Protein for Burnout Recovery & Hormone Health

What every superwomAn needs to know

Protein’s been popular in the news lately, and for good reason! It’s an essential macronutrient that serves multiple functions in the body. And it’s a key ingredient in any smart woman’s plan to recover from burnout and (re) establish good hormone balance.

What I’ve found from working with clients and in my own personal health is that it’s very easy to under-consume protein, and it’s NOT so easy to figure out what proteins sources to eat and how much.

So let’s clear things up!

In this post I’m sharing:

• The basics of WHY women need to prioritize protein.

• HOW MUCH protein you should eat.

• WHAT the best sources of protein are.

Why women need to prioritize protein

When it comes to a burnout-busting and energizing diet, three basic principles apply:

1. Eat ‘balanced’ meals and snacks→ protein + fat + fiber (+ color)

2. Fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables

3. PRIORITIZE PROTEIN

Although each one of these principles is important, let’s take a minute to focus on PROTEIN. This macronutrient is needed for many physiological functions- too many to list here.

A big one that probably will concern you is BUILDING AND RETAINING MUSCLE MASS.

As you age, muscle becomes harder to hold onto. In fact, after age 40 (and often earlier), if you’re not actively building muscle, then you are losing it. And when you lose muscle mass, your metabolism slows down, you gain weight in the form of fat, and you become more susceptible to injury.

(By contrast, more muscle helps increase your metabolism).

Eating plenty of protein is one simple thing you can do to build and maintain muscle mass.  

A couple other big things that protein helps you do include:

• Stabilizing blood sugar- so you avoid that ‘hangry’ feeling. Protein is difficult to digest, which means that the food you eat alongside it will also digest more slowly. The overall result is that glucose will be absorbed into your bloodstream more slowly. This is also good practice for preventing type-2 diabetes.

• Stabilizing energy- so you can get through the day without loads of coffee or falling asleep your desk. And so you can think clearly and stay creative and productive.

• Keeping you satiated and avoid cravings- so you don’t feel the need to fill up on sweets and carbs.

—> Protein, when part of a diet including plenty of healthy fats and colorful vegetables and fruits, is 100% necessary for extracting you from burnout and achieving hormonal balance.

That’s why prioritizing protein is a key task I work on with clients in THRIVE, my 1-1 coaching program. And when I do that, I’ll usually help my client focus on two tasks, which I outline in this post: setting a goal for how much protein to eat, and then creating a plan to meet that goal.

How much protein does a superwoman need?

There’s a lot of misinformation going around about how much protein humans need. The US Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for protein is .8 grams per kilogram of body weight (or .36 grams per pound).

But let’s be clear: this is the minimum amount of protein needed to avoid a protein deficiency and diseases that can result from that. In other words, the RDA is not “optimal”.

And if you’re a busy lady trying to focus on your health and feel good inside and out, then I’m SURE you want what’s OPTIMAL!

This is where things can get a little tricky.

The exact amount of protein that we really need is a subject for debate in the medical community, with new research emerging. Additionally, different people have different needs.

For example, if you’re lifting weights on a regular basis, you’ll need more protein than the average person, in order to build muscle mass. On the other hand, some health conditions- e.g. kidney disease- can make higher protein diets dangerous.

And depending on your age, your protein needs can change- as you grow older, you’ll likely need more protein to maintain muscle mass. Even what stage of life you’re in can impact how much protein you need. For example, pregnant women will require more protein.

As a coach, my goal when I work with clients in THRIVE is always to help them make the best decisions for themselves. As a coach, I provide information but I don’t dictate or prescribe. Together, we’ll figure out the best course of action based on nutrition science, your individual needs, and what feels comfortable and do-able.

Obviously I can’t get into the specifics of what YOU, dear reader, should aim for with protein. But…

here’s few guidelines to ponder so you can make an informed decision about protein:

• If you don’t have any special health conditions and are not currently lifting weights, a general guideline is to consume 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, daily (.54 to .73 grams per pound of body weight). Be sure to make that calculation based on your “ideal” weight- check out this BMI chart to find the range of ideal weight for your height.

• If you’re actively weight training you might want to aim for a higher protein target, around 1 gram per pound of body weight. Again, use your ideal healthy body weight for calculating this number.

• And a third idea, especially if you’re just beginning to prioritize protein, is to simply aim for at least 25 to 30 grams of protein per meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), plus a protein-packed snack. If you haven’t been eating a lot of protein, dramatically increasing the amount can be a little jarring on your digestive system. So going gradually may be a better bet. *Plus, this is where the science of nutrition and the science of behavior change (what I do as a coach) both come into play. You need to choose a goal that’s do-able, not necessarily perfect. For instance, that might mean aiming for 20g per meal, and then increasing that over time.

A word of caution on over-consuming protien:

One last thing to keep in mind when it comes to the amount of protein you eat. There’s a LOT of talk on social media (at least at the time of writing) about protein. And yes, protein IS important. I hope I’ve made that clear.

But, more is not necessarily better. If you eat more protein than your body can digest, it will be converted into glucose anyways. Also, if you’re over-eating protein, you’re potentially missing out on important nutrients from other kinds of foods- like vegetables, fruits, legumes, and even whole grains. Those plant-based foods are super important for maintaining a healthy gut. And the healthier your gut, the better equipped you’ll be to digest and make good use of protein.

What protein sources are best?

After you decide how much protein you want to aim for on a daily basis, the next step is figuring out how you’ll meet that goal. What foods will you eat?

Hmmm… let’s think about this. Wheat has protein. That means bread and pasta have protein. Similarly, ice cream is made of milk. So it’s got protein, too. But are these good sources of protein?

NOPE!

When it comes to protein, both quantity AND quality matter. And a general rule, quality protein means that the protein comes from real, whole foods.

With animal protein, look for pasture-raised & organic eggs and poultry; grass-fed and finished, pasture-raised beef (or lamb, pork); wild-caught fish; and organic dairy products, ideally from animals that are pasture-raised and grass fed.

For plant-based protein, choose organic as much as possible- especially for beans and grains, which are often sprayed with glyphosate (aka RoundUp, a toxic weed-killer). And, focus on whole, real food sources. A protein supplement is ok but try to limit it to once a day. And keep fake meats (e.g. Beyond Burger, chik’n nuggets) for special occasions. Those are NOT good protein sources.

This brings up another question:

Can you get enough protein on a plant-based diet?

The answer is… it’s complicated.

Getting enough protein by only eating plant-based foods is not impossible, but it can be challenging because the amount of food you’ll need to consume tends to be much greater (in both volume and calories) than if you were eating animal-based protein sources.

For example: 100g of chicken breast (raw) contains 31g of protein, whereas 100g of tofu contains only 17g.

For some people, eating more food won’t be a problem. But for others, it can feel like too much, volume-wise, in their stomach. Or it might result in eating more calories than your body can handle. 

There’s also the question of how to get enough of each of the 9 essential amino acids from plant-based foods only.

Protein is made up of 20 amino acids, 9 of which are referred to as “essential” because your body can’t synthesize them on its own- they must be consumed. This is why you absolutely need protein- your body needs these essential amino acids, which are the building blocks for creating cells, tissue (including muscle), organs, and even hormones and enzymes.

That said, theoretically, yes, it’s possible to fulfill your protein requirements on a plant-based diet.

For instance, there are professional athletes who do this. But those athletes have to work hard at combining foods because most plant-based protein sources don’t contain all 9 essential amino acids. Many vegan athletes consume plant-based protein supplements and processed ‘meat’ products to meet their protein needs, or eat a lot more food (in volume and in calories) than most people could or would want to eat, in order to get in enough protein.

So, if you’re vegan, vegetarian, or wanting to be ‘plant-based’ for health reasons, then I want you to know that medical research increasingly suggests that you consume protein from animal sources in addition to plant-based sources.

But if you’re vegan or vegetarian for ethical reasons, you’ll want to eat a variety of different plants each day, carefully plan out your meals to ensure you’re getting enough protein, and consider shooting for the higher end of the daily protein guidelines to make it more likely that you consume enough of each of the 9 essential amino acids daily.

—> And lastly, even if you are NOT vegan or vegetarian, you should still aim to get your protein from a variety of sources so that you get adequate amounts of the 9 essential amino acids.

Some examples of high quality protein choices

If you’re new to prioritizing protein, I’m a big fan of actually tracking your food until you’re consistent, either with a notebook or a free app like My Fitness Pal. Otherwise, it’s hard to know how much protein you’re eating or if you’re meeting your goals.

And if you’re really serious about meeting protein goals, I’m also a fan of weighing out your protein, at least at first. It’ll help you get a sense of what 30 grams of chicken looks like, for example.

For some people, of course, tracking and weighing won’t work. And that’s ok! There’s ways around it. But for the moment I want to give you a few examples of high quality protein choices, and I’ll be listing them based on their weight.

I’ve separated out plant-based proteins into “complete” (containing all 9 essential amino acids) and “incomplete”, though it’s worth mentioning that even complete plant-based proteins tend to come up short on certain essential amino acids (like lysine).

Animal-based proteins

• Skinless chicken breast (raw), 100g —> 31g protein

• Ground beef (90% lean, raw), 100g —> 18.2g protein

• Wild caught salmon (raw), 100g —> 20g protein

• Eggs, 1 large —> 6g protein

• Cheddar cheese, 28g (1oz) —> 7g protein

Plant-based “complete” proteins

• Tofu (firm), 100g —> 17.3g protein

• Tempeh, 100g —> 20.7g protein

• Hemp seeds, 1 Tbsp —> 3.3g protein

• Quinoa (cooked), 1 cup —> 8.1g protein

Plant-based “Incomplete” proteinS

• Lentils (cooked), 1 cup —> 18g protein

• Chickpeas (cooked), 1 cup —> 14.5g protein

• Almonds, 28g (1oz) —> 6g protein

• Broccoli (raw), 1 cup —> 2.3g protein

What about collagen?

Collagen powder supplements are very popular, and I actually use one myself- I’ll often add a scoop into my morning smoothie.

But is this a good source of protein? Yes and no.

Collagen is high in glycine and glutamine, which are good for improving the health of your gut lining. Collagen’s also great for improving skin, hair, and nails. But it does not contain all 9 essential amino acids. So that means it can’t be the main source of protein in your diet, but more like something you consume in addition to the foods that fulfill your protein requirements.

Tips for getting enough protein

My top tip for getting enough protein is planning and prepping.

Without fail, if I’ve planned out my meals for the week, and done a little bit of prepping ahead of time, I’m MUCH more likely to get in all the protein I need.

But I have a few other ideas of foods that are great to have on hand and can help you meet your protein goals more easily:

• Hard boiled eggs: keep a bunch of them prepped in your fridge for quick snacks or tossing on a salad.

• Lupini beans- an easy snack that’s super tasty and also high in fiber.

• Canned salmon- use on a salad or mix with some avocado oil based mayo and use the same way you would tuna salad.

• Chicken sausage (organic)- easy to cook (takes just a couple minutes) and then add to a dish

• Tempeh- again, easy to chop up, pan fry, and add to a dish.

• Greek yogurt- plain, unsweetened. Has a lot more protein than ‘regular’ yogurt.

• Nuts and seeds- keep a variety on hand to add in a little extra protein to your meals. For example, sprinkle pumpkin seeds on a salad or on your yogurt.

• Dry roasted edamame- high in protein and delish mixed up with veggies and a dressing, or added to a salad

• Protein powder- don’t limit yourself to smoothies! You can add in a scoop or two to many baked goods recipes, to boost the protein content.

Summing up…

Eating enough protein is SUPER important for hormone balance, sustainable energy, and so much more. It’s also a key part of any nutrition strategy for extracting you from burnout.

In THRIVE, nutrition is always one of the first things I support clients with, because food impacts so much of how we feel both physically and mentally. To learn more about how THRIVE works, just click here.

And if you’ve got questions about protein, leave a comment or shoot me an email! I’d love to help you further.