All nutrients are important, but if you’re trying to get healthy, protein is probably the first nutrient on your list.
What is Protein?
Proteins are a large molecule found in living organisms. They’re made up of Amino Acids and take part in just about every process that happens in your body’s cells. Your muscles are made up of protein, along with a lot of your organs, even your fingernails and bone have protein in them as a vital ingredient.
Why should I eat protein?
Without protein, your body won’t function properly. It’s the building blocks for every cell in your body. Every organ, muscle, hormone, hair and blood cell are built from proteins.
As you might imagine, protein is pretty important. Your body can’t make protein, so you must get it from the food you eat.
What does it do for me?
Getting protein in your diet will let you heal and build your muscles for a start. On top of that, it’ll let your body make the hormones it needs, it’ll help you grow, process energy and pretty much do most of the stuff your body needs to get done!
How often should I eat it?
If you’re seriously trying to get healthy, you should be having protein with every meal. It doesn’t need to be a slab of beef, or even meat at all. There are plenty of vegan sources of protein that can help, like soy, peas or rice. And there are lots of other sources you can get protein from such as
Protein bars, Protein Drinks and even
Protein from Soy.
The important part is that you have some in your system, as your body won't store protein for later, like it does with fat, so having a massive amount of protein with dinner isn't as good as having small amounts of protein through the day.
What if I eat too much of it?
While overdosing on protein is hard, but it’s not impossible. Just because
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein is safe, it's always best to follow instructions from the product itself or from your doctor. If you’re eating crazy amounts of protein, your body can fall behind in processing it, which will mean your kidneys get backed up, especially if you’re not drinking enough water.
Also, the resulting volume and stench of waste will mean you’ll soon be living alone. Imagine a hot day and you’re surrounded by a sea of babies all with full nappies and a diet of parmesan cheese. That’s about a third of the stench of “superdosing” protein. While it’s not exactly harmful (and to do it you’d need to be drinking between 100 and 150 protein shakes a day) it’s not useful – or pleasant – either.
What if I eat too little of it?
This is bad. You need protein in your system, so if there isn’t any, your body will free some up
by tearing it out of your muscles!
It’ll break them down like a wrecking ball ripping into an old house. Once the protein is free, it’ll put it to use.
This is why you might see people with massive upper bodies and tiny legs, it’s not just because they skip leg day (though that doesn’t help) it’s because their body is
eating their own legs to build their hulking pectorals!
The lollipop look isn’t great or healthy. Get your protein, (and don’t skip leg day)!
Is it safe for women too?
Protein is very safe for women, and often a nutrient that women lack when trying to get healthy. Some women see
protein powder in a store, with the big bulky bodybuilders endorsing it and think it’ll make them like that. It won’t. I’ll guarantee that even if you’re pumping out your maximum amount of testosterone, it’ll be less than a tenth of the level of an average guy, and the guys built like a brick outhouse on the label of those protein shakes are certainly not average guys.
The point is that protein won’t make you a man. It will help you build and repair muscle though. Getting good lean muscle is how you end up with a firm, toned body. Sure, if you stick to it for years and live the life of a bodybuilder, you may get some bulk, but it will not happen by accident, or just because you took a protein shake and ate the occasional eye fillet.
If you want good, firm, lean muscle, you must get your protein!
Conclusion:
If you’re trying to get healthy, you need protein. It really is that simple. How much and in what form is a matter of personal situation and preference, but without it, you will really struggle. Get your protein,
build lean muscle and get healthy.
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