Are you confused about how much protein you need? Are you tempted to try a high protein diet, but wondering how healthy they really are? You are not alone. Many athletes and exercisers are increasing their protein intake to help them both lose weight and build more muscle, but is that the right way to go? It makes sense that, since muscles are made of protein, eating more dietary protein will help you build more muscle. But, is eating tons of eggs, meat and protein supplements really necessary? 


What is Protein?

Proteins are the basic building blocks of the human body. They are made up of amino acids, and help build muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails and internal organs. Next to water, protein is the most plentiful substance in the body. There are 20 amino acids that are required for growth by the human body and all but eight can be produced in an adult body. These eight amino acids are called essential amino acids and must be supplied to the body by food or supplements. The other twelve non-essential amino acids are manufactured within the body, but both essential and non-essential amino acids are necessary for the synthesis of tissue proteins. What does all this mean? It means that if you don't supply your body with the essential amino acids it needs, the amount of protein your body can use for building muscle is limited. 

Getting the Right Kind of Protein

Now that you have a general idea of why protein is so important, you need to figure out how to get all these essential amino acids into your diet. Foods that contain all of the essential amino acids are called complete proteins. These foods include beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk and just about anything else derived from animal sources. Incomplete proteins do not have all of the essential amino acids and generally include vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and nuts. So, if you're a vegetarian, does this mean you can't get complete protein? Not at all. Below is a chart listing some incomplete proteins. To get all of the essential amino acids, simply choose foods 

Legumes	Vegetables	Grains	Seeds & Nuts
Beans	Leafy Greens	Barley	Sesame Seeds
Lentils	Broccoli	Corn Meal	Sunflower Seeds
Peas		Pasta	Walnuts
Peanuts		Oats	Cashews
Soy Products		Rice	Other Nuts
		Whole Grain Breads

Coming next; Proteins part

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