Understanding what is Protein
When you hit the gym and are left racked with pain, what step do you intend to take next? Okay, let us forget about being physically active and focus on the basic issues faced daily. How brittle are your nails and hair causing breakage throughout the year and leaving you annoyed? The reason behind these issues is one - Insufficient protein in a diet. Protein is made up of amino acids that are linked by peptide bonds and they break down to help in muscle recovery. A human body requires 20 amino acids out of which 11 are present in the body, while the remaining 9 are acquired from foods. The basic working of protein is to recover muscles that tend to wear and tear after a heavy workout or rigorous training.
Why should you add protein?
How often do you check the amount of nutrients you add to your diet every day? Many people tend to keep a check on the amount of calories consumed in a day. But what about the rest? Around 15 percent of body weight contains protein making this macronutrient a potent form of nutrient. While a common person requires consuming 0.8 - 1.2 g of protein per kg body weight, an athlete’s requirement for the same goes up depending upon his lifestyle, training intensity and exercise duration which can be added with a premium protein supplement.
Many studies have given proven results that people who add enough protein in daily diet have started eating healthy. Unlike previous habits of munching on unhealthy options like chips, chocolates, crackers, deep fried snacks, fast foods and more, these people have switched to better options. They started eating adequately for dinner and alternated their intake for sugary drinks and processed foods with salads, smoothies and more.
How can a body benefit with a protein diet?
Protein for building muscle is common, but it is also a complete package to aid a body from other numerous benefits like:
- Repair tissues that tend to wear during intense workouts
- Attain successful weight management results
- Promote healthy functioning of the brain
- Give immediate improvement in immune health
- Strengthen bones
- Maintain a young and healthy heart
- Slow down the ageing process
- Decrease the risk of getting obese and gaining unwanted body fat
Protein can be classified into two types:
1. Complete Protein: You may have often heard that meat and eggs are the ideal sources of protein. Well, this is certainly true because animal sources are the best form of fuelling a body with this macronutrient. They are Complete Protein comprising of all the essential amino acids and can be also found in fish, chicken, turkey, pork and dairy products.
2. Incomplete Protein: India is known for its diverse culture where hundreds of people follow different rituals and lifestyle. However, about 60% of the population are vegetarians who get bullied with a constant reminder that they are protein deficient. If you are among them, then you can now flaunt your plate of protein rich foods by including plant source items like soy, quinoa, chia and more. Although these foods aren’t as complete as animal sources for they lack one or more essential amino acids, they happen to be the better alternates than other plant foods.
There are a plethora of ways to enhance the quality of meal consumed on a daily basis. Of course, it is not everyone’s cup of tea, especially in the Indian diet, to include meat and eggs in everything one grabs a bite to eat. So, the concept of Complimentary protein works perfectly where one needs to blend two or more incomplete proteins like rice and beans to gain complete protein results.
So, keeping the basic knowledge about the necessity of protein, ensure including this amazing nutrient in your diet and always be as right as rain.
