Clean Protein by Paul Watts-Barnes

Clean protein foods The basics Protein is best digested with carbohydrates and fibre. Enzymes also aid in the digestion of proteins. Digestive enzymes can be found in natural foods that have not been tampered with e.g. nuts, berries and seeds are a good examples. There are 22 main types of proteins called amino acids. These are the molecular chains of individual proteins, each playing different roles in the body. Some of these amino acids are very specific to muscle growth (see Protein basics). Different sources contain different levels and amounts of these amino acids. Some are short chain (these will digest quickly) while others can be long chain (these will digest slower). Most solid protein food will contain longer chain proteins made up of different types of amino acids. These long chains are great for keeping you in an anabolic state.

Poultry Chicken and turkey etc. Chicken is an excellent source of protein; in fact it is very dense in protein. Keep your poultry meat lean by taking the skin off also stick to using breast meat. There are many healthy ways to cook it such as oven bake (covered in spices or seasoning), grill, steam or even stew.

Red meat Red meats such as beef are another great source of protein. When it comes to beef the same rule applies: keep it lean. Beef also has the added advantage of taking a long time to fully digest, which means protein in the form of amino acids trickles into your blood stream, thus keeping you in a good anabolic state. It has been said

that it can take up to eight hours to digest fully. Steak also contains CLA fatty acids, which are vital for breaking down body fat.

Fish Fish is another great source of protein. Fish such as tuna and salmon are denser in protein than others. Remember, to work out how much protein is in a food have a look at amount per 100grams on the nutritional label. Also most fish is high in omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids; these good fats actually help break down body fat in the right environment. There are many healthy ways to cook fish, such as grill, bake and steam. Or if you like sushi, eat it raw.

Beans Beans are a very cost effective way to add protein to your diet. Again each bean variety varies in percentage of protein, so check the nutritional labels. If you buy them out of a tin make sure you rinse thoroughly because they are generally stored in sugar water to preserve them. They are also full of fibre and B vitamins to enhance your digestive system. Although beans are an incomplete protein (meaning that some essential amino acids are missing from there protein profile) this should not be a problem if eaten with other sources of protein. They also contain complex carbohydrates. Beans are generally boiled but can also be added to stews and soups. They are also great to add to brown rice to enhance flavour and other foods such as cous cous and quinoa.

Skimmed milk Skimmed milk is probably the most accessible protein source. One word of caution is, it still contains a lot of carbohydrates so is not the best choice for dieting. But is certainly great for anyone looking to put on maximum amount of muscle and can be combined with your protein shakesto increase protein content.

Eggs The good old egg is an excellent quality protein and has an exceptional amino acid profile making it king of proteins, until whey protein came along. In the days of great bodybuilders such as Arnold Swarchenegger, milk and egg protein supplements where the best sources around, although the yoke contains cholesterol and fat, this is not to be confused with bad cholesterol in your body, in fact healthy intake of cholesterol is an important ingredient for testosterone production. You can cook eggs in many ways such as poached, shallow fried, hard boiled and scrambled. Omelettes can be particularly tasty.

Low fat natural yogurt

Some natural yogurt is high in protein especially the low fat ones. But do read the nutritional label first and check. They can taste bitter so you may prefer to add a little honey and pecan nuts for example. Also you may find it beneficial to buy probiotic yogurt since this contains good bacteria which greatly aids the digestion of nutrients.

Cottage cheese Although cottage cheesealso contains some carbohydrates and a small amount of fat, it is primarily protein. There are low fat versions on the market too. You may want to try the different types of flavours on the market such as added chives or garlic. The taste on its own can be a bit bland especially if you are having a low fat version. It is well worth trying the different brands and types since they do vary greatly in flavour. Cottage cheeseis a great accompanied with a sweat potato or some toasted granary.