Essential Amino Acids

There are many different nutrients that our bodies must have in order to be healthy and to function properly. One of the most important nutrients is protein, which is actually a macronutrient, and it is made up of essential and non-essential amino acids. The non-essential amino acids are found in the body naturally, and the body is able to produce these. The rest of the amino acids, or the essential amino acids, must come from dietary sources, as the body is not able to produce them on its own. This is why they are called “essential”.

20 Amino Acids

There are 20 amino acids all together, and our bodies are able to produce ten of them. The rest can all be found in many different healthy dietary sources. The 10 amino acids that our bodies are able to produce are: alanine; aspartic acid; asparagine; cysteine; glutamic acid; glutamine; glycine; proline; serine; and tyrosine. The other ten amino acids are the essential amino acids that the body is not able to produce, and these are: histidine; isoleucine; leucine; lysine; methionine; phenylalanine; threonine; tryptophan; and valine.

What Foods Contain Essential Amino Acids?

If you are trying to lose weight, you need to be eating the right foods, and some of these foods must be high in protein. High protein foods are where you are going to get a lot of the essential amino acids that our bodies must have but cannot produce. Some of the foods that make excellent choices for weight loss diets, or any diets, include:

• Lean red meat – Choices can include lean ground beef, lean cuts of pork, steak, roast beef, etc. Baked or broiled is much healthier than fried, and there are many different recipes available so you can be creative with your meals, while still preparing healthy meals.
>Poultry – White breast meat is the healthiest option when eating poultry, especially when prepared by baking or broiling. Try to avoid sauces that are high in sugar and salt, as these are the things that add a lot of unnecessary calories to foods, and they don’t help for weight loss even though they are considered to be “diet” foods.
• Fish – Baked or broiled tuna and salmon are two of the healthiest and tastiest choices in this category. You can enjoy many different types of fish in your healthy diet. If you are not a seafood lover, you can always take fish oil supplements, which are readily available at any health food store or pharmacy.
• Dairy products – Make sure that for the best weight loss results (and for overall good health) that you choose low-fat products such as milk, cheese and yogurt. You can enjoy all of these foods by themselves, or in combination with other foods in some of your favorite healthy recipes.
• Whole grains, nuts and seeds – Many whole grains contain all of the essential amino acids. Some excellent choices for snacking include granola, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and almonds. Plain, unsalted popcorn is also a healthy snack option. These are all treats that are easy to take along with you anywhere, so if you are ever hungry for a snack, you will always have something healthy to munch on.

All of the above foods contain all of the essential amino acids, so they are considered to be complete proteins. Even though most people do not think of vegetables as being complete proteins, it is possible to get all of the essential amino acids by eating various foods in combination. Many people think that those who do not eat meat can’t possibly be getting all of the nutrients their bodies need. Actually, vegetarians can also get all of the essential amino acids from foods such as soy and rice, which are both complete proteins.

Taking Dietary Supplements

If you are not getting everything you need from your diet, no matter how hard you are trying to eat healthy foods, you can still make sure that you are getting all of the proper nutrients, and the essential fatty acids, by using dietary supplements. There are many different types you can use, from pills to protein powders and snacks. If you are trying to lose weight and you are using protein snacks and shakes, make sure that you are opting for the low-fat and low-calorie varieties.

If you are serious about wanting to lose weight, you may as well do it the right way. Forget about all of the diet and exercise fads. They don’t work, and you’ll just end up spending a lot of money unnecessarily. Instead, start following a healthy, well balanced diet that has foods that are high in protein with all of the essential amino acids, and get plenty of exercise, and you will be able to lose weight easily, and keep it off.