How to Replenish Your Body With Protein in the Day

A healthy diet regime is one of the most heard things among all individuals from young to adults, working professionals to households, men and women.

There are many myths about proteins and their intake.

First, Break this Myth that “Protein intake as a supplement or from natural sources is only for the workout freaks”.

Every individual in the day runs across many rooms of accomplishing the chores, duties, and works around them. Somewhere in the midst of all these, you will need to have some energy to make your body focus on what you need to do. You want to eat something and fuel the body to be energized and kick off the recovery process.

What’s that one thing which keeps you energized all day? Of course, the food you take. The food we mean is the healthy one that boosts you to work all along. These include proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, etc.

Among these, Protein is one of the three macronutrients essential to body requirements. Protein intake needs regularization in everyday meals or in the form of supplements.

What is Protein?

Protein is the essential component that promotes cognitive function in the body. It is a vital nutrient for building, nourishing, and maintaining muscle tissues, cells and organs. While it is in many of the regular diet components, it is sometimes insufficient for the body’s requirements. Hence, protein is always suggested to include as a supplement. Although the general guidelines for protein intake recommend 50 to 60 grams per day. However, this depends on the individual’s body mass and requirements.

Your Body has the best use of Protein!

Protein has everything that goes into your body.

  1. Oxygenation: Otherwise called the formation of hemoglobin. It is the agent to transport oxygen in the body.
  2. Repair: It is the technician that repairs muscle and other body tissues.
  3. Regulation: It synthesizes enzymes, hormones, and other essential body chemicals.
  4. Building: It is the fundamental building block of bones, cartilage, organs, skin, and whatnot.

So, this is what protein does in the body and hence it has become the most essential body requirement.

When you take the protein, the digestive system breaks down the protein into amino acids which are essential to carry out bodily functions. In general, most of the amino acids are synthesized by the body. There are nine amino acids that the body cannot synthesize. These are essential to intake from the diet we take.

How much protein does the body need?

This is the trickiest question to answer. A lot of research now shows that the current protein recommendation is 0.8gm/Kg of body weight per day. But this isn’t sufficient for most people. Says the results of a study, “The minimum amount of protein required is 1.2gms/Kg of body weight”. The amount can vary with your workout goals, age, or overall health.

There is no particular exercise threshold to say when you need more protein intake, but if you are meeting the physical activity guidelines, make an effort that you are getting enough protein.

The widely known protein food sources are Eggs, Fish, Meat, poultry, and dairy. However, these are our favorite foods that we never compromise to take. Plants are also the greatest sources of protein like beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and soy foods.

The Health Benefits of Protein Intake –

Health-Benefits-of-Protein-Intake

Protein along with being essential for bodily functioning carries much of health benefits. Some of these are –

  1. Improves the immune system, maintains heart health and the respiratory system, and speeds the recovery from major strains.
  2. It is a vital growth factor during the senior years of age.
  3. Boosts the resistance to stress, anxiety, or depression.
  4. Helps in maintaining a healthy weight.

Increase Your Protein this way

Protein makes you full. You no need to panic about weight gain by taking a good amount of meat or other protein-rich foods. Plan your diet in these ways to become protein sufficient.

1.               Start Your Day with Protein

We all lean on the early morning mood for our entire day. So making it rich is the best way to gain a productive day.

Start your day with protein intake. For this, you need not be a gym individual. Focus on high protein breakfasts like eggs, yogurt, protein shakes, and supplements like Whey Protein.

2.               Make protein a part of each meal

Most people say they are on diet, keeping their cravings, and hunger aside. This is not a good practice. Plan your diet in a way that includes all the body’s essentials like proteins, fats, and carbs. If you take three meals and snacks or 2 meals and snacks in a day, make sure you have included at least one protein source in each meal.

This doesn’t mean eating the protein sources like meat and eggs all day. Make a wise choice of plant-based proteins and meat sources to balance out your meals.

3.               Mandate Dairy foods in your meal or snack

Dairy products are the every day available protein sources. You can easily add them to your meals. Milk or milk products are the finest sources of protein and are highly recommended for people who do not prefer meat sources. Cow milk is the preferred one, but a soy alternative can also be the best protein boost. Add milk to smoothies, have milk products like cheese with snacks, butter with some nuts, etc.

4.               Have a protein shake than a beverage

We never miss having a snack and how busy the schedule may be. Then, why not opt for a protein smoothy or protein shakes? Many ready-to-drink protein powders can be mixed in water or milk and had as a snack. 

5.               Fill your snack box with protein-sourced foods

Our snack box is the most loved one than a Lunch box. We just dump it with some junk which is to be maximum avoided. Add a healthy touch to your snack box. Whether protein bars, some nuts, hard-boiled eggs, canned fish, etc. These are high sources of protein.

6.               Choose lean, protein-dense foods

We do not mean Larger protein portions to measure the quantity of your meal every day. Just bump it with some more protein foods like eggs, dairy products, meat, etc. Make sure you balance the fat requirement along with this. Ideally, 170-225gms of protein quickly fills up your body’s daily protein quota. Choose lean poultry, lean pork, fish, and lean beef options.

7.               These veggies are high in protein

Veggies and plant-based products also contain high proteins. If you are preferred veggies over meat, add broccoli, corn, asparagus, beans, chickpeas, lentils, nuts, and artichokes.

8.               Seeds give you the extra protein

You might have heard that Chia seeds and hemp seeds are the riches plant-based protein sources. These can be added as a topping on smoothies or salads in your snacks. Add these to your healthy snacks.

Understand what makes a protein “complete” and approach to adding it in your diet

A protein is complete only when it is having all the essential amino acids that the body needs.

  • Lean animal proteins, including fish, seafood, chicken, and turkey
  • Quinoa
  • Cow’s Milk or Soy Milk

Plant-based proteins are very nutrient dense containing many important nutrients like B vitamins, and fiber but not much protein. So, pair them with any of the other protein sources to make them complete.

What is the role of Whey Protein?

Whey is found in milk which is the highest protein source. Whey protein is frequently utilized by bodybuilders, athletes, and others looking to create a stronger body to supplement daily protein requirements. The body uses it while moving around, facilitating quick muscle healing.

A healthy diet with whey protein is when the product complements your diet rather than replacing meals, assuring the number of proteins your body will need after more strenuous physical activities. Despite how great it is, this supplement can never replace a full meal throughout the day.

Tips to increase your protein intake

Try substituting high-quality protein for processed carbs to increase the amount of high-quality protein in your diet. You’ll also experience longer periods of feeling full, which can aid in maintaining a healthy weight and can lower your risk for heart disease and stroke.

Reduce the number of processed carbohydrates you consume. Swap them out for fish, beans, almonds, seeds, peas, chicken, low-fat dairy, soy, and tofu products. Processed carbohydrates are found in foods like pastries, cakes, pizza, cookies, and chips.

Replace baked dessert with Greek yogurt. Snack on nuts and seeds instead of chips, and switch pieces of pizza for grilled chicken breast and beans.

To prevent issues when consuming more protein

  • To lower your daily sodium intake, choose unsalted nuts and seeds.
  • Pick reduced sodium cans of beans when you’re buying.
  • Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated because increasing your protein intake may lead to an increase in urine production.

Fuel your Health Everyday

Whether you are looking for muscle gain or staying fit or being energized all day, protein intake aids its best in all. Protein helps in reducing hunger and thus enables you to take fewer food portions throughout the day. Have a protein-filled diet and aid your health all along.