Download Protein What is protein? Protein is the basic building block for the

Port Townsend Chiropractic
1233 Lawrence Steet, Port Townsend, WA
Drs. Calah Tenney & Lyndsay Mishko
360-379-0800
Protein
What is protein?
Protein is the basic building block for the human body. It is made up of 20 amino
acids (AAs). Most AAs can be manufactured in the human body, but 9 are
essential AAs, which means that they need to come from your diet. The AA
building blocks from protein help build your body’s tissues (think hair, skin, nails,
and muscles), contribute to the function of the immune system and the
formation of blood cells, and carry out cellular functions that require important
protein helpers called enzymes. Next to water, protein is the most plentiful
substance in the body. Most of the body’s protein is located in the skeletal
muscles. Protein in your diet provides 4 calories per gram.
Recent studies have also suggested that protein stimulates specific cells in the
brain that allow us to maintain an alert and wakeful state. It has also been found
that protein plays a role in satiety, allowing people to feel full and signaling your
brain to stop eating.
Most adults need to consume a minimum of about 0.37 grams of protein per
pound of body weight (standard recommendations). If you are overweight,
calculate this based upon your ideal weight. For instance, if your ideal weight is
150 pounds, your protein goal for the day should be about 55.5 grams. Heavy
athletic training does increase your need for protein in the diet.
Another way to calculate protein in your diet is by percentage. Current
research does indicate that high protein diets are a successful strategy to lose
weight, and a high protein diet can be calculated as 30-50% of your total
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Port Townsend Chiropractic
1233 Lawrence Steet, Port Townsend, WA
Drs. Calah Tenney & Lyndsay Mishko
360-379-0800
calories. If you have kidney or liver disease, this would not be an appropriate
diet for you.
Some dietary protein sources include:
Fresh Grass-Fed or Free-range Meat
Fish/Seafood (A bonus with seafood and fish is that they are good sources of
the minerals iodine and selenium, and vitamins A, C, and E). Mollusks (clams,
oysters, and mussels) are also great sources of B vitamins and iron. Try to avoid
farmed fish which was probably dosed with high level of antibiotics, and fed
both food coloring and a grain-based diet.
Meat or fish jerky
Nut butters (especially almond butter)
High quality gelatin
Canned Fish (salmon or tuna)
Cheese and other dairy
Eggs
Nutritional Yeast
Fermented soy products
Nuts and seeds
* We do not recommend unfermented soy. Unfermented soy is high in
phytoestrogens that may disrupt natural hormone balance, high in omega-6
fatty acids, and high in phytates which hinder mineral absorption from your
food.
Quinoa
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Port Townsend Chiropractic
1233 Lawrence Steet, Port Townsend, WA
Drs. Calah Tenney & Lyndsay Mishko
360-379-0800
Beans
Lentils
*If you are getting your protein solely from plant sources, a variety of sources is
important to ensure that you are getting all of the amino acids.*
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