Good morning
Most women don’t, including myself at one point in time, and the solution is to gradually increase it over time. You will feel so much better, and I bet your bottom dollar your cravings will decrease once you get your protein intake stabilized.
I love to eat, and I enjoy meat. I like to call myself a fit foodie – no foods are off limits. The only foods that I don’t eat are the ones that I don’t like. No meatless Monday’s for me. Chicken, steak, fish, turkey, ostrich – pretty much all of it is fair game. Have you ever had ostrich? It’s pretty tasty. I’ve had it as a burger.
Protein consumption has been coming up a bit when discussing nutrition with my clients, or rather the lack thereof. Most folks drastically under eat it and they don’t even realize it. Many people mistakenly put peanut butter or beans into the protein category, and while they are a partial protein, they don’t really cut it. PB is a fat source - the fat amount is higher than the protein
amount.
It’s very easy to skimp out on protein and consume more carbs and fats – or mistake certain fats as protein. I’ve also noticed, overall, for most folks, veggies are also scarce. Veggies usually come from a salad only, but they’re not leafy greens – usually iceberg or romaine lettuce within a small side salad. I’m like “where is the
salad?”
Nothing wrong with salads, as you know, I love them. I just want them to be built with sustenance. Iceberg doesn’t have much sustenance. Some days, with my busy schedule, I’ll only have a #BAS. It’s big and full of all the veggies I can get in one bowl – my Oxo Good Grips Salad Chopper and Bowl, topped as always with some
juicy protein source.
So back to this MACRO nutrient source. Emphasis on the “Macro.” So, protein is essential for our bodies. It’s the building block for our cells in our bodies, and the body needs protein to survive and function.
Protein is also important for healing and allowing our muscle cells to grow. After a strength training session, our muscles experience microscopic tears. Rest, recovery, and eating well is how our muscles grow bigger and stronger. They need some protein to be able to repair the damage from working out.
Check this one though, when we strength train and build muscle we increase the amount of calories we burn at rest and throughout the day. A win-win. Not only that, if you are in a caloric deficit (i.e – trying to lose weight) eating a higher protein diet will preserve your muscle mass. It’s a crucial component, more on that here.
So, how much protein, Candace?
Well, that depends. It depends on the individual. For the most part, 1g per pound of body weight is ideal. No worries if you go over that number. The myth that floats around is not true – you only process a certain amount and after that it turns to fat. No, excess calories –
a calorie surplus is what causes fat gain. I’m sure you also heard that protein can be hard on the kidneys as well. If your kidneys are healthy, there are no issues. More on that here.
Lastly, eat your protein
like you eat your Wheaties – lol! Eat protein like you eat carbs. We tend to over consume the carbs with a lack of protein on the side. Did you know that consuming protein and or/fat slows down the carb absorption? So, that means that it lowers the spike of insulin and keeps our blood sugar in check. Think back to a time when you at a carb heavy meal or a snack with no protein source…. Shortly thereafter you crashed and burned right? A quick burst of energy and then a slump. Plus, you were
hungry again. Adding protein to those meals helps to stabilize the nutrient uptake and avoid those peaks and valleys.
#EatYourProtein! If you don’t know by now, I am the hashtag queen!
Thank you for reading, I hope you have a wonderful day.
Yours in Strength and
Wellness, Candace
P.S. Any questions on today’s email subject, please hit the reply and let me know. I love hearing from you!
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