Author: Jonathan Wong, Singapore Personal Trainer And Fitness Expert
Protein
Good news about protein:
- Great for building muscle, as well as restoring and maintaining muscles
- Has a satiating effect (makes you feel full for
longer)
Has a great thermic effect (takes a lot of energy to digest – 25% of its own calories) - Helps to give healthy blood cells and enzymes
- Good for immune system
Bad news:
If you eat fatty animal parts, it comes with excess saturated fat
I tell my clients doing personal training in Singapore that, there aren’t many bad things to say about this nutrient!
Good places to get it?:
- Fish – any kind is great, just make sure it’s cooked in a non fried manner
- Poultry – breast meat if possible (lower calories and fat), skin free, non-fried
- Meat – Lean cuts of any animal are good
- Shellfish – all good, make sure its prepared hygienically
- Diary – Cheese, eggs, low fat yoghurt
- Legumes – beans
How much to eat?
1g per pound of bodyweight (2.2g/kg) at least. For a 80kg man (176lb) we
can round it to 180g per day. In reality that’s a pretty achievable
goal. It is slightly higher than the average person’s consumption but we
will be cutting out crap like saturated fats and over-processed carbs so
adding in a little extra is no problem.
It’s not difficult to get enough each day. In general, if the meat is
good quality, a portion the size of a deck of cards (that’s 4oz/114g)
will contain 35-40g of this nutrient.
Since we should eat some protein at each meal because of its good properties, eating 5 servings of a deck sized piece of meat (or any of the above sources) each day for a fairly large man is no problem at all.
As a personal trainer in Singapore, I know that the typical asian diet is too low in protein. Here a good protein supplement, or to add protein like cooked chicken pieces to traditional dishes is a good idea.
Anything Else?
Protein is special because of its thermic effect. It is tough to digest
so 25% of its own calories are used for its own digestion. This really
adds up. Let’s say that our 80kg man eats 180g of protein a day. Since
protein is 4 calories per gram that’s a total of 720 calories from
protein. 25% of this is used up in digestion of protein that’s 180
calories burnt each day just as a result of how much work the body has
to do in digestion of this nutrient alone!
Since his intake is about
double the average person’s that means that he has an extra 90 calories
burnt each day just because of his increased intake. That is equal to an
extra 10 minutes of brisk swimming each day and will result in about 1kg
extra of fat loss (all other things being equal) every 10-12 weeks. All
this for “free” just because we have increased protein intake.
I tell my clients doing personal training in Singapore with me, that the guidelines for protein containing foods are that we should eat
those that are as close to their natural form as possible.
They have the highest quality of nutrition so its more usable by our bodies, also they contain less preservatives and artificial ingredients. Chicken is better than chicken nuggets, and fresh fish is better than fish sticks. Also, the “less legs” the source animal had when it was alive, the leaner and more healthy it is.
- Fish – 0 legs! Outstanding
- Chicken 2 legs – really good especially the breast meat
- Pork and Beef – 4 legs, still good but we need to try and get the lean cuts (minimal visible fat/marbling)
The only exceptions to this are shellfish. Lobsters have 10 legs but they are good for you (cost aside). This is not too difficult. Eat good quality animals and your needs will be met! You even burn some "free calories" just by increasing your intake. What wonderful news. I like the saying...
"If it can runs, fly, or swims, eat it!"
Protein Myths
For clients doing personal training in
Singapore or elsewhere, there is the
general misconception that excess protein causes you to have serious
health problems.
Well excess anything makes us fat. Protein "seems" even worse than that according to many old wives tales. If those tales were correct, excess protein would make our kidneys explode! But they don't. In fact there are no studies that show that high protein diets affect kidney function. NONE. ZERO!
There are however studies that show that people who have EXISTING kidney problems should not take excess protein. This is like saying "you shouldn't play soccer if you have a broken leg..." well of course! But that doesn't mean that people who play soccer end definitely with broken legs.
Written For www.CoachJon.com Singapore Personal Trainer & Fitness Expert
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