Have you ever been involved in the construction of a house? It takes careful planning to make sure the ultimate structure is strong a sturdy. This has much to do with the materials you use to construct its foundation. And if the foundation is strong, the frame and decor will be easier to maintain. The human body is like a house in a way, with a strong foundation driving the health of the rest of the body. Part of that foundation is comprised of amino acids. If you don’t know what they are, now is the time to learn. These compounds are play a critical role in your everyday functions and are a key component in weight loss.
There are 20 different types of amino acids. They are often referred to as “the building blocks of life” because they literally are the building blocks of proteins. They attach to one another like links in a chain that combine to make many forms of protein that aid in bodily functions.
Every structure in the body, including your heart, vital organs, skin and eyes are all made up of proteins. Some are chemically functional, like enzymes that break down food. Others work as messengers in the body, like insulin, which regulates blood sugar. Amino acids also form the proteins that make up muscles. And as we all know by now in weight loss, the more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories you are able to burn, even at rest.
One particular essential amino acid, leucine, can help reduce weight and body fat. A study by the University of Tennessee found that a diet that included 2.25g of leucine was able to enhance weight and fat loss by 50-80% over a 24-week period. Here are a few foods high in leucine that you should stock up on: tofu, cottage cheese, fat-free milk, mozzarella, cheddar, hard and soft-boiled eggs, and couscous.
Now back to our house analogy. If you want your house’s foundation to be solid, you’ll want to make sure that you are building something called “complete proteins” into it. In order to achieve this, you need to better understand the types of amino acids your body produces naturally and those you will need to seek in your food. You also need to understand the varying levels of different amino acids in different types of foods.
The amino acids that your body cannot produce naturally are called essential amino acids (there are nine of these). “Complete proteins” are foods that contain all nine essential amino acids. So if you include animal-based foods like poultry, fish, and eggs or plant-based foods like quinoa, soy, and tofu into your diet, you are ensuring that your amino acid chains are more complete. Remember, as the building blocks of protein, amino acids support the healthy development and maintenance of muscle. And muscle increases metabolism, which results in weight loss. Do you see how beautifully that works?
Some foods may be lacking in one or more amino acids. These are called incomplete proteins. Nuts, seeds, legumes, grains, and vegetables are all incomplete proteins. They are not inferior foods by any means. They just need to be combined with other protein sources to make a complete amino acid profile.