Protein Synthesis: An Epic On The Cellular Level

The classics never get old

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Am I Getting Enough Protein?

Since I eat a primarily vegetarian diet but I still work out a lot, I often get people who ask me if my training suffers due to a lack of protein.  They ask me if I use a protein supplement and if so, which one would I recommend.  Now I know that my diet includes enough protein, but I wanted to show all of you something interesting.

How many of you know how many grams of protein are in a single serving of chicken or a glass of milk?  How about an egg?  How many of you know how many grams of protein the human body needs?  My guess would be very few, which is not an accusation by the way, I didn’t know myself until I started 60 in 3.  Which is why I think a lot of these protein supplements companies are making money when they really shouldn’t.

The Advertising

We’ve all heard the advertising.  It’s unavoidable on TV or at the gym.  Buy the supplement and like magic, your muscles will tone up.  You’ll be ripped and toned within a week, all thanks to this wonderful protein shake or powder or bar or whatever.  Yah, right, if only it was that easy.

First, How Much Do We Need?

The human body needs about .8 to 1.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight.  I would like to emphasize that this is per KILOGRAM, not per pound.  For those of you more comfortable with the English system, a kg is 2.2lbs.  So your protein requirements could also be expressed as .37g to .82g of protein per lb of body weight.

That’s a range because some of us need more and some need less.  The more you use your muscles, the more you need because protein is used to repair all the damage you do to your muscles when you move.  So if you’re a serious body builder, you need .82 grams of protein per lb of body weight.  If you’re a serious couch potato, you need .37 grams of protein per lb of body weight.  If you’re somewhere in between, you’re going to need to judge for yourself.  As for me, I work out 5 days a week and I’m active on the weekends, so I’m going to assume .7 grams of protein per lb of body weight.  All of these numbers are per day by the way, so since I weigh 220lbs, I need 154 grams (220lbs * .7 gram per lb) per day.

Second, Are We Getting Enough?

That glass of milk I drank this morning?  8.4 grams of protein.  The 2 egg omelette I had with it?  14 grams of protein.  So it’s 8am and I’ve just had 22.4 grams of protein.  4 ounces of cottage cheese with my salad for lunch?  14 grams of protein.  2 slices of cheese for an afternoon snack?  another 14 grams.  A cup of tofu with some stir fried veggies for dinner?  20 grams of protein.  By the way, these are small servings.  At the end of the day, I’m at about 100 to 120 grams of protein.  Which leaves me around 30 to 50 grams short of my daily goal.  So yes, I drink a protein supplement with a bit more milk.

However, what about you?  Are you vegetarian?  If not, you may be surprised at the amount of protein you’re getting.  One burger patty?  22 grams of protein.  1 cup of chicken breast pieces scattered over a salad?  43 grams of protein.  That’s FORTY THREE!  Think about that for a second.  If I take my vegetarian diet with its small portions of dairy, tofu and eggs and add just a little bit of chicken on my lunch salad, I’d be getting my 153 grams of protein.  For you serious meat eaters, a 9 ounce sirloin steak has EIGHTY ONE grams of protein.

What am I trying to say?  Well, unless you’re a serious vegetarian or vegan, you do NOT need a protein supplement.  Yes, that’s true even if you work out a lot.  You’re getting more than enough protein if you just eat a healthy, balanced diet with a small amount of lean meat.

One Last Thing

For all of you who see these commercials, I want you to remember one more thing.  protein doesn’t build muscles.  Protein is the raw material that your body uses to build muscles IF you give it the incentive to.  If you eat a lot protein without working out, all you’ll get is fat. There is no magic in that protein supplement that will get you toned and ripped without exercise.  Protein will only help if you’re willing to do the work.

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Save your money and your calories.  Avoid the protein supplements and focus on working out and exercise.

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Is A Vegetarian Diet Healthy?

As long time readers of 60 in 3 know, I’m vegetarian.  To be a bit more specific, I’m a lacto-ovo vegetarian, which means I still eat eggs and dairy products.  Over the past year, I’ve had a few questions from readers about why I chose this diet and do I recommend it for health reasons.  So I wanted to review a few things that readers might find useful.

Is a vegetarian diet healthy?

Not necessarily.  After all, a vegetarian diet could mean nothing but soda and potato chips with a few twinkies thrown in.  That qualifies as vegetarian and yet it’s definitely not healthy.  Being vegetarian does not automatically mean being health,  you still need to try and balance your diet and you still need to make an effort and look for healthy foods.

Is a vegetarian diet unhealthy?

Again, not necessarily.  As long as you put in a bit of effort to balance your diet, a vegetarian diets can be very healthy.

I heard vegetarians are missing some nutrients like protein or b12

Incorrect.  A balanced vegetarian diet has all the nutrients you need.  I get plenty of protein even without any protein supplements.  As for B12, there are many vegetarian items like soy milk which are fortified with it.  Vegetarians also get plenty of iron.

Vegetarians eat a lot of soy, which I hear is bad for you

Some vegetarians eat a lot of soy products, and there are a few rumors about soy which make it sound unhealthy.  Thus far, I haven’t seen any real studies to indicate it’s a bad food item.  Even if it was, I’m not that concerned.  Since I eat a balanced diet, soy isn’t really my main food staple.

So is a vegetarian diet healthier than a diet that includes meat?

Not necessarily.  In fact, a diet that includes some meat is probably healthier than a purely vegetarian diet.  Lean meats like venison, fish and so on are healthy and, in combinations with plenty of fruit and vegetables, make for a very healthy diet.   This type of diet is just as healthy if not more so, than a balanced vegetarian diet.

So are you saying most meat eaters are healthier than vegetarian?

Unfortunately no.  Most people who include meat in their diets, especially in the US, eat way too much meat.  In addition, the meat they consume is unhealthy.  If you want a healthy diet that includes meat then you need to stay away from fast food meats, most beef and most pork.  Stick to things like lean fish, some turkey and wilder game like venison or rabbit.  Commercially raised meat is too full of fat and other crap to be healthy.

Do I have to give up steaks to be healthy?

No.  I eat a healthy and balanced vegetarian diet but even I occasionally indulge in unhealthy items.  For example, that chocolate mousse I ate last night certainly wasn’t #1 on the vegetarians top 10 healthy items list.  So yes, you can occasionally indulge.  However, unhealthy meat should not be a part of every single meal as it is today.  Try to eat meat once per day, limit your quantity and pick out healthier meats.  If on occasion you choose to indulge in a unhealthy steak, that’s fine, just don’t make a habit of it.

So why did you choose to be vegetarian?

Three reasons.  First, vegetarian diets are generally healthier for the environment.  Second, it was easier for me to explain to my family and friends that I won’t eat any meat rather than start explaining to them which meats I will or won’t eat.  Oddly enough, being vegetarian is far more acceptable than being a healthy meat eater.  Tell people you eat no meat and they’re fine, tell people that you only eat turkey and venison and they think you’re some survivalist nut.  Finally, it’s just easier for me to look for healthy vegetarian options than it is to find healthy meat options.  Again, odd but true.  It’s a lot faster to find a healthy option among the nonmeat options than it is in most restaurants’ selection of meat dishes.

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To be honest, if it was easier to find healthy meat sources that were easy on the environment, I probably would still be eating meat.  I have no moral issue with it and I did find it quite tasty.  Unfortunately, our society is set up around cheap, factory farmed beef, chicken and pork and those I simply won’t touch.  So yes, you can be just as healthy eating meat as you can being a vegetarian.  However, you still need to balance your diet and you definitely need to make smart choices in what you choose to eat.

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What is the right amount of protein per day?

A few weeks ago we talked about how to construct a balanced meal and I’ve gotten some email since then about the specifics of a balanced meal.  Here’s the most common one I’ve seen.

How much protein should I eat?

The right amount of protein is about .8grams for each 2.2lbs of body weight.  For you metric oriented folks in the audience, that’s about .8grams per 1kg of body weight.  If you’re an athlete or exercise a lot, you should increase that to about 1gram or protein for every 2.2lb (1kg) of body weight.  You may also want to increase that very slightly if you get most of your protein from plant sources.

Where do I get that?

Protein can come from a variety of sources.  Meat is the most common one in the western world, but we can also find a lot of protein in dairy products as well as some plants like soy.

What are healthy sources of protein?

Lean unprocessed meats are great.  That means staying away from factory farmed beef and pork and sticking to things like wild caught fish, organic turkey and some more exotic meats like venison or buffalo.  Other great sources are eggs, low fat dairy products and soy products.  You can also find protein in many beans and legumes.  For example, 8oz (225g) of baked beans will have 11.5 grams of protein.

Am I getting enough protein?

Unless you’re a vegetarian, you probably have nothing to worry about.  A 4oz piece of chicken has 31grams of protein in it.  A 4oz steak has 35grams.  So a single meal with a good sized meat portion probably gives you all the protein you need.

Is protein good or bad for me?

Protein is a vital part of any healthy diet.  Building muscles is just one of the many benefits of protein.  It also keeps us satiated and prevents overeating.  Just remember, it’s a part of a BALANCED diet.  That means you shouldn’t eat too much of it.

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