let's talk protein

When you think of protein, maybe you imagine bodybuilders or athletes. Yet, each of us needs protein, too, and no other nutrient plays many roles in your body. It helps build muscles, blood cells, scar tissue, hormones, nails, and hair.

Proteins are long strands of tiny parts known as amino acids. Each amino acid is like a letter of the alphabet, and proteins are words they form when you put them together.

Luckily, a varied balanced diet gives you all the amino acids and protein that you will need to thrive. Meat, fish, eggs, and the dairy product usually provide complete protein. Most plant foods generally give you incomplete protein because they are missing a few amino acids.

Aside from the essential roles, it plays in your body, adding lean protein to your breakfast can also help you lose weight without trying. In previous research, overweight women who started their day with a slice of bacon or cheese on an English muffin felt fuller afterward and had less desire to munch. Experts know that this early burst of protein could help you eat less during the rest of the day. In contrast, eating lots of protein throughout the day, every day did not blunt hunger.

This is important because eating too much can have serious repercussions. The issue for most meat-eaters is not getting enough protein- it is getting too much. Diets high in protein-rich foods are linked to obesity and can worsen existing kidney issues and increase calcium loss from your bones. Focusing solely on foods with protein can crowd out other important nutrients, like Vitamin C and folate. Balance is key. You need protein to live, but not too much.

Switch to fish -instead of beef twice a week when possible, you will not only get plenty of complete protein but also heart-protecting polyunsaturated omega 3 fats.

Lean toward legumes- this includes beans, peas or lentils provide for your daily intake of protein. You benefit from rich stores of fiber and iron without the saturated fats.

Cook with moist heat- helps in digestion so one can absorb more of it.

Combine plant foods- Grains, for example, gives you an incomplete protein whilst legumes gives you the other half. Eat them together and get the whole alphabet of amino acids-complete protein. Beans with rice, peanut butter on bread, and tofu over brown rice are just a few such complementary combinations. You do not have to eat them together in the same meal, just on the same day.