All women have different goals regarding how their body looks and what health means to them.
Protein is essential because it’s key to weight loss and satiety while building and maintaining muscle mass. Most literature targets men who want to grow big muscles and stay ripped.
But what about women and their needs?
Even if you don’t work out to get bulky, you still need to eat enough.
Our bodies can make some amino acids, but diet can only attain others. There are nine amino acids in total.
Protein is essential for our hair, cells, bones and connective tissue. Each gram of protein we eat contains about four calories.
It doesn’t matter if you are a child or an adult, everyone should consume protein, and women are likelier than men to eat much less.
It might be feasible because women are usually on a low-calorie diet.
It’s not always about muscle, but it’s essential.
I don’t know how old you are, but protein becomes an essential nutrient as you age.
Muscle mass tends to decline naturally; as I always say, if you don’t use it, you lose it completely. When you lose muscle mass, your metabolism slows down.
It could be the one factor that brings on the middle age bulk that most people are surprised about. Although bodybuilders usually have a more significant amount of protein to achieve their goals, you should eat enough to attain lean muscle mass that can give you a slender, tight, slimmer body shape.
Eating protein with all your essential macronutrients and lifting weights will get you that desired look.
It’s also a significant weight loss and maintenance aid.
If you don’t want to lose weight, perhaps maintenance is your goal. Whatever it might be, protein is one of the best nutrients to achieve both.
Protein keeps you complete and satisfied and prevents unnecessary snacking between meals. It also helps to minimise cravings, especially the nibbles during the 3 pm slump. Try adding protein to your breakfast to help regulate blood sugar and mood.
The other beautiful things protein does.
Protein also helps you maintain a healthy immune system to eliminate the chances of catching colds and flu. If you want to claim your fitness and weight loss goals, it’s essential to be as healthy as possible to keep working hard and striving to achieve them.
Women also need to maintain healthy bones, hair and nails.
All that protein intake helps support the primary material for connective tissue, and bone density is critical for women nearing menopause.
It’s essential to maintain bone density as you progress through the stages of menopause. Protein, exercise and lifting weights will help keep your bones strong and keep you looking young and mobile throughout your lifetime.
How much do you need?
For active women, try 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kilogram. As you can see, the higher number is best for women who lift weights or are training for an event.
Tweak and experiment according to your goals.
Some simple food sources
It’s pretty easy to get the necessary protein intake daily. Alternate your foods and add protein to all of your snacks. You could add protein, nuts, yogurt, and a protein shake to your smoothies. All of these smaller portions add up.
Chicken breast (28g)
Turkey (25g)
Steak (26g)
Greek yogurt (18g)
Cottage cheese (14g)
Soy (12g)
Vegans and vegetarians should consume more beans, pulses and legumes to ensure they attain enough protein. Variety is vital for us vegans.
Key take away
Always aim for natural, nourishing protein sources. The variety available can get a little overwhelming — but stick with the foods you enjoy and cycle them to beat food boredom.
Eat a variety of food sources to ensure you also attain the necessary nutrients. As women, we dismiss carbs for fear of weight gain — but carbs are still required.
Carb sources in moderation and using the most nutritious variety are crucial to sustaining and maintaining weight.
Overall, protein will be your best macro as you age.
Here are some recipes to help you increase your protein intake
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