Protein Rich Foods: Lose the Weight and Keep it Off For Good
Protein rich foods provide one of the major nutrients that the body needs in adequate amounts every day. Proteins are made up of building blocks called amino acids. Many of these amino acids are essential, which means that our body cannot make them. They must be supplied from the diet. When a protein contains all of the essential amino acids, it is considered a ‘complete protein’. All animal sources of protein are complete.
If one or more of the essential amino acids is missing, then the protein is considered ‘incomplete. With the exception of soy protein, vegetable sources of protein are considered incomplete. However, two incomplete plant proteins can be complementary-one protein can provide the amino acid that the other one lacks. This is how strict vegetarians are able to meet their protein needs. Rice and beans is a classic example of two proteins that complement one another to provide all the essential amino acids.
One of the primary roles of protein is to build, maintain and repair muscle tissue. Here are other functions of protein:
Hormones, the cellular messengers, are proteins
Enzymes, which help the body perform many of the chemical reactions in the cells, are proteins
Neurotransmitters are proteins
Protein is used to create red blood cells and helps to keep your hair, skin and fingernails healthy
Protein is responsible for helping produce antibodies, which fight off bacteria, viruses and germs, keeping your immune system strong. Studies show that people who do not consume enough protein rich foods are more likely to get sick than people who eat adequate amounts of protein rich foods.
Protein is thermogenic. This means that it takes more energy to process protein than the energy provides. So, when you eat protein rich foods you increase the ‘rate’ at which your body burns stored fat. Energy gets released from the fat stores and this gives you more energy. You become even more active and then go on to burn even more calories. More calories burned than eaten means that you will lose weight.
The best sources of protein are found in both animal and plant foods. Meats, fish, poultry, eggs and milk products are rich in protein. Good plant sources of protein include beans (such as soy, black and pinto), lentils and peas.
If you are feeling confused about how much protein you should consume daily, it’s not surprising. The reason for that is that there are currently several public and private organizations that publish their daily protein requirements and they all have different recommendations. Some organizations have been around for a long time and some are most recent. Some of these organizations include:
Food and Drug Administration
World Health Organization
Institute of Medicine
Food and Agriculture Organization
National Academy of Sciences
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
National Research Council
One of the factors affecting protein recommendations is how these protein numbers are calculated. Some organizations base their recommendations on whole body weight while others base their recommendations on lean muscle mass (everything but the fat). Other factors that determine how much protein a person should have include age, size, gender, their current health and their activity level.
In the weightloss challenges we run, we find we have good results using the numbers based off of lean body mass and there is evidence to support these results. We also recommend that half of the daily protein intake be in plant based soy products to reduce saturated fat intake. These daily protein numbers are meant to be a starting point for adult men and women. From there they can adjust up or down based on hunger control and weight loss progression.
On the average, women should have 75 grams of protein rich foods per day or approximately 30% of their daily caloric intake should be from protein according to Dr. Heber, author of ‘The L.A. Shape Diet’. If the woman is over 225 pounds, she should consume around 100 grams per day. Men should consume 124 grams of protein per day unless they are over 325 pounds. If they are over 325 pounds they should up their protein intake to around 150 grams. Numbers vary depending on the person. People with health problems such as kidney or liver problems should consult first with their physician before modifying their diets.
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