When you are dialing in your diet with the intent to get toned, lose weight or control diabetes, how often do you hear ‘lower your carbs, stop eating sugars’ etc.? All good but only focus on the sugars, right? Correct and needed, however, there is more to it for success and there is a magical powerful tool that many overlook and its protein. Ok not so magical, but massively effective when added to your diet.
Over the next few days, we’re going to explore protein and how you can use it to create the lean, toned, healthy body that you want.
If you have worked with me, you know we always take a quick look at your food intake to ensure you are balanced and on track. And, one of the most neglected elements I frequently see is protein.
Ok got it Coach, but why is protein so important?
Here is just a little science.
Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are responsible for:
- Structure (of strong muscle, connective tissues, tendons, bones, etc….)
- Hormone balance
- Healthy Hair, skin, nails
- Immune chemicals
- Transport vehicles around the body.
As you can see, protein is critical to our total body function. And protein has a much wider impact than just muscles.
What are the best protein sources?
There are plenty of delicious and convenient ways to get protein in your diet, such as:
- Lean Meats (ground beef, chicken, turkey, bison, strip steak, pork)
- Wild-caught Fish
- Eggs
- Dairy (if your digestive system tolerates it well)
- IMpowered/Dotfit Protein powders Plant Protein (check out my favorite)
[Here’s a handy infographic of healthy protein sources that you can download and keep for reference ===> FREE GUIDE]
One of the biggest questions is how much protein should I eat?
For women, we recommend 1 palm-sized serving of protein with every meal. For men, 2 palm-sized servings. It’s important to note that you don’t want to go long stretches without protein and then try to cram it all in during one meal. In order for your body to be able to digest, absorb and transport protein throughout the body to do all of its good work, it needs a steady supply throughout the day.
Getting adequate protein at each meal will stimulate your metabolism (burn calories), improve muscle mass and recovery, and help reduce body fat. All good things that we want!
So this week, let’s work on making protein your main focus.
