Protein and increasing protein seems to be at the top of people’s main list right now, including mine. What does protein actually mean, I think many people think that protein = meat but this is not the case.
Protein is a large molecule that consists of many amino acids in one large chain. The amino acids are essential to the body and the body breaks down the protein chain to use each amino acid for different reasons. Proteins are essential for muscle mass, the immune system and also for the function of our hormones.
Not all proteins are the same. The amino acid chain of milk is very different from that of an egg. That is why when eating plant-based it is important to combine healthy ingredients such as lentils with brown rice, because this is a complete protein chain with all the essential amino acids that the body needs. If you eat brown rice in a day, it means that you have not had the complete amino acid chain.
Your body breaks down the protein in the digestive tract into individual amino acids, which then enter the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream it doesn’t matter where they come from, they are collected in an area ready for use in the body. To enable a constant supply, it is important to eat enough protein per day.
Somewhere between 0.8 g per kg body weight and 2 g per kg, depending on physical activity, male or female.
The average person needs at least 0.8 grams per kg of body weight
60kg weight = 48g protein
When there is not enough protein in the body, the body begins to break down muscle proteins so that it can supply the amino acids to the vital parts of the body, such as enzymes and hormones. You will often see this happen at ages 70 and older.
Of the 20 amino acids the body produces, 9 are essential and must be obtained from food. The rest can be produced by the body.
Meat is very acidic and heavy and should not be the place where you get all your protein.
You can get protein from almost anything that contains broccoli, for example. Most plant foods and grains contain protein.
Let’s look at each meal as an example with a 60kg female
Breakfast – Cup of chia pudding with fruit (4 g protein)
Lunch – Tuna salad with cabbage, lettuce, pumpkin seeds, sesame dressing (33 g protein)
Dinner -Buddha bowl- Quinoa half a cup, broccoli half a cup, 54 g cauliflower (1/2 cup), 1/4 avocado, sesame dressing and 2 eggs (21.5 g protein) – you can add seeds and nuts to a Buddha gut and increase that protein even more.
The total protein content for the day is well above what is needed at 58.5 g, but still within range. The example shows how easy it is to get protein. Remember that good fats and carbohydrates are also important for health.