August - The Benefits of Eating Enough Protein & Ways to Increase It

Last month I wrote about supporting a healthy metabolism and some of the metabolism busters that we can fall into, one of which is not eating enough protein.  I personally noticed that I wasn’t meeting the protein mark in my own diet.  I made a few small adjustments to increase my protein intake and noticed some significant changes in how I felt throughout my day.  In talking with members of my gym, adequate protein consumption is a more common problem that we often realize, so today I want to talk about getting more protein into our daily intake.

There are several reasons why eating enough protein is important.  

1. Reduces hunger and supports weight loss:  Eating a high protein diet helps to reduce hunger resulting in eating fewer calories, and increases the function of the weight regulating hormone peptide YY, which makes you feel full.  Studies have also shown that increasing protein during the day helps to reduce late night cravings.
2. Helps to increase muscle mass:  muscle is made up primarily of protein, and the protein building blocks amino acids are critical for building muscle.  Additionally, protein in our diet helps us recover after injury more quickly.
3. Helps us as we age: Protein helps us reduce muscle degradation as we age, maintaining a healthy muscle mass, and some studies show that protein helps reduce risk factors for heart disease.
4. It’s good for your bones:  Studies show that people who eat a high protein diet are at lower risk of developing osteoporosis.
5. It helps us maintain a healthy metabolism:  another weight loss benefit, since when our metabolism is functioning efficiently we will burn more calories throughout the day.​

If you have a weight loss goal, adding more protein to your daily meals could put you over the top in terms of overall calorie intake, so we sometimes need to reassess what we’re leaning towards at mealtime, particularly those on the go meals and snacks.  Having a few options to get us on the right track can help us hit the ground running, so here are a couple of ways to increase your protein intake without blowing out your calorie intake:

​Make sure to start your day with a protein packed breakfast.  Breakfast is one of those meals that can be low on protein particularly if you start your day with a bowl of fruit or a smoothie, plus we often want breakfast to be easy and on the go.  Getting more protein at breakfast time is super easy if you put your mind to it.  Here are some ideas:

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1. Make sure to add protein to your smoothies.  Some great protein sources include greek yogurt, frozen peas, or nut butters / seeds.  Just be sure to add these in moderation so that you don’t inadvertently crank up the total calories in your smoothie.
   
2. Make your oatmeal savory.  Have you ever tried a savory oatmeal?  It’s one of my favorites!  Make your oatmeal as normal and top with sauteed veggies such as spinach and zucchini, a poached egg (or over easy if poaching isn’t your thing), crumbled cheese such as goat or feta, and a sprinkling of seeds.
3. Eggs!  For a long time I reserved eggs for the weekends because it felt like a breakfast that took too much time to prepare in the morning before work.  And then I discovered a make ahead egg muffin recipe that is perfect as a grab and go breakfast.  They’re easy to make, fun to mix up with different veggies, and delicious either warmed up or cold! 

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You can find this egg muffin recipe, my favorite savory oatmeal recipe and delicious smoothie recipes among other quick and easy breakfast ideas in our healthy breakfast recipe guide - download it for free here:

https://wilcoxwellnessfitness.lpages.co/healthy-breakfast-recipes/

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​Enjoy protein rich salads for lunch or dinner.  I love salads for lunch, but sometimes they’re just not filling enough to keep me going all day, and that’s because they don’t contain enough protein.  Salads are also a great option for dinner especially on those hectic nights where you get home late or are short on time.  Here’s a quick and easy way to spruce up your salad options without it consuming too much time and being sure to pack on the protein.
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1. Start with a leafy green base.  Leafy greens are super healthy, contain lots of important micronutrients including vitamins A, B, C, E and K as well as carotenoids, the antioxidant that helps to protect the cells and reduce the risk of cancers.  Plus, greens are super low calorie, so don’t skimp on this base!
2. Add color to your salad:  Have fun adding colorful fruits and veggies to your salad such as bell peppers, carrots, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, grapes or apple slices.  The more diversity that we can build into our meals the more nutritional micronutrients we access!
3. Add some lean protein:  leftover chicken breast from dinner is an easy go to protein source.  Also consider tuna fish, hard boiled eggs, beans or lower fat cheeses such as feta, goat or mozzarella cheese.
4. Add some tasty extras:  Keep your taste buds interested with extras such as olives, nuts or seeds, or avocado. Steer clear of less nutrient rich additions like croutons or fried wonton strips.
5. Use a flavorful dressing:  Using a dressing with an olive oil base and vinegar or citrus like lemon juice will really make the flavors pop.  Avoid creamy dressings which tend to be higher in calories and saturated fats.

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​If you’re looking for some fun ideas for dressings (which also second as marinades or sauces) check out our Sauces, Marinades and Dressings Recipe Guide.

Download it for free here:  https://wilcoxwellnessfitness.lpages.co/sauce/

​Make sure your snacks are packed with protein.  Eating consistently throughout the day is one of our Habits for Massive Impact.  Planning for a nutrient dense snack in between our main meals will help us avoid the hunger zone that can lead to feelings of desperation at meal time, resulting in eating what’s convenient, snacking while preparing dinner, or shoveling it in so fast that we eat past the point of feeling full.  It also provides another opportunity throughout the day to get some extra protein into our diet.  Here are a few of my favorite high protein / low calorie go-to snacks that are balanced with energy packed carbohydrates:

1. Hard or soft boiled egg with a cup of sugar snap peas
2. Beef Jerky (look for one with no sugar) and carrot sticks
3. 1 cup of Cottage Cheese with ⅓ c of blueberries
4. Cheese Stick and apple - I also like to wrap a piece of prosciutto around the cheese for an added treat.
5. Handful of almonds with banana - this really hits my salty-sweet taste buds in just the right way!
6. Turkey Roll Ups - roll in lettuce, cucumbers, bell peppers, etc.
7. Tuna and cucumbers
8. Hummus and veggies 
9. Watermelon chunks with goat cheese crumbles
10. Apple with nut butter

So how much protein should I be eating anyway?  A good rule of thumb is to get 1g of protein for each pound of body weight.  If you’re currently overweight this may result in an inflated protein target, so you may want to consider your protein intake relative to your calorie intake instead.  Last month I included a TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) calculator so that you can use it to figure out how many calories you should be eating to maintain a healthy weight and metabolism.  If you’re using calories as your guide you want to eat 30-40% of your calories in the form of protein.  Here’s some simple math to help you figure it out.  If you are consuming 1600 calories per day, then 30% of 1600 is 480 calories from protein.  Each gram of protein contains 4 calories, so that means that your protein target is 120g of protein (480 calories / 4).  

As you’ve learned in this blog, getting enough protein into your diet will help boost your metabolism, increase your energy levels, help you recover after exercise, and provide more flavor and fun to your meals.  I hope that these ideas help to inspire you to add more protein to your diet and feel your very best! 



References:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-reasons-to-eat-more-protein#TOC_TITLE_HDR_11
https://www.livestrong.com/article/435820-eating-just-salad-protein-for-fast-weight-loss/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/leafy-green-vegetables#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2
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​Do you feel like you could use some extra support with your health & fitness journey?  We’re here to help!  Our next KickStart program kicks off on Saturday, September 9th and we’d love to have you join us!

​What’s the KickStart Program?  It’s a 4-week program that rolls right into our Group Personal Training Program with tons of added support both inside & outside of the gym:

1. 1:1 zoom based coaching session to help you identify your goals and make a plan to reach them.
2. Kickoff Training Session that is exclusive to KickStart participants, allowing you to build confidence in the gym and get to know the trainer team.
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4. 12 Group Personal Training Sessions with over 50 sessions per week to choose from!
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6. 1:1 Zoom based Momentum Session during week 4 where we’ll review your progress in the program and make a plan to help you maintain the momentum that you started.

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