5 Reasons you need more of this Macronutrient

Macronutrients are the main nutrients your body requires in large quantities to provide energy to perform daily functions and activities.

Macro nutrients are most often protein, carbohydrates and fat, while some sources also include water. I typically refer to the big 3 food items when discussing macronutrients, or macros for short.

Most women I start working with do not get enough protein, and it’s usually in their big evening meal, not breakfast.

Protein should be equally distributed throughout the day, in servings of 30-50 grams. This is what is required for the process of muscle development. If you aren’t getting enough protein, especially as you age, your muscles will become smaller and “fattier”, which is unhealthy.

And, on that note, here are 5 reasons you (likely) need more Protein:

1. It helps you feel full longer so you’re not thinking about food every two hours. You won’t get hangry!! Having enough quality protein decreases cravings, too.

2. It slows the digestion of your starchy carbs. This prevents your insulin from rising too quickly and too high and preventing those “blood sugar crashes” and adipose (fat) tissue storage.

3. Protein burns more calories when you digest them. Yeah, how cool is that – you burn calories by eating :) This is called thermogenesis – the amount of calories used by the body to “process” a food. Protein has a higher thermogensis point than carbohydrate or fat.

If you eat 100 calories of steak, 25 of those calories goes to digesting it, so you are only going to use or store 75 calories.

4. If you are lifting weights, you need protein for repair and recovery of muscle tissue.

5. If you are in a calorie deficit because you are trying to lose weight, you need to eat protein to prevent muscle loss. (when you “diet” only and don’t exercise you lose fat AND muscle – a much higher percent of muscle is lost with diet only strategies and then you just look the same shape only smaller )

Some protein sources are:

• Fish
• Beef
• Turkey/Chicken
• Buffalo
• Eggs
• Cottage cheese, greek unflavored yoghurt