In order to get to grips with some of the basics of nutrition, I recently started an online course. I opted for the Diploma in Nutrition run by the Shaw Academy. The content seems good, there is some interaction with other students, and I like the regular time for class but with the option to watch the recording later if you miss it.
To help my learning, I decided to do some daily (ok, regular might be more accurate!) summaries, and the fact I am putting them out here (on my blog) means I have to think a bit, and may also get some comments back. I’d love to hear from experts if I am on or off track, as well as other students, since discussing what I am learning is a great way of making the learning deeper.
So, to kick off, today, here are…
5 things I learnt about Proteins!
1. Digestion of Proteins is basically a cycle of ‘breaking down’ to ‘build back up’.
Proteins in foods are broken down into amino acids which in turn are used to build up the proteins the body needs for building and repairing bones, muscle, skin and blood.
2. Insulin is a protein, antibodies are proteins and all enzymes are proteins.
As such, proteins (much loved by body builders) not only help build tissues and cells, but also have a hormonal and immune function.
3. I thought protein was mainly from meat, but not so, in fact most foods have some amount of protein.
Animals give us the highest quality protein, whilst plant sources (e.g. pulses, grains and beans) tend to give low quality protein.
Low quality just means they do not contain all the essential amino acids we need.
However, if you combine plant sources, you can create high quality sources of protein. Some classic snacks and dishes do just this, for example,
- Beans on toast
- Dal Bhat (lentils and rice)
- Peanut butter sandwich…
4. Weighing in at 70 kgs, I need about 55 grams a day of protein.
I did a bit of research with the tools below, and worked out the following meal plan would give me approximately that:
| BREAKFAST | Boiled egg (6) and bacon (4) wrap |
| LUNCH | Chicken breast (30) with wholemeal rice (3) and tomato sauce (1) |
| DINNER | Spinach (3) and tomato sauce (1) with pasta (7) |
figure in ( ) is grams
Of course, this is just focussing on protein, but when meal planning, I assume I need to look at other macronutrients as well as calories. All the same, I found this a useful exercise to start getting familiar with protein counts and amounts.
Tools used
Lifesum app (whenever you add a food to your meal it gives you a break down of the protein, fat, carbs and calories).
Today’s Dietitian Magazine
http://www.todaysdietitian.com/pdf/webinars/ProteinContentofFoods.pdf
5. Final thought – you can’t ‘overdose’ on protein; so long as you don’t eat more than twice the recommended amount you should be ok. However, consistently taking more than that apparently could lead to kidney damage.
That’s it, short and sweet. I am now off for that chicken and wholemeal rice lunch 🙂