Proteins are the macronutrients required for DNA, cell and tissue repair, growth and muscle building. Proteins are made of amino acids, of which nine are essential and need to be supplemented through food. Complete proteins contain all nine amino acids, and this can be obtained from an animal source, whereas incomplete proteins are missing one or more essential amino acids and derived from a plant base.
A combination of pulses and grains or a combination with animal-based protein gives you a complete
amino acids profile. Cereals lack lysine and pulses lack methionine. However, when you mix both you’ll get a complete protein.
The common misconception is that if you take a scoop of whey protein and eat a high protein meal, it goes directly into building muscles. But, it doesn’t work that way — your body first breaks down protein into amino acids. It’s the amino acids that contribute towards proper lean mass that gives muscle fuel and gives power to your cells. Ultimately, muscles don’t grow overnight, they need discipline and dedication. And if you are normal person going to college, office or even a homemaker you don’t need to bulk up your body with heavy whey protein as an excess of anything when unused is never good for the body. It’s good for bodybuilders and athletes as their work is to eat-train-sleep-repeat. But our lifestyle is different. Don’t eat their protein if you can’t train like them.
Excess protein comes with its own problems because it is not quantity but quality which is important. The body cannot absorb excess proteins and this is stored as glucose and ultimately gets converted to fats. Hence, people who keep taking excess protein for better muscle build end up getting abdominal fat. On the other hand, a high protein meal throughout the day can cause an acidic environment in body, indigestion, bloating, heaviness, and in the long run, it will also put more pressure on kidneys for its detoxification.
People who want to build a healthy body without taking in an excess of protein shakes can be swap this with a healthier version — sattu buttermilk. (Sattu is roasted chana or gram dal in powdered form.) Here’s how it can benefit you, post-workout:
Sattu is about 20 percent protein by weight. It contains calcium, iron, manganese, potassium and magnesium — all essentials in tissue repair after a strenous workout.
It is the best summertime beverage in states with high temperatures, so it helps your body cool down post-workout.
Considering it is a plant-based protein, it has a high biological value of 74. Biological value is one of the indicators to assess the quality of protein. BV refers to how readily the digested protein gets utilized for protein synthesis in our body. The higher the number, the
better the quality.
A large portion of sattu is carbohydrates — giving you an instant burst of energy and is easily absorbed in the bloodstream. If you are fatigued by heat and feeling drained in the sun, there is nothing better than sattu.
A person who wants to gain weight can drink sattu buttermilk twice a day, as it helps in increasing appetite. This happens due to the presence of potassium and magnesium in it.
For weight-loss, a person can have sattu as it reduces bloating. It’s low in glycemic index, so it controls sugar levels, increases metabolism and helps your body burn calories effectively.
It helps in both scenarios if taken properly.
Why is it better with buttermilk?
When you mix sattu with buttermilk you make a potent post workout drink because you get high biological value protein (90) with a complete amino acid profile that gets absorbed well in body.
Buttermilk is made by mixing curd with water and is a great source of probiotics to improve digestion. People with a lactose intolerance have been seen to tolerate the curd well because the lactose is broken down by the healthy bacteria itself into lactase.
Let’s make sure we stick to A2 milk’s curd and enjoy your healthy shake post-workout to keep your digestion in check and gain proper muscle mass.