Protein, carbohydrates, and fat are the three essential macronutrients that are necessary for your body to function properly. I asked Jody Victor® to tell us all about protein.

Jody Victor®: Protein is responsible for building and repairing tissue. Protein is necessary during greatest periods of growth (infancy and adolescence) and during times of body repair (injury or accident). Protein is found throughout the body- muscle, bone, hair, skin and basically every other body part. Protein carries oxygen in the blood and powers many chemical reactions. There are at least 10,000 different proteins that can be found in the human body.

Protein is unique among the three macronutrients in that it contains nitrogen. The nitrogen comes in the form of amino acids. Proteins are made up of chains of amino acids. There are 22 amino acids that provide the raw material for all proteins. The specific sequence of the amino acid chain makes each protein unique. Protein is the whole; amino acids are the building blocks.

Until recently protein had been overshadowed by fats, carbohydrates and vitamins in the area of nutrition and diet. But it is gaining attention triggered by high-protein diet plans for weight loss. Protein has been studied for weight loss because the body uses more energy to digest high-protein foods than fats or carbohydrates. High-protein foods slow the movement of food from the stomach to the intestine. The slower your stomach empties, the longer you feel full. Protein also has a gentle, steady effect on blood sugar that avoids steep rises in blood sugar and slows down the hunger bell.

The Institute of Medicine recommends that adults get a minimum of 8 grams of protein for every 20 pounds of body weight. And because the body doesn’t store amino acids as it does fats and carbohydrates, your body needs a daily supply to make new protein. Some of the protein you eat contains all the amino acids you need to build new proteins. These proteins are called “complete proteins”.  Animal sources of protein are complete. Some of the protein you eat lacks one or more essential amino acids- acids that the body can’t make from scratch or modify from another amino acid. These are “incomplete proteins” and usually derive from fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts. Vegetarians, especially vegans, need to eat a variety of protein-containing foods each day to get all the amino acids they need to make new protein.

While you are paying attention to the protein in your diet you also should pay attention to what comes with the protein. For instance- a 6 oz broiled porterhouse steak is a great source of protein that provides 38 grams of protein. But with that steak comes 44 grams of fat, 16 of them unsaturated. That’s close to three quarters of the recommended daily intake for saturated fat. Six ounces of salmon, on the other hand, provides 34 grams of protein with 18 grams of fat, only 4 of them saturated. The best animal protein choices are fish and poultry. If you do eat red meat, choose the leanest cuts and moderate the portion sizes.

Even though vegetable sources of protein are not complete proteins, if you eat plenty of them daily you will be getting all the protein you need. An added bonus from eating vegetable proteins (fruits, beans, nuts, and whole grains) is the healthy fiber, vitamins, and minerals they offer. The bottom line- Eat a good mix of proteins. Eating a variety of foods every day will provide you with all the amino acids you need.

All the Best!

Steve Victor