The Power of Protein

Article

Mar 19

As a health coach at Wellness Insights, I partner with clients to create a personalized plan of action to reach their long-term health goals. And while these goals and the individual approach taken varies from person to person, there are a few topics of concern that come up most often, especially among perimenopausal women: quieting the food noise, uncontrolled cravings, low energy, slow and steady weight gain, and a downward trend in metabolic health. Many factors contribute to these symptoms, but one unifying theme emerges repeatedly: insufficient protein intake during this transitional stage in life. What I’ve noticed is that when we work together to bring this important macronutrient back into balance for the client’s specific needs, many of the above mentioned symptoms begin to dissappear. Let’s talk about why this is and how you can do the same.

Dietary protein is having a significant moment in the health world—and for good reason. While we've long known protein as life's building block due to its role in cellular functions, recent research reveals its critical importance for longevity, body composition, hormone and immune health, blood sugar balance, and feeling full. Here, we'll explore the benefits of optimal protein consumption, discuss recommended amounts, explain the differences between plant and animal sources, and share practical tips for increasing this vital macronutrient in your daily life.

The Benefits

First and foremost, protein provides the nutrients that form the structure of our bodies, including our bones, muscles and connective tissues. Protein is also key for healthy cellular functioning, digestion, immune health and our neurotransmitters affecting mood and sleep.

Additionally, when dietary protein is optimized, and combined with consistent resistance training, it can have incredible benefits for our metabolic health. This powerful combination allows us to build and maintain skeletal muscle which is the body’s largest organ system and the foundation of our metabolism. Because when we have strong, healthy muscle tissue, it improves our insulin sensitivity and acts like a “glucose sink” - pulling that circulating blood sugar into the cells and keeping blood sugar balanced.

Dietary protein is also the most satiating macronutrient, especially when consumed with plenty of fiber and healthy fats, which also helps to balance blood sugar and prevents overeating. This is why eating a protein rich diet can go a long way to quieting the food noise and reducing cravings between meals.

How Much Protein Do I Need?

Interestingly, protein is the only macronutrient that we need more of as we age. This is because over time we become less efficient at utilizing the protein we consume and we also begin to lose muscle mass each year as early as our mid-30s.

So while the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) for protein is .8g per kg of body weight (or .36g per lb), this is the minimum amount required to prevent nutritional deficiencies in sedentary adults and is far from optimal. What is optimal will vary from person to person based on their age, sex, activity level and goals, but a baseline recommendation is between 0.7g - 1g per lb of ideal bodyweight. So for someone targeting a weight of 150 lbs, that would be between 105 - 150g of protein daily. For those targeting muscle growth or body composition changes, the middle to higher end of this range combined with resistance training 2-4x week is the way to go.

This means, for most people, aiming for a minimum of 30g of protein per meal, 10g or so for snacks, will get them within that range. This is especially important at breakfast as we are emerging from a fasted state. Having a protein rich meal to start the day will help provide blood sugar balance and steady energy which in turn leads to healthier decisions at lunchtime, snacks and dinner.

Plant and Animal Sources

Of the 20 amino acids that make up protein, 9 of them we must obtain through our diet through animal and/or plant sources. These are called “essential amino acids”, or EAA, and protein sources that have all EAAs are called a “complete protein”. All animal sources of protein including chicken, eggs, turkey, beef, pork, fish, shellfish and dairy are all complete proteins. Plant sources of complete proteins include soy (tofu and tempeh), edamame, quinoa, buckwheat and chia seeds. Many other plants have protein, but not all the EAAs, so should be eaten in combination with other sources for optimal benefits (for example combining legumes like beans and lentils with grains such as rice or quinoa).

One important difference to note between plant and animal sources is that the animal sources will have a higher density of EAAs per calorie - meaning they are a much more efficient source of protein. For example to reach 30g of protein with a lean animal source like chicken breast, you’d have to consume just 3.5oz (slightly larger than a deck of cards) which equates to about 172 calories. In contrast, to reach 30g of protein from black beans, one would have to consume almost 2 and a quarter cups at approximately 540 calories. This is not to say only animal proteins should be consumed. In all cases we want as much diversity in our diet as possible. But relying solely on one source vs another will come at a tradeoff. Animal sources provide a high density of EAAs plus many other important vitamins and minerals, while plant sources also provide fiber, carbohydrates and many other important nutrients. In sum, we should be including both plant and animal sources of protein in our diets.

Tips for Increasing Protein Consumption

Here are our top tips for increasing daily intake of protein:

Build Your Plate around Protein and Fiber - Most of our meals, or ⅔ of our plate, should consist of lean protein and plenty of vegetables and fruits. The remainder should be whole grains and healthy fats.

Eat Protein First - If you have trouble getting enough protein in the day, consider consuming the protein in your meal first, then veggies, followed by whole grains or carbohydrates.

Layer in Both Animal and Plant Sources - Think chicken and quinoa, shrimp and edamame or salmon and chickpeas. This is useful for those who don’t enjoy larger portions of animal proteins and ensures more diet diversity.

Eat a Protein Rich Snack - Dry roasted edamame, beef or turkey sticks, cottage cheese with veggies, greek yogurt with berries are all great options.

Consider Supplementation - Essential Amino Acid supplements like Perfect Amino or a whey or chocho bean protein powder can be useful additions when needed.

Use a Food Scale and an App like Cronometer to determine protein serving sizes - Using one of these tools for a week or two will allow you to understand visually how much protein you need to reach that 30g minimum.