Protein Means Power and a Whole Lot More

In our world of fast foods and convenience foods, eating high-quality protein can be hard to do. Yet without protein, your hair could fall out, your fingernails could crumble, and your muscles could deteriorate into, well, mush. You are unlikely to reach your ideal size—and stay energetic—without a steady diet of high-quality protein.

Think about it. In the right quantities, steak is really good for you! So are almost all lean meats, eggs, and cheeses. Proteins give you energy, and your body needs them to manufacture hormones, antibodies, enzymes, and tissues. Your body cannot be healthy without the essential amino acids found in protein. They're called “essential” because your body can't manufacture them on its own. You need a regular dose of essential amino acids in your diet. Yes, your body needs “nonessential” amino acids, but it can synthesize them.

After water, protein makes up the largest portion of your body weight. This includes muscles, ligaments, tendons, organs, glands, nails, and hair. Protein is needed in your diet so that your body is healthy and functions properly.

Essential and Nonessential Amino Acids

The essential amino acids can be obtained only by consuming certain protein-containing foods. They are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. All of the other amino acids are nonessential, meaning that they are manufactured in the body. In fact, some are created from the aforementioned essential amino acids.

In the simplest of terms, all of this translates to one critical point: you need to eat protein. So how do you select which proteins to add to your eating plan?

Complete or Incomplete, Take Your Pick

Protein-containing foods come in two versions:

• Complete proteins contain all the essential amino acids. These proteins are found in meats, fish, seafood, poultry, eggs, and dairy.

• Incomplete proteins contain only some of the essential amino acids. Foods with incomplete protein include grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and some leafy vegetables. Soybean products, such as tofu, tempeh, and soy protein isolate are not complete proteins because they're low or deficient in methionine.

Some individuals have difficulty digesting protein because their bodies don't secrete sufficient proteases and hydrochloric acid. Clues that you might not be digesting protein well include soft, peeling, or splitting fingernails or a heavy, unpleasant feeling after eating protein. Certain dietary supplements, discussed in Taking Supplements for Weight Loss, can help.