I always say it – muscle is the key to a better, leaner body. So whether you are trying to lose body fat or just build muscle – eating to maximise growth is a massive part of the formula. Protein also helps slow the insulin response, and burns more calories to digest than fats or carbohydrates. So you need to make sure you’re getting enough protein to achieve you goals!
How much Protein?
The amount that most experts recommend is 1 gram per pound of bodyweight. This is an excellent guide regardless of whether your goal is weight loss or muscle growth, as it enables adequete protein for muscle growth/maintenance regardless of caloric intake.
What are some good sources of Protein?
Meat
Most natural animal sources will be high in protein, assuming they’re in an unprocessed state. The trick is to find quality meat, that has come from a free range animal. Animals who are fed an unhealthy diet and pumped full of hormones don’t produce the best quality meat or eggs. So going organic is an excellent choice that will yield the best results. Red meat is an excellent source of protein and animal fats that’s perfect for growing muscle fast, but can be hard to fit into a tight weight loss plan. This is where foods like, chicken, turkey and fish are perfect as they are relatively lean sources, with fish especially being a good source of Omega-3′s also.
Eggs
Eggs are a perfect source of protein and fat. The protein is eggs is among the most perfect in the world, containing all 9 essential amino acids, making easy it for the body absorb with minimal wastage that results in storage of bodyfat. Read our article on Eggs here for more information.
Milk & Dairy
A lot of people ban milk and dairy from their diet but it is a highly effective and convenient way to get some prptein into your system. As I mentioned earlier with meat, the source of milk is the important factor. As Mike Geary explains in his book The Truth about Six-pack Abs – milk found in grocery stores has been pastuerised and homogenized, which can have negative effects on your body and your goals. Always try to buy raw milk from a local farmer. If raw milk is unavailable, skim milk is the next best choice as it contained no homogenised milk fat.
Also try cottage cheese as another lean protein source which can easily be added to meals and snacks and is quite tasty.
Supplementation
Protein Supplementation is the ultimate convenience in protein intake. You can get a lean hit of protein, to help fill the gap and it takes about 20 seconds to make – place a scoop or two into some milk or water, blend and drink. It can also be taken anywhere premade and drunk later. Protein shakes are a good way to supplement your diet but don’t rely on them as a source. Meat is always the better choce but can be expensive and timely to prepare. I recommend a shake or two a day max if your taking protein. Read more about protein in our article ‘Is Protein Powder really worth it?’.
Sources to avoid
There are of course certain sources of protein you should avoid, and it’s simple. Any processed food or fast food is definitely bad for you. Stick to the organic stuff and the occasional protein shake – avoid things like Soy, as soy has a negative effect on your hormones. Stick with the best food and you’ll get the best results!
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