They are essential for the body. If they are of quality they are excellent allies of the figure and health. Here's why and what foods to eat
The World Health Organization recommends to hire every day at least one gram per pound of body weight of protein. Yet our diets are sometimes lacking in them because they are often demonized. Other times, on the other hand, at the table, priority is given to protein sources that are unfavorable to health, rich in saturated fats and cholesterol, such as meat (especially beef and pork), cold cuts and cheeses, eggs which should instead be consumed in adequate quantities. The result? Either we eat a few or we choose the wrong ones. Yet bringing good proteins of animal and vegetable origin to the table is essential for staying fit and healthy. "Proteins are, together with" good "carbohydrates and fats, the body's essential macronutrients", explains the nutritionist Nicoletta Bocchino. "They are involved in the metabolic processes that allow you to get energy." They are also indispensable for building and maintaining lean mass. «The essential amino acids they contain, in fact, are the fundamental component of muscles, cells and tissues, including skin and hair. They also have a good satiating effect. "If consumed in adequate quantities they modulate blood sugar, blood sugar levels and give satiety." Finally, they have a mood-booster effect. “Many essential amino acids they are rich in are precursors of feel-good hormones. Tryptophan, for example, promotes the production of serotonin, the so-called happiness hormone. Tyrosine, on the other hand, is involved in the synthesis of dopamine, which favors motivation . The advice "is to give priority at the table to those that have a reduced content of saturated fats and alternate those of animal origin with those of vegetable origin to ensure a varied and complete diet. Furthermore, it is necessary never to associate them with each other in the same meal and eat them for lunch and dinner in combination with vegetables that facilitate digestion . So here are the good proteins and in which foods to find them.
Lean white meat
Chicken and turkey meat are a good source of noble proteins, complete with all essential amino acids. «Compared to red meat that should be eaten once or twice a week, it has less fat. It ensures vitamin B12 and iron, essential for the production of red blood cells whose deficiency can cause fatigue and weakness , says nutritionist Nicoletta Bocchino.
eggs
Eggs are a food that is often excluded from the diet, due to the mistaken belief that their consumption is harmful. In reality, consumed in the right quantity (2-4 eggs per week) hard-boiled or soft-boiled, they are friends of health. «They contain proteins rich in essential amino acids that favor the production of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant. They also provide Omega 3 and minerals such as copper and zinc, essential for the correct functioning of the nervous system .
Fish
«Fish is a good source of noble proteins that can be consumed even 4 times a week. The blue one (sardines, herring, anchovies) and salmon are also particularly rich in Omega 3 essential fatty acids, which thanks to their anti-inflammatory action are excellent allies for brain and heart health .
legumes
Beans, chickpeas, lentils, broad beans, peas associated in the same meal with the essential amino acids present in whole grains or their derivatives such as pasta provide complete proteins. They are also low in fat and cholesterol-free, for the benefit of the figure and health , concludes nutritionist Nicoletta Bocchino.
Discover in the gallery the other foods that are a source of good proteins
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