It's Important to Eat Your Protein
Feb 28, 2023
Protein is the macronutrient that helps to build and maintain muscle and tissue. Protein is made up of amino acids and is required in every cellular function. Some protein exists naturally within our bodies, and some is required through food. This protein, known as dietary protein, is essential to life.
Our skin, bones, muscle, hair, nails and cartilage are mainly made of proteins.
Protein gives us energy, but also has many functions in the body. It helps provide structure to our tissues and cells, supports our immunity, and even helps support growth.
It's important that every meal you consume contain a protein source. This protein source should preferably come from an animal source like chicken fish, eggs or beef.
When measuring dietary protein sources, it's best to measure in ounces (oz.), not number of grams per serving. You can use a food scale to measure by weight or a measuring cup to measure by volume.
Because not all sources of dietary protein are purely protein, we classify proteins into dense, mid-dense and non-dense:
Dense protein includes beef, poultry, fish, and goat and sheep cheese. While these foods contain mostly dietary protein, they also contain some fat. When cooking with dense proteins, be sure to cut off visible fat before cooking. Measuring after cooking is usually best, but not required.
Mid-dense protein includes eggs, tempeh and tofu. They contain mostly protein, but also some fat and a small amount of carbohydrates.
Non-dense protein includes yogurt and cottage cheese. These foods contain protein, some fat and carbohydrates in the form of lactose, a naturally-occuring sugar.
If your goal is fat loss, protein is important for the following reasons:
- It has a very high thermic effect - meaning that your body works hard during digestion
- It is a very satiating nutrient - it will keep you fuller, longer
- It is responsible for the repair of skeletal muscle tissue - this helps especially during strenuous exercise
- It is a major factor in maintaining or adding lean body mass - it helps to maintain muscle, which in turn helps to burn fat.
It's recommended that you get between 0.8 and 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.
The SHAPE Program includes all kinds of protein sources. You can find out more about the SHAPE Program by clicking the SHAPE ReClaimed Program button below.
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Once healing opportunities are identified through carefully selected labs and a thorough history, only then can individualized, time-honored natural protocols be recommended that will change how well the body functions. When improvements are made, true healing occurs.
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