once that muscle is gone it is very difficult to get it back and—to make matters worse—your metabolism can be negatively affected since muscle is the main calorie burning engine in the body.

By consuming the adequate amount of protein during your diet, not only will you prevent muscle deterioration, but you will also target your body’s fat stores (belly, hips and thighs). The result is a lean, muscular body with a healthy metabolism to help you maintain your weight loss.

I host FREE weekly informational sessions about the Ideal Protein Diet at my clinic in Edina. Call 952-835-6750 for information or to register for the next session or email casey@chwmn.com.