Protein Power

by: AndreaDow
Total views: 947
Word Count: 313

Tuesday, April 10th

Eating enough protein is very important for many reasons. Protein is necessary for many important bodily functions including muscle growth and satiety. It is hard to look anywhere without being bombarded with a new protein product promising optimal muscle growth or the answer to all of your weight loss woes. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for adults is 0.36 grams per pound of body weight, regardless of your age. This would be the equivalent of 45 grams per day for a 125 pound person, 55 grams for a 150 pound person and 72 grams for a 200 pound individual.

It seems that the older population has the hardest time eating adequate protein. The elderly often live alone and tend to make meals that are easy to prepare and higher in carbohydrates like soup, buttered toast or hot cereal. Nutrition Action Healthletter interviewed University of Ontario's Timothy Doherty who stated that "as people age, the desire to eat higher-protein food appears to be reduced". Interestingly, older men and women who consume the RDA can stay healthy, but they may continue losing muscle if they are strength training. According to Nutrition Action Newsletter, those between age 50 and 80 need to consume at least 25% more than the RDA to maintain their muscle mass. To add muscle mass, 50% more than the RDA is required. An easy way to calculate this is to consume half of your weight in grams of protein. A 125 pound individual would need about 63 grams of protein per day. Too much protein is not good either. Follow these guidelines and avoid getting too much protein!

Good sources of protein:
Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Pork, Ground Beef, Shellfish, Fish, Tuna, Salmon
Cottage cheese, Eggs, Egg substitute, Soy milk, Milk, Yogurt, Cheese, Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt, Cream Cheese
Beans, Nuts, Peanut Butter, Protein fortified cereals like Kashi Go Lean, Veggie Burgers, Tofu, Edamame

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