Nutritional Basics, Part 1 - Protein

Hello everyone and welcome to another-

Energy Bulletin

You know that pesky little thing that we humans need to do at least
several times a day to stay alive? No, it's not breathing, we do
that about 25,000 times per day. No, it's that other silly thing,
you know, the one that most of us do either too much or not enough
of... Oh man, it's.... you know, that thing we do that is essential
for keeping both ourselves and our families alive and healthy?

Oh wow, I remember... It's good nutrition.

It never ceases to amaze me how little effort most people put into
something they will have to do several times a day or more for the
rest of their lives. We're talking about basic nutrition.

So why is it that so many people understand a lot more about their
car, their computer or how to sell ice to Eskimo's than they
understand about what is required to keep themselves well nourished
and working in tip top shape?

My guess is that it's just pure laziness or perhaps it's just that
most people still don't fathom, despite the continuous media
coverage over the last decade, that nutrition is often our best and
sometimes only line of defense against everything from fatigue,
cancer, diabetes, obesity, poor physical performance (including
sex), lack of concentration, heart disease, acute stress, pre-mature
aging, sarcopenia, osteoporosis, reduced immune system, poor
digestion, poor memory, cellular damage, etc, etc, etc, etc...

The list really does go on and on and it's not just words on a page.
An estimated one third of all cancers are attributable to poor
nutrition, physical inactivity, and being overweight. That means
that at least one third of all cancers are preventable, probably
more.

Anyway, mine is not to deduce the lack, but to try and fill the gap,
when and where I can.

So let's start with something everyone should already know.

I want you to do a little self test with me. Just a quick quiz to see
where your nutritional knowledge is really at.

Go grab a pen and a scrap of paper. Ready?

#1 Name 3 sources of Protein.
#2 Which of these three items has protein in it. Egg yolk – Goats
milk – Bananas – Tomatoes?
#3 For a complete meal is fish a good sole source of protein?

Before you check your answers let's try a few harder ones.

#4 Protein is made up of 20 amino acids. Of these 20 there are a
certain number that can't be synthesised in humans and must be
ingested. These are called essential amino acids. How many of the 20
are essential?
#5 Failure to obtain even one of these essential amino acids within
your nutritional profile can have serious health ramifications True
or False?
#6 Is it possible to get enough protein from a vegetarian diet?
#7 Who needs more protein, a 20 year old male, a 7 year old female
or a pregnant woman?


Easy or no?

Let's see how you fared.

The answer to number one and two would be any animal, fruit,
vegetable, nut or grain. You see every single thing that's
considered alive, or at least was alive, has protein in it. From a
nutritional point of view we aren't concerned so much with the 'if'
but more of the 'how much' protein does it have. Generally animal
products contain more usable protein than plant sources.

The answer to number 3 of course is yes, fish is a wonderful source
of protein and is especially useful for some people who don't eat a
lot of red or other animal meats. An added bonus is you get the
wonderfully healthy omega 3 fatty acids from fish.

These other three questions where a little tuffer. Let's break these
down a little.

There are 20 amino acids that make up protein. If you can imagine a
car as a cell you would find carbohydrate as the fuel and the amino
acids as the metal frame and structure. As humans we are able to
synthesis or self produce 12 of these amino acids. These amino acids
are called non-essential. The other 8 (some say 9, but we shan't
tarry here) amino acids are 'essential' in that we must consume them
in our diets on a regular basis to ensure proper protein synthesis.

Typically, these essential amino acids are supplied by meat and
dairy products, but if those are not consumed, some care must be
applied to ensuring an adequate supply. As most vegetable sources of
protein are incomplete, meaning they can't fulfil the 20 on their
own, they need to be combined correctly to ensure the full amino
acid chain is complete. This can be done with the correct combination
of cereal grains (wheat, corn, rice, etc.) and legumes (beans,
peanuts, etc.)

The downside to any vegetarian diet is that failure to obtain enough
of even 1 of the 8 essential amino acids will incur serious health
implications and can result in degradation of the body's proteins.
Muscle and other protein structures may be dismantled to obtain the
one amino acid that is needed.

From a training point of view this can be very counterproductive to
any training program where the need for protein, in all of it's 20
amino acid glory, is essential for muscle building and repair. I
constantly consult with clients who are putting in the hours in the
gym but are actually losing muscle because their protein intake is
inadequate to the demands of the training regime.

So the big summery...

Protein exists in everything, which means if you are eating the
recommended 5-6 meals per day, you don't need huge amounts of
protein in any one sitting as long as you get the constant supply.
We aren't able to absorb huge amounts of protein in a single sitting
anyway, so if you miss meals or don't get enough protein throughout
the day, a huge T-bone steak isn't going to be sufficient in making
up the lack.

Personally, I would be too lazy to be a vegetarian because I
consider the extra time preparing and shopping for the right
combination of food too time consuming. Some would dis-agree and
that's fine. I know a few friends who do vegetarian very well. They
are however the vast minority.

I choose to eat red meat a couple times a week with fish, chicken
and eggs making up a large portion of my protein profile. Once again
the frequency of my meals means I'm never eating a huge portion of
anything. This makes digestion and bio availability (absorption) of
nutrients a lot more efficient.

I also use Juice Plus+ Complete (Meal replacement shake) because it
has a wonderful profile of vegetable proteins that are in themselves
super-heroes for your health.

Replacing meals with a shake is also a great way for me to fulfill the
small widow of opportunity needed to maximise the results of my
training by consuming carbohydrates 20 minutes post workout, then
some protein within an hour or two. (More on post workout nutrition
at a later time).

If you'd like more information on Juice Plus+ Complete then check
out www.energyclinicnutrition.net

If you'd like to source more vegetable proteins look at beans, peas,
spirulina, tofu, artichoke, broccoli, nuts, seeds, brown rice, lentils,
etc, etc... Remember it's all just a google away.

How much protein do you need? Well it's hard to get an exact figure
as most experts disagree, however a general guide would be 1 gram
of protein per kilo of body weight. Athletes, children (especially at
growth stages) and expectant mothers may go a little higher with
each case requiring special consideration.

Hope this help a little in bringing you up to speed on your lifelong
journey with nutrition ;o)

Train hard, train smart.

duncan