WHAT IS PROTEIN?
An essential component of every cell in the body,
protein is a macronutrient made of 22 ‘building
blocks’ called amino acids bonded together to
form protein’s structure. Proteins have different
functions in the body, including contributing to a
growth in muscle mass, and contributing to the
maintenance of muscle and normal bones. All
these functions are very important to for your body
to function at its best, so an adequate amount of
daily dietary protein will help you to keep healthy.
AM I GETTING ENOUGH?
If your protein intake is not meeting your nutritional
needs, you will likely find it more difficult to
sustain a balanced diet and reach your goals. For
this reason, the Herbalife Nutrition Philosophy
recommends getting up to 30% of your daily
kilojoule intake from protein. During exercise,
your body requires a higher intake of good quality
protein to build and maintain muscle (lean mass),
and promote recovery, so make sure you adjust
your protein needs accordingly; consuming more
if you are highly active or want to gain muscle.
For example, an active male who consumes
up to 8360 kJ per day and is looking to build
muscle should aim for up to 150g protein in his
daily diet. For a woman who wants to control her
weight and consumes up to 5852 kJ per day,
her recommended daily intake would be between
52-105g protein.
SO WHAT SHOULD I EAT?
Ideally, a combination of both vegetable and
animal protein sources each day. Soy is one of
the best vegetable sources of protein as it is a
‘complete’ protein that provides the adequate
proportion of all the essential amino acids. Other
vegetable protein sources such as nuts, seeds
and lentils (which are also low in fat, have no
cholesterol, and are a source of fibre) are not
‘complete proteins’, so try to combine different
vegetable proteins to provide a better proportion of
all 9 essential amino acids. As for animal protein,
high quality sources include lean white meat,
fish, poultry, eggs and low-fat dairy products,
which provide the additional benefits of iron, zinc
and B vitamins. For more information or for help
calculating your personal protein needs, contact
your personal Wellness Coach.