Best sources of protein

[Serpent]

On my previous thread, I got a lot of interetsing and helpful comments. The overall point seems to be that I need more protein. So, here's the thing. I don't eat meat more than once or twice a week at most. I don't believe the body is capable of processing too much red meat. Most people, especially Americans, carry up to two kilos (that's about four and half pounds!) of red meat in their intestine at all times. Unable to process it, the body wraps it in a mucous membrane and leaves it sitting there to slowly rot.

So, assuming you're still reading, not barfing up the steak sandwich you had for lunch, what are the best, most assimiliable sources of protein other than meat?

[Silumkid]

Eggs and soy are considered very good. There is new stuff coming up about soy all the time. Also, if you are looking to supplement, I'd suggest Max High 5....it's a combination of 5 different protein types. You should be able to find a product description here: www.maxmuscle.com

[Sharky]

The protein in eggs is denatured when fried etc... that's why people eat/drink them raw. I can't handle that.

Small can of tuna (dunno precise weight sorry) is 33g of protein. I can't stand the taste of that though now, sorry. I used to have a can a day but now i can't stand it. I just have twice the portion of chicken/meat with whatever meal i am having.

[Sharky]

I didn't read your question properly.

[Serpent]

That's cool man. Eggs and soy. Works for me so far. Tuna is cool. What else? I'm not into supplements, by the way. Too expensive and too much hassle.

[Serpent]

By the way. Can I boil eggs? Will they still have good protein then? Cos I'm a big fan of boiled egs and would happily eat more. Otherwise I guess I could come up with some kind of raw egg and soy milk smoothie.... hmmmm!

[Sharky]

Cottage cheese, any cheese really. Watch out for fat though. Milk, powdered or normal. Dairy products and meat.

We are talking animals here, my man.

Protein is denatured (basically it dies (wannabe biologists - don't jump on me for saying that)) when you heat it. So it's gotta be raw baby. Some people like to eat their meat quite bloody and rare to preserve all the "goodness"

Like i said, dairy products and meat. Beans too.

[Sharky]

meat includes fish.

jus to clear that up.

[Serpent]

OK. So, form what I have so far, I need to start every day with a smoothie containing soy milk, cottage cheese, raw eggs and a little raw steak and tuna fish. Can I put honey in that to sweeten it up a bit!? ;)

[Sharky]

Make sure you set the blender to "high".

[Serpent]

And the toilet lid to "open"!

[Leonidas]

No one mentioned nuts, seeds and beans?

[chyisan]

Just because protein is denatured doesn't mean it's no good any more...at least for nutritional purposes. You body doesn't "need" protein, it needs amino acids, which make up protein. When you ingest protein, you body breaks it down to different amino acids and then uses them to build the kind of protein your body needs. So eat them boilded eggs, but leave out the yolk.

[IronFist]

Originally posted by Serpent
Most people, especially Americans, carry up to two kilos (that's about four and half pounds!) of red meat in their intestine at all times. Unable to process it, the body wraps it in a mucous membrane and leaves it sitting there to slowly rot.



I've only eaten red meat about 3 or 4 times in the last 4 years. Where did you get this info?

IronFist

[Mr Punch]

... are good sources of protein and calcium. Don't worry about the fat if you're training regularly. They are also quite slow burning, so they are quite good more muscle repair, and endurance training.

Tuna is good, but do some research into where it comes from. Most of the sea glows brighter than Chimpy Bush these days. Mercury is a big problem.

Beans are good. If you're already eating lots of boiled eggs you won't need kungfu to KO people with that combo!:( :p :D

And BTW, I wouldn't wanna beat the bronze girls of Shaolin... just wrestlin em d be enough!

[Arhat of Fury]

PROTEINS
Chicken, steak , Tuna, hardboiled eggs(1-3 ratio with yolks to whites) Beans(black or vegetarian are good), peanut butter, nuts, milk, Fish, shrimp, Lobster:D , bean sprouts, Tofu, cottage, Cheese.

COMPLEX CARBS
Rice, pasta, potatoes, Bagels/bread, pancakes, waffles, Smart Start Cereal(i eat it every day):D .

SIMPLE CARBS
Banana's, syrup, candy, coke, basically anything with sugar in it.

If your building you want to take in protein every meal along with at least 80 grams of carbs. Before you workout you might want to slam a banana or some simple carbs to give you that explosive energy for a hard and heavy workout.
Feel free to school/remind me of any other nutrient rich foods.
Hope this helps,

AOF

[Serpent]

How can you eat boiled eggs and leave out the yolk!? It's the best bit! :eek:

Thanks for all the tips. It's certainly helping me to organise my diet.

Ironfist. I dunno about where that info comes from. It's something I've "known" for ages. It's a problem in most western countries, but especially in the US apparently. Do some searches on nutrition (not using US sources!) and you'll find it.

So, having got this info, I now have another question! When's the best time to take in proteins? Some people have said to eat protein with every meal, but is it best to carb up before training, then take in protein afterwards to help muscle repair and growth?

Thanks for your time everyone.

[Qi dup]

I don't know a lot on the subject, but here is what I can tell you. timeing definatly plays a roll in your protien consumption. You definatly want to get a good source of protein pretty soon after your done working out. You also will want a good amount of protein before you go to bed, that way your body will having something to repair your muscles with. remember, your muscles will do all of there growing while your at rest, durring sleep and durring the day. Other than that it seems to be best to eat a good source of protien every three hours. to my knowledge, your body can only obsorbe 28-35 grams of protein every three hours. I could be wrong on this, but I think that's about how it works. To start growing a lot, I would sugjest eating at least 100 grams of protien a day. to my knowledge it is optimal to eat about 1 gram of protein for every pound of your total body weight.

Rember to that different sources of protein are utillized (sp?) in your body at diferent speeds. Right after you are done working out your body will be drained and need protien to be used fast. as far as I know whey protien is used the fastest. I would not recomend rice protein after a workout not beccause it is bad in anyway, it just won't get to your muscles as fast. This is all to my knowledge and I know very little. but this may help you get started anyway. please forgive any spelling erorrs. You may just want to casually work out and grow now, but as soon as you start to feel your body and see the growth, youll be doing all the weight lifting you can;)
;) ;)

[Serpent]

Thanks QiDup, that makes a lot sense actually. Anybody else care to add anything?

As for the lifting. Been there, done that, bought the Muscle-T. I used to be twice the size I am now, just by eating heaps of food and lifting weights three or four times a week. Many years ago I stopped the weight training and concentrated on my kung fu. The muscle bulk slowly reduced. My cut, my tone and my strength are all still very good. I just want a little bulk back behind my techniques without the lifting. I figured that getting a higher protein intake combined with the kung fu and bodyweight training that I do now would be the answer. I don't have time to get to a gym on top of everything else. Also, vanity isn't a consideration! I'm happy enough with my shape. ;)

So, any more tips?

[IronFist]

Originally posted by Serpent

So, having got this info, I now have another question! When's the best time to take in proteins?

Bodybuilders say to eat protein every 3 hours :). Ensuring a constant supply is key for them. You might not necessarily need it every 3 hours, but try to get some with every meal, and also especially after a workout and the day after a work out. Basically, protein rebuilds muscle as well as maintains muscle. Taking a month break from training? You better keep eating protein to keep your body from breaking down your muscles too much. I don't mean go crazy eating protein, just don't like skip days or whatever. 1g per pound of bodyweight (or whatever method you're using) is still in effect.

IronFist

[Dragon Warrior]

from what i have read in various nutrition books and magazine articles, 100grams of protein is way to much. the body makes its own protein, what it needs from food are the essential amino acids, and nitrogen, this is why obtaining protein from the diet is neccassary.

Protein is hard for the body to digest, so the best time to eat high protein foods is in the morning. This gives the body the entire day to successfully break it down. You ecspecially do not want to eat high protein foods before sleep, this will force the digestive system to work when it should be at rest.

If you are living in America and you are not a vegetarian, you really should not be concerned with attaining enough protein, you probably are getting more than enough, without a doubt. You are better off focusing on getting as much balanced nutrition as possible, that probably means eating more whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and nuts.

One more thing, you will not keep your muscle by eating lots of protein, this is definetely a myth, you stop atrophy from working out. Atrophy can start about 2 weeks after you stop working out, do not try to gain mass by eating more protein, it just wont work. If you want to gain mass i would suggest hitting the weights and eating a balanced nutrient dense diet.

[David Jamieson]

I agree with Dragon Warrior.
Sound advice.

A balanced diet is key. Amino acids contribute to carbs being converted to protein. Consumption of them (amino acids) as food in items such as tomatos will help break down carbs so that the energy of the food is distributed where it is needed, anything less is stored as fat or evacuated.

Accelerated breathing brought on by cardio vascular training in turns burns calories which are gained from burning the fat supplies as well as residue energy from food.

Over consumption of protein can cause things such as acne or other imbalances in the body.
In the end, food consumption needs to be balanced between the required elements (carbs, protiens, vitamins..etc). Supplementation where there is not a natural source.
And it should all be based on you as a person, height, weight, metabolism, even lifestyle.

peace

[ratman201]

Just wanted to add an interesting point I picked up from some vegan friends. Soy and vegatable protiens do not contain all of the amino acids your body needs to repair tissue efficantly. If you have ever met a vegan whose fingernails are soft, brittle, or flaking you know what I mean. While red meat contains the most protien per weight it is for the most part unhealthy. Substituing say tofu for meat for all but one meal a day is a good idea. You don't need that much meat just a bit. Remember chicken has less protien than fish, and fish contains Omega-3 fatty acid which is good for your heart. Tofu has the least amount of protien per weight, but it helps fight cancer. Also it is always easier to add missing item to you diet than to eliminate unhealthy one from it.
I on the other hand eat egg sandwiches, cheese steaks, and pizza, but I live in Philly and I'll most likely die of lung cancer. LOL

[Sharky]

Today i had a KFC Zinger Tower Burger.

Large Fries too.

[WCJoe]

I can't believe the misinformation in this thread. Honestly, you people don't have a clue. Have you even taken a look into the actual mechanisms by which foods are digested?
Nuts are very good. The fats contained therein are not saturated or trans-fatty acids, and are thus healthy.
Eggs MUST be heated. The amino acids contained within become MORE available to the body once heated.
Red meat is your friend. It has a lot of protein, and is absorbed better than most fish.
Soy is your enemy, unless you are a post-menapausal woman, or want to grow breasts. Please go to www.testosterone.net and do a search for "soy protein." You will be surprised at the estrogenic effects and testosterone supressing effects you'll find.
Also, check your total caloric intake first. If you're not eating enough fuel to do your workouts, plus a little bit more, you'll never get bigger and stronger.
And if anyone wants to know where I got my info, then just ask. I'll assure you know its not from myths or misinterpreted health magazines.

[FatherDog]

Red meat has its advantages, and disadvantages. I'm not going to try to do a rundown, since I'm not a nutritionist, except to say this:

The bit about red meat staying in the colon wrapped in mucous membranes is bull****. Period. Ask any licensed proctologist how long anything stays in your intestines/colon. This sort of crap (no pun intended) is how clinics sell "colonic irrigation" treatments to people.

[Hau Tien]

Interesting info, WCJoe... thanks for posting it. I checked out the articles on that site, and added it to my growing knowledge of diet and nutrition.

As for my current diet... I've been enjoying some positive results with it thusfar. I try to include some of the following with every meal:

For protein - chicken breast, tuna, beans
For carbs - rice, whole wheat bread
For fiber - bran
I also eat some green, leafy vegetables and broccoli.

For snacks I will drink a protein shake (With fruit juice... not milk... I seem to have a problem with milk) or eat a peach, pear, or apple, or a handful of unsalted nuts.

I've started to get a lot of use out of my bamboo steaming trays. I like to steam chicken breasts more than fry them because they always feel so "heavy" when you fry them. I will occasionally bake them, but that takes a lot longer than steaming.

Anyone have any suggestions for "must-add" items?