That protein is a vital component of the cells in the body, is a known fact. Not only our hair and nails are majorly made up of proteins, but it is also required to repair and build tissues, hormones, enzymes, and other important body chemicals.
Even the bones, skin, blood, and muscles require proteins for growth and proper functioning.
Protein is the micronutrient that along with carbohydrates and fat, forms our body. However, protein, unlike fat and carbohydrates, doesn’t stay stored in the body to be used as and when required, and hence, requires to be consumed regularly.
How Much Protein Should You Eat Per Day?
| Ideal Daily Protein Intake | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Without any workout | 0.5-0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight. | 0.5-0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight. |
| With Normal Regular Exercises | 0.8-1 grams of protein per pound of body weight. | 0.8-1 grams of protein per pound of body weight. |
| Who do workouts | 1-1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. | 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. |
The protein you should eat per day = Body weight (in pounds) * Amount recommended on the above chart.
How To Calculate Protein Into Your Total Daily Calorie Intake
Knowing to calculate calories you get from protein is a useful tip for meal planning. Most of us are unsure about what makes up for an ounce of protein. Well, it depends on the kind of proteins you are having. While some food items contain only proteins, others are filled with other nutrients than protein also.
- 1 oz of egg, meat or fish will give you 1 oz of protein as animal protein sources are made up of proteins alone.
- However, it is ¼ a cup of boiled beans that will give you 1 oz of proteins.
- To get 1 oz of proteins from peanut or other nut butter, you will have to get a teaspoon full of proteins.
- These days almost every food item at the store, even the snacks for that matter, mentions the nutrients component on the label. Reading a label carefully will give you an idea on the protein constituency of it.
- Keep an honest track of your consumption of a certain type of protein source. Most people over or underestimate their consumption that leads to an erroneous calculation.
When’s the best time to drink a protein shake?
We say take your Whey and milkshake every morning. Assuming that you have either started working out or will begin the training soon, we say it’s best to drink your protein shake an hour before hitting the gym.
What happens if you don’t get all the protein you need? Will my muscles shrink?
Not at all. If your regular intake of proteins is appropriate, missing out on an occasional dose will not result in any effects on your muscle growth. Your muscles would only get smaller or shirk if you give up on working out, injury or undergo some severe calorie restrictions.
How much protein is too much?
Look at your daily diet as a pie chart: one sector of this chart needs to be of protein, one sector fat, and the remainder is carbohydrates. Regardless of the size of each sector you pick, they will add up to give you a full pie.
As one cannot eat beyond 100%, increasing any one nutrient source will naturally decrease the intake of another. Now it depends on your fitness goals how much of muscles you need and what amount of protein it calls for.
If your protein intake requires you to cut down on healthy portions of fats or carbohydrates, know that you are going wrong with your intake of proteins.
Could eating too much protein be dangerous?
If the protein intake is continuously driven upward, the portion of fats and carbohydrates will gradually shrink which, after a certain time, will lead to a fatal reduction in vital fats, fruits, fiber, grains and vegetables – and let’s not forget that our body needs each of these components for its overall proper functioning and every nutrient play a vital role to form a wholesome diet.
These are the side effects of consuming too much protein:
- Cutting down carbs almost entirely would take your body to a situation of ketosis, which means instead of carbohydrates the body starts burning fat. This is great if you want to lose weight but it comes at the cost of ruining your breath that smells like you gulp down a bottle of nail polish remover.
- Carbs have a direct connection with our brain, which directly controls our mood. A brain that is denied the sugary starchy glory of carbs finds an irregularity in its stimulating of mood-regulating hormones. If you replace the carbs in your diet completely with proteins you will be most likely to turn out grouchy and grumpy.
- Along with proteins we also take in amounts of nitrogen byproducts. When protein is consumed in moderate quantities, this nitrogen is disposed off the body with urine. But, when you consume larger than needed portions of protein, the nitrogen byproduct increases the strain in your kidneys thereby wrecking it.
- Over eating proteins, in the long run, will only lead to weight gain especially if you overdo on egg whites and Whey protein.
- Digesting proteins is a helluva task, so eating too much of proteins increases the stress on our digestive tract rendering it weak and dysfunctional.
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