Protein is an absolutely essential component of a healthy and balanced diet. Amino acids are chemical 'building blocks' that make up proteins. Aminos help your body create and repair muscles and bones, as well as produce hormones and enzymes. Check out this comprehensive page, all about protein.
Your body need protein as a nutrient in order to function correctly and in particular to help your body’s cells grow and repair. You can get protein in a wide variety of foods, and it’s crucial you include sufficient amount of protein in your diet each day. The amount of protein you need in your diet depends to a high degree on several different factors, including your activity, weight, gender, age, and your state of health.
Eating a variety of meals can help you meet your protein demands. Protein can come from both plant as well as animal sources, including:
Meat or Animal Based Protein
Vegetable or Plant Based Protein
A protein’s nutritional value is determined by how many of the essential amino acids it contains. Amino acids are the building components that make up proteins. There are 20 different amino acids that may be combined in various forms that make up these amino acids. They are used by your body to create new enzymes, hormones, and protein tissue like bone and muscle. In addition, amino acids can be used by your body as a source of energy.
From the known 20 amino acids, your body can make 11, commonly referred to as “non-essential” amino acids. There are 9 amino acids however, classified as “essential” amino acids that your body cannot make. To ensure that your body can function at an optimal level, you’ll need to consume enough foods in your diet containing plenty of proteins that include all of the nine essential amino acids. It is important to remember that the quantity of necessary amino acids in a diet can vary quite a bit, depending on the type of foods you eat.
Animal products, including meat, poultry, fish, and dairy foods, are referred to be “complete” proteins since they include all nine necessary amino acids. They are therefore considered ideal or high-quality protein. But that doesn’t mean you “have” to eat meat in order to be really healthy!
All of these nine necessary amino acids can also be found in soy products, quinoa and amaranth. Plant proteins like beans, lentils, nuts & seeds and whole grains often lack just one of these essential nine amino acids and are therefore considered “incomplete” proteins. To ensure they acquire a proper balance of critical amino acids, those who follow a strict vegetarian or vegan diet would be wise to include a wide range of protein sources from different plant-based foods every day. This will ensure they end up with plenty of all the necessary amino acids by the body.
The most important thing to remember here is that as long as you consume a wide variety of foods, you can get all the protein requirements if you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, even strictly. Plant proteins can be combined to include all of the nine essential amino acids and form a complete protein meal. Examples of combined, complete plant proteins are rice and beans, milk and wheat cereal, and corn and beans. Baked beans on toast, a meal made of cereal and legumes, has all the necessary amino acids present that can be found in traditional meat dish.
I’ve found many people in my experience will eat meat (a complete protein) at night with their evening meal, the supper, and tend to eat too light with breakfast and lunch, meaning they are a bit too light on the protein in their diet during their working day. Many people just don’t eat enough protein to sustain them throughout the day, potentially leading to snacking at night. Some may end up with hypoglycemia, low blood-sugar, a common complaint I’ve seen with many patients over the years. Others end with weight, appetite or low energy issues from eating insufficient protein.
And what is wrong with this you ask? If a person is active throughout the morning and afternoon, there caloric demand will be quite high. This demand can be from doing mental or physical work, and what you will find is that if your breakfast and lunch contain sufficient protein, you will have more staying power or endurance and much less chance of fatigue in the early afternoon.
A person’s required protein intake varies and depends on your sex, height, weight and exercise levels but a normal protein intake ranges anywhere from 20 to 50 grams with each meal.
You will need to experiment to find out what protein sources suit you the best. Personally, I find that egg is the best protein for me in the mornings, and at least two to three times a week I like to eat a cooked breakfast for that reason. In many cases, I have found that once a person eats more quality protein (lean meats, eggs, fish and chicken) they start to notice that their energy levels improve, their mood improves, their sleep improves and that their overall levels of well being improve.
Proteins are a type of macronutrient found in many different kinds of foods and drinks. Protein, carbohydrates, and fats are called macronutrients.
When we think of protein we generally think of meat, right? Wrong way of thinking. Most of us think of a beef steak or a piece of chicken as soon as we are asked to described what protein is. I know that most people are protein-focused when it comes to their main meal, because when I ask most patients what they eat the reply usually is “oh, I like chicken” (or red meat, fish, eggs, etc. But, I have found that this protein focus is usually based around their evening meal.
Most people would eat their main protein (usually some type of meat) with their evening meal. But before we go more into eating protein and the best protein choices, let’s take a look at what proteins actually are, and the roles they perform in your body and why they are so crucial to your overall health and well-being. Proteins are nutrients that are essential to the building, maintenance and repair of your body tissues such as your skin, internal organs and muscles. They break down to become amino acids which themselves are the major components of many tissues of your body, including all your muscles and even your blood cells which make up your immune system and hormones. Proteins are absolutely vital in maintaining excellent health and should feature highly in your diet.
Here are some quick links that will take you to different pages of interest:
You need to establish what protein suits you best, I don’t believe a “one-size-fits-all” approach is good when it comes to determining your individual protein requirements. Sure you can get these “metabolic typology” and “blood type diet” books, but in the end it comes down to what suits you the best, the more I saw patients in the past, the more I have came to realise that there is no book nor guru who can tell you what protein is best suits you, it is only by trial and error and experimentation that you will come to determine your own needs.
If you take a look at different health websites, you’ll read that most have quite specific recommendations about the quantity of protein you need at what time of day and at what age. How much protein you need depends on your activity level as you age. If you remain very active like me, you’ll still need plenty of protein, even in your 60s.
If you drive your car every day (activity), you’ll need to stop quite regularly for gas (protein). But if you only drive it once a week to church on the Sunday (couch potato activity), I don’t think you’ll be going to the gas station all that often, and if you are sedentary, the chances are high in my opinion that your protein(and probably carbohydrate) intake may not be particularly good either.
Start by eating protein EVERY lunch time and dinner (a little meat, some legumes, soy, green vegetables, etc.) and rotate these proteins paying careful attention to your energy and sleep patterns. With a bit of practice you will become quite adept at listening to your body. Keeping a food diary is a great help and will you understand the relationship between health and well-being and your diet, especially the protein content.
If you are trying to get more protein in your diet, try these following suggestions:
Many people who go light on the meats go heavy on the dairy products, especially cheese, milk and sugary foods containing dairy. I’ve found that vegetarians are particularly prone to loading up on cheese, dairy products and bread. If you have any allergies, consider avoiding all dairy products for some time. I generally recommend a break from all dairy for about twelve weeks if you find you have allergies.
But you are worried about your calcium intake, right? You do not need to drink cow’s milk to get sufficient calcium, many generations existed (and with stronger bone densities than today) without the cow. you may find that you can tolerate raw milk but not the pasteurised and homogenised kind.
When eating yogurt, please pay special attention to the yoghurt content as many conventionally packaged yoghurt today contain added sweeteners, with many being artificial or corn syrup, which dramatically increases the carbohydrate content. Also, low-fat dairy products tend to be densely packed with carbohydrates and should be avoided. You may like to try and make your own yoghurt.
Dr. Atkins made the high protein and low carbohydrate diet popular some years ago, and the Atkin’s Diet has made a big come back recently. While there are some good points associated with this dietary approach, there are also some concerns. You can read more about the high protein diet approach in my article called Weight Loss And The Low Carb Approach.
Why do many people view the protein heavy Dr. Atkin’s Diet as a way to loose weight, when they should really view a diet rich in complete proteins as a way of life? Weight-loss to me infers some sort of program you do to loose weight, and then you just go back to your “normal” way of living again. Fads and diets will come and go, I have seen dozens in the 20 + years of my naturopathic practice, but the fact remains that we all have a high requirement for protein and that protein does not have to be a meat to qualify as a quality protein.
According to Harvard, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is a modest 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. But this doesn’t take into account much, because it’s the minimum amount you need to keep from getting sick — not the specific amount you are supposed to eat every day.
I’ve noticed that there are various types of high protein fad diets, some even recommend protein intakes from 200 grams even up to 500 grams per day, much too high. There are established nutritional protein guidelines however, and you can even find an online protein calculator these days. For example, a 50-year-old woman who weighs 140 pounds woman and who is sedentary (who doesn’t exercise), that translates into 53 grams of protein a day.
I believe that whilst it is important to eat enough protein, there is a general misconception out there that we need “huge” amounts of protein, and that many people either eat too much, or not enough. The protein recommendations in the “Guidelines” provide enough protein to build and repair muscles, even for people who are very active. Studies show that those who train with weights, and who do not eat extra protein (by way of protein powders or foods) can still gain muscle at the same rate as body builders who supplement their diets with lots of protein supplements and meat.
The problem with a very high-protein diet is that it can place a lot of strain the kidneys and liver. These diets can also prompt excessive loss of the mineral calcium, which can increase your risk of osteoporosis.
Avoid meats from the delicatessen, like sausages, processed meats, salami, bacon and hams. Stay with chicken, fish, beef, sheep, goat and “real” meat from preferably organically raised animals. The World Health Organisation has classified processed meats including ham, bacon, salami and frankfurters as a Group 1 carcinogen (known to cause cancer) which means that there’s strong evidence that processed meats cause cancer. Eating processed meat increases your risk of bowel and stomach cancer.
It is unfortunate for those living far away from Australia & New Zealand, in that their fish stocks are often sourced from over-fished, or contaminated waters. We are still lucky living down-under close to Antarctica with our relatively low polluted ocean, sadly though, seafood and fish, whether from the ocean, lakes and streams, or farm-raised, are all showing signs of such contamination in many parts of the world now. The world I grew up in as a child in the 1960s is vastly different today. I don’t recommend people eat farmed salmon for many reasons. Eat red salmon and wild caught salmon for this reason, otherwise try to consume ocean caught fish. Other good sources of fish protein is sardines and anchovies. There is talk about “micro-plastics are in seafood”, but I’d rather take my chances with eating freshly caught fish than commercially raised animal protein any day. Just look at that nice five pound snapper I caught at the beach. Best fish ever.
Soy is a healthy food when consumed in a fermented form like tempeh or miso, but some may wish to avoid soy products for various reasons. I generally recommend the avoidance of soy milk, especially with those who have any type of allergy, but also those with thyroid issues as soy is know to impair thyroid function.
I do believe however that a regular glass of soy milk can be beneficial for older males and especially menopausal women, particularly those who have drunk soy milk for some time and feel better for it. I do not believe that all unfermented soy is poison as many makes it out to be. Harvard Health believe that natural soy products like tofu or edamame could replace red meat and other animal sources of protein higher in saturated fat.
Soy may be no good for some but will be OK for others, and while you may disagree, that’s fine by me. I have known many people who have eaten soy protein all their life (like me) with no health concerns, in fact, I know of many people in outstanding health who eat soy several times a week. Good health is all about balance and common sense, and while one man’s meat maybe another guy’s poison, it’s not good to promote that “all meat is poison”. I have eaten tofu for over 40 years and am in excellent health, and I always feel better for eating tofu than a meal containing cow’s meat. Ultimately, it is YOU who decides what is right, don’t let Google convince you that all soy is toxic to health and that it “wrecks your hormones”, according some online sources.
Small amounts of fresh nuts and seeds taken regularly can be a great aid in overcoming low blood sugar levels. Aim for a (small) palmful each day and chew them well. The best nuts are fresh nuts, and my personal favourite choices are almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts and hazelnuts. Avoid peanuts, and be cautious with cashews (high fat) and pistachios (high refined salt). You need to be careful with allergies and tree (and ground) nuts as well, I occasionally see a patient with a major nut allergy and do you know why? Because they eat too many nuts in one sitting, like 300 or 400 grams of Brazil nuts, or a large packet of peanuts in one evening. Common sense yet again.
Hello! Indeed, your information is useful. As far as I am concerned, I find it difficult to combine different types of proteins. is there any specific time to eat nuts, for example or should nuts be hydrated before eating? What about frozen fish? fresh fish is generally grown in artificial pools. labels can be confusing or inaccurate sometimes. How much fish should I eat per week?
A very good question. I’ll be back making new videos soon, and a question like this is one I endeavour to answer in a way that would make you more fully understand the TYPE of protein to best suit you, how MUCH to consume, and WHEN. There are many things to talk about when it comes to proteins, fats and carbs. It’s what I’ve done with patients for 35 years. Fish is my fav. protein. We get the best ocean-caught fresh fish “down-under”. I have a particular liking for oily fish. The best oily fish come from the equator region (sardines, anchovies) and also the colder water species like cod, mackerel, trevally, and more. Eat fish when you “feel” like some meat, maybe once/twice a week. Maybe daily. It depends on your activity and how it makes you feel. These are concepts I’ll go a lot deeper into with videos and [podcasts soon. frozen is perfectly fine – but freeze the fish as fresh as you can get it into that freezer from the shop. It keeps for 6 – 12 months at around -3 to -4 F, that’s about 0.18 – 20 C. Pretty cold. I vacuum pack fresh fish after we catch it, and there’s plenty of good fish to catch here most times of the year. I don’t like farmed fish any more than farmed “anything” for that matter. We grow most all our fruit and vegetables. Nuts? A great snack, especially around 10 – 11 am, or 3 – 4 pm. Get about 6 – 8 almonds with skins, chew two at a time until liquid. No “chomp-chomp-swallow”, you’ll see half in your stool the following day. A good snack is 3 – 4 Brazil nuts, or 6 – 8 almonds. They key here is CHEWING, not soaking. NFresh nuts are no good to those with poor dental health, a real shame. It’s why many sadly get sick eventually, poor oral health & inability to chew food properly. Eric
Difficulty in “combining” different proteins? I don’t understand. It’s simple. Eat nuts with main meals, or as a small snack. Only a FEW though, this is where many people get it wrong. They eat TOO MANY nuts in one sitting. Guys are notorious for eating up to half-a-pound of nuts, and then wonder later on “why their tummy hurts”. Frozen fish is fine. We are lucky in NZ, our fish is ocean caught, and it’s a lot cleaner down the bottom of the world than the top! I eat fish three times a week.