Protein

An essential nutrient!

Protein – An essential nutrient that builds and repairs body tissue, supports cell growth, and provides energy for the body.

Amino Acid – Building blocks from which new proteins are made. There are 22 different ones but only 9 are essential for good health.

Protein has multiple functions

Build and repair body tissue Maintain cell growth Energy

4 calories per gram

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Must be supplied daily

Constantly needed to replace wear and tear of tissue and keep up protein concentration in the blood serum

Protein provides energy

Can take the place of some fat and carbohydrate

Excess protein converted to energy

Stored as fat

Fats and carbs cannot replace protein

Needed to replace wear and tear of tissue and keep up protein concentration in the blood

Excess protein, once converted to energy, cannot convert back to protein

The best animal sources of protein

Milk Eggs Fish Poultry Red Meat

The best plant based sources of protein

Soy Tofu

Quinoa Legumes

Lentils Beans

Nuts and Seeds Vegetables

Broccoli Avocado Kale

What the heck are legumes???

Legumes are plants that bear their fruit in pods, which are casings with two halves, or hinges. Legumes are a very healthy food because it is low in fat and high in protein.  Legumes are also very high in fiber and other nutrients.

What the heck are lentils???

Lentils are legumes along with other types of beans. They grow in pods that contain either one or two lentil seeds that are round, oval or heart-shaped disks and are oftentimes smaller than the tip of a pencil eraser. They may be sold whole or split into halves with the brown and green varieties being the best at retaining their shape after cooking.

Excessive Protein

It is not necessary to eat a lot of protein.

May do more harm than good.

How to Calculate Your Protein Needs:

1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg 2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm.

Use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary (i.e., 0.8). Use a higher number (between 1 and 1.8) if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training.

Amino Acids

Building Blocks from which new proteins are made.

There are 22 different ones, but 9 are essential for good health.

                                                                

Complete Protein

Any food that has all 9 essential amino acids are considered complete proteins.

All animal proteins are classified as complete proteins.

Support growth and maintenance of body tissue

For those who don’t eat meat…

Complete protein plant sources

Some plant based proteins are complete proteins: Brewers Yeast Certain nuts Soybeans (tofu) Cottonseed Germ of grains

Partially Complete (aka-Incomplete) Amino Acids

Provide normal maintenance

Do not support growth

Some plant foods contain protein, but not all essential amino acids

Incomplete Proteins

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Incomplete proteins can be combined to form a complete protein

Eat a variety of foods to make certain the body gets all the essential amino acids.

Make proteins complete by: Combining plant and animal

food Combining plant protein from

variety of cereals and grains Rice and beans Granola and nuts

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Protein that’s is not immediately needed…

Is excreted by the body, or Is converted to Fat and stored in adipose (fat)

tissues in body. Cannot be converted back into amino acids

Protein needs influenced by

Age Body Size Quality of the proteins Physical state of the

person 3-6 ounces per day or

2-3 “servings”

Insufficient Protein

Lower one’s resistance to disease,

Damage liver Death Tiredness Weight loss Lack of energy Stunt growth Not common in U.S.

Severe protein deficiency – Kwashiorkor Disease