• Skip to main content

Cycle Harmony

Create. Love. Flourish. Be.

  • Start Here
  • About
  • Blog
  • What’s New
    • Vaginal Discharge
    • Fertility and Pregnancy
    • PMS | PMDD
    • Period Symptoms
    • Menstrual Irregularities
    • Hormone Imbalance
    • Health and Healing
You are here: Home / Health and Healing / Nutrition and Recipes / Are You Getting Enough Protein in Your Diet?

Are You Getting Enough Protein in Your Diet?

Last updated on September 6, 2018 By Jing J. Leave a Comment

Gosh, there are so many different kinds of diets out there. Some advocate a high-protein diet, while others advocate a low-protein diet. Who is right? What are the right kinds, and what is the right amount of protein you should consume on a daily basis?

In this post, I’ll share with you a few important facts about proteins. Having the right knowledge can help you improve your diet – and your health.

#1 Protein is very important to our health.

Beneath all of the colorful stories created around proteins is a simple fact: Proteins are essential to our health. They are the building blocks for most tissues in the body, including muscles, bones, blood and visceral organs. They also make up our digestive enzymes and hormones, and play important roles in many of the body’s vital processes. In short, we can’t survive, let alone thrive, without protein.

#2 We need to source essential proteins from foods.

There are 20 common amino acids (building blocks of proteins) in the body. 11 of them can be synthesized by the body, while 9 of them have to be sourced from the foods we eat. These 9 amino acids are referred to as essential amino acids.

#3 Some proteins are better than others.

An important thing to note is that you need to eat the 9 essential amino acids during the same time period (in the course of a day) for your body to synthesize the rest of the non-essential amino acids. Otherwise you may run the risk of a protein deficiency.

A high quality protein has all of the essential amino acids, but a low quality protein is lacking one or more. Foods that have complete proteins are generally from the animal sources, such as eggs, fish, beef, poultry, and diary products. Most plant-based proteins lack one or more amino acids.

An exception would be soy, which has all of the essential amino acids.

#4 You can get all the protein you need by complementing the foods you eat.

If you’re a vegan or vegetarian, it’s extra important for you to complement your foods so you can obtain all of the essential amino acids in your diet. For example, rice is low in the essential amino acid, lysine. Beans are low in the essential amino acid, methionine. But by eating rice and beans together, you can get your full complement of essential amino acids. Other examples would include macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and bread, or cereal and milk.

#5 You need the right amount of protein in your diet, not too much, not too little.

If you don’t have adequate protein in your diet, you run the risk of a protein deficiency and declining physical and mental functions. However, if you eat too much protein, you run the risk of overburdening your liver and kidneys because waste products from the breakdown of protein have to be eliminated in the urine as urea. Besides, contrary to common belief, extra protein will not help build muscle, but will instead be stored as fat.

So how much protein do you need? There is a simple formula you can use to determine the right amount of protein based on your body weight.

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 gram per kg (1kg = 2.2 lbs) per day.

For example, I weigh about 120 lbs, or 55 kg (120 lbs/2.2). So my RDA of protein would be 44 grams (55 kg x 0.8).

Here are some examples of foods I can source the required protein from:

3 ounce servings of lean meat, fish or poultry = 21 grams of protein

2 eggs = 16 grams

2 slices of fat-free cheese = 10 grams

1 slice of bread = 3 grams

One cup of yogurt = 10 grams

Note that if you’re physically active, growing, healing, pregnant or nursing, you’re likely to need more protein to support these extra activities.

Achieving optimal health calls for a healthy and balanced diet, protein included. So make sure you have the right kind and right amount of protein every day. May you thrive and blossom!

Image source

       

Related Posts

  • Five Element Diet for PMS Relief
  • The Little Guide to a Healthy and Balanced Diet
  • Low-Glycemic-Index Diet May Be an Answer to Your Menstrual Problems
  • Foods That Relieve Menstrual Problems
  • 10 Foods To Balance Hormones
  • What To Eat Before, During and After Your Period

Please help us educate other women in your circle. Thank you!

Hi, this is Jing. I created Cycle Harmony to share what I've learned to live in harmony with my body - and my life. Join us and share yours @facebook.com/cycleharmony!

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

cycle harmony amazon store

Let’s Connect

Facebook Pinterest Youtube Envelope Rss

FACE YOUR PAIN

 

Vaginal Discharge

 

Fertility and Pregnancy

 

PMS/PMDD

 

Period Symptoms

 

Menstrual Irregularities

 

Hormone Imbalance

BEGIN TO HEAL

 

Menstrual Health

 

Menstrual Tracking

 

Mind Body Healing

 

Nutrition and Recipes

 

Healthy Lifestyle

 

Emotional Wellbeing

 

Relationships

 

Menstrual Myths and Rituals

 

Red Tent

LIVE IN THE FLOW

 

Create. Love. Flourish. Be.

 

ABOUT

 

About Cycle Harmony

 

Our Amazon Storefront

 

Contact Us

 

Connect with Us on Facebook

 

Site Map

CycleHarmonylogo150

Copyright © 2022 — CycleHarmony • All rights reserved. • Terms • Privacy Policy 

Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Jing Jin and her community. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.