“When life gives you lemons, ask for something higher in protein.” - Unknown
The word protein is derived from the Greek word protos, meaning "first". So you can see how important it is!
Protein is one of our three macronutrients. Macronutrients is just a fancy word for nutrients we need in large quantities. All our food is made up of one or all three of the macronutrients - carbohydrates, fat and protein. All three are important!
Now, most people know protein is important. But do you REALLY know why? Here's a few of the top reasons:
Building blocks for our tissues, blood, skin, bones, organs, hormones, enzymes and neurotransmitters
Regulates our pH (acid/alkaline balance)
Transports nutrients around the body
Used for energy as a last resort
Collagen and elastin
Healthy hair, skin and nails
Healthy immune and nervous system - it's responsible for making healthy antibodies
Proteins are made up of amino acids. A complete protein has all the right amino acids in the right ratios. The quality of a protein can also be measured by something called the Biological Value (BV). The BV tells us how well proportioned the amino acids are, how well we can absorb and use the protein. The highest BV of anything out there is whey protein, but that's a processed food. The highest whole food BV is in eggs... the WHOLE egg!
Now I am not here to tell you animal protein or plant protein is better. They are both great and have their own values outside of just grams of protein. I will say it's more of a challenge to get enough protein in your diet if you only get it from plants. Aside from the fact that studies show that animal protein supports good mental health.
Here's some of my top tips and information around protein:
Eat a high protein breakfast (aim for 25-45 grams that meal depending on body weight and activity). This has been shown to keep you feeling satisfied, have better energy and reduce cravings throughout the day!
Proteins with dietary fats help keep blood sugar balanced
Protein is key for proper detoxification - most people don't know this! It supports proper enzyme production and our detox pathways!
High quality protein at each meal is needed for healthy optimal hormones, moods and immune function!
Chew well, then chew more! Protein digestion begins in our mouth with our teeth. Then not again until it gets to the stomach with HCl (hydrochloric acid) and pepsin. And poor protein digestion can lead to poor gut health and ultimately leaky gut, which can lead to allergies and autoimmunity!
Another great rule of thumb or guideline for the average person, aim for making protein 25% of your daily diet or 1/4 of your balanced plate
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) set by the USDA is 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight. But that's only for a sedentary adult to meet baseline needs and the minimum to not get sick, but not really to thrive. To determine how much you need here's your chart (image to the right).
If you are pregnant or lactating your values will be different, closer to that of active or very active. None of this is a substitute for speaking with a professional practitioner, like myself, for personalized recommendations.
For animal protein stick with organic, since when we eat them, we ingest what they ingest (think antibiotics, growth hormones, medications, GMOs, etc.). Some of the best sources of proteins are (of course this is assuming you digest it well, looking at you dairy):
Salmon, trout, tuna (see last week's Sustainable Seafood guide for more on your region, etc.)
Poultry like turkey and chicken
Full-fat plain dairy like yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese and milk
Beans, whole grains, legumes, like quinoa, black beans or lentils
Nuts and seeds, like chia, hemp, flax, almonds walnuts, pistachios
Soy - Non-GMO'd (now called Bio-engineered or Bio-fortified)
If you're interested in more info on the macros, I go in depth about them in my 1-hour workshop Nutrition 101 - Back to Basics!
Here’s a list of your higher protein foods:
Greek yogurt, full-fat (8 oz): 23g
Beef, turkey, chicken, bison (3 oz): 22g
Fish (3 oz): 21g
Whey protein powder (1 scoop): 20g
Lentils (1 cup): 18g
Cottage Cheese, 4% full fat (1/2 cup): 15g
Tofu (3 oz): 15g
Eggs (2 large): 14g
Hemp seeds ( 3 tbsp): 10g
Milk, full fat (8 oz): 8g
Peanut butter (2 tbsp): 8g
Cheese (1 oz): 7g
Ok, now go get that protein!