Simplifying Things: Protein.

lifestylenutrition

Mar 13

We’ll spare you the long, drawn out, science-y explanation about Protein. And we definitely won’t tell you any boring stories about our protein consumption.

The Facts

Protein is in every cell of your body and it’s essential for body function. In fact, some people call it the foundation of the body. Hair, hormones, organs, skin, nails, muscles, bones, tissue, tendons… everything in your body is dependent on protein. Your body gets protein 2 ways: it makes it out of other compounds in your body, or you can feed it to your body.

Basically, if you’re not eating protein, you’re not going to be operating at peak performance. It affects recovery, muscle growth, weight loss, and brain function.

If your goal is weight loss, rest easy that you’re giving your body extra love by eating extra protein. You’ll notice that you also won’t be as hungry.

How To Get It

Again, we’ll spare you the Chem 101 details of protein synthesis. Don’t rely on your body to make it for you — the easiest way to support yourself with protein is to eat it. Pro Tip: Eat protein (and just, food in general) that looks as close to its natural form as possible.

Here is a high-level list of things you can eat that are packed with protein:

Chicken
Turkey
Beef
Eggs
Fish
Shell Fish
Pork (although, not our favorite because pigs are high in fat)
Boar
Organs (yes, liver, intestine, heart, tongue… is tongue an organ?)
Duck
Deer
Bison/Buffalo, same thing
Elk
Lamb
Horse (not really in the US, but in other places, yeah)
Raw Nuts: Raw being the keyword here
Legumes: Lentils are packed with plant protein and (pro tip) you can buy lentil pasta; black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas/garbonzo beans/hummus
Raw Seeds: pumpkin, hemp, chia, sunflower
Cruciferous Veggies have some, but not a ton of protein. Grab Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kale, Broccolini…
Plant-Protein (look at your ingredients labels and make sure there is no soy or bad oils. Read this blog if you don’t know which oils are '“yes” oils and which ones are “no” oils.

How Much Should I Eat Every Day?

Rule of Thumb is .5 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.

Example:

Colin weighs 180lbs, so he tries to eat 180g of protein every day. When he’s training for a race, he tries to eat upwards of 200g of protein so his body can recover from hard workouts faster.
Sam weighs 120-130lbs depending on “that time of the month” (yes, its normal to fluctuate 5-10lbs every month, and no, you’re not crazy if you feel heavier during different phases of your menstrual cycle), so she tries to eat 120g of protein daily.
If you’re not extra-active, like we are, you want to try to hit AT LEAST 1/2 of your body weight in protein (120lbs = 60g protein)
If you’re trying to lose weight, 120lbs = 120g of protein. Cut out cheese, milk, bread, sugar, booze, and fat-snacks like chips. You’ll drop weight in a few weeks.

Easy Ways To Get Protein

Nuts + Berries in the morning. Read this blog for hacks to make this easy for yourself.
Eggs for breakfast. Pro Tip: Prep Cook hard boiled eggs for a fast grab + go snack or meal. 1 Egg has about 6g of protein.
Protein Oats for breakfast. Overnight Oats are more time effective. Hot Oats in the morning are great too. Throw seeds + nuts on top for additional protein.
Rotisserie Chicken. Buy it from the store or slow cook one at home; eat it for the next couple of days on salads, in sandwiches, in wraps, and on crackers.
Canned Tuna or Salmon. Make sure that it’s wild-caught canned tuna. You’re looking at about 40g of protein per can. Safe-Catch is our favorite brand and we buy it at Costco. And, yes, they mercury test it.
Protein Smoothies. 2 scoops and you’ve got yourself 20-30g of protein
Drink it. There are tons of powders out there these days that you can toss in a water bottle, shake, and sip on throughout the day.
Salads. When you go to order a salad, make sure you’re ordering nutrient-dense lettuce. None of that romaine or iceberg bullshit. Go for Arugula, Kale, Dandelion Greens, Butter Lettuce, Spring Mix, Chard… Top with chicken, shrimp, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds.
Lentil + Chickpea Pasta. Sounds weird, but it’s great. Make your own beef or turkey bolognese at home!