PROTEIN SHORTAGE - WHY YOU ARE TIRED ALL THE TIME AND HOW TO FIX IT WITHOUT A DOCTOR
Protein is the MAJOR building block in our bodies - without it we can experience:
- Tiredness
- Poor tolerance for exercise
- Brittle bones
- Difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep
- Lethargy, low energy
- Difficulty concentrating, brain fog, depression, lack of motivation
- Feeling sickly, off colour, flat and listless
- A struggle to fight off colds
- Muscle tenderness, aching and weakness
Maybe you can't quite put your finger on WHY you feel less than 'full of life' and maybe you've tried supplements or even anti-depressants to fix things.
Well, what you are probably missing is protein and it's easily fixed!
Many Australians only eat an average of 40g of protein per day - this is a major problem, and to make matters worse, the common western diet is often lacking in the nutrients zinc and vitamin B6 essential to synthesize protein.
Our bodies’ turnover 300mg of protein every day to provide amino acids for brain function, happy brain chemicals, immune health, rebuilding bone, muscle and ligaments, as well as making enzymes for digestion, and to transport essential nutrients in the blood. There is a continuous exchange between the body, muscle and bone, and protein is vital to this exchange.
Without it you burn out - it's that simple.
But it's easily fixed and you won't need a doctor to fix it.
So here's a quick and easy GO TO PROTEIN SCALE that will help YOU eat the right amount of protein and feel better in no time.
To maintain balance we need to eat and absorb a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight. So for a woman weighing 70 kg, that is 70 x 0.8= 56 grams of protein. A man weighing 90 kg needs 90x0.8= 72 grams of protein as a bare minimum for day to day functioning and to stop muscle loss. Activity and exercise levels, illness or injury, put a greater demand on this precious resource.
To take into consideration the activity level, multiply the value above by an exercise factor graded as:
No exercise = EF 1.1
Low = exercise less than twice a week = EF1.2
Medium = low intensity exercise 3-6 times a week = EF 1.3
High = medium-high intensity exercise 3-6 times a week = EF 1.5
If you have digestive issues limiting protein absorption you need to multiply by an exercise factor of at least 1.3 to increase the amount of protein eaten each day and seek advice on suitable digestive support.
Check out the tables below to work out how many grams of protein you get from your food:
| Protein | 10gm | 10gm | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs | 1 egg | Fish (white) | 40gm |
| Chicken breast | 35gm | Tuna (canned) | 50gm |
| Chicken leg | 1 leg | Salmon (canned) | 45gm |
| Chicken thigh | 35gm | Salmon (smoked) | 45gm |
| Turkey breast | 35gm | Salmon (fillets) | 40gm |
| Turkey (other) | 40gm | Scallops | 45gm |
| Veal | 35gm | Prawns cooked | 45gm |
| Minced beef | 40gm | Cheese Cheddar | 40gm |
| Steak | 35gm | Cheese cottage | 60gm |
| Lamb | 35gm | Cheese Ricotta | 100gm |
| Ham/pork | 35gm | Cheese Fetta | 40gm |
| Protein Content of Selected Vegan Foods | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tempeh | 1 cup | 41 | 9.3 |
| Soybeans, cooked | 1 cup | 29 | 9.6 |
| Lentils, cooked | 1 cup | 18 | 7.8 |
| Black beans, cooked | 1 cup | 15 | 6.7 |
| Kidney beans, cooked | 1 cup | 13 | 6.4 |
| Veggie burger | 1 Patty | 13 | 13.0 |
| Chickpeas, cooked | 1 cup | 12 | 4.2 |
| Veggie baked beans | 1 cup | 12 | 5.0 |
| Pinto beans, cooked | 1 cup | 12 | 5.7 |
| Black-eyed peas, cooked | 1 cup | 11 | 6.2 |
| Tofu, firm | 4 Ounces | 11 | 11.7 |
| Lima beans, cooked | 1 cup | 10 | 5.7 |
| Quinoa, cooked | 1 cup | 9 | 3.5 |
| Tofu, regular | 4 Ounces | 9 | 10.6 |
| Bagel | 1 med.(3 oz) | 9 | 3.9 |
| Peas, cooked | 1 cup | 9 | 6.4 |
| Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), cooked | 1/2 cup | 8 | 8.4 |
| Peanut butter | 2 Tbsp | 8 | 4.3 |
| Veggie dog | 1 Link | 8 | 13.3 |
| Spaghetti, cooked | 1 Cup | 8 | 3.7 |
| Almonds | 1/4 Cup | 8 | 3.7 |
| Soy milk, commercial, plain | 1 Cup | 7 | 7.0 |
| Soy yogurt, plain | 6 ounces | 6 | 4.0 |
| Bulgur, cooked | 1 cup | 6 | 3.7 |
| Sunflower seeds | 1/4 cup | 6 | 3.3 |
| Whole wheat bread | 2 slices | 5 | 3.9 |
| Cashews | 1/4 Cup | 5 | 2.7 |
| Almond butter | 2 Tbps | 5 | 2.4 |
| Brown rice, cooked | 1 cup | 5 | 2.1 |
| Spinach, cooked | 1 cup | 5 | 13.0 |
| Broccoli, cooked | 1 cup | 4 | 6.8 |
| Potato | 1 med.(6 oz) | 4 | 2.7 |
| Sources: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18, 2005 and manufacturers' information. | |||