1 Part: Calculate protein intake.
1, consult a diet therapist. Because everyone's needs are different, there are many factors to consider. You may wish to consult a registered dietitian or dietitian. They are trained in this field and can help you determine your specific dietary needs. Ask a doctor to recommend a dietitian to you, or find a registered dietitian or dietotherapist of the relevant association.
2. Calculate your recommended supply in protein. Weigh yourself after going to the toilet in the morning. Collect data for 5 days, calculate the average weight, and then multiply it by 0.8. The recommended supply in protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. If you use other units to calculate your weight, you must first convert it into kilograms and then multiply it by 0.8. You can also use the online calculator to calculate your recommended intake of protein: http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/fnic/interactiveDRI/.
For example, a person weighing 54kg should consume 43.2g of protein every day (54x0.8=43.2).
3. Determine the percentage of recommended supply in protein. Another algorithm is to calculate by percentage. The daily intake of protein should account for 10 to 25% of the total calories, depending on your age, gender, overall health, activity and whether you need to lose weight or gain weight. The intake calculated by percentage seems high, but according to dietotherapy experts, the recommended intake is only the minimum intake needed to maintain normal physiological function. For example, the protein intake of most Americans accounts for 16% of the total calories, but it is still not enough.
4. Adjust your recommended intake of protein. Some people need to eat more protein. Generally speaking, children and adolescents need to consume more protein than adults, which is about 20% to 25% of calories. Men also have higher demand for protein than women. Pregnant and lactating women need more protein than non-pregnant women, about 75 to100g per day. The elderly also need more protein to prevent sarcopenia, with a weight per kilogram 1.2g as far as possible. If you have kidney disease or liver disease, you should follow the doctor's advice to reduce protein in your diet.
5. Understand the role and function of protein. Protein can act as a hormone. Hormones are chemical messengers that send commands to cells, telling them what to do and when to do it. Protein can also act as an enzyme to repeatedly catalyze chemical reactions. In addition, the antibody is also protein, which binds to infectious particles or foreign particles to prevent them from infecting cells. Antibodies are one of the main defenses of the body. All cells in the body are composed of protein, and substances entering and leaving the cells also need the participation of transporters.
6. Understand how protein is formed. Intake of the whole protein in the body will be hydrolyzed into amino acids, and then rearranged into the amino acids needed by the body at that time. Each amino acid is linked and folded in a different way. There are 20 kinds of amino acids in protein, which can be divided into three categories: essential amino acids: the human body can't synthesize them by itself, but must take them from the diet.
Non-essential amino acids: can be synthesized in vivo.
Conditional essential amino acids: the body can usually synthesize the required amount, but it needs to consume more when it is stressed and sick.
Part II: Getting protein from Diet.
1. Distinguish between protein with rich nutrition and protein with low quality. High-quality or nutritious protein is more beneficial to you. For example, lean protein containing other nutrients is more beneficial than protein with high saturated fat content. Note that although we have always emphasized the importance of lean meat and other sources from protein, it doesn't mean that you have to give up eating meat. For example, even if red meat contains protein, it will increase blood pressure and cholesterol. Therefore, it is best to choose lean meat such as turkey or beans.
2. Take protein from meat and fish. Beef and pork contain a lot of protein, but they can only be eaten in moderation. Eat lean meat instead, including skinless chicken and turkey. You can also eat fish such as tuna and salmon. The protein biological value of eggs is the highest. Biological value measures the utilization rate of protein in the body after being digested and absorbed. Eggs and other animal proteins are considered as "complete protein" because they contain all essential amino acids. Two eggs contain protein13g.
3. Take protein from plants. If the total daily calorie intake of vegetarians is 2000 calories, then protein should have at least100g. Eggs and dairy products contain healthy protein. If you are a vegetarian, you can get protein from the following plant foods: bean products (75 grams of tofu has 2 1 gram of protein).
Vegetarian meat (meat substitute)
Legumes (3? 4 cups of cooked lentils have13g protein).
Nuts (1? 4 cups of almonds have 8 grams of protein)
seed
Whole grains (1? Two cups of whole grain pasta containing 4 grams of protein)
4. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Although their protein content may not be as good as that of meat or dairy products, they can provide many important nutrients except protein. The vegetables and fruits with the highest content in protein are potatoes with skins (5g protein).
1? Two cups of broccoli (2g protein)
Avocado (3g protein)
Banana (1 g protein)
5. Take protein from dairy products. Both vegetarians and non-vegetarians can get protein from dairy products. Studies have shown that protein in milk may be easier to digest than protein in meat, soybeans or wheat. Consider adding the following foods to your diet: 1 cup of milk (8g protein).
1? Two cups of cottage cheese (15g protein)
50g Cheddar cheese (12g protein)
3? 4 cups of yogurt (8 grams of protein)
6. Record your intake of protein from your diet. Record how much protein you get from all the food you eat in a day. The website of Agricultural Research Service of USDA has a searchable nutrition database: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods. You can easily record your protein intake. For example, the protein intake of a simple breakfast consisting of oats, blueberries, milk and yogurt can be recorded as follows: 1 cup of oats (10.65g protein), 1? 2 cups of blueberry (0 protein) 1 cup of low-fat milk (4.26g protein) 1? 2 cups of original whey-free yogurt (10. 19g protein) = 25. 1g protein.
7. Calculate your daily intake of protein. After recording all the intake of protein in a day, make sure you get enough protein. If you weigh 54kg, according to the guidelines of USDA, you should consume at least 43.2g of protein every day. If you only consume 40 grams, try to include more protein in your diet. Remember, in some special cases, you may need to get more protein from your diet. For example, if you weigh only 54kg, but need to breastfeed, you should consume at least 7 1 g protein every day.
Tips Many athletes and bodybuilders consume more protein than ordinary people every day. However, the medical and scientific circles are not sure whether the intake of more protein has a significant effect on muscle growth.
The online nutrition calculator can also calculate the recommended intake of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fat and cholesterol. They can also calculate your height and body mass index (BMI). You can try the calculator of USDA: http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/fnic/interactiveDRI/.