Subscribe Feed (RSS)Do You Know How Much Protein You Need To Stay Healthy?
May 17th, 2008 by admin | Filed under Uncategorized.We all have heard by now the new federal government report that used
actual body measurements states one in three Americans are obese. A
2000 survey that relied on people’s own assessments put the figure at
one in five.
On every continent, even in regions of malnutrition, the number of
people who are overweight or obese is rising.
The major culprit worldwide is a combination of high-calorie diets and
lifestyle changes, the same as in the U.S.
In the U.S., obesity in children is soaring.
What can YOU do about it?
First and foremost, we can start with ourselves and our family. We alone
cannot change the whole world, but we can start making a difference in our
own families and communities.
We have also heard the many claims about this program or that – eat all
the carbs or protein you want and still lose weight. However, it is
important to understand about nutrition and that every body has
different needs. We are not “one size fits all” when it comes to our
nutrition and fitness/weight loss requirements. We still have to count
calories. There are numerous factors built into our genetic makeup
that need to be taken into consideration. For example, how active are
you? Do you have any food intolerances? How much sleep do you get? Do
you take time to relax? Are you stressed at work or home? Did you
know that your favorite food may actually be making you fat? How many
times do you eat out?
These are just a few things that need to be considered when we start
are journey to getting healthier and fit. Of course, your very first
step is getting a complete physical to be sure that you are healthy
enough to start a wellness/fitness program.
As you may or may not know, protein is the corner stone to a healthy
body. Protein is an important part in the production of blood
hemoglobin, antibodies, new muscle tissue and virtually every metabolic
process in the human body! Hair and nails are mostly made of protein.
Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage,
skin, and blood.
Unlike fat and carbohydrates, the body does not store protein, and
therefore, has no reservoir to draw on when it needs a new supply.
Without enough protein in your diet, the body cannot repair itself and
new muscle cannot be formed if essential amino acids are not present.
In addition, without the required essential amino acids found in
protein, the body will attempt to glean what it needs from incomplete
dietary protein and release it back into the blood stream. If the
essential amino acid is not delivered soon enough, the incomplete
protein is transported to the liver where it is separate from its
nitrogen base. The amino acids remaining are then converted to glucose
(blood sugar) and used as energy or stored as glycogen in the liver and
muscle tissue. These leftover amino acids can also be stored as fat –
yuk!
How do you know how much protein you need? Here is a chart to help
you compute how much protein, a day, you should be consuming. Just
find your activity level and multiple your weight by the number next to
that level to determine your daily protein requirements. Are you
eating enough?!!
Example, if you are an adult – recreational adult exerciser, you would
multiple your weight by 0.5 – 0.75 grams.
For example, you weigh 250 lbs. and consider yourself a recreational
athlete:
0.5-0.75 X 250 = 125-188 grams of protein
So, you would need to consume approximately 152 – 188 grams of protein
Current RDA for Inactive Adult 0.4
Recreational Adult Exerciser 0.5-0.75
Valerie Slaughter, a veteran marathoner herself, runs a beginner
marathon website and is the author of “You Want to Do What!?” For
articles, tips and more information about how to stay fit, healthy and
lose weight, visit: healthandfitnessnut.wordpress.com healthandfitnessnut.wordpress.com
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Tags: diet, Hair, lose weight, makeup, obesity, sleep, weight Loss
