I’ve talked about fats, I’ve covered carbohydrates, it would be rude to overlook the third and final macronutrient; protein. There’s probably not as much contention around protein when compared to carbs and fats – unless you’re in the body-building world of Gym Goers. I guess because we’ve been educated from a young age about the importance of eating enough of it.

Our parents called meat, fish and eggs “brain food” (or at least mine did). Our cereal boxes love to plaster the advertisement “high in protein” on the front (most likely to distract us from the number of unrecognisable ingredients listed on the back). Just about all milk cartons seem to boast “source of protein” on their labels (guess it sounds better than “source of hormones”) and protein powders certainly cycle in and out of fashion. On a commonsensical level, we just accept that protein is needed for general health maintenance. We don’t doubt or question this – and rightly so. Simply put, proteins are the building blocks of the body.

I don’t know about you, but I grew up on dinners of meat and veg. Dairy was an every day occurrence. I inherited my mum’s addiction to cashews and the Favilla’s appreciation for fresh seafood. There was no shortage of protein in my diet. It wasn’t something I went out of my way to avoid, nor eat in excess. In fact, I didn’t really think much about my intake at all … to me these options weren’t viewed as “proteins” they were just foods.

Let’s nerd out for a sec …

On a chemical level, proteins are chains of amino acids joined together by peptide bonds. In the body they are a foundational structural component to all cells and thus crucial for muscle growth and repair. There are plenty of other roles different amino acids play within the body, but collectively and to keep this post simple, let’s stick to the notion of muscle health and maintenance.

Amino acids are divided into three categories;

Essential – The body simply can’t manufacture them. We need to source them from our foods. A food that contains all of the essential amino acids is considered a “complete” protein.

Conditionally Essential – Some amino acids are essential at certain times in our lives, such as infancy where we don’t produce the amino acid histidine. Then at other stages we produce them no worries. Sometimes due to illness or stress we churn through so many that we can’t produce enough by our own accord, and so we must be sourcing extra from our diet.

Non-essential – The body can make these no problems. However, it never hurts to help the body out and source them from your diet as well.

Where do I find protein? Virtually all foods, to some degree, contain protein. The richest sources are fish, meat, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains.

Are all these foods sources of “complete” protein? Sadly no. Animal products are the main sources of complete proteins, with the exception of a few plant foods (correct me if I’m wrong but I believe that the quinoa grain and chia seed are complete protein sources).

Does this mean I “have to” eat animal proteins? Not necassarily … if you’re careful to combine two incomplete proteins together at most meals or just throughout the day (i.e. brown rice with a cashew nut and veggie stir-fry, a trail mix containing a selection of your favourite nuts and seeds, buckwheat porridge at breakfast and then a homemade chickpea curry or falafel at lunch etc.), then you’ll likely end up getting all the essential amino acids you need without hassle. So vegetarians and vegans aren’t “doomed”, they just have to be a bit more conscious of their intake, where others can be a bit more flexy.

What happens if I don’t eat enough protein? There is a long-winded answer here but I’ll save us both time and give you the elevator pitch. If you don’t get enough protein from your diet, your body will call upon the stores in your tissues. This is called atrophy (breakdown), and you can notice it where muscles appear considerably weaker, smaller and less toned than they were previously. The body starts breaking down the extremities –  that aren’t as essential for life (scrawny arms and legs are a tell-tale sign). Eventually your body will ‘eat’ you organs; heart, brain etc. (this is not a state you want to find yourselves in lovely ones!)

What happens if I eat too much protein? Basically it places unnecessary stress on the body, particularly the kidneys. You see the bi-products of protein digestion, if they begin to accumulate in the system, can be quite toxic indeed. If we eat our fill, no more, no less, these bi-products are no biggie, our kidneys just filter them out and they leave us in a stream of urine (ah yes I can picture it now). However if we eat excessive amounts of protein day after day and don’t have a specific need for this increase, the body will ask “WHAT da farrrkkkk is this??? I have enough of your shit to take care of without having to process this unnecessary and excessive ammonia” (and judging by that language your body means business, it’s nobody’s fool!)

What does this mean for the layman? It means that as always, life is easiest if you eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods, including an abundance of your favourite veggies!

Honestly, who has time to learn the specific amino acid breakdown of each individual food in their diet? And even if you did learn it, do we really want to be drawing upon this knowledge at each and every meal? There’s no need to get obsessive about this stuff, especially if you eat at least one of the following foods most days; fish, organic meat and/or poultry, organic full-fat dairy and organic eggs. If you choose to abstain from animal products, then maybe you need to be a bit more conscious, but so long as your digestive system is working well and you’re eating a variety of different wheat-free and GMO-free grains and/or soaked and sprouted legumes and/or nuts and seeds, even you should be okay for the most part.

“Protein quality really matters, as does listening to your cravings … it’s surprising how intuitive your body can be”

We all seem to have protein-rich foods that we gravitate towards over others. I’m a salmon (or ocean trout) girl through and through. I adore my nuts and seeds. Before gallstones (that were surgery and not diet-induced) I loved eggs in these muffins and some organic slow-cooked chicken, lamb and ox-tail with lots of veggies and salad. I’ve always detested steak, chicken-breast, canned fish and most forms of legumes – they just don’t work for me. Before my liver disease depleted me of my dairy-loving microbes, some quality full-fat cheddar cheese or greek yoghurt and even plain milk seemed quite agreeable too.

The important thing is to choose the protein-rich foods that you love and buy the best quality you can afford. If your digestion is a bit up the creek, soaking and sprouting plant-proteins can help you assimilate these beautiful foods that bit easier. There will be times where you might need more protein than others and generally your body will let you know (you know the “chicken-feels” or “greek yoghurt obsessions”?). Likewise, there might be times where your body is prioritising other foods and not asking for as much of the protein-rich stuff (those days where only lashings of veggies will do).

Which brings us to the bottom line …

• Choose the protein-rich foods that you love the most and don’t feel the need to eat others that don’t appeal to you – remember your cravings can be directly related to what your body needs, and inversely, your aversions to what you do not!
• Eat your fill – just because protein is a really important nutrient, it doesn’t mean the more the better, your body can only handle so much at one time
• When choosing meats; organic, free-range and cuts with connective tissue still intact, are more ethical and provide a diverse range of amino acids
• When choosing eggs, organic will always be most nutritious
• When choosing dairy: organic full-fat is where it’s at
• Grains and legumes are best soaked overnight and rinsed before cooking to remove enzyme inhibitors so you’ll absorb the nutrients from your meal more easily
• Nut and seeds, if staples in your diet, are more easily digested if they are activated

For further reading, check out my posts on the most responsible way to live a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle (so many young women seem to be living a plant-based lifestyle these days, and aren’t always educated about how to do it without depleting their beautiful bodies of vital nutrition) and also my article concerning the “gym culture” of “protein obsession” and how it might be doing us more harm than good (mum’s of muscle-obsessed teenage boys, this one is for them to read)