PROTEIN
A healthy diet contains ample amounts of three macronutrients carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Consuming several servings of each macronutrient is essential to your health, and failure to consume enough of any nutrient can lead to malnutrition. Insufficient protein in your diet causes protein energy malnutrition. Protein is essential for growth, energy, and tissue repair. Athletic performance depends on muscle strength, and muscles are made of protein. Although athletes who are involved in strength and endurance training may need slightly more protein, it’s a mistake to think you can simply build up muscles by eating lots of protein. Exercise, not dietary protein, increases muscle mass. It is recommended that the average teenage girl consumes 46 grams of protein on a daily basis. Protein is crucial for many things in life including; the building and repairing of muscles, promoting hair and skin health, fighting off infections, carrying oxygen in t he blood, building enzymes, hormones and vitamins, and giving muscles the strength and ability to gain in size.
However, if one is not able to gain enough protein through this, it is important to speak to your family physician about other options including pills to ensure that you are getting an adequate amount of protein on a daily basis.