What can Protein Do for You?

Have you ever wondered why health and fitness professionals emphasize protein in your diet? If I’ve heard it once I’ve heard it a hundred times!!!! How much protein should I be taking in, followed with, why so much? 

Well let’s start with basic function of the gastric system:

Its number one function is to break down food as fast as possible and then empty that food into your small intestines which then transfers to the blood stream. It’s a simple catalyst to produce energy from food. Here is something else you need to know, some foods are easy to break down and others are not.

For example, sugar is broken down so fast that the only thing faster would be an IV running straight into your arm. The average hard candy can be metabolized in just minutes; for those of you that have kids, you know what I mean… As for protein, things take longer. Your gastric system has to work harder to break down protein to get it to the level of amino acid that can be absorbed into your blood stream. Why is this important? Well the longer that takes the less hunger pains you will have throughout the day. 

So What Kinds of Food are Good for Protein??

I often recommend eating eggs or egg whites with your breakfast. What you will find is that you will have a sustained energy that is more fulfilling throughout the morning. The hunger pains you have in the late morning from just eating a bowl of cereal, or toast, or just a piece of fruit will be gone. This is do to the fact that protein lengthens your gastric emptying time, it just takes more time to break it down, and that is a good thing.

The average American losses anywhere form seven to ten pounds of muscle per decade. This is due not only to a lack of exercise but also a lack of protein in the diet. Most people just don’t eat enough; we generally eat too much sugar in its place.

How Much Protein do I Need?

Regardless of your activity level I always recommend that most women get at least 50 to 75 grams protein each day, for men I always recommend at least 75 to 100 grams. Now, understand this is what you need to sustain muscle mass, without protein in your diet you will lose muscle, and the more muscle you lose the more fat you will gain.

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