How much protein do I need?
This is a question I often get asked by my clients, I wish there was a straightforward answer.
The truth is there really isn’t a specific amount of protein, dietary fat a human needs.
The information out there can only give guidelines, based on an average person with an average life with average amounts of stress and activity etc. Read on and learn about the importance of listening to your body.
Macronutrient balance is a very unique and individual requirement. What we do know is that all humans need all three macronutrients, and the best advice I can give you is to tune in to your body to determine what your body needs.
It can be a bit of a balancing act, as there are often many different things going on with our body and mind that create similar outcomes and symptoms. The thing is, often stressing about the exact amounts causes more problems!
How much protein (and other nutrients) your body requires on one day may be different to another based on many factors, including energy levels, physical activity levels, hormones, and the brain requires protein for good functioning.
It can be sometimes more important to include a little protein in every meal so your body is able to use the protein consistently which will provide regular essential amino acids.
It takes time and it’s an imperfect practice. Our appetite can be our best guide and the need for certain foods at certain times can be a good determinate of macronutrient requirements of the body and mind.
For example, there will be times when you are driven to eat certain foods (think when you’ve had a certain food in your head and you can’t think about eating much else). This is when you can be flexible to suit the needs of your body – and your day – and A great example of how one-size-fits-all diets are not supportive.
Many of us have ‘tuned out’ from our body’s natural wisdom. Often because of the messages we have received from the world. The modern world is complex. I always aim to guide clients back to curiosity and be open to discussions.
Practice listening to your body and noting how you feel after your meals and how much energy you have. Ask yourself questions such as ‘How does this feel in my body?’ or ‘Does this feel like the right amount?’ and ‘How will I know when I’ve had enough protein? (Or fat or …)’. Being present at mealtimes will help.
Learning to trust your body (and yourself) is often an imperfect, messy and curious exploration!
This subject makes for a good discussion – as many of us don’t consume enough protein for our bodies basic functions. A body showing signs of being low in protein can have low energy, low mood, irritability and many other unwanted symptoms.
Weight loss resistance is also typical of a body that has low levels of protein, especially in the earlier part of the day.
If you think back to times of old, our ancestors did not often have a choice and had to use their own body’s wisdom to know how much of certain food groups were required. Of course they didn’t always have the foods available that their body needed either and they had to learn to adapt.
We have so much available to us today, which can sometimes be too much information and too many available options.
A good reminder that there is no perfect diet or perfect day.
Our body’s are very adaptive, but over time symptoms will show up to ‘remind’ us to check in and figure out what is going on. A great example of this is some children can grow right into adulthood managing pretty well physically and mentally, on a diet low in certain food groups and nutrients.. until they don’t! Challenges begin to show up later in life for some, and those symptoms are a message to tune in and figure out what the body is asking for.
I encourage you to think of any unwanted symptom as a message from the body, that some attention needs to be paid in a certain area. It can be difficult to figure out exactly what that is and being curious about our symptoms can help to point us in the right direction.
You will often hear me say ‘every symptom is here to send us a message’, it’s like a little knock on the door of our lives asking us to pay attention.
Including a balance of protein, dietary fat and veggies into most of your meals is the best goal. Let your body tell you.. Perhaps if you eat more protein than you need one day you may find you feel you need less than next. It really is as imperfect as that.
It is worth noting that a body too low in protein can also be driven to consume carbohydrates, especially in the later part of the day when energy typically begins to lower. So we can easily think that it’s carbohydrates we need, when the body is in fact in need of the amino acids that are the building blocks for our bodies.
