Get the scoop on protein

I had some fun in the kitchen yesterday! I made some sugar and shortening free Banana Bread and some more Pico de Gallo and Protein Bars.  Speaking of protein, did you know that your probably not getting enough?

According to a recent publication in Women's Health magazine most women's diet lack sufficient amounts of protein.

All your tissues, bones, and nerves are made up  of mostly proteins.  It's also a building source for muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails, ligaments, tendons, and organs.  Also protein is important for the formation of mother's milk.  So if your lactating you need even more.
Protein can also double up and be used for heat and energy.  But because the body requires so much protein it's not always the best idea to use it for energy sources.  We need to keep it available for growth and maintenance in the body.  This is one of the reasons why its important to have fats and carbs in our diet.
There are 22 amino acids (a simpler unit of protein) required to make and up keep our bodies.  All but 9 can be produced by the body.  Meaning those 9, called essential amino acids, we need to intake to maintain healthy bodily functions.
In the food we eat there are two kinds of protein I want you to be aware of: Complete and Incomplete.
Complete Protein: Has all the essential amino acids
Incomplete Protein: lacks or is very low in any one of the essential amino acids.
For our bodies to use or synthesize protein ALL 9 essential amino acids must be present AT THE SAME TIME. If one is missing or low protein synthesis will be extremely low or fail all together.
Thus the importance of Complete Protein.

This is my favorite! I use vanilla for cooking and chocolate for enjoying! Can be bought here: Bev.protein

Meats and dairy are Complete.  Where as fruits, veggies, beans, nuts, and rice are Incomplete.  But by combining different Incomplete Proteins we can create a balance in amino acids.   Such as beans and corn like in the Southwest Salad recipe.  Or PB&J, the nuts from the peanut-butter and the wholegrain wheat combine to crate a Complete Protein.
To complete beans or brown rice here are a few options to combine with: nuts, seeds, wheat, corn.
This is one of the many reasons for eating protein shakes, bars and other fortified options.  It helps make it easy to get it complete and enough while keeping calories low.

This is next on my list to try.  It includes a patented weight-loss ingredient EssentraTrim that has been demonstrated to help with managing the stress hormone cortisol associated with fat storage.  Can be bought here: Trim shake

If you do choose to supplement protein make sure that there is little to no sugar.  We want protein but no junk to come with it.  Check the label for calories as well, try and keep it around 120 calories a serving.
So next time your planning your menu or wondering what to eat, make sure you've got your protein covered.

p.s. I created on awesome workout for you this morning I'll work on getting it on video or a printable for you.