Welcome to Fitness Minute! With Mary Salama , the newsletter designed to raise your awareness and empower you for change!

There's so much information out there on what you should and shouldn't eat and how much of it. It is enough to leave you, at best, confused. I will try to present you with a simple outline of the benefits, dangers, sources of protein and the most “powerful” preparation modes.

For peak performance and health the human body requires a balanced intake of three macronutrients: protein, carbohydrate and fat.  Too much or too little of any can lead to a variety of problems. Although most foods contain two or more macronutrients, every food you eat is primarily one of the three. For example, while nuts have protein they are primarily a fat.  So, your job is to find out the best sources of each macronutrient and choose those foods for consumption and body fuel.

Benefits & Dangers of Protein

The macronutrient protein is critical for building and repairing muscle tissue in your body. Insufficient protein will lead to a loss of muscle mass, reduced physical strength, slower metabolism and weight gain. On the other hand, too much protein can interfere with calcium absorption leading to reduced bone density and the extra calories will convert to glucose (sugar) and eventually be stored as fat.

Best Protein Sources…

…those foods which offer you the most grams of protein for the least grams of fat. The following options top the list:

• White fish ( except catfish ) – try cod, grouper, halibut, flounder, whiting, tilapia and orange roughy
• Dark fish – try fresh varieties of salmon and tuna. If you choose to eat the canned variety make sure you selections are “in water” (not oil) and if it is not a low-sodium option, rinse it out.
• Lean chicken, turkey, beef & lamb – Trim off all fat.  When possible, choose organic because it will have less chemicals, hormones and antibiotics and is therefore healthier for you.
• Low-fat and fat-free cottage cheese, yoghurt and milk

Notice I did not include shellfish or pork. While these foods are good protein sources they are waste-eating scavengers (also high in cholesterol) and I do not recommend them.  Sorry shrimp and bacon lovers – the truth hurts sometimes L But you'll feel better in the long run J J

 “Powerful  Preparation Modes”

Unlike carbohydrates, protein and fat molecules are highly volatile: unpredictable, unstable, explosive! When exposed to processing agents such as air, heat or light the protein molecule will change and turn into a poisonous toxin that is no longer recognized by the body. An ounce of grilled chicken (on paper) may boast 8 grams of protein however; if you overcook it you may be only getting 2 or 3 grams of “true” protein per ounce. Don't kill your protein by overcooking it and making it pitiful! The less heat, the more protein-power.