Protein intake is of paramount importance. For maximum gain of muscle, take protein at the highest recommended levels mentioned in this chapter while also significantly increasing your consumption of healthy fats, including nuts, nut butters, seeds, and oils. Protein and EAAs powders are extremely important in healthy weight gain, because trying to obtain optimal protein intake from continuous back-to-back meat meals can be a huge stress to the body and harmful over time, and vegetable sources of protein are not concentrated enough.

Summary

• Proteins are the basic building blocks of the human body and one of the key nutrients in the human diet.
• Proteins are made up of essential and nonessential amino acids.
• Building and maintaining lean muscle is critical for weight optimization, and inadequate protein intake can result in muscle catabolism (loss).
• Not all protein is alike, and plant and animal protein have differing amino acid profiles (a gram is not necessarily a gram).
• The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of protein is the minimal, not the optimal, level of protein needed for daily functioning.
• Contrary to conventional thinking, high protein diets can be healthy and beneficial, even higher protein diets for those with kidney dysfunction.
• Protein intake must be maintained at optimal levels or even increased when calorie intake is reduced. While on a low calorie diet, it is important to maintain protein levels within the high side or above these ranges to help stave off muscle loss.
• Using the Stealth Technique of preloading with EAAs, the FUEL Fast, and the Micro Fast can exponentially increase your speed toward Super Health and lifelong weight optimization.
• The right EAAs are a legal substance that can be more effective than banned substances if you know how to use it. Muscle protein synthesis is stimulated by a single dose of 15 grams of essential amino acids to a greater extent than any anabolic hormone tested, including testosterone, insulin, and growth hormone.
• Protein powders can be great sources of protein, but amino acid profiles matter and beware of the other ingredients.
• Vegetarians need extra vigilance in their supplementation of protein and other vital nutrients.
• Eating more frequent meals may not result in expedited weight optimization.

KC Craichy
Author
The Super Health Diet