I’m a gym rat.
Yes, I like to pump iron from time to time. It helps me balance my stress level out. And with this kind of training comes the food and supplements to go with it. Yes, I am a woman who shakes. I shake my proteins when back from the gym, at my desk, where I prep my proteins. Not to say that all of my colleagues are looking at me in a weird way.
But why do sports people eat or drink proteins ? And how can eating protein help you towards your health and fitness goals ? Let’s find out.
What are proteins for and where to find them ?
Their principal function is to help our body renew our muscles, tissus, hair, nails. Our immune system also relies on them to find the strength to fight illnesses.
One of the big misconception we do have, is that protein is meat only. We couldn’t be more wrong. Yes, protein is found in meat, but we can also find multiple sources loads of them being vegetal.
Basically, there are two groups :
Animal proteins : meat, fish, eggs, milk and dairy, shellfish…
Vegetal proteins : Lentils, chickpeas, beans, quinoa, tofu, nuts...
What are proteins made out of ?
Well, to make things simple, proteins are made of tiny proteins called branched-chain amino acids. Out of the 20 that exist, 12 are created by our body with a bit of glucids and a bit of lipids (article about fat coming soon), the remaining 8 are said to be “essential”. They cannot be produced by our body, hence us finding a way to get them in our system through food.
The biggest, baddest, bestest food for amino acids is the egg. He has all 8 essential ones in a perfect ratio. Make it your best friend and you’ll see results fast
What’s the big problem we have with protein these days ?
The problem is global, and we do have a problem with food quantities. If we take the issue down by category, let’s say that when it comes to protein, we have the right quantities.
What we are lacking, is quality. As we fail to collect all the “fantastic 8”, we see ourselves more tired, lacking focus or not sleeping so well. I’m not talking about Pokemon here, but about food! I hope you’re still following… (no, we don’t eat Pokemons either…)
We need to vary our sources of proteins, big time! Let’s not focus on animal prot’ only, and invite the other sources to our feasts so we get a nice 50/50 ratio going on. As you know, we’re going way too heavy on the meat side of the equation.
So, what’s to change on my side ?
For a month, instead of snacking on crappy food, try snacking on chicken with hummus. ;) Get some eggs daily, whether it is for breakfast or diner, and you’ll start feeling better mentally and physically.
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Until next time...
The French Londoner
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