Is protein the secret to health and vitality?

Protein provides the amino acids which are the body’s building blocks and is vital for hormones and healthy metabolism. It’s essential for good muscle tone and to maintain strength and health, but are you getting enough in your current diet?

Protein digests more slowly than carbohydrates to release energy into the bloodstream gradually, helping to maintain blood sugar levels and keep you fuller for longer.

Protein is essential for health and metabolism?

Protein has a profound effect on metabolism as it forces the body to use more calories in digestion, thus creating a thermogenic effect*. This thermogenic effect is one of the reasons that a diet rich in protein speeds up metabolism. In addition, protein is key for building muscle, not only does muscular tissue give you a better body definition it is also burns more calories than fat. What ever age you are, start now to firm and tone to protect for the future. After the age of 50 we lose 1 to 2% of muscular mass each year, our strength declines around 1.5% per year and even by up to 3% after the age of 60.

The loss of muscular mass has a big impact on health, strength and the ability to burn calories. Loss in bone mass is also a problem and is associated with low protein intake. An adult should consume 0.8 g protein per kilo body weight while those over 50 should take 1 – 1.2 grams of protein per kilo body weight.

Eat protein at every meal and substitute high carb snacks with a slice of chicken or small portion of nuts. Carbohydrates on their own will spike insulin levels and you may experience hunger within a couple of hours.

The secret powers of Pea Protein

Pea protein is an excellent choice to provide this extra protein, it is highly digestible without the associated gluten and lactose intolerances. Peas are naturally free from cholesterol and have a high amino acids score, being rich in key amino acids, leucine, lysine and arginine, all essential for healthy muscle growth.

Pea protein also uniquely stimulates the hormone Peptide YY which triggers the brain to believe it is full while it helps to lower the hormone that stimulates hunger.

Our Protein Smoothie contains 21.6 grams of pea protein and is combined with fibres including glucomannan for fullness. The drinks are delicious and can be bought in 3 flavours, Chocolate, Strawberry and Banana & Butterscotch. You can have it in the raw or blend with fruit and vegetables for some delicious combinations, we’ve shared some photos below, how would you mix yours? We’d love to hear.

Collagen Shots is also an incredible source of protein, collagen is the most abundant protein in our body and supplementing with our marine collagen drink will give you 10 grams of collagen protein per serving. You can find out more about Protein Smoothie and our other products: - Protein Smoothie

Other good sources of protein are:

Fish, chicken, beef, lamb, turkey, duck and pork. Pulses, soya and beans are also high in proteins too.

Adding gentle weight bearing exercise such as pilates or squatting with dumbbells can help to firm muscle and protect for the future.

Discover 7 recipes for protein health and vitality >>