Protein is my favorite nutrient. And it’s the most important! (not that the others are not…)
Crash course on protein
- It’s absolutely vital so make sure you get what you need!
- Weigh yourself. You need a gram of protein for every kilogram you weigh. Daily!
- Get it from: meat, mushrooms, cheese, soy
Why is protein important?
Roast Meat...
- Protein is the stuff that all your muscles are made of, what your brain is made of, all your organs, hair, nails!
What happens if I don’t eat enough protein?
- You can’t build any muscle and the ones you have start to shrink
- Your metabolism slows down
- You put on weight
- Your hair starts falling (usually after about 3 months of inadequate protein consumption)
- Your skin gets dry
- In time, your organs give out and you die (Cheer up!)
What happens if I eat too much protein?
- Nothing (with the exception of those who have a kidney disease )
- But! You might end up eating too much fat and that is harmful!
- If you don’t eat any carbs while you eat lots protein, you’ll lose weight!
Where do I find it?
- In all kinds of meat, mushrooms, cheese…
- And let’s not forget, in the notoriously famous Soy meat!
How much should I eat?
What’s your weight in kilograms? You have to eat at least those many grams of protein every day!
If you’re mostly muscle (good for you!), or you want to build more muscle you should eat even more than that.
- September 11th, 2009
- Nutrition
Now, if I could just get up...
Along with cheese, other dairy products are good sources of protein. Eggs, poultry, and fish are also great sources (not always understood as “meat”), as are beans, nuts and seeds. Mushrooms are not a high protein source.
Eating too much protein as a lifestyle may actually lead to kidney disease. Like you said, it can also be associated with eating too much (saturated) fat (and cholesterol), which contributes to heart disease.
The daily protein recommendation for endurance athletes is 1.2-1.4 g/kg of body weight, and for strength trainers 1.4-1.6 g/kg. Weight in kilograms can be determined by dividing weight in pounds by 2.2.
Yes, you are right. But usually, except cheese, other dairy products are rarely made up of more than 4% protein.
Mushrooms may not be a great source, but it’s what many vegetarians and vegans opt for. And for their sake mushrooms are worth mentioning.
And fish is an excellent protein source! Low fat tuna is 20-25% protein and nothing else!
Thank you for the comment!