PROTEIN - are you getting enough?
Last month I listened to 2 podcasts on protein. One was saying we eat too much of it, the other was saying we don’t eat enough. Confusing? Digging deeper, the first one was talking about the general population with no differentiation between gender, age or stage in life. The other was specifically referring to women over 40.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR WOMEN TO GET ENOUGH PROTEIN AS THEY GET OLDER?
Estrogen is not just a sex hormone, it has many other roles in our bodies. One is to help build muscle and maintain bone density. Once we head into perimenopause and our estrogen levels fluctuate and eventually bottom out in post menopause, we need to look too our diet and exercise to full the gap left by estrogen.
KEY BENEFITS of protein for menopausal women are:
• The amino acids in protein, when paired with exercise stimulates the building of muscle. Which in my book is the number 1 thing we can do to keep us strong, mobile, active and slow the aging process.
• Levels out blood sugar, therefore avoiding the 3pm energy slump and mood swings
• Reduces brain fog.
• Keeps us fuller for longer so we don’t reach for those “empty” calories.
HOW MUCH DO WE NEED?
A rough rule of thumb is 1.8 to 2.3g/kg/ day. E.g., If you weigh 65kg you need 120-150g of protein/day. The more active you are, aim for the higher end of the range.
GOOD SROUCES OF PROTEIN
The highest sources of protein are from animals, but there are also many plants that are good sources as this infographic shows.
Aim to get as much as you can from real food.
Image 1: Amount of protein per 100g of food
IMPORTANCE OF TIMING
To get the best benefit eat protein across the day. Don’t leave it all to your evening meal, have some for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you do a boot camp or other vigorous exercise have some protein within an hour to maximise the muscle development your exercise has stimulated. With gentler movement such as yoga and walking, you can wait until you next meal or snack.
So are you getting enough? If you would like to know please do get in touch with Jane.
