Over the past few months, social media’s fitness community has seen increasing admiration from users. With the escalating popularity of working out, pilates, lifting, and cardio, all things fitness have seen a drastic boom in attraction over the past year. Along with this, the importance of macronutrients being incorporated into diets has quickly surfaced onto the internet, the most popular one being protein. Because of this, social media companies have gained a tremendous amount of profit while fellow industries, specifically food and nutrition, have taken no hesitation to capitalize on protein’s rising popularity.
The understanding of protein being a valuable macro nutrient when it comes to building muscle and building a satieting diet is the basis on how its popularity has skyrocketed.
Nowadays, no matter what you are craving, you are bound to find a high protein, low sugar or sugar free option. From ice cream to chips, to cookies and muffins, practically any food you can think of has a high protein lower sugar alternative. Companies like Clean Simple Eats have even gone so far as to come out with high protein water which they market for $3.99 a can at various stores including Walmart and Target.
On top of that, brands like Legendary fill the shelves of grocery stores with Pop-Tarts and cinnamon rolls that have 20 grams of protein and zero grams of added sugar. Starbucks has even hopped on the bandwagon and recently came out with high protein, sugarfree lattes which you can top with high protein cold foam.
The diet industry has been profiting tremendous amounts of money decade after decade, but this is the first time we have seen such an increase in one certain macronutrient. This is likely due to the increase of information available to us through the internet, making the benefits of protein surface to society’s knowledge, evidently causing its benefits to emerge onto social media.
The real question is if protein is so popular due to its nutritional benefits, then what really makes it so good for you? There are multiple components put into play that create the nutritional value that protein consists of. Firstly, protein is made up of amino acids which act as building blocks that support healthy bones, muscles, cartilage and skin. Protein also plays a crucial role in muscle protein synthesis, which is the repairing of your muscles at rest. On top of that, protein aids in digestion. About half of the protein a person consumes in their diet is used to make enzymes: molecules that break down food in order for your body to absorb nutrients.
Likewise, protein plays a substantial role when it comes to your body’s ability to build muscle, another reason why it is a beneficial macronutrient to incorporate into your diet. It is encouraged to eat a high protein meal after each exercise because the amino acids it supplies helps with both muscle growth and muscle recovery, hence why protein has seen so much obsession among the fitness community.
Having greater muscle mass in general, athlete or not, is beneficial to overall health because it speeds up metabolism, promotes bone health and even reduces risks for chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
Moreover, the fitness industry has made so much progress over the past few decades in understanding which components of a person’s diet actually support healthy lifestyles and healthy bodies. Many products, positive and negative, have profited from diet culture, but protein seems to be a trend that, because of the scientific backing, is actually worth following.
That being said, many of these products advertising high protein may come off as much healthier, but they are still often highly processed and contain many artificial sweeteners. This doesn’t necessarily make them bad, and when enjoyed in moderation they are great snacks that satisfy a sweet tooth while still allowing a person to incorporate more macronutrients into their diet.
Just always remember the best sources of protein come from lean meats like chicken, turkey and beef or from other whole foods including eggs, greek yogurt and cottage cheese. Overall, the best diet is the one that is most enjoyable to you. Incorporating all of your favorite foods while also nourishing your body with the nutrients you need is certainly a lifestyle worth living!
