Macronutrients: Proteins

Macronutrients: Proteins

A few of the different combinations of amino acids to make a protein.

Next on our list of nutrition we have the macronutrient of protein. Ever wonder how your body can fight off invaders such as bacteria or viruses? We all know that the immune system takes care of that, right? Well, our immune system is the body's army but the individual soldiers could be thought of as developed cells that the body forms out of Proteins. Protein provides a total of 4 cal/gram and is made up of hundreds of different combinations of amino acids. Amino acids are unique because of its composition consisting of nitrogen. Amino acids can be thought about as a brick or building block to a brick house. Usually when one says protein we are using a term that generalizes the different combinations of these amino acids. When looking at an average diet there is a standard protein list including amino acids containing protein building characteristics important to life. This list consists of 20 amino acids and out of these 20, 9 we must consume through our diet, since our body is not able to produce or produce enough of these 9 essentials. The non-essential amino acids, in most cases, our bodies can produce or synthesize. 

Essential	Nonessential **
Histidine	Alanine
Isoleucine	Arginine*
Leucine	Aspartic acid
Lysine	Cysteine*
Methionine	Glutamic acid
Phenylalanine	Glutamine*
Threonine	Glycine*
Tryptophan	Proline*
Valine	Serine*
	Tyrosine*
	Asparagine*
	Selenocysteine

Here is a list of the amino acids categorized by essential and non-essential characteristics.

When we think about including quality protein to ensure immune function, hormonal balance, recovery, muscle building, and overall health through our diet, we must evaluate the "quality" of the protein we are considering. The best protein our body will absorb is animal protein, but protein is also found in non-animal sources like vegetables, legumes, nuts, and other grains. These other sources are inferior sources of protein when considering the amount of essential amino acids they provide and if we take in account the absorption rate that our body will process. In a vegetarian diet it is important to consume the right amino acids (protein) and this can be accomplished through a diet rich in variety of different legumes and grains like beans, lentils, quinoa, rice, chickpeas, whole grain (wheat), and also including different raw or minimally processed nuts almonds, pistachios, walnuts, peanuts, etc. Doing and making aware decisions about what you consume will not only improve physical appearance and health, but you also boost mental function by increasing capacity and improving balance at the hormonal level (hormones=mood; hormones=protein). Get smarter, look, feel better and steer your life with less complications. 

Macronutrients: Carbohydrates

(this information can be found anywhere in the web. My source was http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/carbs.html )

In the quest towards a healthy lifestyle one must understand what one consumes. Our food is what directly affects us physiologically which directly influences the hormonal level (moods, feelings) and our mental capacity (overall function). In our food we find 3 major sources of energy or calories. These are Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat. 

 Picture of glucose, the breakdown goal of the body for the consumed carbohydrates. 

Carbohydrates: 

• Provide 4 calories per gram
• Break down to glucose which are the readily available in the blood. Once in the blood, the body needs to use this sugar-fuel somehow either to provide for body function (exercise, recovery, nutrient absorption, brain function, etc.) if needed or either store it in the liver and the muscles. These two types of "storage units" can only hold so much which results to store in a form that can hold energy almost endlessly, body fat. 
• Types 

       - Fruits

       - Veggies

       - Breads, cereals, grains, legumes

       - Dairy

       - Foods containing added sugars

"Good" Carbs, "Bad" Carbs

Complex Carbohydrates

• Good Carbs
• Complex because they take longer to digest and therefore are released into the blood in a slower but continuous manner. Less of glucose (what every carb is broken down into to be absorbed by the body) in the blood then the less urgency there is for the body to use this available fuel. 
• Include Fiber in their composition. Fiber is essential as it provides benefit to the digestive tract and helps keep it running smoothly. 2 types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Both are equally necessary in our diet and can be attained by varying your complex carbohydrate sources. Fiber not only gives you the sense of fullness for longer periods but also provides ZERO calories. That's a win-win!
  
  Soluble fiber* is found in the following:
  • Oatmeal
  • Oat bran
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Most fruits (e.g., strawberries, blueberries, pears, and apples)
  • Dry beans and peas
  Insoluble fiber* found in the following:
• Whole wheat bread
• Barley
• Brown rice
• Couscous
• Bulgur or whole grain cereals
• Wheat bran
• Seeds
• Most vegetables
• Fruits

*Both of these lists also are sources of complex carbohydrates. Nuts provide very little amount of carbohydrates compared to other foods on these lists. 

Simple Carbohydrates

• Bad Carbs
• Refined or processed Carbohydrates with white flour or added sugars. 
• Become readily available in the blood and the body has to urgently distribute this abundant source energy by using this energy or storing it (in liver, muscles, or as Fat). 
• Spike insulin which is the hormone that becomes the vessel of glucose or sugar in the blood to be spent or stored. 
• In a nutrition label you can find the amount of simple Carbohydrates you are about to consume since they are displayed as "Sugars" in grams. 
• Are found in:

      - Fruits

      - Veggies

      - Dairy

      - Flour, Breads, Crackers 

      - Concentrated forms of these such as cane sugar, syrups, molasses etc. 

Look for these ingredients as added sugars:

Brown sugar Corn sweetener Corn syrup Dextrose Fructose Fruit juice concentrates Glucose High-fructose corn syrup Honey

Invert sugar Lactose Maltose Malt Syrup Molasses Raw sugar Sucrose Sugar Syrup

In summary, it is necessary to understand what types of carbohydrates we are eating so we can choose healthier by eating grains, legumes, veggies, and other sources that provide fiber. These will be introduced in the bloodstream at a much slower pace giving the body a chance to burn a larger percentage of the food rather than storing it. The body will result in storing most of the simple carbohydrates because the food source is closer to the glucose, the fuel the body wants to burn therefore resulting as fat accumulation as well as in most of our cases fat conservation. Ever wonder why your exercise effort seems meaningless? These simple Carbohydrates are to blame. What you eat in private will be what is shown to the world. 

BREAK THE HABIT

The number one reason why we suffer in our diet is due to the fact that we have accepted a certain way of living and have stuck to this as a routine.

This routine has shaped and steered decisions without taking time to evaluate the situation that is in front of us. The problem with food is that we are wired to extremely enjoy sugary and fatty foods. These enticing foods are hard to turn down because of this mechanism we are wired with, but the reason for this wiring is survival. We used to need this as a tool in times of famine to alert the person that whatever they are eating is rich in calories so the body will keep surviving and not die. Nowadays, we do not have a real need for this mechanism, although people are accustomed to the stimulation and in turn become dependent on these exquisite emotions. People begin hunting for these emotions and directly connect their eating experience to the production of these stimulants. This is where it becomes a problem. When we are at this point, we are treating food as a drug or a stimulant, when in reality it should benefit with nourishment to our daily needs. Neglecting this fact is the outcome of becoming what a lot of us have become or been in the past, a food-junkie. We need to stop looking at food as an escape and as the only time we have the option of feeling good, but instead look at food as an investment that in time will turn into continuous goodness of emotions that will allow us to take on the mental and physical battles of our everyday life! Trust me, that’s why I am writing this.

Start small and fix your eyes on the ultimate goal. We all know that we should eat whole foods like veggies and fruits but no one realizes the importance of committing to a substantial form of eating. The food we eat will sculpt our days and one asks themselves, "Why do I feel this way?", when we have trouble focusing on tasks and feeling motivated, well the truth is that the processed foods filled with junk are making us feel like junk. With a cleaner diet one can be to their potential and have one less obstacle that will increase confidence and overall health. Be strong for it is not simple, but one has the power of making decisions and if we could prevent illnesses, which ultimately turn to be obstacles, then we have more time to focus on the real tasks. Discipline brings patience and patience is wisdom. Let's grow holistically through nutrition and exercise.