Is Your Protein Intake Adequate?

Is your protein intake adequate? 

Do you favor animal protein or plant-based protein? Are you eating complete proteins or are incomplete proteins causing you to be hungry all the time? 

There are many health benefits to understanding protein and knowing how well you are utilizing the type of protein consumed. 
Proteins are made up of smaller units called amino acids. Specific chains of amino acids are the building blocks of the human body and the source of energy for each cell. Incomplete proteins create incomplete chains of amino acids; simply said, two-halves-don’t-make-a-whole. Learning to eat a plant based diet isn’t as easy as someone simply “grabbing” a piece of meat or filet of fish, because eating a plant based diet means combining foods to create a complete protein. Yet on the other hand, plant based protein is much easier to digest, not as harsh on the intestines and quicker to eliminate. 

Here are a few things to be aware of regarding protein:
•Eating excessive protein can cause your body to waste calcium. 
•Eating too little protein can aggravate low blood sugar symptoms and interfere with uptake of potassium. 
•Your small intestines only have so many transporter cells, which limits the amount of amino acids that can be infused into your blood every hour. 
•Amino acids are absorbed at the rate of 1.3 grams to 10 grams an hour. Several factors influence the absorption rate. Protein drinks are absorbed more rapidly than protein consumed with fiber-containing foods because fiber slows down nutrient absorption. Therefore, less is more when consuming food vs. protein powder. 
•Your daily protein needs depend on your health and activity level. On average, women should consume 46 grams of protein daily and men 56 grams daily, as long as they’re not involved in intense athletic activities. For power and endurance athletes, protein recommendations range from 84 grams to 119 grams daily. Either way, your muscles won't use more than 30 grams of protein consumed at one meal, according to the researcher's report from the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. It’s also best to spread out your protein over the course of the day.
•Pay attention to potassium levels, as there’s a direct correlation between inadequate protein and low potassium. 

Make sure your protein intake and >>quality<< of the protein you are consuming is adequate for you. There are limits to the amount of protein your body can digest in a day, or even a week, before it reaches a toxic level; especially proteins coming from animal sources. You may be filling your body with excessive proteins that remain undigested, rotting in your intestines and creating a highly toxic environment. 

Here are some observations that may give indications about your protein needs.

👉🏼If you have a persistent stiff and sore neck, which is only remedied temporarily, it may be caused by your potassium being too low. If taking extra potassium does not help, it may mean your *protein* intake is too low. Inadequate protein intake can contribute to low potassium uptake because potassium uptake is related to a by-product of protein digestion, nitrogen.
You can then try to increase your protein intake by using a protein supplement for a period of time. Start by using an extra 20g per day at breakfast. If symptoms do not subside, this may not be the cause or you may need twice as much protein. You will have to experiment; but if you increase protein and fatigue sets in, the need for extra protein is not the culprit. 
👉🏼 Next up, on the heels of fatigue, if you are a protein junky who wakes up tired, and constantly feels tired through the day, you may be consuming too much protein. Having an abundance of nitrogen in the blood from the digestion of protein is a dangerous thing. 
👉🏼Last, but not least, resting too little or working too hard can cause potassium deficiency, which in turn, effects protein digestion. 
Everything is interconnected. 

Through the tests run in my practice I am able to determine whether or not there is an abundance (or lack) of protein as well as other vital nutrients and minerals needed for healthy cellular function.