Protein: Finding Nemo and other Disney characters on your plate.

As a health coach who happily gives out way too much free advice to my friends, I am often met with the same question: How do I get more protein in my diet? Well, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime…or something like that. So, here we go…goin’ fishin’…right now…you and me…okay…

Protein makes up 45% of the body, so you want to make sure you are eating the good stuff. After all, we only get one body in this lifetime, so we must keep it happy.  More often than not, I come across someone who believes a protein rich diet consists of fried meat, fried meat and more fried meat. Well, that’s okay once in a while, but who wants to live their life in bed? I certainly don’t.

In addition to producing hormones and enzymes, protein builds and repairs body tissue. It helps the body resist diseases that are caused by malnourishment, balances water and even transports nutrients.  It also prevents you from easily getting tired by producing stamina and energy.  

These are all very good things.

What you want is something called a complete protein. These foods contain all of the essential amino acids (building blocks) that makeup the protein.  Your muscles will get the most work out of these and reward you with lots of energy. They’ll say, “Hey man! Thanks for the protein! I’m gonna spread this stuff around so you can get the most out of your day! Thanks for lookin’ out!”

Some common examples of protein rich meats are:

• Eggs
• Beef
• Chicken
• Fish

I bet you already knew that, huh? Well… yeah. It’s pretty much common knowledge that you get protein from lean meats.

What if you’re like me and you don’t eat a lot of meat? Or you are a vegan and you don’t want to eat Nemo? Well, you have to get your protein from somewhere. Lucky for you, I have more lists!

Vegetables:

• Broccoli
• Leafy greens (Kale, spinach, romaine)
• Asparagus
• Cauliflower
• Brussels Sprouts
• Artichokes
• Watercress
• Beets
• Carrots
• Cabbage
• Celery
• Mushrooms
• Parsnips
• Squash (Summer and winter)
• Sweet potatoes
• Potatoes (Yes. There are 5g of protien in a potato.)
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon…to name a few.

Legumes:

• Soy
• Peas
• Beans
• Lentils
• Peanuts (Yes my friends; Peanuts are in the bean family.)

Grains:

• WHOLE GRAIN breads (Look for the word WHOLE on the packaging.)
• Brown rice
• Quinoa
• Oats
• Corn Meal
• Barley

Nuts and Seeds:

• Sunflower Seeds
• Sesame Seeds
• Chia Seeds (SUPERFOOD)
• Flax Seeds
• Cashews
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Any Nuts

Don’t forget to drink lots and lots of water if you decide to eat a high protein diet. The lack of carbs will cause your muscles to burn through the protein faster, so don’t go and get yourself dehydrated. You might find yourself taking a nap on the sidewalk on a hot day and trust me folks, it’s not as fun as it sounds. I was wearing a skirt! Carry a water bottle with you or take regular trips to the water fountain.

We only get one body at a time, so make sure you take care of yours.

Be healthy!

Kristen

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