Protein - For Weight Control and Good Health

Protein: A Greek word that means Prime Importance

Protein is an organic compound composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, can be synthesized by the body or ingested from food. There are 22 different amino acids in the food we eat, but our body can only make 13 of them. The 9 essential amino acids which cannot be produced by the body must be obtained from the diet. If the protein in a food supplies enough of the essential amino acids, it is called a complete protein. If the protein of a food does not supply all the essential amino acids, it is called an incomplete protein.

Protein is the main component of muscles, organs, and glands. Every living cell and all body fluids, except bile and urine, contain protein. The cells of muscles, tendons, and ligaments are maintained with protein.

We must have protein every day in our daily food intake. If we don’t, our bodies will find it in our muscle mass and use it to help maintain its functions. This breaks down muscle mass and muscle mass is what burns fat. A healthy muscle mass also creates a healthy metabolism, which gives us a healthy good nutritional energy.

If your body is burning muscle it lowers your capability to burn the fat. That is what happens to "yoyo" dieters. When dieting to lose weight, a person usually drops their calorie intake too low, decreasing their protein intake. This causes them to lose weight, yes, but a lot of the weight is in the form of muscle.

Remember, your body will canabalize your own muscle (and that means your internal organs, too) if you are not giving yourself a healthy protein intake daily.

When this happens, your body will attempt to protect itself by forcing you to stop the unhealthy weight loss plan by intense cravings, weakness and fatigue. You will, of course, gain your weight back plus some more. The worst part is that the majority of this weight is in the form of fat. Now you are bigger than before your started the unhealthy "yoyo" diet.

For most people, it is the lack of proper amounts of protein and eating too much of the high carbohydrate foods that cause a person to get bigger and bigger over time.

What does Protein provide for our bodies?

Protein intake builds and maintains muscle mass.
Protein is very important in the manufacturing of skin and hair.
Protein is very important for maintaining a healthy immune system.
If a person is sick all the time they are probably low on protein and antioxidant intake.
Protein is very important for maintaining proper acid balance which is important for our body to function correctly.
Protein helps stabilize blood sugar.
Protein helps us to avoid plateaus.
Protein gives us better appetite control.
Protein helps with increased fat loss.
Protein is very important for hormone production.

(There are young people out there who, because of different stress in their life, become anorexic and/or bulimic. Some over exercise their self to "bone thin" on top of it. A lot of times the young girls menstrual cycle stops due to not having enough protein in the body to manufacture the hormones estrogen and testosterone and so shuts down.)

Try this simple formula. Take your weight in pounds. Divide by 2.2 Then take and multiply that number by .8 (grams protein per kilogram body weight). Your result shows you how much protein you should try to get in your diet in a day.

2 tablespoons of Formula #1  has                 9gm protein

8 ounces of milk (soy milk even better)         +8gm protein

                                                17gm 

2 shakes a day                                 x 2

                                                34gm

Meal with meat or veggie protein averages       10gm

                                                44gm

Now add one tablespoon  Performance Protein

(5 grams Pure Protein) to each shake            10gm 

                                                54gm

To increase your protein intake without increasing dangerous fat intake, you can add Performance Protein Powder to your shakes, soups, sauces, over salads - just about anything! One scoop has 5 grams of soy and whey protein and only 20 calories with no carbohydrates, sugar or fat, is odorless, tasteless and colorless. The ShapeWorks™ Formula #1 and the ShapeWorks™ Protein Drink Mix provide isolated soy protein, an excellent, complete protein that is efficiently utilized by the body. The ShapeWorks™ Snacks are also great ways of adding protein without the fat, carbs and excess calories.

Learn to shop around the perimeters of the grocery store where the fresh fruit, vegetables, delis, fish etc are located. Avoid the center of the store where all the high sugar, refined flour carbohydrate foods are located.

Learn to read labels. You will be simply amazed how many kinds of sugar there are and how much is put in the processed foods. Condiments, dressings, and sauces are loaded with sugars as well as cereals and breads. Buy only real whole grain breads and pastas (brown bread doesn't mean it's wholesome) and make sure the fiber content and the protein content are high. Comparison shop!

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