Hello, fitness freaks! We often promote physical activeness for fitness. This is indeed effective in most ways for achieving strength and good health. But our diet is equally responsible for maintaining our body health. Therefore, you should give importance to your daily nutrition and diet to keep fit. In this blog we will tell you WHY IS PROTEIN IMPORTANT?

There are several nutritional requirements for one’s well-being. Some of the most essential requirements are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. However they perform many roles in our bodies.

BEST SOURCES OF PROTEIN FOR VEGETARIANS

  • Lentils: Use lentils to make a vegetable burger. You can also include lentils as a main dish.
  • Green peas: Cook or boil green peas and add some lemon juice, salt, and onion for a delicious, whole protein evening snack.
  • Seeds: Sunflower, pumpkin, or hemp seeds containing 7-8 grams per ounce are a great source of it.
  • Beans: This is your possible choice if you want to add something low in cholesterol but high in protein to your meal.
  • Whole grains: Although grains are significant sources of carbohydrates, these can also provide sufficient proteins. The best way of daily consume whole grains is by adding oats to your diet.
  • Nuts: Garnish your oats with nuts like almonds and pistachios. Add some peanut butter to your toast and enjoy the delight!
  • Tofu and Soybean: These are good examples of adding soy protein to your diet. It is also a meat substitute in a vegetarian diet.
  • Low-fat yogurt: Add yogurt to your lunch. Including protein in your meal in the form of yogurt is refreshing.
  • Milk: Include milk and cereals with nuts and fruits dressing in your breakfast to satisfy your dairy product requirement.
  • Cottage cheese: You must only check the amount of salt intake, as cottage cheese is rich in sodium too.
  • Vegetables: Green leafy vegetables like spinach, corn, and sprouts have ample protein during low calories.

SOME OTHER SOURCES OF PROTEIN FOR VEGETARIANS

Various other sources fulfill the requirements of vegetarians. Add plant base nutrients to your meal. Plant-based proteins are the best type of protein essential for burning fats. You may add these to your lunch as a healthy bowl of salad.

A vegetarian diet is always a good choice for proper well-being. It reduces the risk of diseases like cancer and the severity due to heart diseases or stroke. Obesity, like excess body weight gain problems, is also a minority in vegetarians.

BEST SOURCES OF PROTEIN FOR NON-VEGETARIANS

  • Eggs: Eggs are low cost but high in protein. Egg whites are low in calories. Add the yolk to your food habits for vitamin D, B, and omega-three fatty acids. Boil eggs and include them in your breakfast with supplements like milk and nuts.
  • Chicken: An excellent choice for your meal as much as you love trying different chicken recipes. Try to reduce the oil content while cooking. Preferably, go for grilled chicken rather than frying it in oil. This helps prepare a healthy meal and reduces the risk of high cholesterol.
  • Fish: What do you think about adding fish curry with steamed rice to your lunch? Probably, the best way to include in your lunch. Add fish to your meal to meet the daily requirement. Eat preferably tuna and salmon.
  • Meat: Meat is the richest source of protein in a non-vegetarian meal. Dietitians prefer the intake of meat over red meat for health reasons. However, you should avoid eating meat regularly as it is high in cholesterol. Therefore, People suffering from heart diseases should not consume meat.
  • Red meat: How you prepare red meat plays a vital role in identifying its effect on your health. The frying method of cooking would mean raising its fat and sodium level. Check that it contains only a reasonable amount of fat and sodium. Intake of red meat is not advisable as it has high fats. It harms body cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO CHOOSE PROTEIN?

You will find various discussions on the nutritional requirement of protein and sources that fulfill protein requirements. But there is one more angle that throws light on the reason behind the importance of protein at which you should have a look.

  • Protein in the body helps regulate hormones and thus is essential in growth and development.
  • Ample amounts of it in one’s diet builds muscle mass.
  • It also relieves bone and joint pain.
  • Healing wounds is more accessible with proper protein in daily food habits as it repairs body tissues also.
  • So regular protein intake helps in digestion and production of energy.
  • Relief from muscle contraction and blood contraction.
  • It supplies the essential nutrients to the RBCs (red blood cells) and oxygenates the blood also.
  • It maintains the cells in our body that are the building blocks of living beings.

SHOULD WE TAKE PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS TO FULFIL PROTEIN REQUIREMENTS?

We usually promote adding protein-rich food sources to our diet to fulfill our daily requirements. It is beneficial to a great extent over taking nutritional supplements. But there are a lot of cases in which the amount of protein that one’s diet supplies to the body are not enough to fulfill the body’s requirement. Especially such cases are expected in vegans, vegetarians, athletes, adults, and individuals following a particular diet. In such cases, it is advisable to take supplements to meet their nutritional needs.

IS IT SAFE TO TAKE PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS?

  • Among various discussions on whether to choose supplements or not, most of the queries that come up are regarding their effect on health. Most people want to know if it is safe to take protein supplements to fulfill the necessary requirement of our body.
  • There is no harm in taking protein supplements if your doctor approves.
  • Make a wise choice while choosing supplements.
  • Go for brands that nutritionists trust.
  • Most supplements are safe as they have an FSSAI mark.
  • Read the ingredients and formula on the product to check on brands.
  • Use suitable measures.
  • Become an aware consumer.
  • You can assure the quality of products if you are aware of your health.

EFFECTS OF PROTEIN DEFICIENCY

We cannot deny that protein plays a vital role in keeping us healthy. Diets that limit protein intake in large amounts lead to a shortage of protein in the body. We must not neglect the benefits of protein since the deficiency of it causes some severe ill effects on our health. Some of the deficiency effects are as follows:

  • Deficiency of protein fluctuates sugar levels and leads to diabetes also.
  • It’s deficiency also causes difficulty in losing weight.
  • Lack of protein in the diet increases the risk of bone fractures.
  • Swelling develops, and degeneration of skin becomes common if one does not include protein in sufficient amounts in the diet.
  • It is responsible for growth and development in the human body. Therefore, a lack of protein causes stunted growth.
  • It’s deficiency also results in impairment of the gastrointestinal tract, which makes the body non-responsive to drugs.

PROTEIN DEFICIENCY DISEASES

Besides the ill effects of ignoring protein in our diets, it’s deficiency also causes some severe diseases. The two major deficiency syndromes are:

  • Kwashiorkor
  • Marasmus
protein

KWASHIORKOR

Kwashiorkor, scientifically Edematous malnutrition, is a severe form of protein malnutrition. It is common in areas of drought and famines. It affects infants and children. They suffer from stunt growth. Hands and feet swell as a symptom.

This type of nutritional malfunction is associated with fluid retention. It leads to poor digestion and absorption in children. It occurs after the child is eighteen months. If this affects the children’s bodies, they are at higher risk of infections.

MARASMUS

Marasmus is a severe type of protein malnutrition. It occurs in infants and children. Infants suffer from growth inability. They are unable to grow weight. This leads to growth impairment. Dehydration and stomach shrinking occur. It leads to significant weight loss.

Poverty and a scarcity of food lead to such a type of marasmus. It occurs before the child reaches the age of one. Therefore, ingestion of protein is significant for infants and children.

CONCLUSION

The two deficiency diseases due to lack of protein do not occur in adults. Still, it is essential to discuss these as they give us a reality check that nutritional requirements for our body need fulfillment at any cost. We cannot avoid proteins and other nutrients in our diet.

So do not omit essential requirements in the name of dietary restrictions. Your health is your real treasure. Primarily, you maintain your health. So, Keep yourself healthy!

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