A quick look - Are YOU getting enough Protein? Here is a quick 30g of protein snack!

Hello My Happy Blog Readers :)

A bunch of you are working hard through the 6-week low back program and it's so inspiring to see you all getting right to it.  I'm looking forward to our first Q&A call together in our private community, stay tuned!  I'll be sending out a link for the bi-weekly calls soon. 

Let's get to the hot topic: protein intake!  I scoured the latest available evidence for you.  You may want to save this email to refer back to. 

Protein requirements can vary depending on a person's age, gender, weight, height, and physical activity level. 

As a general rule, the World Health Organization recommends that adults consume 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. 

However, this amount is considered the minimum recommended intake and may not be sufficient for people who are physically active or who have higher energy needs.

For healthy active people, protein requirements may be higher. The American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend that adults who engage in regular endurance or strength-training exercise consume 1.2 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. 

This is equivalent to 0.54 to 0.77 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day.  For a 140lb person this equates to 76-108…

Hold your horses…this is TOO LOW! 

I’m sharing this with you because that’s what the research on the internet will tell you. You have to dig deeper sometimes (or all the time)!  I’m here to help you sift though all of the info out there.  

Dr Stacey Simms, who is well respected in the sports nutrition and physiology world, recommends the following breakdown.

How much protein do you need in a day?

• For strength/power phases of training: 1.0-1.2 grams of protein/lb 
• For endurance phases (and those doing the 6 week program and/or recovering from injury): 0.8-1.0 grams of protein/lb 
• For optimal recovery, try to take in 25-30 grams of protein within the first half hour (women) and first 2 hours (men) post training session 
• For a light or non-training day: 0.75-0.8 grams/lb.

My current phase of life/training is: _____________________

My weight in pounds is: _______________________________

My protein need is (weight in lbs) x (grams of protein requirements):

____________________________________________________

I challenge you to put yourself first and DO the work!  Take the 2 mins it takes to calculate your requirements, write it down, and do the tracking.

My fave app to track is called “My Fitness Pal.”  I don’t have any affiliation with them, it’s just an app I’ve used over the years and recommend to clients.  

This is NOT something to get obsessed with and I would say just avoid the calorie count all together.  Focus on the protein.  Track yourself for a week when you are in your usual routine to get a good cross section of your daily intake.  Then come back to it when you need a refresher. 

In the meantime try whipping up this delish fruit dip (my fave with apples) that packs a good  30g of protein per serving!  Start the car...and you only need a few ingredients, which you probably already have at home.  

Love you and leave you, if you love this kind of content join us for weekly goods delivered to your inbox at www.physiojulie.com

Until next time, keep moving and I'll chat with you all later xoxo

PT Julie