Protein - How Much You Need and Why

Protein is the major structural component of every cell in the human body. The word “protein” is thought to come from the Greek word proteios which means "the first quality." Protein is a very important dietary nutrient and many people do not eat adequate amounts of it or the most nutritious forms of it on a consistent basis. This is not such a good idea as you'll learn shortly.

Of all the foods that contain protein, animal protein (like those pictured above) are the only sources that provide all of the essential amino acids (EAA) and in their proper ratios. This is not a debatable issue. It is a fact.

Essential Amino Acids
EAAs are used throughout the body to repair and build muscle as well as other cells and tissues. They function as enzymes, and hormones that control and regulate many of the body’s critical functions. These little powerhouses cannot be synthesized (created) by your body and therefore must be supplied in the diet.

While non-animal protein foods like beans, broccoli, etc. contain protein, they do not, as I stated before, contain all of the essential amino acids or in their proper ratios. Because of this, it is vitally important that you make sure you are getting your daily protein minimums to meet your EAA needs from animal sources. If you don’t eat enough protein, your body will eat its own muscle tissue to make up for the shortfall – the heart muscle too!

The Protein Intake Chart

Take a look at the chart above. It gives you your daily protein needs in grams and ounces to help you figure your individual minimum (EAA) and maximum (GNG) protein needs by body weight. This chart is designed specifically for those people who are over fat or obese and not exercising.

For example, if you are a 160 pound man or woman, you should aim to take in about 69 to 82 grams of protein which equates to 10 to 12 ounces from whatever choice of animal protein you prefer. If you look at the protein sources list below, you’ll see it’s pretty easy to accomplish this. Remember that animal protein sources contain all the EAA's and in their proper ratios, so if you eat the minimum protein for your weight (EAA column) from animal based foods (meat, poultry, game, fish, eggs, cheese), you’re off to a good start.

If you perform strength training exercises (and you should be!) and especially if you want to build  a good deal of muscle,  you'll need a bit more protein but not much more. If you have, say,  10+ more pounds of muscle than the typical person or want to build it, bump yourself up to a higher body weight level. So if you weigh 160 pounds, follow the recommended protein intake for a 170 pound person. Best thing is to shoot for one gram of protein per pound of body weight if you're lean.

The GNG column on the chart is the maximum amount of protein you should eat if fat loss is your primary goal. GNG stands for gluconeogenesis which is the process of converting digested proteins into blood sugar (glucose). All humans require about 150 grams of glucose per day for a healthy, functioning nervous system. You can get this by eating 150 grams of carbohydrate per day or via gluconeogenesis (GNG) or a combo of the two.

On a properly formulated low carbohydrate diet (see the menu below) which is shown in numerous research papers to be a smart approach for shedding excess fat and for improving overall health, GNG supplies you with all the glucose your brain and nervous system needs. So strive to take in enough protein to meet your GNG requirements. If you exceed GNG, that’s OK. It’s certainly nothing to worry about. However, falling under your EAA needs is a whopping no-no for everybody.

Here’s a list of animal foods that will give you an idea of the choices you can make to eat to meet your protein requirements:

Beef
• Hamburger patty, 4 oz – 28 grams protein
• Steak, 6 oz – 42 grams
• Most cuts of beef – 7 grams of protein per oz

Chicken
• Chicken breast, 3.5 oz - 30 grams protein
• Chicken thigh – 10 grams (for average size)
• Drumstick – 11 grams
• Wing – 6 grams
• Chicken meat, cooked, 4 oz – 35 grams

Fish
• Most fish fillets or steaks are about 22 grams of protein for 3 ½ oz (100 grams) of cooked fish, or 6 grams per oz
• Tuna, 6 oz can - 40 grams of protein

Pork
• Pork chop, average - 22 grams protein
• Pork loin or tenderloin, 4 oz – 29 grams
• Ham, 3 oz serving – 19 grams
• Ground pork, 1 oz raw – 5 grams; 3 oz cooked – 22 grams
• Bacon, 1 slice – 3 grams

Eggs and Dairy
• Egg, large - 6 grams protein
• Cottage cheese, ½ cup - 15 grams
• Yogurt, 1 cup – usually 8-12 grams, check label
• Soft cheeses (Mozzarella, Brie, Camembert) – 6 grams per oz
• Medium cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss) – 7 or 8 grams per oz
• Hard cheeses (Parmesan) – 10 grams per oz

Below is a sample day’s menu (hat tip to the brilliant Regina Wilshire for this) for an average sized person (160 pounds). It contains ALL of the micronutrients you need and in their proper ratios. Smaller people would reduce the amount of eggs, chicken, and shrimp in the meals. Again, refer to the protein chart to determine your specific needs.

Breakfast: Florentine Omelet made with 2-3 large eggs, 1/4 cup cooked spinach, 2 slices bacon and 2 tablespoons feta cheese, cooked in butter.

Lunch: Chicken Caesar Salad made with 2 cups shredded romaine, 6 cherry tomatoes, 1/2 sliced medium cucumber, 1 cup grilled chicken breast diced, 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds, 1 ounce macadamia nuts chopped (in place of croutons for the crunch), 1/2 avocado sliced and creamy Caesar (wheat and flour free) dressing.

Dinner: Salad made with 1 cup shredded romaine, 3 cherry tomatoes, 4 sliced cucumber, 1TBS shredded carrots, 1TBS shredded red cabbage, topped with creamy dressing. Shrimp Scampi made with 6-ounces cooked shrimp, sautéed in butter, garlic and herbs (oregano, basil and parsley), with 12 sliced baby zucchini and a side dish of 3/4 cup cooked spinach. Healthy additions to salads are sea vegetables like Nori, dulse, etc.

The above menu is just a sample of course. Make substitutions to the food choices listed using the types of foods that you prefer. That said you shouldn’t substitute your lamb chops for spinach or vice versa. You must make substitutions using the same types of foods – meats for meats, veggies and fruits for veggies and fruits.

Don’t Fear Fat
And in case you’re worried about how much fat and cholesterol there is in this diet, don’t be. Cholesterol and saturated fats are actually essential to your good health. There is virtually no scientific evidence to support the idea that saturated fats and cholesterol are detrimental to your health or that when you eat fat and cholesterol they make a beeline directly into your arteries and stick there. In fact the opposite is true – we need these very important substances. All the negative information you hear about saturated fat and cholesterol spewing from the mouths of experts like Dr. Oz, Dr. Ornish and others of their misinformed ilk are largely unsubstantiated.

In fact, a 2010 meta-analysis (meaning a compilation of many studies on the subject) conducted by Ronald Krauss M.D. (one of the country’s leading nutritional researchers) and his team titled “Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease,” concluded the following:

“A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD.”

Not only did the researchers not find any direct evidence, there wasn’t even an association! The idea that animal fats are unhealthy is baloney (I just had to say that). It’s hype and marketing to scare you into buying loads of fake, non-fat, low cholesterol foods – the real contributors to heart disease. Don’t buy it or buy into it.

So to sum it all up, to maximize health, fat loss and muscle and bone strength, make sure you at least meet your minimum protein requirements via animal sources and try your darnedest to take in all the protein you need.

Popeye was wrong - that should be meat coming out of that can!