Paige for Wellness

If you’re like I used to be, you might be prone to neglect protein. There are competing guidelines for ideal intake, adding to the internal argument you might have for not prioritizing sources of the amino acids we do require as building blocks for our vital functions. As you probably heard in school, protein is needed to create and heal tissues. You may not be aware of the face that it also creates your feel- good brain chemicals and hormones.

It’s obvious that protein is needed for tissue repair and muscle growth but we also need it for the thyroid hormone conducting the energy for every cell in our body and our metabolic health. Needless it say, it can give a stable and renewed sense of energy when we need it.

These characteristics also make it a weapon for losing and maintaining an ideal weight. It takes the most calories to break down make use of protein than any macronutrient. So by now your ears might have perked up about the ideal protein intake.

The target can be sustainably reached with a balanced diet, at only a minimum of 80- 100 g. Discovering this came as such of a relief personally and it’s been pretty easy to stick to ever since. And that’s what I’ve found to be so incredibly valuable about “gentle nutrition” overall.

But furthermore, protein is essentially a nutritional Swiss Army knife. It can shield the immune system, help you create antioxidants (how cool is that!? People buy supplements and other health treatments to do that!); and prevent deleterious effects of aging on the bones, muscles, and skin. It can be a beauty product, increasing hair follicle capacity, reducing muscle wasting and optimizing skin repair. It acts on the liver, supplying amino acids for detoxification. Amazingly, it helps facilitate ideal, balanced genetic expression– supplying the proper amino acids for regulation of methylation.

Overall, protein aids in resilience .In essence, it can make you better able to go through life without showing as much “wear and tear”.

It can impart a more grounded and eager perception. If you consider it down to a simplistic level, the body wants a sense of having what it’s made up of.

I don’t know what you’re thinking at this point, but if I’d known all of this sooner, I would’ve taken eating it more seriously earlier on. But sometimes you don’t know what you’ve been missing until you actually experience this.

For me, I noticed it waking up with a lot more motivation to get my day started naturally. It was a welcome and unexpected effect.

But I would be remiss not to discuss the importance of balancing carbs in your macronutrient ratio, it’s vital to keep the body in an anabolic (building up) rather than breaking down and in a stressed state. While protein can be motivating, it needs the right ingredients to keep you in a sweet spot energetically (rather than overstimulated, something I’ve specifically noticed with inadequate fuel + caffeine).

So aim for at least 2x the quantity of protein in carbohydrates to prevent high cortisol. Some do better with more (a lot more, even), and that can depend on your level of stress/ depletion, or performance demands. As always, convene with your body by feeling out your symptoms, energy and overall feeling. If you’d like one on one guidance, I would be happy to take you on as a nutrition client currently, here.