The Importance of Protein

What is Protein?

The word “protein” is derived from a Greek word meaning “of first importance.”  A daily supply of protein is necessary to support the body and promote or maintain many metabolic functions.  In addition to helping with weight loss, protein helps:

• Build and repair body tissues including muscle, major organs and collagen.
• Keep hair, skin, bones, and nails healthy.
• Regulate body processes including digestion and metabolism.
• Form hormones, enzymes and immune system antibodies to help your body function properly.

Providing your body with adequate protein throughout the day as part of a balanced diet allows you to maintain good health while you lose weight!

During digestion, protein is metabolized into amino acids, the building blocks of protein. The body uses amino acids for energy as well as to produce enzymes and other essential proteins.  The body synthesizes some amino acids but it cannot synthesize the “essential” amino acids.  These essential amino acids must be consumed in the daily diet.  That’s where ITG comes in.  ITG protein products contain some of the highest-quality proteins and are low in carbohydrates and fat.

How much Protein do you need daily?

You need ½ of your target weight in grams each day.  For example, if your target weight is 160 pounds, you will need a minimum of 80 grams of protein per day. So everyone’s protein needs may vary. 

Our quality supplements provide your body with protein that is vital to preserve and maintain lean body tissue while you’re going through the weight loss step of your plan.  You’ll be taking in fewer calories overall, so it is essential that you get the right amount and the right kind of protein to protect the major organs of your body. 

Our tasty protein supplements perform another essential function: they help your body maintain a higher metabolic rate than it otherwise would have during calorie restriction.  This heightened metabolism burns more fat, which helps you lose weight while at the same time giving you more energy throughout the day. 

This protein is precisely what your body needs during the weight loss step; without the added calories and fat that you’d get in meat or dairy products.  Our protein supplements make you feel full, the hunger pangs subside and the high-calorie, high-fat sweets no longer seem so tempting. 

Because our protein supplements contain precise amounts of high-quality protein they make it easier to know exactly how much your body is getting and to keep you on a systematic weight management program.  Best of all, this nourishing protein shows up on your menu in the form of delicious puddings, shakes, drinks, soups, bars and snacks. 

See Nutritional Fact Sheet for all of our protein foods nutritional labels.