*UPDATED* PROTEIN!!! Why is it so important!? How much is enough?

Protein is a major functional and structural component for cell growth. It provides the body with roughly 10-15% of our dietary energy. We need protein for growth and repair of everything from hair and nails to muscles. Have you ever lifted heavy and felt sore the next day or so? This is because when you lift moderate-to-heavy weights, you make little tiny tears in your muscles. Don’t freak out, that’s not a bad thing, your body will repair itself if it is given the right Fuel. Protein is essential to help repair those tiny tears and help promote muscle growth. That’s why muscles essentially get bigger over time with training, because you break them down by lifting and your body + protein help to build the muscles up bigger and stronger. Make sure you get your protein in within 15 – 30 minutes of strength training.

This being said, LADIES: do not fear the protein. Consuming protein is not going to turn you into a body builder with huge muscles, that takes a lot of work and dedication. You always hear women saying: I don’t want to bulk up. Well, good news: IT IS EXTREMELY HARD FOR WOMEN TO GET BIG! Women lack the testosterone levels that men have, which is why men see muscle growth much faster than females.

Another note, it is important to give your muscles rest from lifting. If you lift total body Monday, you need to save 48 hours before lifting again. Otherwise, those tiny tears do not get repaired and more & more tears are made, essentially weakening your muscles instead of repairing them. This is why people often break up lifting into muscle groups. If you lift chest on Monday, you can lift Back/Biceps on Tuesday. Everyone’s routine will be different. Just don’t work the same muscle groups on consecutive days.

Proteins are made up of amino acids, some of these amino acids are essential to our body because they cannot be produced or stored in our body, so they have to come from our diet. When you think of protein do you think of red meat? almonds? eggs? Protein can come from many sources either plants or animals. Eggs contain all 8 essential amino acids, so they are a perfect source of protein. However, you would have to eat like 8 a day to get all your protein you need, so make sure your diet is well-balanced and you will be able to obtain all the protein you need. Most plant-based proteins do not contain all of the essential amino acids so it is really important for vegans and vegetarians to eat a wide variety of foods to ensure they get all the amino acids that the body cannot make. Foods such as nuts, beans, legumes, & leafy vegetables should all be staples for a vegetarian diet.

Ages 1-3 years: 1.05 g/kg/day

Ages 4-13 years: .95 g/kg/day
Ages 14-18: .85 g/kg/day
Pregnant Women: 1.1 g/kg/day
Lactating Women: 1.3 g/kg/day

If you exercise & strength train often- you may want to up your protein 15-20 grams and get these extra grams post-workout.

“The International Society of Sports Nutrition states that protein needs for athletes are greater than the needs for more sedentary individuals. For every pound of body weight, an athlete should strive to consume between 0.64 to 0.9 grams of protein daily. Endurance athletes, such as marathon runners and cyclists, should aim for the lower range of this scale, while strength-training athletes, such as power lifters and bodybuilders, should aim for the higher range.”

Log your food intake for 3 days using an App for your smartphone or online with an app such as, MyFitnessPal, www.myfitnesspal.com – Are you getting the required protein? If you are not, you need to add in some protein rich foods to your diet!

Obviously, whey protein shakes are a great way to go, the recipes for these are endless. Just google “protein shake recipes” you’ll find plenty to try! You can just mix protein + water/almond milk or make a shake! However, these shakes need to be considered snacks and should not be consumed with meals if weight loss is your goal. I remember in grad school, I thought I was being really healthy by having a chocolate protein shake with my breakfast every morning, but was actually just hurting my weight loss goal, because I was only ADDING calories instead of replacing a snack.

Here are some great protein rich snacks for you to try. Get creative!

Peanut Butter Banana Protein Shake:1 scoop vanilla whey protein1 Tbs peanut butter

Protein Pancakes:
4 egg whites