Your Body Needs Protein

Did you know that proteins are the building blocks of your body - they are like Legos for your body parts? You can consume protein by eating meat, poultry, fish, legumes eggs and also nuts.

Eggs contain vitamins, protein and fats. Just one egg contains over 6 grams of protein.

Raw nuts and seeds can provide you with some of the protein that your body needs. If you roast the nuts it does reduce the antioxidant levels in the nuts slightly but not enough to render them unhealthy. You may however need to watch your sodium intake if you eat salted nuts. Sunflower seeds contain protein but zinc, folate, vitamin E and also magnesium, quite a little powerhouse nut!

When you eat fish you are getting an excellent source of lean protein and also omega-3 fatty acids. If you fry the fish or serve it with a heavy, fat and calorie dense sauce you will quickly turn a healthy food into an unhealthy food.

Red meats are an excellent source of protein, vitamin B12, and also minerals. Red meats also contain saturated fats so be sure to choose lean cuts of red meats and to trim all visible fat. You can substitute poultry, and vegetarians can substitute beans and legumes.

Did you know that there are two kinds of protein? There is animal protein and there is vegetable protein. They both have the same effects on your health. The difference between the two proteins is in the “package” for instance when you desire to get your protein from a juicy steak you are looking at 38 grams of protein AND about 44 grams of fat of which 16 of them are saturated fat. That steak alone is about 3/4s of the daily-recommended amount of saturated fat. If you ate a cup of lentils instead you would be getting 18 grams of protein, but only 1 gram of fat. Vegetable proteins such as beans, nuts, and whole grains, are good choices for protein and they also provide healthy fiber, vitamins and minerals. Those who love to eat animal proteins should choose fish and poultry. If you must have red meat then make sure that you choose the leaner cuts and make sure you stick to a proper portion size. Limit your red meat intake to once or twice a week.

Protein is important to your health because your body uses protein to maintain and replace the tissues in your body. Your organs, muscles, and many of your hormones are made up of protein. Protein is also used in the manufacture of hemoglobin (red blood cells). We all need hemoglobin because it carries oxygen to all of your body parts. Your body also uses protein in order to manufacture antibodies that fight infection and disease. Protein is also necessary in the process of the body’s ability to clot blood.