Proteins are the building blocks of life. Protein is found in every cell of the human body and in order for your body to repair and make new cells, you need protein in your diet. In their most basic form, proteins consist of chains of amino acids. During digestion, protein is broken down into amino acids and we need a good number of amino acids to maintain proper health. You can find protein in a variety of foods, so it’s crucial that you include enough protein in your diet each day. But remember not all food sources of protein are created equal and the amount you require in your diet depends on your weight, gender, age, and state of health – so a personalized nutrition plan can ensure you’re shaping your diet with healthy protein foods. Talk to a Metabolic Balance practitioner today!
Protein is one of the main building blocks of not just the human body, but all of nature. Therefore, it is vital that you supply your body with enough protein at each meal! For a healthy diet and thus a healthy body, it is advisable to consume different protein carriers throughout the day and combine them with vegetable carbohydrates in the form of vegetables and fruits, because for a good protein metabolism there must also be sufficient vitamins and minerals available.
So you’ve got mushrooms in your Metabolic Balance nutrition plan: are they a protein or a vegetable? That is the question!
Fish, meat, poultry, eggs and cow’s milk products are great sources of proteins. Vegetarian protein sources are soy, legumes, sprouts, nuts and seeds and some mushrooms. In the case of mushrooms, however, a distinction is made between those high in protein and those considered a vegetable. At Metabolic Balance we distinguish between protein and vegetable based on the biological value of the mushrooms. This is calculated based on the amount of protein in a food that our bodies can use directly – basically this needs to be a good value for us to consider as a protein.
The protein mushrooms are oyster and shiitake mushrooms. They can be used fresh or dried. Preparation suggestion can be fried in a wok or pan. They make a great mushroom risotto-style dish with a delicious cauliflower rice! All other mushrooms, such as button mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, or chanterelles, are considered vegetables and can be combined with a protein.
Mushrooms are a type of fungi found in many different varieties all across the globe. From earthy shitake mushrooms to delicate oyster mushrooms, there is a variety for almost every type of dish. Mushrooms are packed full of micronutrients including copper, potassium, and phosphorus. On the Metabolic Balance mushrooms can be a protein or a vegetable depending on the type of mushroom. Oyster and shiitake mushrooms are considered a protein. They can be used fresh or dried and are delicious in soups, stir fries and salads. All other types of mushrooms are vegetables and can therefore be mixed and combined with another type of protein.
Protein is “THE” building block in the body. It consists of up to 50,000 protein compounds with vital functions. From muscles, skin, connective tissue, blood vessels, internal organs to hormones and enzymes – proteins are needed everywhere. Vital protein compounds are also needed for many biologically active substances, which provide, e.g., for the transport of iron or oxygen in the blood, for the immune system or bone metabolism. Protein makes up the largest proportion of human body mass in adults, at about 10 kg (about 22 lbs). The dry weight of many body cells consists of more than 50% protein.
Although protein is one of the energy-providing macronutrients along with fats and carbohydrates, it occupies a special position because it is never primarily stored in the body as energy. Unlike fats, which are stored in adipose tissue, and carbohydrates, which are stored as glycogen in the liver and muscle, proteins always have a specific function.
That is why protein is also an indispensable part of our nutrition. Whether vegetable or animal protein – in the stomach and intestines, the digestive juices break down the food protein into its smallest components, the amino acids.
To keep all vital processes running, amino acids must be available in sufficient quantities at all times. This is because thousands of repair processes take place in every cell every day, during which complex proteins are broken down into their individual components and are renewed.
Recommended daily protein requirement
If protein is lacking, it quickly becomes noticeable. Nails, hair and skin suffer, they become brittle, dull and wrinkled. Physical strength is also diminishing. We get tired quickly and are often exhausted for no reason.
How much protein is healthy for the individual cannot be answered in general terms. The German Nutrition Society (DGE) as well as the WHO recommend eating at least 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight daily (0.36 grams per lbs).
A “high-protein” nutrition is considered to be, when 30 percent of food energy is absorbed in the form of protein. According to scientific studies, a nutrition rich in proteins can prevent some diseases of civilization. For example, studies have concluded that high-protein food can improve the metabolic condition of type 2 diabetes mellitus, lower liver fat, reduce inflammatory processes and improve the overall lipid profile in the blood.
Although we actually consume plenty of protein-rich foods, the positive effect is lost. Scientific research brings it to light: it is primarily due to the combination of “a lot of protein paired with unhealthy nutrients.”. Our nutrition usually looks like this: lots of meat and sausages with plenty of additives. We neglect vegetables and fruits and absorb too little fiber and polyunsaturated fatty acids. This increases the risk of lipometabolic disorders, diabetes or cardiovascular diseases, despite a high-protein nutrition.
Protein quality – Biological Value
In addition to the appropriate protein intake, the quality of the protein is particularly important. The quality of the protein is defined by the eight essential amino acids. The dietary proteins have a different composition and the quality of the dietary proteins is calculated on the basis of the limiting essential amino acid in each case. In this case, it is not the highest possible protein content of the food that is decisive for the quality of the protein, but how much of this protein content can be converted into the body’s own protein.
In general, plant proteins have a lower value than animal proteins, which are more similar in composition to the human amino acid profile.
Higher biological values can be achieved by clever combinations of foods. If a food contains smaller amounts of certain amino acids, it can be supplemented with another food that has an excess of these amino acids. In general, it is recommended to combine animal with plant protein sources in order to achieve a higher biological value. However, it must always be taken into account that the individual protein components must be consumed in a certain proportion in order to utilize the optimum effect. For example, 35% potatoes combined with 65% cottage cheese results in a biological value of approx. 136, or 22% potatoes and 78% beef have a biological value of 114.
A supply of dietary proteins with a high biological value also has a positive overall effect on the acid-base balance, because most of the amino acids supplied can be utilized by the body. When eating foods with a low biological value, on the other hand, an excess of amino acids accumulates that are not needed by the body in the first place and have to be buffered or neutralized and excreted accordingly, which overtaxes the body and metabolism in the long run. An accumulation of acids blocks the metabolism. This has an effect on the well-being. Fatigue and lack of concentration can be acompanying symptoms. Inflammation, muscle and joint complaints often occur, and weight loss is also delayed.
Protein powder – Sense or nonsense?
Protein powders or protein shakes are no longer only popular among bodybuilders – recreational athletes are also increasingly using the diverse range of protein powders and ready-to-drinks (RTD) to build up muscles or lose weight. Nevertheless, there are always critics who refer to these additional protein portions as superfluous or even unhealthy.
Protein powders are available in concentrates, isolates or hydrolyzates. The first two forms differ only in their protein content (concentrate 80%, isolate 90%). In the hydrolyzate, the proteins have already been broken down into smaller amino acid chains and thus enter the blood more quickly. However, this leads to the fact that the amino acid concentration in the blood increases faster, with the consequence that the amino acids are increasingly used for energy production instead of protein synthesis, which are actually important for muscle building.
Protein shakes are also often used for weight reduction. Over a short period of time, this can be a useful meal replacement, especially if the shake replaces the evening meal. This additionally boosts the metabolism and at the same time achieves a long-lasting feeling of satiety. However, when choosing protein powders, the composition should be closely scrutinized. Often, the various protein shakes contain, in addition to high-quality protein, a variety of additives and also sugar, which block the metabolism and have a negative impact on weight loss.
Metabolic Balance and the macronutrient Protein
At Metabolic Balance, the macronutrient protein is also an important component in our nutrition plans. The targeted selection of high-quality animal and plant protein-rich foods, which are combined with vegetables and fruits, creates the basis for a balanced metabolism. The body is supplied with all the valuable protein building blocks and at the same time, excess acids produced during metabolism can be neutralized more easily by the vitamins and minerals from vegetables and fruit.
For a healthy nutrition, it also makes sense to consume different protein sources (e.g. fish, meat, eggs, cheese, sprouts, legumes, mushrooms, seeds or nuts) in a certain proportion throughout the day. In addition, it has proven to be particularly advantageous that only one type of protein per meal contributes to a rapid balancing of the acid-base balance, as hyperacidity can be largely avoided and at the same time the de-acidification of the body is supported.
In addition to the quality of the protein and the frequency of its consumption, the arrangement of the meals with protein is also an important pillar for Metabolic Balance. That means if you want to gently balance your metabolism and relieve the digestive organs, you always start your meal with one or two bites of the protein component. This way, the pancreas first produces the hormone glucagon, which is necessary for protein digestion, and the production of insulin is reduced. This, in combination with complex carbohydrates (vegetables, whole grains), forms a long-lasting fullness and the absence of cravings.
Bill Campbell, Richard B Kreider et.al: International Society of sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise; Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2007)
Mag.rer.nat. Eddie Semler: Eiweiß unter Verdacht; UGB-Forum 3/2003, S.122-124
Jiaqi Huang, Linda M Liao et.al.: Association Between Plant and Animal Protein Intake and Overall and Cause – Specific Mortality; JAMA Intern Med. 2020 Sep 1; 180(9) DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.2790
We are often asked: Are mushrooms considered a protein source or a vegetable in Metabolic Balance nutrition plans? Well, it depends on the kind of mushroom. Oyster and shiitake mushrooms are considered a protein. They can be used fresh or dried and are delicious in soups, stir fries and salads. All other types of mushrooms are vegetables and can therefore be mixed and combined with another type of protein.
One of the most important Metabolic Balance rules is: “Eat only one type of protein per meal, but at each of the three meals a different source of protein. ” Often we are then asked: “How many and which types of protein are there?” Here we have summarized our main protein groups for you:
• Meat (incl. ham, dried and smoked meat, lamb (including ostriches and wild game meat) • Poultry (all feathered animals except ostriches) • Fish • Seafood • Cow’s milk products (cheese, milk, yogurt) • Sheep and goat’s milk products (cheese, cream, yogurt) • Mushrooms (only oyster and shiitake mushrooms; all other mushrooms are considered as vegetables) • Eggs • Nuts and seeds • Sprouts • Legumes • Soy and soy products (partially subdivided)
Can you find the protein component in this wonderfully colorful bowl? If you can not find it then you are correct! One of the great things about a Metabolic Balance is that it is not restrictive. You have the freedom to choose to add whatever protein to this salad that is on your plan. For example, you can prepare a yogurt dressing, add in a few chick peas, or add some fish or meat. The only important thing is that you choose a single protein component on your plan and do not mix any proteins. Rather than having a meal plan limit your choices, your Metabolic Balance plan will open you up to new ingredients and combinations.
As the weather is getting warmer, trusty grills are getting cleaned off and ready for the summer grilling season. One of the easiest things to grill are skewers and they are perfect for any Metabolic Balance plan!
All you need are wooden skewers, your protein of choice, and a few vegetables. Soak the wooden skewers in water for an hour and cut your protein (we recommend chicken) into cubes. Marinate the protein for a few hours with spices (paprika, rosemary, or garlic work well) and a hint of oil. Cut a few vegetables (such as peppers, zucchini, onions, and mushrooms) into similar sized cubes. Then skewer your protein and vegetables in alternating order and place on the grill until cooked. Enjoy!
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