What is protein?Protein is the body’s primary building block for muscle, bone, skin, hair and many other tissues in the body, as well as an essential nutrient for many basic functions. Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle or just maintain a good energy balance throughout the day, protein is the most important macronutrient.Protein is the first topic in many nutrition consults for multiple reasons:-Getting a significant amount of this macronutrient in every meal is a great foundation to build upon in order to create a well rounded diet. This is so important because of the increased satiety of protein, meaning it sustains your appetite for longer than fat or carbohydrate sources.-The increased thermic effect has been found to cost 50% or more energy for the body to breakdown vs. carbohydrates meaning you actually burn more calories from consuming protein.Protein consumption is especially important for athletes as it helps in the repair of exercise-induced damage and create new adaptations to muscle fibers.How much protein do I need?This varies from person to person. A good starting point can be somewhere between .75 and 1.25g/lb of your lean body mass.What sources should I get my dietary protein from?As many different sources as possible. Beef, pork, chicken and eggs are a good starting point as well as fish, bison, duck, deer and any other wild game.If you are one of the people who are worried about red meat increasing the risk of heart disease, Google “red meat heart disease myth” and sift through the millions of results for the one that answers your concerns the best.Adequate protein consumption is the first step in creating a well rounded diet, but not the only step. Come learn more this Saturday at our first “Ultimate You” Town Hall meeting!
