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Protein Foods

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For those of us in the animal kingdom protein foods are essential for life.  We can't synthesize all the amino acids our metabolism needs.

Happily, when we digest high protein foods we obtain these essential amino acids we can't make ourselves.  The nutrients we get from protein rich foods are required for every process in every cell of our bodies.

Protein food contains calories, about 4 calories per gram.  Alcohol rates 7 calories/gram and fats come in at around (no pun intended) 9 calories per gram.  Since you have to burn a calorie if you don't want to store it as fat then a gram of protein is easier to get rid of, in theory.

Protein Intake

Women need extra protein during pregnancy and breastfeeding.  Children need it for growth and everyone needs more protein intake when physically active.  You might be on a low protein diet at one period of your life and collecting high protein recipes at another time and place.
Very broad guidelines for protein intake have been suggested by Canada and the US:
  • Women 19 to 70 require 46 grams of protein each day.
  • Men 19 to 70 need 56 grams/day of protein rich foods.
These amount are to avoid deficiency so you will need to increase your source of proteins during periods of demand on your body.

Foods High in Protein

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High protein foods are not always good for your health because proteins are always packaged with fats.

Animal protein - Red meat has a lot of protein.  A 6 ounce steak can contain 38 grams of protein but it comes with 44 grams of fat.  And the bad news doesn't stop there.  Among all those grams of fat are 16 grams of saturated fat, about 3/4 of your recommended daily allowance of these bad fats.

Fish protein - Six ounces of Salmon fillet offers 34 grams of protein with only 18 grams of fat (4 grams of saturated fat).

Vegetarian protein - Two cups of cooked Lentils can supply you with 36 grams of protein and about 1 (one) gram of fat.
As you see, your choice of foods with protein affect your fat intake.

A high protein vegetarian diet offers you a low fat diet and includes lots of fiber in the package.  Beans and rice, nuts and whole grain foods are excellent protein sources.Fish and poultry are low fat foods with protein.  Even lean red meats in small portions can be an occasional source of high protein foods.

High Protein Diet Plan

Most high protein diets are called 'Low Carb' diets.  There are many people that do well losing weight by eating protein foods if they watch their fat intake.

For women the risk of osteoporosis is multiplied by eating protein rich foods.  The levels of protein required by most low carb diets increases the acid quantities in the bloodstream which the body has to neutralize with Calcium.  Some of this calcium is removed directly from the bones.

Results from the ongoing Nurses Health Study show that women who ate 95 grams of fat or more per day were at risk.  Over the twelve years of the this phase of the study the women on the high protein diet plan were 20% more likely to break their wrist than women eating less than 68 grams of protein each day.

The best choice for your daily protein intake is a wide variety of foods high in protein.  The Mediterranean diet supplies a balance of high protein foods with a minimum of saturated fat.

Benefits of Protein Foods

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Combine your flavorful meals of protein foods with daily activity and you are on the road to
losing weight,
lowering your risk of heart disease and adding years to your life.

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