Prioritizing Protein: What It Is and Why It’s Important
When clients come to me, they usually know there are three macro-nutrients, in today’s world, it’s hard not to. Everywhere you turn, influencers and random people at restaurants are talking about protein, fat, and carbs. What my clients don’t know is how to interpret and use that information to improve their health. While I could write an article that gives a quick and dirty summary of each of them, I’ve decided to do more in-depth articles on each so you can actually use the information. So today, I’m tackling protein.
Of the three macro-nutrients mentioned above, protein is the one that will go furthest in protecting your muscle mass and quality as you age. While the others certainly play important supporting roles, Protein is the main player on this stage.
What Is Protein?
Protein is used by every cell of the body for a myriad of purposes. Proteins are most famous for being integral to the growth and repair of bodily tissues but they also play a part in the creation of hormones, in signals to and from the brain, in transportation of oxygen throughout your body, the creation of bodily structures like cells, lungs, and arteries…the list goes on and on (9 Important Functions of Protein in Your Body).
The body is in a constant cycle of breaking down protein and building it back up….and this is why we have to eat a lot of it. If the body is breaking down more protein than it is consuming, we lose muscle mass (among other things) because the body just doesn’t have enough of the building blocks it needs to get the job done.
How Much Do I Need?
So, the big question is, “How much protein do I need”. I’ll be honest. When I answer this question for clients, they are never very happy with me. The answer that leaves them feeling so overwhelmed? AT LEAST 1 gram per pound of body weight. Now, for clients who have taken a DEXA, I’m able to be a little bit more precise and recommend AT LEAST 1 gram per pound of LEAN body mass. For example, when I had my most recent DEXA, my body weight was 167 lbs while my lean body mass came in at 120. That’s the weight of my body minus my fat and that is the number I choose to use UNTIL I get my visceral fat (the fat stored around your organs) back down to an acceptable level.
Regardless of whether you are using lean body mass or overall body weight, the number is big and for most people, scary. So how do we tackle it? Baby steps my friends — baby steps. The method I like using with my clients is establishing a baseline and then adding 25g increments as it becomes easier and more comfortable for them.
To find your protein baseline, you will need to track your food for 3-7 days, the more the better, it just gives us more data. If you don’t mind a food scale and a macros tracker (I use Carb Manager), this is the most reliable way to get your data. If you absolutely hate the thought of tracking your food that way, you can use portion sizes to estimate. Either method will give you the valuable information you’re looking for.
If you decide to go the food scale and macro tracker route, the process is really pretty easy. Weigh your food, use the macro tracker database and log it. Most macros trackers have a feature that allows you to scan barcodes so you don’t even have to search that database. For whole foods (which is what I recommend…obviously), just type in the food and it should pop-up in the database. My advice here is don’t get caught up too much on particulars. Find a food and an amount that approximates what you’re eating and MOVE ON. You can seriously get so bogged down and lost trying to be perfect—it isn’t worth it and it isn’t sustainable.
If you’re going the portion sizes route, what you need to know is that a 4 oz serving of meat is USUALLY somewhere in the ballpark of 20-25g and about the size of a deck of cards.
For clients who are particularly turned off by both methods, I simply have them keep a photo journal and send it to me. I can usually do a quick and dirty calculation of their macros based on the pictures.
At the end of the specified time, simply average your protein. That is your baseline and that is where you start.
*A special note on calculating your protein baseline: do not use this time to judge yourself or try to eat “healthier”. This is the time for you to be honest about how you’re eating so you can make the right goals moving forward. You want to be successful—not hungry, deprived, and frustrated.
*Pro-Tip
Spread your protein intake out throughout the day. DO NOT wait until the end of the day to get your protein in. You will regret it SOOOOOO much and, honestly, probably won’t hit your target. Start your protein intake with breakfast and life will be much easier. Coach’s Honor.
Where Do I Get It?
Now that we’ve talked about how to get a protein baseline, let’s talk sources of protein, because there is a lot of misinformation out there about what “high protein” is. As a nutrition and fitness coach, grocery shopping is PAINFUL y’all. I see all the lies and false advertising, the constant abuses of buzzwords, including “high protein” and I want to fall on the floor and tantrum—or run around telling everyone what a fucking lie it is—totally depends on the day. If you think about the fact that we should be eating well over 100g of protein per day, it doesn’t make any sense that “high protein” would be less than 20-25g of protein PER SERVING! So those “High Protein Chips” with a whopping 5 grams of protein ARE NOT HIGH PROTEIN!!! Put that back!
MEAT- chicken, pork, lamb, beef, fish, bison, game, poultry—unprocessed from an animal. When it comes to protein, MEAT IS KING. I said what I said. Things that do not count include processed meats like sausage, bacon and hot dogs. No—just no. I advocate for a clean, protein forward diet and do not count those as meats—they are a “sometimes” food. VERY sometimes.
EGGS - let me emphasize the plural here. One egg only has 6g of protein. That is NOT a high protein food. If you’re going to eat eggs, you need to eat 3 to 4 eggs. Just consider a serving of eggs 3 or 4 of them. Now, another caveat with eggs is that they are high in fat, coming in at 5 grams, so it’s almost a 1:1 ration. While that isn’t bad, it is important to note.
Dairy - As always, when I mention dairy it is with the caveat that if you have a dairy sensitivity (not just lactose intolerance) you should NOT be including it in your diet. If, however, you have been through an elimination diet and you KNOW that you are not dairy senstive, dairy away my friend. Another thing to be careful of with dairy is fat. A lot of dairy has a higher fat content than it does protein—which makes it a poor choice for meeting your protein needs. Look for dairy that has significantly more protein that it does fat or carbs (look at the label on milk—I bet you’ll be surprised by how many carbs there are). Great examples of high protein dairy are Greek Yogurt and reduced fat cottage cheese.
Vegetarian Proteins- this one is tricky but I would be remiss not to discuss it. The issue with vegetarian proteins is that almost all of them are incomplete proteins. What does that mean? It means they do not have all 9 essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. In total, there are 20 of these. Our body makes 11 of them but there are 9 that we absolutely must get from our food — these are called the Essential Amino Acids. Of important note is that they include Leucine which is the amino acid responsible for instigating muscle growth and repair. While animal protein contains all 9 all the time, plant proteins generally do not. So, if you are a vegetarian it IS possible to get all your amino acids but you have to be very thoughtful in how you approach it. Google your essential amino acids and then google which ones are in which of your favorite foods. Make sure that you get all 9 every day. In an effort to make this easy here are some vegetarian sources that do have all 9 essential amino acids:
Chia Seeds
Quinoa
Amaranth
Buckwheat
*popular vegetarian mixes that provide a complete protein are rice and beans, and Ezekial bread.
*Soy is also a complete source of vegetarian protein, though not recommended in high quantities for pre-menopausal women because of its estrogen-like compounds that can cause hormone disruption.
Protein Shakes- without a doubt, the biggest bang for your buck here is whey protein. HOWEVER if you are dairy sensitive, this is should NOT be included as part of your diet. Alternatives include a complete (all 9 essential amino acids) vegetarian option (not soy-based). A company called Just Ingredients sells a vegetarian protein shake that is complete. I do want to mention, however, that they use pea protein as one of their sources and pea protein is notorious for causing GI distress. That said, you don’t know until you try it. Another warning with this one, it is fairly high on carbs and fat as well which makes it a meal replacement shake and it really should be used as one.
Another alternative to whey protein, and the one I use, is bone broth protein. The two I use are Ancient Nutrition and Left Coast Performance. Be warned. This is NOT delicious. Ancient Nutrition is the better tasting of the two and I often put it in my coffee or make smoothies with it. I also like using the Ancient Nutrition “PURE” to add protein to sipping broth, soups, and stews. Left Coast Performance is the more economical choice but hiding it in a smoothie with frozen berries, almond milk, and a tablespoon or two of mixed nut butter is the only way I can get it down. Just trying to be transparent y’all. The struggle is real.
In any protein shake what you’re looking for is 20-25g of protein, and VERY FEW grams of carbs or fat. You also want it to be clean. It should have the protein source and VERY LITTLE ELSE. If it’s full of sweeteners, artificial or otherwise, or anything you can’t pronounce, it will do more harm for your body than good. My recommendation for a clean whey protein is Ascent.
Protein and Menopause
Fun fact. As we get older we need to eat more protein. Why? Hormones (like you didn’t see that coming). Just as estrogen plays an important role in our bone health by keeping osteoclasts at bay, it also plays a part in how well we metabolize protein. What this means is that we need to eat more protein in our 40’s and beyond than we did in our 20’s. For most of us, that means hitting that 1g to 1.5 g per pound of lean body mass — or body weight if you haven’t taken a DEXA (look how sneaky I am telling you your life will be easier if you get a DEXA).
Benefits of a Protein Forward Diet
Increased muscle mass
Increased metabolism
Appetite regulation
Blood sugar regulation
Decreased body fat accumulation (especially around the mid-section and as visceral fat)
Increased bone health- from the International Osteoporosis Foundation:
“Provides the body with a source of essential amino acids necessary to support the building of bone.
• Insufficient protein intake is detrimental both for the acquisition of peak bone mass during childhood and adolescence – affecting skeletal growth – and for the preservation of bone mass with ageing.
• In older adults, low protein intake is associated with loss of bone mineral density (BMD) – one indicator of bone strength – at the hip and the spine.
• Protein supplementation of hip fracture patients has been shown to reduce post-fracture bone loss, medical complications and rehabilitation hospital stay.
• Protein undernutrition leads to reduced muscle mass and strength which is a risk factor for falls”
If you’re ready to increase your protein intake but have questions about how to get started. Please contact me via my Facebook page Save Yourself Coaching or by using the Book a Consultation button at the top of this page.