Lately there have been a lot of people approaching me and asking about nutrition. It is almost like they just want to know more about the subject rather than asking about how to eat better.
It feels like everyone is a little bit more curious about the science of food…
Yes, there is a science to food.
Over the next couple days I will be hitting up some of the basics of nutrition.
Remember, I am not a dietitian and I am not a nutritionist. I am a personal trainer who has had some formal schooling and has done some self learning on nutrition. By law I am not able to provide meal plans for anyone. I can give you suggestions to help with your nutrition as long as it stays within my scope of practice.
If you are looking for a meal plan or want more guidance with food please consult with a dietitian or nutritionist. I am an exercise expert, they are food experts.
With that said let’s get to the good stuff.
Starting out we are just going to cover the basics of nutrition, or rather food in general.
There are three main types of foods, protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
Today we will talk about the best tasting nutrient on the market… protein.
Protein is broken down into the macronutrients amino acids. There are 20 different types of amino acids. Depending on who you talk to, of those 20 there are 8-9 essential amino acids, the other 11-12 are non essential. We need to consume the essential amino acids in our diet. Your body can synthesize the non essential amino acids.
A complete protein has all 9 essential amino acids (pretty much all meats are a complete protein).
A single gram of protein has 4 calories.
Protein is actually the building blocks of our body. It helps us heal, grow stronger, and build bigger muscles. With that said, the more protein you consume the bigger and stronger you will become. You will also be able to recover from your workout faster.
It is very important to remember to eat protein after a strength workout, especially if you are looking to gain muscle.
Protein is what makes your muscles, skin, hair, bones, teeth… pretty much your entire body.
Protein is however a very poor source of energy. Your body is able to use protein for energy, it just does not like to do that. Actually, your body will use protein last as a source of energy.
Basic nutritional guidelines recommend that protein should make up only about 10%-15% of your daily intake. That is not very much.
Protein is the building block of your body. It has many uses from helping us grow stronger to healing us when we are hurt. However, protein is not a good energy source. Even though protein is a very important part of our diet, it is not a big part of our daily intake. The biggest take away, protein tastes amazing.