Athletes know how important protein is in their diet with regard to keeping the muscles in good condition, good performance and building up the body. Unfortunately though sometimes we can overdo it and this can have serious repercussions on the body. Alternatively sometimes people don’t eat enough protein and can become very ill. So where is the balance?
Often young teenagers overdose on protein especially when they are trying to build muscle and tend to overtrain. The opposite is also not advisable. Often in my clinic I see both extremes. Either people are overdoing the protein and exercise and messing up their hormone levels or, in an effort to lose weight, they do the opposite and don’t eat enough protein or enough food which slows down their metabolism even more.
It is important to realise that different blood types and different nationalities have different predispositions in their genes which could mean their body reacts in different ways to different foods. There is no one particular ‘norm’ so to speak. Essentially, what is important is a balance of protein and carbs.
I often come across people who do not pay attention to their diet enough and tend to under-eat protein foods. The effect of this on women (and women tend to do this more than men I find) is that it messes up their hormone levels, affects their iron levels and has the effect of slowing down their metabolism keeping the weight on them despite the fact they may be eating almost nothing and exercising.
It is important to have at least one serving of protein daily – about the size of your hand if its meat or about the size of a fist if its vegetable protein. So if you are not having meat or fish you can have beans, nuts, lentils and soy foods (like tofu). Fish and white meats are better than high fat meats. Also remember that dairy products contain protein although they are not really good for you if you have a sinus condition and many people are lactose intolerant these days.
Low fat protein is quite easy to include in your diet with a mix of carbs which speeds up the manufacture of glycogen (the carb stored in muscles that supplies energy) and also increases the hormones that we need for muscle growth and repair. Remember also that you can have soy milk, yoghurt or eggs as well as a protein drink which will give you a measured amount in one hit.
However, you also need to remember that too much protein in your diet will put a strain on your adrenals and kidneys so you should not go on high protein diets for too long. If there are problems in your family with kidneys then it is best to steer clear of too much protein and high calcium foods.
The best thing to do is have a balance in your diet that suits your body and medical conditions and to do that it is a good idea to visit a practitioner who will design something specifically to suit your needs.
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