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Week Fifteen: Become a Protein Pro - Learn why this nutrient is vital to Weight Loss!

Proteins are the building blocks of our bodies. They are made up of essential and non-essential amino acids, and play a role in almost every function in the body. They make up the body's structure, including the bones and connective tissues to which the muscles and cells attach. Essentially, they give our bodies form and shape, and make up a large part of who we are on the physical level.

Proteins make up enzymes which function inside our bodies to build new tissues, break down old tissues, and provide channels for transport of nutrients, wastes, and toxins through the cell membranes of every cell in our bodies. 

Our bodies are always making new proteins to aid in growth, to help the immune system fight against invaders, and to replace those proteins that have been lost through tissue damage.

Once made, individual proteins join together to form large protein complexes, including the matrix that makes up the bone, skin, nails, hair, tissue, and teeth. These include proteins such as collagen, elastin, and keratin, which are all involved in maintaining the structure of the skin.

Proteins play a crucial role in almost every system of the body. In the immune system, they make up antibodies; in the endocrine system, they make up several hormones; in the digestive system, they make up enzymes; and in the circulatory system, they influence all the factors involved in blood coagulation.

Amino Acids

Proteins are long chains of amino acids. Amino acids are the tiny building blocks that, when bonded together with chemical bonds, form proteins. The majority of proteins contain anywhere from 200-400 amino acids, with hormones containing around 50 and enzymes containing around 300. The proteins found in the circulatory system and immune system, however, tend to have more amino acids, generally in the range of 500-1000.

There are two kinds of amino acids: one being essential, and the other non-essential. Non-essential amino acids are those that your body can synthesize from other molecules found in the body. Essential amino acids, on the other hand, are those that must be supplied through the diet, as the body does not have the ability to synthesize them on its own. In order for your body to make a protein, it must have all 20 amino acids available as building blocks – 9 of which are essential amino acids. Some commonly known essential amino acids are methionine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan.

A healthy adult is estimated to need around 40 to 65 grams of amino acids each day. If the body does not get the amount of protein it requires in a day, through the diet, it can start to break down its own tissues – usually muscle – to get the protein in needs. Therefore, low protein intake can lead to stunted growth, poor formation of muscle, fragile and thin hair, skin lesions, or a poorly functioning immune system.

Sources of Protein

The body gets amino acids – and thus protein – through eating a diet rich in animal and plant foods.  Although vegetables, fruits and grains tend to have low amounts of protein, nuts, legumes, eggs, fish, meat and dairy products are all rich dietary sources of protein.  When these foods are properly digested, they provide the body with the necessary amino acids needed to form the proteins that make up our bodies.

Complete Protein vs. Incomplete Protein

Complete proteins are those that contain ample amounts of all the essential amino acids needed by our bodies. In general, animal proteins (meat, fish, poultry, milk, eggs and cheese) are considered good sources of complete proteins.

Incomplete proteins, on the other hand, are those which are missing one or more of the essential amino acids. In general, vegetable proteins (grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and other vegetables) are considered to be incomplete proteins. In order to form a complete protein with incomplete protein sources, it is crucial to combine the foods in such a way to balance the amounts of amino acids, and ensure that all are present in the meal being eaten. For instance, you can combine rice and beans or peanut butter and toast to form complete proteins with foods that were incomplete sources on their own.

Achieving Optimal Protein Intake

One great way to get enough protein each day is to add a protein shake or smoothie to your daily diet. At U Weight Loss^®, we have our very own U-approved protein powder known as U-Protein. U-Protein is a highly absorbable whey protein supplement from dairy. It is ultrafiltered, meaning that, during manufacturing, the product is finely filtered to ensure the protein fraction is highly absorbable when consumed. It is a whey protein isolate and concentrate with a complete amino acid profile, containing both essential and non-essential amino acids. The powder can be mixed with fruit and flax oil to make delicious smoothies, or it can be eaten in dishes such as oatmeal, to increase the overall protein content of the meal.

Protein and Weight loss

Protein is a critical part of the adult diet and plays a very important role in weight loss. The following is a brief explanation of how a high protein diet can benefit those of us trying to lose weight, maintain weight loss, or who have hit a plateau.

Satiety and Appetite Regulation

Protein is one of the key factors for satiety and appetite regulation. Because it has a greater satiety value than either carbohydrates or fats, it makes you feel fuller. As a result, your overall daily food intake can be effectively reduced.

Maintaining Lean Muscle Mass and Increasing Metabolic Rate

When you consume high amounts of protein, your body maintains its metabolically active tissues. It increases its loss of body weight and body fat, and reduces its loss of lean muscle. Maintaining your lean muscle mass is beneficial in promoting a healthy basal metabolic rate. As you work to increase your lean muscle mass through exercise, your metabolic rate will increase too.

Metabolism

Protein has a high thermic effect on the body. Meaning it takes a lot of energy from our body to break protein down into its useable form. This stimulates your body to increase its metabolism, which will help to increase energy levels.

Glucagon

Ingestion of protein stimulates the release of glucagon. Glucagon encourages the production of glucose in the liver and breaks down fats in adipose (fatty) tissues. It is also involved in the blood sugar balancing process as it has the opposite effect on the body as insulin. 

Blood Sugar Control

Protein serves as a blood sugar stabilizer. When eaten in combination with other foods, protein will prevent your blood sugar levels from rising too high or falling too low. This helps to control insulin levels which are important to keep under check, as insulin regulates fat metabolism. Through balancing our blood sugar, proteins aid us in achieving and maintaining our weight loss goals, and help prevent diseases such as diabetes. 

Plateaus and Uturn

Protein also plays a very important role in breaking plateaus. In order to continue gaining results and losing weight, protein intake must be increased. At U Weight Loss^®, we offer the Uturn program for those who have hit a plateau and just need a small push to get their weight loss back on track. The
Uturn program is based on eating a high protein, low carbohydrate diet. It offers recipes that have been specifically created for the program to ensure you're consuming enough protein each and every day.

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