Let's Talk Protein
What’s all the fuss about?
Unless you have been walking around blindfolded you will no doubt have come across all the hype surrounding Protein. One liners such as ‘Self esteem powered by protein’, ‘ProteinPlus Shaping Every Body’ or ‘Supreme protein for a supreme body’ are used by supplement companies to tug at our emotions. They want to make us believe that if we just drink their protein powder or eat their magical bar, then we too can look like the bikini clad model in the advertisement, or in the male version, the faked tanned hulk. But let’s move beyond the superficial for just a moment. Why is protein important? I once had a Mum of 3 tell me that she rarely eats protein as she was under the impression that only growing children need it. I was kind of left speechless at that….and for those of you who know me know that does not happen very often.
How, what, when, where ?
Not necessarily in that order, but let’s break down what a protein is. The primary protein structure is made up of groupings of Amino Acids. Now I know you may not want the full science behind proteins, but bear with me because it will all make sense soon.
The way the Amino Acids attach to each other will determine its function in the body. Proteins are responsible for everything from skin, hair, nail, bone and muscle structure. Enzymes are also proteins that help regulate the chemical reactions in cells, and hormones such as Human Growth Hormone (hGH) and Insulin are made using Amino Acids and are therefore classed as Protein Hormones.
The reason behind me introducing you to a little bit of the science is because out of the 20 Amino Acids necessary to our health, our body can only produce 11 of them. Yep, you need to get the other 9 from your diet. Now the makers of protein supplements would have you believe that you can only do this through their products. But I would always recommend good old whole food above powders, crazy huh? Dairy, meat, eggs, nuts and legumes are all good sources. Here's a guide as to where you can get your quota from:
Raw skinless chicken breast 100g = 22.6g
Raw lean fillet steak 100g = 23.7g
Raw Turkey breast 100g = 22.3g
Raw Snapper fillet 100g = 19.4g
Tinned Tuna in Brine 100g = 27g
Weight Watchers Cottage Cheese 100g = 12.5g
Chobani Zero Fat Yoghurt100g = 9.2g
Be aware that marketing gurus like to sell everything as high protein these days. Quinoa is a perfect example of this. 100g of quinoa contains 64g of carbs and 14g of protein. Don’t get me wrong, that is a decent amount of protein, but it is a serious dose of carbs. Well and above what the average person would require in one meal. Another culprit is Peanut Butter. I’m talking the 100% variety here people, not the nasty stuff full of salt and sugar. My personal fave at the moment is Kraft All Natural Smooth PB. This baby has 7g of fat per 15g and only 4g of protein. Again a decent amount of protein, but really it is a high fat moderate protein food.
Protein Supplements
Even though whole foods should be your priority; especially when in a calorie deficit, because you will remain full for longer, there is a place for protein drinks and bars in your life. Let’s face it, life gets busy and we don’t always have time to have a good source of protein cooked and ready to go. And sometimes it can be difficult to meet our daily protein requirements, especially when you are only new at trying to up your intake.
Look for protein supplements with limited sweeteners, fillers etc. Check the nutritional information label for information on calories, protein, carbs and fats per serve. Personally I like my powders to have at least 25g of protein per serve. Just as a side note to this, when you can, always weigh your serve. In my experience it is very rare for the scoop that you get with your powder to measure the exact amount listed on the nutritional information label.
I recommend Boomers Whey. They are a local company, and their product does not have the nasty fillers, preservatives, sweeteners etc. Add your own fruit etc to flavour it naturally. My go to recipe is this:
30g Boomers
125g Hilo milk
125g Water
100g Frozen Banana
5g Honey
Handful of ice
Blend J
Nutritional Value = 293cals 29gProtein 33gCarbs 4gFat 3gFibre
If you are looking for a ready to drink Protein shake, check out our vending machine. Personally I really like the Chocolate Skinny Protein, but if you are trying to gain we also have the higher carb Muscle Milks.
If dairy is not your thing due to allergies, there are other options such as Pea Protein, Rice Protein and Soy being the most common. Many protein bars contain Soy Isolates. Personally I like to keep these to a minimum as the Isoflavones in soy do have a mild hormonal effect on women's hormones. They are similar in chemical structure and can bind to oestrogen receptors and turn them on. For menopausal women this is a good thing, as oestrogen is naturally on the decline and soy can help relieve symptoms such as hot flushes and mood swings.
So, now that you are armed with all the above information, how much protein should you be aiming to consume in a day? A good rule of thumb is 1g per pound of bodyweight. Yes, I know we work in kg's here in Aus, but 1g per lb is just so much easier to remember. So if you are a 59kg woman like me, then you would be looking to consume 130g of protein. Now, if you are a Type A personality and feel the need to weigh everything then feel free to do so. Personally I only do this if I have a specific goal, and I really encourage clients to be able to use their palms as a visual measure. However, having said that, it also helps to weigh and measure for at least a couple of weeks so that you can begin to get an understanding of portion sizes.
The folk at Precision Nutrition where I studied recommend these guidelines for a balanced meal:
For men:
2 palms of protein dense foods with each meal
2 fists of vegetables with each meal
2 cupped hands of carb dense foods with most meals
2 entire thumbs of fat dense foods with most meals.
For women:
1 palm of protein dense foods with each meal
1 fist of vegetables with each meal
1 cupped hand of carb dense foods with most meals
1 entire thumb of fat dense foods with most meals.