Good nutrition is a large part of any healing protocol. If you’re eating a diet full of foods that contain sugar, artificial colors, preservatives and other chemical additives, you’ll have a difficult time experiencing optimal health.
Our bodies need proteins, fats and carbohydrates, period. These are known as macronutrients. By definition, macronutrients are ‘energy providing substances’. And each one has important and distinct roles in the body when it comes to weight management, hormonal imbalances, immunity and development. The calories we consume from the foods in our diets are categorized into different macronutrients depending on how they’re metabolized and the purposes they serve once digested. So, this week, let’s look at protein.
Both the proteins we eat and the proteins in our bodies are made up of small compounds called amino acids. Amino acids are often called the “building blocks” of protein because when amino acids get assembled together, they form a protein. It may be helpful to think of amino acids as the cars on the train. Each car is an amino acid, yet the whole train is the protein. Amino acids are strung together in a variety of ways and combinations. The final sequence of amino acids determines the protein’s function, structure, and role in the body.
Protein is behind all major bodily functions and is used every single day to keep the body going. It is most well-known and referred to in the context of growth and tissue/muscle repair, however, it is also the backbone behind our skin, hair, our digestive enzymes, hormones, our neurotransmitters and our antibodies (which play a key role in our immunity).
It’s suggested that an adult eat about .36 grams of protein per pound. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should consume about 54 grams of protein in a day. Of course, gender and activity level play a role in consumption amounts as well. If you’re a more active individual, I recommend that you increase your intake from .36 to .5 – .9 grams per pound of body mass. The caveat, however, is to space out the amount of protein consumed over the course of the day. This is because at each time, the body can only digest and use and store a certain amount of protein. Each person has a different threshold for how much their body can process at a time, but the average and most commonly recommended amount is no more than 30g of protein at each meal.
Alternatively, if we don’t eat enough protein, our body will tap into our stores and start breaking down the protein in the body to release the amino acids needed to assist in the most vital body functions. That means that when your diet is inadequate in protein, it will break down skeletal muscle stores, in an effort to keep you alive, and to perform the vital body functions.
There are a wide variety of proteins to work into your daily diet. Here’s what my day looks like and how I fit in this important macronutrient:
- I like to wake up, meditate for 20 minutes and fit in some type of workout or a walk and then grab a smoothie made with a plant-based protein powder. That is how I get in my first 24 grams of protein.
- For lunch, I’m likely to grab a salad and include a protein, which is usually chickpeas, edamame, lentils or top it with chicken.
- Dinner is usually cooked greens, a whole grain such as quinoa plus about 4 ounces of wild-caught salmon.
I recommend varying your proteins and having a little at each meal to ensure you’re getting the perfect balance.
Here are my top protein sources:
- Bone Broth – 20 grams (my favorite recipe)
- Grass-fed Beef – 19 grams
- Lentils – 18 grams
- Wild-Caught Salmon – 17 grams
- Organic Chicken – 16 grams
- Free Range Eggs – 7 grams
Getting protein throughout the day is essential. Making sure there is usually one source of protein at each meal (with carbohydrates and fat) can ensure that you’re taking in enough of what your body needs. Additionally, it helps with satiety, stabilizing blood sugar, and is associated with weight maintenance as well. Varying the different types is essential in consuming all the essential amino acids, so make sure to switch up the sources throughout the day or even throughout the week. Be smart, read labels, and get to know what your body wants.