Protein is essential for our optimal health and well-being. It provides the body with the energy needed to run hundreds and thousands of processes going on every second, keeps us feeling fuller after a meal and helps in repairing the everyday wear and tear. Protein is composed of long-chain amino acids, which are the building blocks of the muscle. Our body produces 11 amino acids and the remaining 9 essential amino acids need to come from food.
Here are signs that show you are not taking enough protein in your diet:
1 . You Have Sweet Cravings
One of the early signs that shows you are not getting enough protein is that you never feel full after a meal and tend to binge on sweets more often. This is because when you do not take enough protein your blood sugar levels fall making you crave for sweet foods.
2 . You Have Trouble Concentrating
Having a balanced blood sugar level is crucial to stay focused. Proteins help to keep your blood sugar at a steady level so that your brain has a good supply of sugar throughout the day. When your body is protein deprived, your sugar levels keep fluctuating. Due to this, you may feel foggy and have trouble concentrating.
3 . You Experience Hair Fall
Protein is the building block of all of your cells and this includes the hair follicles as well. If your hair follicles are built well and have good strength, they will keep your hair healthy and prevent them from falling prematurely. But if your diet is deficient in protein, your hair strands may start thinning leading to hair-fall.
4 . You Feel Excessive Weakness
Protein is required to build muscles in the body and keep them in optimal working condition. A diet that is deficient in protein can cause your muscles to shrink. This can lead to excessive weakness, difficulty in doing your daily exercise or even taking stairs.
5 . You Keep Falling Sick
Protein takes part in building and strengthening your immune system. Therefore, protein deficiency can make you prone to flu or other infections more than others around you.
6 . You Have Swelling In Feet
If you are protein deficient, you may be prone to fluid retention around your ankles and feet. Protein helps to hold salt and water in blood vessels and without enough protein these fluids can seep into surrounding tissues. This fluid retention leads to swelling in feet and lower legs and is called edema. Your skin may appear shiny around these areas and will retain a fingerprint after being pressed for a moment.
7 . You Have Skin Problems
At times, protein deficiency can cause various skin problems like flaky dermatitis or irritation of the skin, especially on the back of the thighs and on the buttocks. Lack of a certain protein in the skin’s protective barrier can make your skin more vulnerable to allergens and other irritants.
So, if you feel you have been experiencing these signs and symptoms for some time now, make sure you add protein rich foods like eggs, lean meat, fish, lentils (dals), cheese, channa (chickpeas), broccoli , curd and milk to your daily diet. Eat Healthy, Stay Happy!