What should I eat? —Ellie from ND and Cassie from IN

These two had very similar questions that are being mashed into one super answer for you!

That’s the ultimate question, isn’t it?? The diet industry has made it so that we don’t know what to believe anymore! In my research and practice, my biggest and simplest piece of advice for you is PROTEIN. When in doubt, eat the meat. Increasing your protein could be the best health improvement you make.

Why, you ask?

Protein builds your whole body. It builds your muscles, nails, hair, organs, hormones, blood cells… Sounds pretty important, right? It also helps your cells communicate so that muscle contractions happen and nerve signals fire. It allows your body to absorb different vitamins and minerals. So if you don’t have protein, your body doesn’t have building blocks to do any of what it needs. Eat your protein; you need it. Protein also helps you mangage your physical stress and your emotional stress—it helps to regulate your blood sugar. It also helps your metabolism, bones, and appetite. 

Most of us severely undereat the required amount of protein. A lot of girls say, “but if I’m eating too much, isn’t that bad?” thinking of extreme male body builders who have faced struggles from not drinking a full gallon of water with their three pounds of chicken for lunch. Extremes. Its true that you can eat too much, but chances are, you aren’t even close. If you’re getting your protein sources from real food (not tons of protein powder), you’ll be good to go because while your body might enjoy eating a whole bag of Doritos or chocolates, meat is hard to overeat. A typical rule of thumb is to eat at least one fist-sized portion of protein per meal. This changes if you’re training, in stages of menopause, or facing a lot of stress. It also can adjust with your hormonal phases (typically we are hungrier in our luteal phase). If you don’t have a period, chances are you definitely need to increase your protein. 

“But what kind of protein should I be eating?” ALL KINDS. Don’t fall into the habit of eating the same foods over and over because its the leanest or healthiest in the eyes of the magazines. Both lean and fattier cuts of meat have their place and benefit in the body. Variety is best. Plant protein is okay, but again, a variety is needed to meet the needs your body has. There are lots of amino acids out there both essential and non-essential. Some of them can be made in our body and some can’t. We need the non-essential amino acids to make the essential ones. 

In short, eat your protein! Please and thank you!