Let’s face the facts. As Indians, 68% of us are protein deficient. Protein deficiency is a national health concern. Our diets are heavily carb and fat oriented. Over the years however the awareness about protein has been increasing.
According to Nancy Waldeck, chef, and dietician at the Thomas F Chapman Family Cancer Program, at Piedmont Health: “It is important for individuals to consume protein every day. Daily protein intake plays a role in keeping your cells in good shape and should be part of your daily health maintenance plan.”
According to research by the Indian Council of Medical Research, we need a minimum of 48 grams per day of protein(0.6-0.8g/kg/bw). And while many of us do get this amount of protein in our diet, there are millions of people across the country that don’t. One of the reasons for this deficiency is the fact that there weren’t enough sources of plant-based protein options for the largely vegetarian / vegan population. That’s what prompted us at Prolicious to step in and create a round-the-clock protein rich range of products.
How does protein help you?
The role of Plant-based protein in the maintenance of good health cannot be understated. In the following paragraphs, we will examine how protein benefits our bodies.
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The role of protein in maintaining good health
Protein is found in every major organ, tissue and cell. Did you know that the human body uses more than 10,000 different types of proteins? Keratin in hair, collagen in skin, and numerous others are vital for the maintenance of our daily functioning. Protein is also a critical part of the processes that fuel your energy and carry oxygen throughout your body in your blood. It also helps make antibodies that fight off infections and illnesses and helps keep cells healthy and create new ones.
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Better digestion through protein
Having a protein rich meal is important for many reasons. Almost half the protein we consume daily is responsible for the production of enzymes. These help our stomach and digestive system break down the food we eat and power our bodies.
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Building up the body
We all love munching on snacks, but many of the snacks we consume aren’t protein rich snacks. Proteins consumed at any time of the day are directly responsible for building tissue, muscles, bones and other vital processes of the body.
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Protein in managing diabetes
Protein plays an important role in diabetes management. For starters, protein rich meals take longer to break down. This means that compared to fat or carb rich meals that are almost instantly converted to sugars, proteins keep one fuller for longer. This results in little to no sugar spikes and post-prandial sugar / glucose levels are controlled.
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Protein in recovery
Whether you exercise or are recovering from an injury; protein is a must in both these scenarios. Eating good protein foods, especially protein rich snacks, protein rich breakfast and protein rich meals have the following benefits:
- Speeding recovery after exercise and/or injury
- Reducing muscle loss
- Building lean muscle
- Helping maintain a healthy weight
- Curbing hunger
Protein consumption is one of the cornerstones of good health. Gone are the days when vegetarians / vegans couldn’t find high quality, tasty plant-based protein options. After all, with Prolicious, #TastyIsTheNewHealthy
