Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Powerful Protein!!



 Protein is an essential nutrient whose name comes from the Greek word protos, which means “first.” To visualize a molecule of protein close your eyes and see a very long chain, rather like a chain of sausage links. The links in the chains are amino acids, commonly known as the building blocks of protein. In addition to carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms, amino acids contain a nitrogen (amino) group. The amino group is essential for assembling specialized proteins in your body.

 The human body is chock-full of protein. Proteins are present in the outer and inner membranes of every living cell. Here’s where else protein makes an appearance:
·         Your hair, your nails and the outer layers of your skin are made of the protein Keratin. Keratin is a scleroprotein, or a protein resistant to digestive enzymes. So, if you bite your nails, you can’t digest them.
·         Muscle tissue contains myosin, actin, myoglobin and a number of other proteins.
·         Bone has plenty of protein. The outer part of bone is hardened with minerals such as calcium, but the basic, rubbery inner structure is protein; and bone marrow, the soft material inside the bone, also contains protein.
·         Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, a protein compound that carries oxygen throughout the body. Plasma, the clear fluid in blood, contains fat and protein particles known as lipoproteins, which ferry cholesterol around and out of the body.

 Your body uses proteins to build new cells, maintain tissues, and synthesize new proteins that make it possible for you to perform basic bodily functions.  About half the dietary protein that you consume each day goes into making enzymes - the specialized worker proteins that do specific jobs such as digesting food and assembling or dividing molecules to make new cells and chemical substances. To perform these functions, enzymes often need specific vitamins and minerals.  Your ability to see, think, hear, and move – in fact, to do just about everything that you consider part of a healthy life – requires you nerve cells to send messages back and forth to each other and to other specialized kinds of cells, such as muscle cells. Sending these messages requires chemicals called neurotransmitters. Making neurotransmitters requires… guess what – Proteins.  Finally, proteins play an important part in the creation of every new cell and every new individual. Your chromosomes consist of nucleoprotein, which are substances made of amino acids and nucleic acids. And the nucleic acids carry the genetic codes.

 The cells in your digestive tract can absorb only a single amino acid or very small chains of two or three amino acids called peptides. So proteins from food are broken into their component amino acids by digestive enzymes – which are, of course, specialized proteins. The other enzymes in your body cells build new proteins by reassembling the amino acids into specific compounds that your body needs to function. This process is called Protein Synthesis.  The carbon, hydrogen and oxygen that are left over after protein synthesis is complete are converted to glucose and used for energy. The nitrogen residue (ammonia) isn’t used for energy. It’s processed by the liver, which converts the ammonia to urea. Most of the urea produced by the liver is excreted through the kidneys in urine; very small amounts are sloughed off in skin, hair, and nails.

 Every day, you reuse more proteins than you get from the food you eat, so you need a continuous supply to maintain your protein status. If your diet does not contain sufficient amounts of proteins, you start digesting the proteins in your body, including the proteins in your muscle and – in extreme cases – your heart muscle.
As you grow older, you synthesize new proteins less efficiently, so your muscle mass (protein tissue) diminishes while your fat content stays the same or rises. This change is why some people erroneously believe that muscle “turns to fat” in old age. Of course, you still use protein to build new tissue, including hair, skin and nails, which continue to grow until you crossover into The Great Beyond.  The first sign of protein deficiency is likely to be weak muscles.  A protein deficiency may also show up in your blood. Red blood cells live for only 120 days so protein is needed to produce new ones. People who do not get enough protein may become anemic; having fewer red blood cells than they need. Protein deficiency may also show up as fluid retention (the big belly on a starving child), hair loss, and muscle wasting caused by the body’s attempt to protect itself by digesting the proteins in its own muscle tissue.

 Here are some great protein food sources to include in your daily nutrition plan: meat, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, milk, beans, peas, nuts, grains, vegetables and even some fruits.


 Want to learn more about protein and how much you need on a daily basis? Stop by 4x Nutrition and talk to a Certified Sport Nutritionist. Not only can we customize a nutrition plan that will include the amount of protein needed to meet your fitness/nutrition goals, but we’ll also introduce you to some great tasting protein powders which will help you stay on track. Whether it’s vanilla, chocolate, orange creamsicle, cookies-n-cream, banana, strawberry, peanut butter or caramel latte, chances are we have a protein flavor that will have you coming back for more.

Here’s to your health,

Missy
4x Nutrition, Certified Sport Nutritionist

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Perfect Protein Pancakes 2.0


Perfect Protein Pancakes

For those of you who are like me, I love having pancakes on Sunday morning. Here is a simple easy to make recipe for protein pancakes.The recipe below is for 1 serving.
You will need:
5 egg whites – I normally use a little more than 3/4 cup of All Whites.
1 scoop of vanilla Intek
 protein powder  (you can use any flavor you like)
1/2 cup oatmeal
2 table spoons of whole wheat flour.  (I use coconut flour but it tastes like coconut)
1 packet of stevia (or any other sweetener)
Water
Bowl
Cooking spray
Pan
Spatula
Instructions:
Pre cook oatmeal according to directions on the oatmeal.
Mix the eggs, protein, cooked oatmeal, flour and stevia in abowl.  Slowly add water while stirring until you reach the desired consistency (that of regular pancake batter).
Heat up the pan at medium heat. Spray with the cooking spray. Wait about 5-10 minutes for it to heat up.
Add the batter to the pan. I would use between 1/4 cup – 1/2 cup per pancake.  
Cook like you would regular pancakes. About 3 minutes each side.
Topping Suggestions:
Add whatever you would like to the pancakes; walnuts, pecans, blueberries or chocolate chips.
I add these items when I first pour the batter into the pan. I’ll place some on top of the batter in the pan and then I’ll flip the pancake.

When the pancakes are all cooked I top them with sugar free or lite syrup and maybe some whip cream.

Hope you enjoy these pancakes as much as I do!


Feel free to stop by the store and see me.

Have a Healthy Day,
Seth Cairns

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Protein Bars: Good or Bad?

Protein Bars: Good or Bad? 

Protein bars are included in many people’s diets. Most bars claim to be nutritious and high in protein however there are some things to watch out for. The benefits of protein bars are that they are convenient. Bars require no refrigeration, no heating up and no utensils. You can just grab it and go. 


                        
Now we are all human and many of us, including myself, get chocolate cravings. Protein bars are a good alternative to candy bars. They contain more protein and usually less fat and carbs than let's say a snickers bar or reeses. The cons of protein bars are that most do not contain important vitamins so should not be used as a meal replacement. Many bars claim to be nutritious but they are high in fats and sugar. Another con is that they are usually expensive. 



If you do feel the need to grab a protein bar make sure to check the nutrition label. Find something high in protein and low in bad fats and carbohydrates. 

Good fats that you may find in protein bars are monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats which lower LDL cholesterol such as peanuts, almonds, walnuts and sunflower oils. 
Bad fats would include saturated and trans fat which raise LDL cholesterol. Avoid bars that have “hydrogenate” oils in them. 






You want to also find a bar low in sugar but you also want to avoid excessive amounts of sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohols are lower in calories than regular sugar. They are not absorbed by the body in the same way that sugar is. Sugar is absorbed quickly and spikes insulin. Sugar alcohols normally pass through but because they are not absorbed completely they can cause gas bloating and diarrhea. Some examples of sugar alcohols are erythritol, lactitol, and sorbitol. I recommend looking for something that contains Stevia which is a natural sugar substitute. Stevia does not contain carbs or calories and is not a sugar alcohol. 


Protein bars have their good sides and bad but it is still always better to get your nutrients through whole foods. 
If you have any questions feel free to stop by the store and see me! 


Have a Healthy Day!
Seth Cairns