Tracking your food intake can be an incredible tool for all kinds of health outcomes; weight loss, muscle gain, body composition improvement, etc. Understanding what your intake actually looks like on a daily basis can make a huge difference in your ability to achieve health goals, and how quickly those health goals become a reality.
But tracking can be… hard. It can be something that causes a lot of mental distress, or just feels like another thing to do, that in some seasons, isn’t the right move. And that’s okay. But what I will continue to vouch for, no matter what the season is, is to track (or be aware of) protein intake in some capacity.
Protein's Importance & What You Can Do…
Protein plays a major role in various systems of the body—not just muscle building like we many times boil it down to. And while the muscle building aspect is fantastic, protein also helps do things like help protect your body (think immune system), send messages throughout the body (think hormones here), carry out chemical reactions that are needed (think enzymes) and so much more. Protein isn’t just one thing, and it doesn’t just impact one thing, either.
A longitudinal study completed in Norway, along with countless others, have shown that protein has a protective effect on our health when it comes to “frailty” which is exactly what it sounds like. Generally speaking, most people don't want to be considered “frail”—especially as they age. When it comes to being able to keep independence as an older adult, much of that comes down to pure strength and the ability to do things on your own. Activities of daily living, or ADL's, are a common piece of the puzzle looked at when we assess whether an older adult is still able to be on their own, or if they need someone to step in for care.
Now you may be thinking, okay, but don’t I also need to strength train, do my cardio, etc. to build and maintain that muscle mass?
And the answer is a resounding yes, but I’m talking nutrition here, and about tracking your food intake, specifically. So while tracking can seem like a lot in many seasons of life, there’s a reason why I emphasize being mindful of protein to my clients in ALL seasons of life, no matter if tracking macros fully is feasible, or if no real tracking at all is feasible at that time.
So Here’s Some Things You Can Do, At Varying Levels, to Continue to Emphasize Protein Intake:
- Track all food and macros, with an emphasis on protein being around .08–1.2g/lb of body weight.
- Track protein sources only (but ensuring you include those that are potentially carb/fat sources that have some protein too!) to have that same goal of around .08–1.2g/lb of body weight in protein.
- Eat at least 3 palm-size servings of protein per day or more (this equates to around 4–5 oz of protein, which can ensure we’re getting in a decent amount each day)
- Include protein at each meal you eat per day
- Add in a daily protein shake to easily increase 20–30g more from the amount of protein you're currently consuming.
So if you’re looking for one thing you can do today, and every day, to help with overall health, eat your protein.
Be mindful of it, track it, and don’t let it slip.
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