What you need to know about Protein!

[MamaMichelle]

I know there have been some questions about protein and I thought this article explained everything well!

What are proteins?

Proteins are essential in everybody's diet. They are complex substances found in many foods and are made up of thousands of small units called amino acids. Proteins contain about four kcalories per gram, but the body prefers to use carbohydrate and fat as energy sources.

What do proteins do?

It is vital that we eat enough protein. Proteins are the building blocks of the body. The different amino acids that make up proteins are important for growth, tissue repair and replacement. Bones, muscles, the walls of hollow organs - in fact almost every part of the body - needs a supply of amino acids in order to keep healthy.

Where are proteins found?

Meat and fish are excellent sources of protein. However, you can also get protein from cereals, dairy products, nuts, lentils, pulses and some vegetables.

The proteins in meat and fish provide all the amino acids the body needs, and in approximately the right proportions. For this reason, they are called "complete proteins".

In contrast, the proteins from plants are called "incomplete proteins" because they do not contain all the amino acids the body needs. In fact, no single plant contains all the amino acids the body needs. However, it is possible to obtain all the amino acids the body needs from a vegetarian diet, provided a good variety of grains, pulses, cereals and vegetables are eaten.

How much protein should we eat?

Experts recommend that each day we should eat roughly 0.75 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. You can use the table below to act as a guide to your protein requirements.

MMnote-

I couldn't get the table image to show up so here's a link: http://www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/h...nutrition4.html

Or if you want to do the math 1 pound = 0.45359237 kilograms

So multiply your weight X 0.45359237 to find your weight in kg then multiply that by .75 to get the total number of protein grams

For me that is 184lbs x 0.45359237 = 83.4609961 X .75 = 62.5957471 or 63 grams of protein per day.

My fill doc said WLS patients need more protein than normal people so I am to aim for 90 so check with your own doctor to be sure end of MMnote

From a kcalories point of view, about 15 percent of your total daily kcalories should come from protein.

If our diet is too low in calories (from all food sources) the body will begin to use protein as an energy source. It will take the protein in our muscles to convert into calories. This is not good because when this happens important muscle mass is lost and our bodies become weaker and flabbier. People who are dieting and severely restricting their calorie intake run this risk.

Too much protein, however, should also be avoided as this can cause problems in people who have liver and kidney problems. These waste-removing organs become overloaded and have difficulty in coping. Furthermore if the main sources of protein are meat and dairy products - which can also contain a lot of saturated fat - there is a danger that blood cholesterol levels might increase.

[mona-camille]

Very good article, thanks!!

Only one thing I want to add.....using the table to determine your proteing intake can be a bit misleading. Even though my weight indicates I need to have (I forget the exact amount) a certain amount, if I do eat that much, I will not lose weight. Dr. Miranda explained that too much protein can keep you from losing weight also, so don't max out your protein with the tables.

I just found her e-mail..............

I asked: After banding, is there such a thing as too much protein? What

is the max grams of protein per day?

Her response: too much protein stores as body fat.

The max of protein is 1.5g per Kg. Ideally is 1 g per 2.2 lb of weight

to maintain the weight, you will have to cut some of that for you to

have a deficiet of calories and loose the weight.

So just follow the BASIC pyramid that is great and

simple."teamnutritionusda.gov"

2 cups of lowfat milk or yogurt PLUS

4 servings of meat and beans per say a serving is:

1 ounce nuts

1 small chicken breast (half)

1 small lean hamburger

1 hard boil egg

1/4 cup pinto beans

1 slice of turkey

1 cup split pea

The no eating and drinking is allways with your band

THE RULES ARE

Do not eat and drink at the same time

avoid Pbing

exercise 30 minutes per day

eat thre solid meals per day

avoid high calorie liquids

chew 30 times per bit

Do not eat between meals

STOP EATING as soon as you fell full.

Dr. Miranda

I can't find the e-mail where I told her the amount of protein the table told me to have and she responded to me to cut that down, and not eat the whole amount. Again, this might be the rule for 'me' and not necessarily for everyone.

[fat2nrml]

Thanks Michelle, very informative!!!! :lb13:

[Dontondan]

Why would anyone "want" to do the math??? Too early in the morningi....good article Michelle.

[Kim2BSlim]

Excellent info. Thanks!