Protein is a controversial subject.
If you've ever watched some of those documentaries scaring people away from eating meat, you might be thinking that animal protein -- or protein in general -- should be avoided. There are rumors that protein is damaging to our kidneys, yet the research supports a higher protein intake to support things like better muscle gain and maintenance, immune function, faster healing times, and better blood sugar management.
As with all things in science, there is always more research to be done and we certainly get to tweak things as we find out more. For good and for bad because of the rigors of clinical practice, it takes an average of 17 years for medical and governmental advice to match the quality research.
In other words, our doctors are still mostly telling us to follow the FDA guidelines for protein intake which is set to have us survive, but not thrive.
Protein is the most satiating macronutrient (keeps us full), helps us build muscle and boost our metabolism, has only a minor effect on blood sugar, makes enzymes, peptides, steroids, and hormones that help with digestion, energy production, blood clotting, sleep, immunity, and metabolism, and requires the greatest amount of energy to digest out of all 3 macronutrients. They also help balance our pH, fluids, transport and store nutrients.
Yeah, it's pretty important.
We know individuals with a greater amount of muscle than the average person have a lower all-cause mortality as they get older. Protein (along with strength training) is vital to allow muscle to be built and / or maintained.
Bottom-line: if we want to age well, reduce disease risk, and be more mobile in our later years than what we see as the status quo, we need to be taking in enough protein.
Unless there are contraindications (some people with existing disease, for example, can't tolerate higher amounts of protein), here's what I find works really well for most people, most of the time:
.8 - 1 g of protein per lb. of bodyweight you feel most comfortable at, per day. Why that weird explanation? Excess body fat isn't very metabolically active and doesn't require much in terms of protein intake, so you can choose a number you feel your best at and use that weight to figure out protein intake instead.
If you're 150 lbs and feel good there, this would mean you're taking in 120 - 150 g protein per day. That can be daunting, but keep in mind progress is progress. If you're currently taking in about 60g a day, nudging that up to 80g over the next week or 2 would be AMAZING.
Since most of you are finding out (or already knew) that you need more protein at each meal to hit your targets, I put together a new recipe collection for you. These meals are all at least 30g of protein PLUS have at least 5g fiber, 10-20 g fat, and no more than 35g net carbs. There are some omnivore options and a couple of plant-based options. A few breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Hope you enjoyyyyy!
XO,
Tara
P.S. The other important piece to this is strength training, of course. THIS is a time efficient yet comprehensive full body circuit you could do from home or the gym.
P.P.S. 2023 is right around the corner and I am excited to continue serving you all through my free content (newsletters, blogs, social media), and services like custom meal planning, 1-on-1 coaching, TRANSFORM: Body + Mind, my 28 day metabolism-boosting course and The After Party, my monthly membership available to anyone who completes TRANSFORM. I have some cool things planned for the business next year and am really enjoying sharing more with you as it all evolves. :-) Hope you are taking some time this holiday season to just BE a bit and not always DO. That's a weakness of mine and it's particularly tricky this time of year, so I'm reminding myself of that as much as I'm reminding you.