9 Hidden Signs of Protein Deficiency

Protein, a word that we heard from people who are gym freak or people who take the matters of their health rather seriously. But, most importantly, what is protein and what causes protein deficiency?

Protein is a macronutrient that the body needs on a large scale to function properly. A diet that contains proper protein intake can give healthy skin, hair and muscles. Also, protein is essential to maintain blood sugar levels, can heal wounds, and kill the bacteria inside the body. 

There is no denial in that eating a healthy meal will eventually make a person fit? But, most people can have their protein intake by their usual eating habits while others can’t have it due to their irregular and junk food eating.

 

Signs of Protein Deficiency

A lack of sufficient protein intake can lead to protein deficiency, ignoring which can lead to a significant impact on health. Here are nine signs of protein deficiency:

1. Effects on Sleep: We often heard that millennial have a weird sleeping pattern. They can sleep all day and can awake all night. It is not something that happens with millennial only but depends on the age factor. Protein is responsible for making neurotransmitters, such as serotonin. Also known as ‘feel-good’ chemical, serotonin influence mood, digestion, sleep, blood clotting, bone density and sexual function. A proper diet filled with adequate protein intake can help people save from unusual sleeping pattern and other problems as well.

2. Effects on Concentration: Difficulty in concentrating or memorising something can cause due to protein deficiency. A low protein-infused diet leads to the inability to handle any stress, which leads to the exhaustion of the body. 

3. Effects on Weight: Wondering what might be the reason for unusual weight gain during these past few months? The answer to this question is protein deficiency and lower protein intake in meals. Low protein intake will lead to craving unhealthy food which is responsible for unwanted fat on the body. Whereas, high protein diet will boost metabolism, help lose weight or keep a track on body weight.

4. Effects on Cholesterol: Hearing cholesterol, most people start to fret about its tendency to cause havoc in a human body. But that’s not entirely true. A human body does need cholesterol. It helps organs to function, properly make hormones and other digestive fluids. Protein deficiency leads to the risk of high cholesterol level and increases the chance of heart-related problems.

5. Effects on Periods: Irregular menstrual cycle caused due to hormonal imbalances that we all know, but it also causes due to protein deficiency. Protein-rich diet not only makes periods regular but also helps to be less painful in some cases. 

6. Effects on Body: Protein deficiency not only mess with inside of the body but also affects the outside. Protein deficiency leads to hair fall, hair damage, split ends, hair thinning. It causes harm to nails as well, like brittle nails. Above everything, skin becomes patchy, uneven, and flaky. 

7. Effects on Immunity: Protein deficiency makes a person fall ill more frequently. If someone, having fever, cold, cough and other acute illness constantly, then the chances are that person is dealing with protein deficiency. 

8. Effects on Joint or Muscle Pain: Protein deficiency can lead to constant pain in joints and muscle that leads to making people weak and losing the capacity of lifting anything a bit heavy.

9. Effects on Diet: Protein deficiency indeed play a negative role in the eating pattern of a person. Low protein in the body leads to the craving of more unhealthy food, like sweets, caffeine, or junk. Although not each craving lead to protein deficiency.

Protein deficiency in India

It’s not easy in India to explain people about the benefits of protein-rich diets. Many people still think that a protein-rich meal is for people who love exercising and bodybuilding. Most of them believe that protein deficiency does not impact on their health, whether physically or mentally.

Sources of Protein:

Sources of protein intakes are conflicted matter. Some dietician counts the benefit of vegan others will tell the benefits of vegetarian and whereas, rest will advise to include some portion of non-vegetarian items to the diet. 

For non-vegetarian: 

Taking a protein-rich diet as per body requirement will never be harmful. As people say, too much of anything can be dangerous:

· Meat

· Fish

· Diary

· Poultry

For vegetarian: 

Vegetarians have a lot of options to have a protein-rich diet

· Seeds

· Nuts

· Beans

· Lentils

· Whole grain

· Soy

· Sweet potato

· Spinach

Protein deficiency tests: 

Usually, a doctor runs a blood test to get to know about the level of deficiency of protein in a body and how severe it is and then prescribe the medications according to it. Besides, if you or anyone around you have any signs mentioned above then make sure to get it checked before it’s too late.

 

 

The Ultimate Guide to the Keto Diet

Keto diet, a term that we are hearing most in today’s world. Especially on social media where people are posting photos and videos of the food that they are eating, which happens to be keto-friendly. We often wonder sometimes, what exactly is the keto diet? And why everyone is going gaga over it. This article will surely give you the ultimate guide to the keto diet. Keto also known as a ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that provides innumerable health benefits to the body. It not only burn excess body fat but also helps the metabolism to work more efficiently. Many studies show that a keto diet is beneficial in losing weight and improving health. Keto diet is healthy for people having diabetes, cancer, epilepsy or Alzheimer’s disease. 

Types of Keto Diet: 

There are different types of keto diet found to be helpful according to the body’s capacity to consume food.

1. Standard Ketogenic Diet: In standard keto diet, all the food that a person needs to eat contains fat, which includes butter, ghee, fish, meat and olive oil. Daily intake of fat is 150 grams carbs intake is 50 grams and 90 grams of protein intake that should be divided into 30 grams three times a day. In simple terms, this diet contains 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5% carbs. 

2. Cyclical Ketogenic Diet: The cycling keto diet has an option of cheat days. You need to follow your diet according to the plan for five-six days, and then eat something of your choice in the remaining one-two days depending upon your eating habit. There are a lot of people present, who instead of having their cheat day or day-off every weekend, take it on holidays. 

3. Targeted Ketogenic Diet: Targeted keto diet is popular among athletes, bodybuilders and people who exercise vigorously. The total carbs intake increases and come between 70-80 grams. Best food, in this case, including fruit, dairy or grain-based foods which can give them required nutrition. 

4. High-protein Ketogenic Diet: In high-protein keto diet entails consuming 120 grams of protein and 130 grams of fat per day. Carbs are still a big no in this diet as well. Usually, people prefer to follow a high-protein keto diet because it emphasis on protein, unlike standard diet. This diet contains 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs. 

Keto Diet Helpful in Weight Loss 

Keto diet is an efficient way to lose weight without starving yourself. Unlike other low-fat diets, keto diets are more superior because they are rich in protein intake, which eventually nourishes the body and mind. Keto diet not only helps in losing weight but also preserve muscle mass and improve the chances of getting any disease. Ketogenic diets are low in carbs (which turns out to be more beneficial). When the level of carbs decreases and the level of fat increases in that situation body enters into a metabolic state called ketosis. After this state, the body starts burning fat into ketones. Ketones are molecules that can supply energy to the brain. 

 Health Benefits of Keto Diet

 Initially, the ketogenic diet originated to treat neurological diseases, such as epilepsy. The beneficial factors in keto diet decrease the risk of having heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), brain injuries and acne breakout on the skin surface.

Foods to Avoid: There is a lot of food, a ketogenic diet follower should avoid. Food such as sugary items, whether food or drink, grains or starches, strawberries, chickpeas, beans, root vegetables, processed food, alcohol, and sugar-free diet food. 

Foods to Eat: If you are following the keto diet, then make sure to include these items in your food intake. Food such as meat, chicken, turkey, fatty fish, eggs, butter, cheese, cream, nuts, seeds, avocados, salt, pepper and other healthy herbs and spices. 

Side Effects and its Treatment: Although it is safe to have a keto rich diet, there may be some side effects during the initial days because the body starts to adapt to the new eating pattern. The whole condition referred to as keto flu. There is nothing to worry about it. It will be over within a few days once the body is comfortable with the eating pattern. Low energy, increased hunger, sleep issues, digestive discomfort, and decreased exercise performance are the symptoms of keto flu. To minimise these symptoms, you can start with a regular low-carb diet for a few weeks, initially. 

 At first, it will take some time for the body to adjust to following a new diet plan but eventually, you’ll see the result of the keto diet and its benefit on health.

The Victim of Horror

"Warning: This article is a work of fiction any relevance to anyone is completely unintentional."

It's the time of the year when our (my) college was planning to organise the 'much-awaited' fest. I'd heard from my seniors that last year some intruders spoilt the entertainment and that's the reason why this time the administration had issued the 'pass-system' where each girl could bring one outsider with her despite the gender.

As soon as the college declared the dates of the 'Reverie', everyone was in full swing of 'happy' emotions. All I heard that day while returning home was who they're taking with them, what they're going to wear and where they're going to buy the 'it' dress.

Back home, I told my parents about the fest and how excited I was about it. I knew to whom I was bringing with me and I already decided the dress in my mind. Everything was going according to the set plan. And that night, I dreamt, how happy I was in the fest with my friends, we're having laughs of a lifetime, and everyone was dancing in the festival's rhythm.

Then came the 6th of February, the day that I'd been dreading to come. I called my friend Neha to get ready and to reach on time. We met at the metro station near the college. We reached the place around 3:30 PM. While entering the campus, I was in awe of the decoration. I was staring adoringly at the beauty of my college. The music was blaring the stage was occupied by the singer, and I could see that everyone was enjoying their time.

A while later, I felt that something was odd, and all of a sudden, the crowd felt suffocating. I turned to my other side but found that Neha wasn't there. A sudden whiff of alcohol whirled my mind, and I felt dizzy. While I was contemplating what was happening, I saw a tall and grim figure looming over me. He did not look like a person who accompanied any of the students. He had a strange aura which screamed danger. The strong alcohol smell from him made me wanted to puke. I was pondering on how to move from there, without being noticed by him. Then, without catching his attention, I made my way to the other side, without his knowledge.

I did not feel right after that encounter. I found myself standing at a place where I was thinking, whether to go back home or stay. The feeling of suffocation was not leaving me, so, I thought it's better to leave this place. I tried to find Neha to ask her to go back home. I never thought finding her would lead me to a hell-hole.

Someone screamed bloody murder, I turned to see who it was but bumped into the same man who was standing behind me a few minutes ago. I tried to run from there, but he grabbed my hand, I was trembling with fear, never had I ever faced such a situation in my entire life. All those self-defence rules blew away from my mind. I tried to loosen his grasp from my hand, but all those efforts were in vain, what scared me more was his smile, the more I tried to resist from his grip the more his smile spread on his face. But some unknown girl came there to rescue me. She kicked him in his abdomen, he cursed the girl, and in that process, left my hand.

I, along with my saviour of the moment, ran towards the crowd of the girls and in between everyone I tried to find a face which was familiar to me, I was finding Neha. And then, I saw men marching towards the crowd of the girls just like a predator runs toward its prey. We were running hither and thither to find a safe haven, a shelter which could save us from those ravening eyes. I couldn't leave the campus, not until I found Neha. I saw more men invading the arena, some were hopping off the wall, and others were joining them from the main gate. They were smoking shamelessly, teasing us in horrible ways, groping girls and grinding their asset to the forbidden parts of the body. What hurt me more was the fact that most of the men were saying 'Jai Shri Ram' like whatever they're doing was in any way but valid. How could Lord Rama be with those men, who're nothing but the cause of pain to many people there? My granny used to read a story to me where Lord Rama, won over the evil of the world, but at that moment, those ominous goons were taking his name from their sinful tongue.

I was horrified, I could hear screams coming from so many places, that at the while I felt that I was deaf. No one was there to help us. The feeling of helplessness was driving me crazy, I want to go back home, to my parents, but I couldn't leave that place. I had to find Neha. I didn't know where she could be, like me she wasn't a student here. But unlike me, she was brave and courageous enough to fight back to these bullies. But what if something happened to her? What if I couldn't find her? I cried and kept on praying to whoever was listening that nothing to happen to anyone. I was hiding in a place that I had no idea was in the college, along with many other girls. Above everything, the principal's cold reply was enough to make me realise it was not a good idea to come here. I should be in my bed sipping a cup of coffee or having a conversation with Neha.

Suddenly, everyone started to leave that place after hearing that the goons had left the main gate so the people could go. I went with them in the hope to find Neha and to get back home as soon as possible, my phone was dead already and had no way to communicate with her or anybody. After taking a few steps ahead, I saw four-five men circled a girl, laughing at her and teasing the way she dressed. Taking a few more steps, I saw it was Neha, they were groping her, and she, with all her might, tried to get away from them. I stuck at my place, I felt like Amir (the protagonist in Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner) who couldn't help her friend, in fear, that they would do the same to her too. My lungs stopped working, and I was gasping for air, losing the ability to breathe. I wanted to scream, but my voice betrayed me. I tried to reach towards her, but I couldn't find my legs. I felt numb, someone came to help me, but I pointed my finger to where Neha was battling, I tried to say something, but couldn't utter a word. And then, I saw black dots were appearing in front of my eyes, and then everything went blank.