I BELIEVE IN BROCCOLI AND BROWNIES
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Protein is an essential nutrient that has many functions in the body, including:
 Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. There are 20 amino acids, 9 of them are essential, meaning you need to consume them. Amino acids are linked together to create different proteins. The order the amino acids are linked determine what protein is created. For example, one order creates insulin, while another order of amino acids creates hemoglobin. There are thousands of proteins in your body built from 20 amino acids. All amino acids have the same backbone with an amine and acid group, the side chains are different for each amino acid.  The protein RDA (how much you need) for adults is 0.8 g pro/kg body weight -- less than many think. For a 150 pound person that is 54 grams of protein each day. To put that amount in perspective -- 8 oz of milk has 8 grams of protein, ½ cup rice has 3 grams of protein, 1 ounce of meat has 7 grams of protein, and ½ cup vegetables has 2 grams of protein. Most healthy adult Americans consume enough protein.  Protein is found in both animal and plant foods. Animal products such as meats, eggs, and dairy are high quality proteins. High quality protein supply amino acids in proportion to the body’s needs. Plant products such as legumes (beans), grains, and vegetables are lower quality proteins, because they lack or are lower in some amino acids. You can meet your protein needs with animal or plant foods. Choosing a variety of foods helps ensure your protein intake is adequate.
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 Carbohydrates are the primary source of fuel the body uses for energy. From a chemical standpoint carbohydrates are made of three elements: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. We call these compounds saccharides and generally divide them into two basic forms – simple and complex. Mono and disaccharides - also called simple sugars are generally 6 carbon molecules. A monosaccharide is one sugar molecule. Mono= 1. A disaccharide is two sugar molecules. Di=2.
Glucose, galactose, and fructose are monosaccharides. Glucose is main form of carbohydrate found in the body and is important in providing energy. It can be measured in the blood (blood glucose) and stored in limited amounts. Galactose is a monosaccharide that combines with glucose to make lactose. Fructose is a monosaccharide commonly found in fruit. When two monosaccharides are combined, they become a disaccharide. Glucose and fructose combine to make sucrose -- more commonly known as table sugar. When glucose and galactose combine the disaccharide lactose is created. Lactose is the natural sugar found in milk. When two glucoses combine maltose is created. Maltose is usually found when long chains of glucose are broken down. |
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