Importance of Protein. What Happens To Your Body Without Enough Protein?
Throughout media and from fitness instructors we often hear that protein is an essential component in a diet of a healthy individual. However, making a proper food after an exhausting workday sometimes makes us feel devastated.
With less time on our hands, even between the day, the meals we usually go after are mostly fast food. This type of on-the-go food, oftentimes, is not enriched with necessary proteins that our body requires. Instead, most of them have bad fat, sugar and other ingredients which are harmful if consumed excessively.
Making sure we consume enough protein every day is not always easy, but it is worth the effort.
Why do you have to care about consuming enough protein?
- Protein is a building block of our hair and nails. As a matter of fact, it is a component of every cell of our body.
- It is an essential material that bones, skin, blood, gristle and muscles consist of.
- Body tissue is being repaired with the help of protein.
- Body uses protein to build such vital components as hormones and ferments.
What Happens To Your Body Without Enough Proteins? Importance of Protein.
- Muscles Loss and Decline in Metabolism. Muscles loss is a one of the most vivid signs that there is a lack of protein in your diet which also entails problems with metabolism.
- Desire for the Junk Food – If you catch yourself up constantly on a thought about a snack between your meals, this is a true signal that you might not be consuming enough proteins. Eating sufficient amount of proteins will help you feel full longer. According to the study conducted recently, protein rich diet will help to fight sweet and spicy food cravings. It is explained by the fact that protein balances out the absorption of the carbs and normalizes blood sugars.
- Reduced Focus – protein helps to build up hormones for our brain to function properly. It also makes up neurotransmitters such as amino acid and tyrosine that help us keep concentrated.
- Problems with Nails and Hair – brittle nails and hair loss are another consequence of a protein deficiency. This problem associates with the keratin that is a base material of our hair and nails. Although keratin cannot be consumed, protein enriched diet will help keratin production.
How to Start Eating More Protein Without Much Effort?
If you are now ready to start caring more about amount of protein in your diet, here are some easy tips that can help you get more protein into your favorite meals.
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Salad with Eggs.
Eggs contain at about 6 grams of protein per egg. They are therefore very nutritious and help transform a simple green salad into a nutritious and healthy meal.
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Nuts for Snack.
Very nutritious and handy snack may come in form walnuts or almonds. You can also add them to your meal. But watch out the amount of nuts you eat as well! 🙂 They also are very high in calories.
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Yogurt instead of Sweets for Dessert.
Choose a Greek yogurt rich with proteins (12-17 grams per 5 ounce). You can add some cranberries for taste (cranberries are another source of protein according to another recent research published in PLoS One journal).
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More Beans.
Food with beans added to it enriches a lot with proteins (15 grams per cup) and helps increase satiety longer. You can add beans literally to anywhere: salad, soup, or pasta.
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Meals Served with Seeds.
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Cheese with Your Fruits.
Fruit like avocados or apricots are excellent source of fiber and low sugars, if not talking about sufficient amount of protein only in them. Adding a slice of low-fat cheese to your fruit snack will add up 8 more grams of protein.
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More Whole Grains.
This type of grains will make your gut work longer to extract needed components and therefore will keep the feeling of satiety for longer. Also, refined grains have less minerals and protein compared to the whole grains.
Understanding the importance of protein for our bodies, we have to make sure that we get the necessary amount of this nutrient. Certainly, it is hard sometimes to stick to the healthy lifestyle in our busy and fast-paced lives. However, it is very important to fill your body with all necessary vitamins and nutrients to feel better and happier.
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