Proteins

Protein Choices

Summary:

• Select from a mix of high quality proteins from lean sources that include breasts of turkey, chicken, loin cuts of beef and especially, cold-water north Atlantic fish.

• Include low/no fat dairy proteins for hunger management and immunity.

• Supplementation with additional amino acids or high quality whey may be recommended.

Proteins are the source of the nitrogen-based molecules that form the basic structure of your muscles, immune system, brain function mechanisms and a host of other functions! This statement was in bold because it is so critically important. Everyday, your body degrades, cycles and regenerates the structure of your body. It must have the basic components in order to build a high quality living body. The debate, of course, is how much and what kind. As in carbohydrates, it seems that whole food proteins are best. More is being learned, however, the basic building blocks of proteins are ordered in a particular way that alters there function and how they are absorbed. Some combinations aid dramatically in bolstering immunity, others maintain brain function while others are instrumental in maintaining joint integrity. Therefore, although we could swallow a load of amino acids, the basic building blocks of all proteins and let the body assemble them as needed, research has shown that sources from whole foods have added benefits  for which we want to take advantage. Also, there are some combinations that have proven so beneficial, that they are a nice added supplement. I will discuss these later.