The Food Medic - Ask Dr Hazel E8: AM I GETTING ENOUGH PROTEIN?

Episode Date: February 25, 2022

This episode covers protein needs, sources and advice to ensure you’re getting the right amount. Check out www.thefoodmedic.co.uk for further reading. If you loved this episode make sure to give it a review, rating (hopefully 5 stars) and share it with your friends and family. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Instacart. Groceries that over-deliver. Hello, hey sir. How do I know if I need more protein in my diet thank you very much okay so how do i know if i need more protein in my diet so true protein deficiency is not very common especially in developed countries and in the western world so assuming you have enough calories in your diet your diet is relatively balanced it's likely that you're getting sufficient protein to avoid deficiency at least that said where we can we obviously want to optimize health and not just meet our basic needs so why do we need protein protein is not just for bodybuilders or people in the gym yes it does help build and

repair muscles but it's also needed to support healthy cartilage ligaments skin hair and nails and lots of other tissues as well as making important enzymes hormones and antibodies or our defense cells for the immune system so So protein deficiency can affect almost all aspects of body function and as a result it's associated with many symptoms. So I'm assuming that you're not deficient but how much do you actually need? Well the recommended amount for general population is 0.75 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Those who exercise regularly are advised to consume a little more so that's between roughly 1.4 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day and that should be consumed as 20 to 40 grams every three to four hours across the

day and then older adults may also benefit from higher protein intake to help them maintain muscle mass so around 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight however I know that weighing your food isn't always practical it's not something that I necessarily recommend and so a good rule of thumb is ensuring you're getting roughly a palm-sized portion of protein at mealtime. So that might be a chicken breast, a fillet of fish, two boiled eggs or a third to a half of a block of tofu. And also you can think about snack times as well to get in some protein. So things like Greek yogurt, edamame beans, nuts and seeds, they're all great sources. Especially if you're quite an active person,

just be a bit more conscious of when you're having protein across the day. So what are some other good sources? I think when people think about protein they just naturally think of animal products, meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy. Yes they're all great sources but plant-based foods also contain protein so think of including some pulses like beans peas lentils and chickpeas soya based products like soya milk and tofu seitan and wheat protein something like corn and also plant-based protein powders but what I'll say about that is protein supplements are not necessary but they can be convenient and helpful for some people. But always make sure to stick to a high quality and batch tested brand.

Personally, I like to use them more out of convenience. I also like the taste of them, but I wouldn't rely on them solely for your protein intake. The other thing is, if you are vegan and vegetarian, you should aim to consume a variety of different protein sources across the day so you're getting lots of different amino acids and any of the sources that I mentioned would be great for that. So to summarize it's likely you're meeting your basic needs as proteins fend in lots of foods but to optimize your diet ensure you're getting a source of protein during mealtimes plus or minus snacks and if you're vegan or veggie include a variety of protein sources across the day hopefully that answers your question thank

you again and if anyone listening would like to submit a question for their chance to feature in the podcast please send your voice recorded questions to ellie at thefoodmedic.co.uk again if you are enjoying this season I would love if you could take some time to leave a rating and perhaps a review and share this episode or another episode with someone you think will enjoy it thank you so much I'll see you again next time