Category: Recipes

Protein is not just for great skin, hair, and nails; it’s critical for health. Without it, you wouldn’t be able to repair damaged tissues, digest food, fight infections, build muscle and bone, create hormones, or even think and have a good mood.

Eating enough protein during the day allows you to maintain stable blood sugar so you can be focused and mentally sharp throughout the day.

Higher protein diets can help fight high blood pressure, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Not to mention protein’s great benefits for metabolism boosting, satiety (feeling full after a meal), and weight management.

Protein is important, that’s a given.

There are a few factors to consider when calculating how much protein we need. In this post, I’ll go through those calculations with you. You’ll also find a list of the amount of protein in some common foods.

How much protein is enough

Every body is different, so there isn’t a rule that applies equally to everyone. There are a few factors to consider when figuring out how much protein you need.

Start with the minimum recommendation of 0.8 g/kg (0.36 g/lb) per day.

So, for a 68 kg (150 lb) healthy non-athlete adult, this is about 55 g protein/day.

Mind you, this is a minimum to prevent protein deficiency. It’s not optimal for good repair, digestion, immune function, muscle/bone building, hormones, thinking and great moods. It’s not enough for athletes, seniors or those recovering from an injury, either. If you fall into one of these categories, you may need to increase the minimum protein intake to a higher amount within the recommended range. Aim closer to 1.3 g/kg (0.6 g/lb) per day.

More than likely your protein needs will fall between 0.8 g/kg and 1.3 g/kg per day. Which you can judge based on your activity level.

Athletes need more protein for their energy and muscle mass. Seniors need more to help ward off muscle and bone loss that’s common in old age. And injured people need more for recovery and healing.

How much protein is too much?

As with fat and carbohydrates, eating too much protein can cause weight gain. Extra protein can be converted into sugar or fat in the body.

The interesting thing about protein is that it isn’t as easily or quickly converted as carbohydrates or fat; this is because of its thermic effect. The thermic effect is the amount of energy required to digest, absorb, transport and store a nutrient. To digest protein, your body needs to spend energy (i.e., burn calories). More calories than when metabolizing fats or carbohydrates.

A good rule of thumb is to eat a maximum of 25g of protein at one time (the equivalent of 3-4 oz of cooked meat). This is the amount of protein that your body can digest and assimilate at one time. It’s a good idea to space your protein intake throughout the day.

If you’re concerned that high protein intake harms healthy kidneys, don’t be. If your kidneys are healthy, they are more than capable of filtering out excess amino acids from the blood. The problem only occurs in people who already have kidney issues.

Note: Plant proteins are especially safe for kidney health.

How much protein is in food?

• A 3.5 oz chicken breast has 31 g
• A 3.5 oz can of salmon has 20 g
• ½ cup cooked beans contain 6-9 g
• A large egg contains 6 g
• ¼ cup nuts contains 4-7 g
• 1 medium baked potato contains 3 g

Conclusion

Protein is an essential nutrient we should all get enough of. “Enough” is about 0.8 – 1.3 g/kg (0.36 – 0.6 g/lb) per day. If you’re a healthy non-athlete adult, you can aim for the lower level. If you’re an athlete, senior, or injured person, aim for the higher level.

Too much protein can cause weight gain, so it’s best to have just enough.

I’d love to know: Are you one of those people who needs more protein? Let me know in the comments.

Recipe (high-protein): Baked Chicken Breasts

Serves 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp turmeric
½ tsp dried Italian seasoning

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place a layer of parchment paper on a baking dish.

Place the chicken breasts in the prepared dish. Brush on both sides with grapeseed oil.

In a small bowl, mix spices until combined. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the chicken on both sides.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through to at least 165°F at the thickest part.

Serve & enjoy!

Tip: Serve with a variety of coloured vegetables, or a salad!

References:

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-protein

http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-eating/do-you-eat-enough-protein

Yes, there are lots of different kinds of salt: pink, iodized, kosher, sea, etc. They come from salt mines in the ground, or from evaporating the water out of salt water. What they all have in common is that infamous mineral that I’m going to talk about below: sodium.

In food, salt is used for both flavour, and as a preservative. Salt helps to preserve food by drawing out the water that bacteria and mold need to grow. Hence, preserving the food from spoiling as quickly.

Would you be surprised to know that 75% of our salt intake comes from sources other than the salt shaker? It comes from processed foods. Snacks like chips, pretzels and salted nuts are included here. But so are canned foods, pickled foods, boxed foods, deli meats, restaurant food, and fast food.

Salt vs. Sodium

Salt is actually “sodium chloride.” It’s about 40% sodium and 60% chloride; this means that one teaspoon of salt (5,000 mg) contains about 2,000 mg of sodium.

Sodium itself is not that bad! In fact, it’s an essential mineral and an important electrolyte in the body. It helps with fluid balance, and proper nerve and muscle function.

Too much sodium though, is not great for your health. Regularly getting too much sodium can increase your risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, stomach cancer, and kidney stones.

That one teaspoon with about 2,000 mg of sodium is pretty much your entire day’s worth of sodium. People who eat a lot of pre-made, packaged foods tend to eat way too much sodium. In fact, 90% of American adults consume more than 2,300 mg per day. The average intake is closer to 3,400 mg of sodium per day!

If you’re at high risk for those conditions, then you probably shouldn’t have more than just 1,500 mg of sodium each day.

You might be wondering how table salt stacks up against, say pink Himalayan sea salt for example. It should be noted that regular white table salt has been bleached (with chemicals) and stripped of all minerals except for sodium and chloride. While, Himalayan salt has other minerals intact (like magnesium, and potassium) which help your body maintain proper electrolyte balance. As such, pink Himalayan salt contains less sodium per teaspoon than table salt, and also contains more health-promoting minerals (and fewer chemicals).

Sodium and high blood pressure

How does salt increase blood pressure?  And what does that have to do with it making you thirsty?

Well, there actually is something called “salt-sensitive high blood pressure.”  Here’s how it works:

The salt you eat gets absorbed quickly and goes into the blood.

Your body recognizes that the blood is too salty, so more water is added to the blood to dilute it (i.e. with thirst signals to make you drink more fluid). More water in the blood means more fluid your heart needs to pump and more fluid pushing against the walls of your vessels. It also sends more blood to the kidneys so the sodium can be filtered out into the urine.

This is how too much sodium increases your blood pressure. Increased blood pressure also puts a strain on your kidneys and other sensitive vessels, including critical vessels in your brain and heart.

You can counteract this effect by reducing the amount of salt you eat (from both processed foods and the salt shaker). In fact, limiting salt intake has been shown to slightly reduce blood pressure.

Pro Tip: You can reduce high blood pressure by eating more whole foods, and more mineral-rich plant foods.

Conclusion

If you are healthy and eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods, then you probably don’t need to worry about your salt intake. Feel free to add a bit of salt during cooking or at the table for flavour.

If your doctor has told you to reduce your salt or sodium intake, then you can do this by reducing your intake of processed foods, adding less salt to the food you make, and eating more plant-based foods.

Recipe (Low-Sodium): Italian Spice Mix

1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 ½ Tbsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 Tbsp. dried thyme
½ Tbsp. onion powder
½ Tbsp. garlic powder

Mix all ingredients and place in a sealed container. Sprinkle where you would normally use salt. This is especially good with Italian-style dishes.

Serve & enjoy!

Tip: Feel free to play around with the ingredients. If you dislike a spice, leave it out. If you love one, add more.

References:

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-sodium

https://authoritynutrition.com/salt-good-or-bad/

The ketogenic diet is one of the most talked about diets right now. No doubt you’ve heard of the wave of people eating a very low carb, very high-fat diet.

Many people have asked my professional opinion, so I’m covering the basics in this post.  In general, I favour any nutrition approach that is sustainable long-term. Unless of course you’re in an active healing phase, in remission from, or looking to treat a major disease (then acute changes may need to be made).

Keto is the diet of choice for many athletes who are training to meet specific a competition weight or goals.

When considering Keto, or any diet, the best thing to do is educate yourself about the benefits and drawbacks of the approach, and be realistic about whether or not it will be sustainable for you long-term. You’re looking for long-term health, so you’ll need a long-term approach, not a quick fix.

The Keto Diet has recently gained a lot of popularity in the wellness sphere because of some of its health benefits.

A ketogenic diet has been shown to help some people lose weight (yes, even with high fat). It can also help improve certain health conditions, like epilepsy in children.

Read on for some of the lowdown on how it reprograms your metabolism (for “ketosis”), and whether or not it’s something for you to consider.

What is “ketosis?”

Carbs (sugars & starches) are the preferred fuel for your brain and muscles. Your body will burn carbs first, whenever they’re available.

This is why your blood sugar can affect your attention, mood, and energy level.

However, when very low amounts of carbohydrates are available for fuel, your body starts making compounds known as “ketones.” These are your body’s “backup fuel,” which are made from fat.

Ketogenic literally means “the generation of ketones.”

After a while being on a diet very low in carbs, your blood level of ketones increases. This is the metabolic state known as “ketosis.” It’s the same process that your body goes through if you’ve fasted for 72 hours and depleted your supply of carbs as fuel. That’s the trigger for turning fat into ketones.

Note: “Ketosis” from a ketogenic diet is not the same thing as the dangerous condition known as “ketoacidosis.”

Ketogenic diet for weight loss

With a high fat intake, it may be surprising to know that studies show that a ketogenic diet is effective for weight loss.

But it’s true!

It can also have better results than low-fat diets. At least one study showed that people lost 2.2 times more weight on a ketogenic diet than those on low-fat or calorie-controlled diets.

How is this possible?

Eating a high concentration of fat and protein is filling! It helps release satiety hormones that tell us that we’re full and satisfied, and we don’t need to eat anymore. Many people don’t need to count calories or track food intake, as they do with low-fat or calorie-controlled diets.

So, by eating enough fat and protein to go into “ketosis,” you can actually feel fuller and eat less food overall. Of course, this can help with weight loss.

Ketogenic diet for improved health

Some studies show other health benefits of the ketogenic diet.

As you can imagine, having very low levels of carbs can help reduce blood sugar and insulin issues.

One study showed improved blood triglycerides (fats) and cholesterol numbers. Others show lower blood sugar levels, and even up to 75% improvement in insulin sensitivity.

Several studies show reduced seizures in epileptic children who follow a ketogenic diet.

Changing your metabolism has widespread health effects, which can be beneficial for some people.

How to do the ketogenic diet

Not everyone should go on a ketogenic diet. Make sure you speak with a trained healthcare practitioner before you try it. It can have side effects, including the infamous “keto flu.”

The ketogenic diet involves getting 60-75% of your calories from fat, 20-35% from protein, and just 5% from carbs.

Many people find it quite restrictive and are unable to stay on it for a long time. This is why I suggest thinking about your long-term health and the sustainability of this (or any other) diet approach. It’s very taxing to your system to put your body in and out of ketosis.

The foods to focus on for a ketogenic diet are meat, fatty fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, healthy oils, avocados, and low-carb vegetables (cucumber, celery, peppers, zucchini, leafy greens, etc.).

The main thing to avoid are foods that are high in carbs. These include sugary foods and desserts, grains, fruit, legumes, starchy vegetables, alcohol and “diet foods.”

And because of the limits on fruit and starchy vegetables, many people on the ketogenic diet need to take supplements. This is because, in addition to their sugar and starch, fruits and starchy veggies are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. So, if you’re cutting those foods out, you still need to give your body those nutrients. And often, that requires supplements.

Conclusion

The ketogenic diet is very popular these days. It can be helpful for weight loss, and other health conditions.

It’s not for everyone, so make sure you check with a knowledgeable practitioner before you begin.

Recipe (Ketogenic): Chocolate Matcha Mint Fat Bombs

Serves 6

½ cup Coconut oil, melted
2 Tbsp. Vital Proteins Matcha collagen peptides
¼ tsp Peppermint extract
2 Tbsp. Cocoa powder, unsweetened

Instructions

1. Mix the melted coconut oil with the collagen powder, cocoa and peppermint extract until combined.

2. Pour the mixture into six cubes of an ice cube tray. Place the ice cube tray into the fridge until completely hardened.

Serve & enjoy!

Tip: These are (high fat) super-rich desserts. Don’t eat too many if you’re not going full keto.

References:

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/ketogenic-diet

https://authoritynutrition.com/ketogenic-diet-101/

http://neurotrition.ca/blog/going-keto-what-science-saying-3-safe-ways-do-it