Nutrition

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Find Out if YOU’RE Eating Enough Protein

Lately I’ve been sidelined in my kitchen by my son who wants to talk about protein. Seriously? He’s been working out diligently and is adamant about increasing his muscle mass. We find ourselves reviewing his daily requirements, intake and level of vitality. Though it seems natural to discuss all this with a young, athletic man, it’s a topic we should all become familiar with. Why?

We all naturally lose muscle mass as we age.
Metabolism occurs in our muscles. Less muscle equals slower metabolism.
We need adequate dietary amounts to make muscle.

Stay tuned to find out how much YOU should eat for good health, when to eat it throughout the day and which foods give you the most.

What exactly is a protein?

Protein makes up one of the three classes of macro- (“big”) nutrients. We’ve acquainted you with the other two classes in earlier blogs: carbohydrates (which break down into sugars) and fats (many of which are very healthy for you).

Proteins are complex molecules found in virtually every part of your body. They are made of smaller units, called amino acids. There are 20 different amino acids which are arranged in different patterns to make up the variety of proteins. These vital macronutrients do most of the work in your cells. Here are some good reasons to increase your intake:

Keeps you full longer, reducing cravings for carbohydrates. This helps to keep the weight off.
Fuels your brain to decrease brain fog and improve concentration and mood.
Increases muscle mass (which supports tendons and ligaments) and bolsters metabolism.
Protects heart health; in part, due to the reduced carbohydrate intake.
Promotes healthy aging, since it slows muscle loss, which occurs as we become less active. It also protects against memory loss.

How proteins break down in your body (for nerds only)

Dietary proteins (from food) start to digest first in your mouth. Saliva makes chemicals, which break down large pieces of food into smaller pieces, so they can enter your stomach. Once there, food particles break down further through the action of an enzyme (pepsin) found in stomach acid.

It’s important to have strong stomach acid, since proteins must be completely digested to release nutrients, such as B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, zinc and magnesium. Next, the partially broken-down molecules enter your small intestine where they’re digested further into small pieces and amino acids.

Finally, nutrients and amino acids, released from proteins, are absorbed through your intestinal lining. They pass into your bloodstream to be carried through your body where they’re needed to do the work of the cell.

How much is enough?

Let’s work through this using the example of Rosemary, a 140- pound young lady. If your weight is different, relax, and keep reading. For now, follow along to see if you may want to rethink your eating approach.

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein has traditionally been 0.8mg/kg body weight. Using this guideline, Rosemary should eat a minimum of 50 grams each day. Here’s the kicker. This calculation is considered the minimum amount you need to keep from getting sick – not the amount you need to be healthy and energetic.

A different recommendation might be more health-promoting. It considers the amount needed to provide enough nutrition to feel healthy. The Institute of Medicine recommends that protein make up 10-35% of your total calories. The lower end is the amount you need to keep from getting sick, but the higher percentage gives you the most benefit.

It’s estimated that most Americans only eat about 15% of their diet in the form of this key macronutrient. No wonder we’re weak and tired!

Here’s an easy rule

Eat 1 gram of protein (each day) for every pound you weigh. For Rosemary, that’s about 140 grams. Compare this with the 50 grams she’d be eating if she followed the RDA recommendation! She’ll now find herself feeling full longer and lowering her carbohydrate intake. She’ll also find it easier to build muscle, which will boost her metabolism.

If you’re fairly active, athletic or aging, you may want to be a little more diligent about eating enough protein. That’s because higher intake improves muscle recovery and performance in active individuals. It also prevents muscle and bone loss and improves memory loss in older individuals.

If this seems like too much protein for you to digest in one day and you’re worried about gaining weight, cut back on the other foods you’re eating. Use this information as a tool to rethink and redesign an approach to eating that works for you.

Final Considerations

Not all proteins are created equal. They break down into tiny pieces, called amino acids. There are 20 different kinds. Nine of the 20 are considered “essential”, which means you must get them from your diet. Your body cannot make them. Animal sources like meat, eggs, fish and poultry provide more of the essential amino acids than vegetable sources. This makes it difficult for vegans.

If you are a vegan, it’s still possible to get enough. It just takes a little more work.

You’ll get more benefit by balancing your total load. Consider the total grams you want to eat in a day and divide that by 3. That’s the amount you’ll want to eat at each meal. That’s because the more you eat, the more muscle you make—up to a point. Once you go above 20 grams per meal (in young adults) or 35 grams per meal (in older adults), your muscle-making machinery slows down.

The American diet typically includes more protein with dinner. That means that if you eat most of it at dinner, you miss out on optimizing your muscle building with the first two meals of the day.

Consider a shift in your dietary choices

Optimizing your protein is great place to start as you embark on the road to a healthier you. When you don’t get enough proper nutrition, your chemical machinery slows down, your weight increases and you slide down the slippery slope to poor health.

For more about how poor nutrition can cause weight gain, check out our blog, Surprise! Being Malnourished Can Cause Weight Gain.

How much should you eat? Click the box below to get your instant guide on more food options that are high in protein.

If you find it hard to eat enough with each meal, try adding a high-quality, unflavored collagen protein powder. It has about 10 grams per serving. It gives you the same vital amino acids found in bone broth and blends in quickly without clumps. Boost your soups, smoothies, coffee, casseroles and meats.

Follow us Nancy & Sue Speakers, Coaches, Educators at Functional Medicine Plus, LLC We are sisters. We are doctors. We were sick. We have studied long hours to help ourselves. Now our mission is to EMPOWER YOU TO HEAL! We share our unique approach through speaking and coaching. We are certified in Functional Medicine and have studied many other modalities so you can use this information to help yourself, too.

Find Out if YOU’RE Eating Enough Protein

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Nutrition

Functional Medicine Plus

Find Out if YOU’RE Eating Enough Protein

What exactly is a protein?

How proteins break down in your body (for nerds only)

How much is enough?

Here’s an easy rule

Final Considerations

Consider a shift in your dietary choices

YOU can get it here:

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