Are you frustrated with your hair not looking as healthy as it should? Have
you tried a million and one skin remedies and still, nothing? Have you given any thought to
your diet? What you eat makes a huge difference in how you look and feel.
Essentially you need lots of nutrients, especially protein. But how would you know if you’re eating
enough? You should be getting at least 10% of your daily calories from protein. And you
should be getting it from various food sources throughout the day. But what if you don’t? In
today’s video, we’ll uncover glaring signs that say you’re not eating enough protein.
Can it cause swelling? Could this lead to stunted growth? We’ll be talking about all
of these AND more… Let’s
begin with the general weakness you would feel all the time
When we talk about protein intake, most people assume only bodybuilders and gym buffs should
be concerned. But this nutrient is not just for people who work out, everyone should be
aware of their protein intake. Otherwise, you end up feeling tired during the day.
It is super easy to grab a quick on the go breakfast made up of pure carbs, but that
could make you crash. Protein takes a lot longer to digest, which means you will remain energized
for longer. You would also have the additional benefit of not feeling hunger pangs between meals.
Adding enough protein to your diet would also help you build muscle. This keeps
you strong even as you age. If you don’t eat enough protein,
your bones will become weak and you’ll be more prone to fractures.
The next time you feel lethargic after lunch or while commuting, try a protein-rich snack…
like GoMacro MacroBar Organic Vegan Protein Bars. These organic plant-based nutrition
bars give you an instant boost of energy. They are crunchy and delicious… so much so
you’ll keep asking for more! Check out the link in the description box to order yours.
But if you think protein deficiency is only linked to tiredness and bone issues, think again. There’s
another common problem several people face…. Not eating enough protein can lead to swelling
Do you often struggle with swelling, especially in the feet? Do you chalk up having puffy skin
to bloating? Well, bloating can be one reason, but it can also be caused by neglecting protein!
Experts believe swelling and puffiness is caused by the absence of protein in the liquid part
of your blood. The protein helps make sure there is no fluid build-up in your tissues.
Swelling mostly shows up in your feet but it can also occur anywhere,
like your abdomen, legs, and hands too. A bloated belly is one of the
symptoms that you have a severe lack of protein in your body.
Unfortunately, lack of protein in your diet isn’t limited to weakness and swelling. It can have
outward effects, too! Yes, we are talking about the toll it can take on your healthy appearance.
Protein deficiency can give you various hair and skin problems
When you go to a nutritionist for a consultation, one of the things they might ask you to do is run
your hands through your hair. They want to see how much falls out even with a gentle pull.
The reason they do this is that hair is mainly made up of protein. When you’re
not getting enough, it shifts your hair growth to a resting phase. The result is that you end
up having hair fall issues. If you don’t want to see your hair fall out, you should make sure
your diet is packed with enough protein. Along with hair loss, you will also see
hair thinning and fading color. You would also find that your nails are brittle too.
People who have a protein deficiency can also have flaky skin. You might find your skin splitting
quite easily or there is some redness or patches. All these symptoms point to a lack of protein.
Beautiful hair…glowing skin… Protein definitely helps you look your best.
You’ll be surprised to know how important it is to eat protein when you’re in a developing stage.
Eat more protein if you don’t want to deal with stunted growth
Protein is mainly known for helping muscle mass. But it is also necessary for your body
growth as well. If children don’t get enough protein in their diet, it could be harmful to
them and end up restricting their height. Research suggests there are more than 160
million children who are experiencing stunted growth. It is usually a sign their nutritional
needs are not being met. Studies have shown that there is a direct relationship between not
getting enough protein and restrictions in growth. As if stunted growth wasn’t bad enough, lack of
protein in your daily diet could also be stalling your weight loss plans. Wondering how? Well…
Not eating protein means you’ll always be hungry. Forget easy weight loss
When you’re suffering from a severe lack of protein, you won’t have much of an appetite.
But the opposite is true in cases where your body is only missing some of the protein it needs. Here
you end up having a greater appetite because your body has demands that need to be filled.
If there is an imbalance in the protein, your body sends signals asking you to eat more food
so that it can get the nutrients it needs. This is not a bad thing in itself, especially
when there is no food shortage. However it all depends on the kinds of food you choose to eat.
While there are many options that have protein in them, there’s also a lot that are high in
calories. You might end up eating foods that are high in carbs and low in protein. That doesn’t
fill your protein requirements and just ends up increasing your calorie intake. The problem with
this is weight gain. If you’re looking to reduce weight, then this would certainly set you back.
A study was conducted to see if higher protein intake would reduce the number of calories
people eat. During a period of 12 weeks, it was seen that increasing the protein intake
by 15% to 30% reduced the calorie intake of participants by nearly 450 calories every day.
When your diet is high in protein, it stays in your body for a longer time.
Protein takes much longer to digest, so it can give you a steady stream
of energy and keep you full at the same time. Moving on, it’s time we address the muscle issue
Protein is quite important for muscle mass. In fact, most of your muscle is made up of protein.
So, a lack of protein would cause damage. Muscles don’t grow if you don’t give them what they need.
All that hard work in the gym would be worthless if you’re not giving your body enough protein.
When your body doesn’t get enough, it will resort to taking it from your muscles. Your body does
this so that it can make sure the important body functions don’t suffer and the crucial
tissues remain healthy. This means your muscles will lose their mass over a period of time.
This is especially true for elderly people, where even a small deficiency can end up in
muscle loss. In one study, it was seen that elderly folks who had less protein
in their diet had greater muscle loss. Last on our list is more infections
When you don’t give enough protein to your body, you also end up destroying your immune
system. If you find yourself falling sick on a regular basis, you should check to see if you
have a protein deficiency. You increase the risk of infections, especially when
there is a severe protein deficiency. A study was conducted on mice where one
group was given a diet with 2% protein while another group had 18%. The group that had the
lower protein suffered a more severe form of influenza compared to the other group.
One smaller study was conducted on older women for a period of nine weeks. They
were following a low-protein diet. The results showed they had a significant reduction in the
response of their immune systems. If you want to avoid falling sick
every few weeks, it is important to have enough protein in your diet.
Now that we know how important protein is, how do we know what foods we should be
eating? Let’s keep the conversation going with a couple more protein-based videos. Shall we?
Watch 20 Foods High In Protein That You Should Be Eating
You can also try our video on Why You Should Add Protein To Your Coffee Every Day
Go ahead, click one. Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about adding protein
to your daily diet. Do you track your protein? Let us know in the comments below!