Why Protein?
One of the most important (but often neglected) habits that will help you get the lean, tone, healthy body that you want is simply getting adequate protein in your diet.
Why is protein important?
Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are responsible for..
Structure (of muscle, connective tissues, tendons, bones, etc....)
Hormones
Enzymes
Immune chemicals
Transport vehicles around the body
As you can see, protein is critical to nearly every metabolic function in our body, as well as the creation of the structural and functional components of our cells.
So what are the best protein sources?
There are plenty of delicious and convenient ways to get protein in your diet, such as:
Lean Meats (ground beef, chicken, turkey, bison, strip steak, pork)
Wild-Caught Fish
Eggs
Dairy (if your digestive system tolerates it well)
Supplements (whey protein isolate powder)
You may be wondering, “How much protein should I eat?”
The USDA’s Recommended Daily Allowance of protein is a measly 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight … but the RDA is a minimum amount of a nutrient you should consume each day in order to avoid becoming sick or getting a disease. A better method is to take your bodyweight in pounds and multiply by 0.36. So, a 150-pound individual should be getting at least 54 grams of protein each day.
If weighing and measuring your protein servings sounds tedious, I prefer the following visual guide popularized by my friends at Precision Nutrition: For women, I recommend 1 palm-sized serving of protein with every meal. For men, 2 palm-sized servings.
It's important to note that you don't want to go long stretches without protein and then try to cram it all in during one meal. In order for your body to be able to digest, absorb and transport protein throughout the body to do all of its good work, it needs a steady supply throughout the day.
Getting adequate protein at each meal will stimulate your metabolism, improve muscle mass and recovery, and help reduce body fat.
All good things that we want.