Daily friendly reminder that your body requires protein in order to actually work.
And no, I am not just saying that.
Have you been feeling down lately? Overly tired, lethargic, maybe even depressed? Do you have less energy? Has focusing become a struggle, when it wasn’t before? Do you take meds, or even vitamins or supplements, that used to work super well and suddenly aren’t anymore?
Yes, I know these are all pretty common among us, especially nowadays. But don’t just accept it! Even if these symptoms are caused by a known underlying condition, there is actually something you can do about it, right now.
Increase 👏 your 👏 protein 👏 intake👏.
Drink a protein shake, eat a snack high in protein. Switch to protein milk. Get a big thing of flavorless protein powder (whey or plant, it does not matter they both get the job done) and mix a scoop of it into your coffee in the morning, or your juice, or your soup base, or your cake batter — there are no rules and the possibilities are endless. Just do whatever it takes to get more protein in your diet every day.
And here is why: Your brain literally cannot function without protein.
Protein is the gas that makes the car go vroom. It’s the power line that keeps the lights on. It’s the wind in the sails that gets the boat moving across the water. Your brain needs protein to operate. Without protein, it can’t secrete serotonin, it can’t create dopamine, it can’t produce, balance or stabilize. You cannot execute the functions without protein. Your brain is not able to process your meds so that they’ll actually work to the best of their ability, if it does not have the protein to do it with.
Have you ever played one of those capitalist mobile games where it costs energy to do actions and progress in the story? You know how, once you run out of the energy points, you pretty much can’t do anything until the bar fills back up again?
Your brain is that game. Producing and metabolizing the chemicals that keep you running is the activities, and protein is the energy bar.
You can take all the supplements in the world and they won’t do shit for you unless you have the protein to fund the process.
And you need a LOT more protein than a lot of you think you do.
Increase 👏 your 👏 protein 👏 intake👏.
Your mood, your energy, your focus, your sleep, your happiness — all of these things are controlled by your brain. Please make sure you are giving your brain the fuel that it needs in order to keep these functions running the way they’re supposed to.
Stay healthy and happy out there, you guys!
To determine your daily protein intake, you can multiply your weight in pounds by 0.36, or use this online calculator:
DRI Calculator for Healthcare Professionals | National Agricultural Library
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is a modest 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound. The RDA is the amount of a nutrient you need to meet your basic nutritional requirements.
In a sense, it's the minimum amount you need to keep from getting sick — not the specific amount you are supposed to eat every day. You should be aiming to eat above this amount, especially if you are regularly active.
Here is a list of foods that you can incorporate into your diet to help build up your protein intake:
3 ounces tuna/salmon/haddock/trout = 21g (and a great source of omega 3 which your body also needs)
3 ounces cooked turkey/chicken = 19g
6 ounces plain Greek yogurt = 17g
½ cup cottage cheese = 14g
¼ cup or 1 ounce of nuts (all types) = 7g
And there are so many more options out there than just these. Explore! Broaden your horizons! Make a cheat sheet if you’re lazy. Just get more protein!!
Oh yeah and also — daily reminder to go drink a glass of water right now. Ok love you, bye!
