Protein Dieting|

Going vegetarian may sound tough. But there are benefits to a vegetarian diet. A vegetarian diet includes fresh fruits, lot of whole grains and leafy vegetables. Infants receive their proteins from breast milk. Given below are some foods which are rich in proteins.

Beans

Beans are rich sources of proteins. Black beans, pinto beans are very good sources of proteins. You could add with some sweet potatoes to make it more tasty and nutritious. It is advised that you go in for fresh beans instead of the usual canned ones. You need to soak these beans the previous night so that you could steam cook it the next day and also add it with your favorite vegetables. A hand blender or a food processor is helpful in making a puree. These can be given to an infant since they can be easily eaten.

Yogurt

Yogurt is sweet as it contains sugar. It could take away the natural taste of curds. Hence, it is advised that you opt for natural yogurts which do not have sweetened flavors. Babies should be fed only full fat yogurts and not the artificially flavored ones because their digestive system would not be able to digest the artificial flavors. It could also result in stomach upset or dysentery. Yogurts containing berries should also be avoided till your child is about a year only. Avoid strawberries since they could be difficult to digest. Vanilla flavor and peach flavor are good options.

Cheese

Cottage cheese could be given to babies by mixing some fruit or vegetables. Babies can be fed on finger foods like cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese.

Hummus

It contains a sesame paste which is referred to as tahini. You could make your own tahini at home. Some babies develop allergic conditions. You could also finely grind garbanzo beans and other seeds. Add some olive oil to grind it. Add some garlic powder instead of salt. Babies love the taste and you could feed spoonfuls of these.

Tofu

Some children develop an allergic condition while having soy products. Tofu can be cut into squares and can be given to the baby. They form very good finger foods. These squares are slightly slippery. You could also mix some vegetables and fruits to make it more healthy and nutritious.

Eggs

Some children are allergic to eggs. It is best to avoid eggs till your child completes a year. Eggs are great sources of protein. Buy eggs that contain less fat. Make sure that eggs are cooked well. The white of the egg could lead to allergy. Yolks are very good sources of energy. For making it tastier, you could add some cheese to the scrambled eggs. This could also be made into an omelet. Children find it tasty. Add some vegetables to this to make it more tasty and nutritious. Eggs could be slippery for your child to eat by itself.

It is a misconception that vegetarians do not get the adequate amount of proteins from a vegetarian diet. This concept is false. Vegetarians who consume eggs as well as dairy products like milk, curds, cheese and butter are called as ovo-lacto-vegetarians. Vegetarians who eat only dairy products are called as lacto-vegetarians. Dairy products like milk, butter and cheese contain lot of proteins. Lacto vegetarians get their supply of proteins from dairy products.

It is true that people consume too much of protein. They consume excess proteins that are needed by the body. An American eats about two times the recommended protein required by the body. Excess proteins consumed could do more harm than good. It could lead to health problems. Excess proteins could lead to a condition known as osteoporosis. This is a condition where the bones get brittle due to loss of calcium. Most of the foods which contain high proteins also are rich in fats as well. It has now been proved that a low protein diet is healthy for the body. Women are recommended about 50 grams of proteins and men are recommended about 63 grams of protein.

Eggs, curds, yogurt, cheese, nuts soy milk contain enough proteins. Some cereals, breads and vegetables contain very less amount of proteins.

It was previously thought that vegetarians do not get the requisite supply of proteins. But now the notion has changed. In the past it was believed that animal products could provide the necessary amino acids. These amino acids are very useful for humans. Previously, vegetarians used to find it very difficult in planning their meals and combining the necessary protein based ingredients so that they could derive the right proportion or what we term as ‘complete’ proteins.

It has been proven that all plants contain the necessary amino acids required by humans. Some plant foods have more quantity of amino acids while some have a little less. But the fact is that during the course of your day, you eat different types of food which could supply you the protein for the day.

Below are some of the protein rich recipes:

13 Bean soup:

Some of the ingredients which are required for making this tasty soup are 13 bean mixture (you could procure it from the grocery store), one big white onion(you need to chop these onions), one teaspoon or garlic (chop into fine pieces), some salt to taste .

The method of preparing this soup is as follows:

Soak the beans the previous night. Keep it in a pot filled with water. Add some garlic, onions and salt to taste. Boil it and keep the gas in sim position. You could also pressure cook it for about one and half hours till the beans are cooked and become soft.

Black Bean Casserole

The ingredients required for making this dish are 2 cans of black beans. The beans have to be drained well. You need one cup of celery (chopped), one can of tomato sauce or puree, some pepper, and half a cup of cheddar cheese.

Place all the ingredients in the microwave setting the oven to 375. Later pour into a casserole dish and bake it for about 50 minutes. Garnish with some shredded cheese.

It is true that body builders, athletes, cyclists and sportsperson require more proteins. Their daily intake of proteins is comparatively greater as compared to a normal person. What is the amount of proteins which a moderate athlete or exerciser would require? Eggs, meat, legumes and dairy products contain proteins. But are all these enough and will all these provide the necessary proteins? Can we rely only on these sources of proteins or do we need to take some protein supplements?

Extra proteins are required by athletes and sportsmen

Proteins are basically builders of the body. They held in repairing the wear and tear of the body. They help in muscle building. Proteins provide fuel to the body. Athletes and sportsmen need to provide their body with the required fuel. The extra amino acids are derived from the food we eat. What is a complete protein diet ? A complete protein diet has to contain all the necessary amino acids. The amino acids are broken down during exercising and we require more energy. Excess proteins could result in strain on the kidneys and the liver. A healthy liver helps in lesser cholesterol getting accumulated and it also helps in maintaining the right levels of HDL and LDL.

There are different types of proteins and they get absorbed in the blood stream at different rates. Whey proteins get easily assimilated. They stress and overload the kidneys. High albumin Glycoprotein gets absorbed at a medium rate. They do not overstress the kidneys. The proteins are easily filled in the cells and there is less waste released in the form of ammonia. There is a balance in the anabolic state. It helps in building muscle. It also imparts strength and vigor to the athlete and sportsmen.

There is greater need for proteins to support their activities.

Dehydration is dangerous. When athletes, cyclists and other sportsmen work out, lot of water is lost during the activities. This leads to dehydration. The negatives of dehydration are tiredness, cramps and injury. Dehydration could also lead to additional burden on the heart. The performance of the athlete is also affected. There is a fall in the blood volume. When excess water is consumed, the sodium levels are diluted and you develop a condition called hyponatremia. Athletes need to replace the fluids which are thrown out of the body while they are exercising. When sweating takes place, lot of fluids is lost from the body and we experience tiredness and fatigue. Hence, it is necessary that whatever fluids are lost should be ideally replaced back.

It is true that the structure of amino acids is not simple. It is complex. It gels well with water. Water helps in transporting the necessary nutrients to various parts of the body. The movement of electrons results in release of increased energy. The cells which are hydrated help in optimum utilization of proteins and excess toxins are thrown out of the body.

It is imperative that you eat your carbohydrates even while on a high protein diet. Following a high protein diet does not mean that you sacrifice the carbohydrates. Ideally your daily diet should consist of only 30% protein. You are not going to benefit much by having excess proteins. When you are consuming excess of proteins for building muscle mass without exercising, there is excess stress on the other parts of the body. Increasing your protein intake without providing enough exercise to the body only results in fat addition. Toxic ketones get built in the body. A high ketone diet results in your kidneys flushing out excess amounts of harmful and toxic substances from the body. This result in dehydration and you look fagged out. This is further worsened because you are anyways losing water while working out. When the body gets dehydrated, it could result in so many problems.

Loss of water from the body would give you the feel that you are shedding pounds, but in reality you are only losing muscle mass. Bone calcium is also washed out during the flushing process. Dehydration is very stressful for the body and it can lead to heart related illnesses. People who dehydrate also suffer from foul breath. It can make you look tired and worn out. The negatives of a ketogenic diet are that it could lead to bad odor of the mouth and other health problems. This could be a result of a high protein and low carbohydrate diet. Fad diets give lot of weightage to proteins. Protein deficiency usually occurs in aged women and individuals who have eating disorders. An individual who consumes only about 50 to 75% of the recommended protein may suffer health problems. It is recommended that you consume at least 0.36 grams proteins. 0.37 grams for every pound of your weight is the ideal proteins which you need to consume.

You need to include only 15% of proteins in your daily diet. Do not exceed the 30% mark, since it could be dangerous for your body. Proteins are a requisite for the proper functioning of the body. It helps in effective blending of enzymes and hormones. It helps in maintaining the balance of fluids in the body. It also strengthens the antibodies and prevents any infections. Proteins are the builders of the body. It helps in building bones, skin, hair, blood and cartilage. Rich sources of proteins are milk, eggs, fish and dairy products like butter and cheese. Soybean is a very good source of proteins. Rice and beans also contain proteins. Vegetarians get their proteins from rice and beans, milk and milk products.

Whatever the food, make sure that you eat a balanced diet consisting of all the 6 food groups. Include fish, meat and complex carbohydrates in your diet. Do not stick only to a protein rich diet. For effective functioning of our body, we need all the food groups.
An American diet consists of meat, but it is advised that milk and dairy products also are rich sources of proteins and they should be included in our daily diet. Cut down on heavy meat foods .Vegetables like beans and whole grains also have the necessary protein required by the body.