All About Protein

The Benefits of Protein

Protein is very important in a well-balanced diet. Not only does your body need protein in order to survive, but it needs protein in order to heal, grow, and perform.

Protein, unlike carbohydrates and fats, is made up out of amino acids, and when protein is digested those amino acids rearrange in order to transform into muscle, hormones, enzymes, and antibodies.

Protein can give structural shape to organs and cells and can assist in transporting oxygen throughout the blood stream.

Protein Hierarchy

Just like fat, protein comes in different forms: complete or incomplete.

Whether a protein source is complete or incomplete depends on the amino acids that it consists of. If a protein source has all of the essential amino acids then it is complete, and if a protein does not have all of the essential amino acids then it is considered incomplete.

Complete proteins are usually derived from animal products like meat, dairy, and eggs. Soy, although not from an animal, is a complete vegetable protein.

Incomplete proteins are usually sourced from plant sources like grains, legumes, and produce.

The Importance of Complete Protein

Choosing complete proteins gives your body all of the building blocks it needs in order to survive. While you are on the 30/10 program you will be consuming complete proteins. When you transition into maintenance, ask your coach about incomplete protein pairings if you are interested in consuming most or all of your proteins from plant-based sources.