The Protein Craze

Muscle milk.

Pro Complex.

Whey Isolate.

They are all protein-loaded supplements, promoted to make you look like the big muscly man you inspire to be (I personally think it's overrated). Are they really necessary?
First of all, most Americans meet their protein needs without having to take supplements-even those who work out daily or are competitive athletes.There is controversy over how much protein is actually needed and if protein supplements can really transform you into a lean, mean, muscly machine. You need protein to build muscles, but how much each person needs is different. You also need a high dose of exercise and TOTAL calorie intake to support this high demand. If you don't get enough non-protein calories (mainly from carbs) your body will eventually break down your muscle to use it for energy. Oh, and you can't STORE protein! It needs to be continually replaced.
You're genetics will only take you so far, even if you are working out for hours a day & drinking buckets of protein.
For an athletic male (endurance and strength trained), you need per day:

1.2 grams protein/kg weight-1.7 grams protein/kg weight

Let's use an example of a 200# man.

kg body weight is found by taking the weight in pounds and dividing it by 2.2

200 # man/2.2= 90.9 kg
90.9 x 1.2=109...90.9x1.7=154

1.2 gm/kg-1.7 gm/kg = 109-154 grams Protein Per Day

I RECOMMEND TO STICK TO THE LOWER END OF THIS RANGE. The average man who works out 1-2 hours a day will not need the upper range of protein..its too much! Besides putting a strain on your kidneys and liver, there are other risks associated with consuming too much protein, such as kidney stones (ouch) and osteoperosis (inhibits calcium absorption).


Back to the supplements...

You can meet your protein needs WITHOUT expensive powders and supplements, I promise you! Most people easily meet their protein needs without even trying.The key is to make sure you consume protein of 'High Biological Value' (quality protein with complete amino acids), along with a mix of beans, lentils, and nuts.
Examples of high Biologically Value proteins: Meat, Fish, Poultry (including eggs).
MFP...remember it!

Just to give you an idea of how much protein you are getting from MFP:

3 ounce serving of MFP generally equals 21 grams of protein.

 Picture the size of a deck of cards.

A little bit bigger (4 ounces)=28 grams.

-Have an egg omelet (2 whole eggs, 2 egg whites) with breakfast and you've already had 28 grams of protein.
-Have a 4 ounce serving of MFP at lunch and dinner and you already have 84 grams of protein per day!!
-Have an 8 oz glass of low-fat/skim milk with each meal..you are already up to 108 grams a day.

You wanna consume very lean to lean MFP's to avoid overeating the saturated fats.
Examples (there's lots!):

White chicken or turkey meat, no skin; Cornish hen, no skin

Beef: USDA Select or Choice grades of lean meat trimmed of fat- Round, Sirloin, Flank Steak, Tenderloin;
Roast (rib, chuck, rump); Steak (T-bone, porterhouse, cubed); Ground Round
Lean pork (fresh ham, Canadian bacon (low salt if u can get)
Fresh or frozen cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, trout, lox, tuna fresh or canned in water, salmon, sardines
Lamb: roast, chop, or leg
Veal: Lean chop, roast
Clams, crab, lobster, scallops, shrimp
Duck or phesant (well drained of fat) no skin, venison, buffalo, ostrich (yes, thats right)
Processed meat (low salt) with 1 gram of fat or less per ounce (deli ham, chipped beef, turkey)
Eggs. egg whites, egg substitutes

Vegetarian? You can still get a hefty dose of protein in your diet:

7 grams protein=

• 1/2 cup beans, peas, lentils (cooked)
• 1/4 cup 4-5% fat cottage cheese
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• 1 ounce Mozzerella
• 1/4 cup Ricotta
• 1/4 cup tempeh
• 4 ounce Tofu (1/2 cup)
• 1 tbsp Peanut Butter (get the natural kind!)
• 1 ounce Processed cheese- american, cheddar, monterey jack, swiss (want to limit in diet)

You'll want to substitute MFP servings for beans, tofu, peanut butter, and lentils.


BOTTOM LINE:
If you are going to be working out A LOT and want to build muscles, you need to not only work out a lot, but make sure you are getting adequate non-protein calories (such as carbohydrates)& protein calories. No need to overdue it though!!

Pre-Gym Snack

To get fueled before the gym I made a yummy PB-chocolate milkshake- minus the ice cream. I poured about 1 cup skim milk (I prefer the organic cause it lasts longer) into the blender with ice cubes, 1/2 tablespoon all natural peanut butter and 1/2 packet no added sugar Nestle hot cocoa mix...It was delicious!

It's important to fuel up prior to and after workouts to reap the most benefits from exercise and to allow your body to recover properly. I find I am able to work out harder and longer when I have a pre-gym snack and when I am well hydrated!! Drinking water throughout the day is better than chugging a huge amount of water beforehand of course, cause that just fills up your belly. I like shakes like these because its an excellent balance of carbohydrates and protein, which is needed during times of high physical activity to replenish glycogen* stores and  build and repair tissue. Because this snack is a liquid- I don't have to worry about it bouncing around in my stomach while I'm working out. If you don't have a blender or the time, a low-fat chocolate milk will do the trick!!

*Glycogen is stored glucose (energy). Your body breaks it down to glucose and uses it when energy is needed.

More reasons to EXERCISE

You've heard it over & over again that you should exercise, but sometimes you get lost in your daily schedule to make it important.

BEEN THERE.

I am not obsessive about exercising, but I do try to make it important. If I don't have time to go to the gym, I simply do a 20 minute Comcast On-Demand video (under exercise section on demand), or make my own little routine up (jumping jacks, sit ups, lunges, bicep curls, arm raises/shoulder presses/push ups). All you need is a little bit of space and 2 dumbells (i have a set of 8#ers).

Maybe being reminded of the benefits of exercise might motivate you? Exercise:

1. Creates New Brain Cells.

    Ya know, your brain is a muscle too. Exercise increases blood flow to the

    brain & stimulates the growth of new brain cells.

Aerobics is still cool: pull out the ol' 80's gear: aerobic activity(run, jog, walk at fast pace, bicycling, stairmaster, elliptical) increases the supply of a  protein called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factors) which protects
brain neurons and promotes growth of new nerve cells related to MEMORY
and learning. In rats and mice, aerobic exercise improves spatial memory. The
same is true for people- spatial memory is important in finding your way or
knowing what goes where. Having difficulty remembering why you walked into a room, or where your keys are--Are you exercising enough??

2. Prevents Visceral Fat Gain    Remember this post?
    In '05 Slentz and his collegues reported that sedentary overweight men and women who followed an
    exercise program equal to 30 min. walks 6X/week for 8 months stopped gaining visceral fat. If they
    increased their workouts they lost the fat.
    Keep exercising to avoid gaining MORE visceral fat AND to maybe even lose it!

3. Boost Insulin Sensitivity
    Insulin is a hormone that allows blood sugar (from food) to enter the cells to be used as energy or stored.
    If you become 'insensitive' or resistant to insulin, blood sugars can increase, leading to heart
    disease and diabetes. When you exercise, your body becomes more sensitive to insulin, basically meaning
    it uses it better! Both aerobic and stregnth training increase the number of GLUT4 proteins-which move
    glucose into cells. The more GLUT4's you have, the better your cells respond to insulin.

4. Puts a smile on depression
    Those who are active are actually 15-25% less likely to be
  dianosed with depression, and people with depression-constant
  exercise improves symptoms! You can thank your serotonin!

Last but not least. You should exercise....

5. Because sitting can 'KILL' you!?
    Uh-huh. How many people just stood up after reading that sentence?
    According to an epidemiologist at the Pennington Biomed Center in LA, people who sit a lot for most of
    their days have higher mortality rates EVEN if they are physically active during another part of their day.
    EHHHHHH
    In a study of 17, 000 Canadians after 12 years:

•     20% of 'all day' sitters died
•     12% of '1/2 day' sitters died
•      6% of 'almost never' sitters died

   Just standing, versus sitting, activates the muscles, improves blood flow and may change your metabolism.

Are you stuck in a cubicle all day?? Get up every half an hour and   stretch, you can even squeeze in some chair arm lifts, squats, and jumping jacks!! And don't give up on working out after or before work!

Bottom Line: Exercise is good for you in a lot of ways. Just Do It (thanks Nike) and stop procrastinating. You will have better memory & exercise your brain, decrease your chances of heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, and you will also be hot doing it :)


Data/some info from Nutrition Action Newsletter, Dec.2009