3 Things Everyone Should Know About Protein

Here are 3 things everyone should know about protein.

1. Protein Increases Fullness and Reduces Hunger

Protein makes you feel the most full out of all the macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, fats). Protein physically affects the hormones in your body to make you feel this way. When you eat foods that contain more protein, a hormone called ghrelin (the hunger hormone) is reduced. When you eat more protein, ghrelin is reduced, and you feel more full (as seen in this randomized controlled trial).

When your body’s hormones are signaling to you that you’re full, you are much less likely to have an increased appetite and cravings throughout the day.

Don’t believe me? Try it out yourself. Instead of a bagel and cereal for breakfast, replace the cereal with some scrambled eggs and turkey bacon. See how you feel throughout the day.

2. Protein Promotes/Preserves Muscle Mass

Our muscles are like pure gold. They keep us young and strong, and help prevent injury. They increase bone density. They also burn more calories to maintain (making it so you can eat more – yay). Muscles are pretty much the closest thing we can get to the fountain of youth. Besides botox.

Proteins are the building blocks of muscle. The older we get, the less muscle we start to have, so being deficient in protein isn’t going to do us any favors. Eating more protein helps preserve muscle we already have, and promotes muscle building when we are exercising/strength training.

Getting enough protein is also super important if you’re trying to lose weight. You don’t want to lose muscle (again, pure gold), so keeping your diet high in protein will help your body hold onto its muscle while you burn fat (read more).

3. Protein Helps With Consistent Energy

Ever feel like taking a nap around 3 pm? Get a little brain fog randomly throughout the day? Have a burst of energy after eating lunch, just to crash 30 minutes later? Eating more protein with your meals can help avoid this.

Eating fast-digesting carbohydrates alone can cause your blood sugar to spike, resulting in a crash later. This is why you probably feel like your energy levels are all over the place. Make sure you get plenty of protein and some healthy fats in with each meal to avoid this. You will feel more consistently energized.

Read more on how protein gives you sustained energy here.

There are plenty of other benefits of protein, which you could easily spend all day reading about. But these 3 are at the top of my list. Yes, protein has been so hyped up, it’s almost hard to believe it’s not just a trend we’ll soon forget about. But I’m here to tell you from my own experience that I feel more full, hold onto more muscle, and have more stable energy when I prioritize protein in my diet.

It really does help you become the strongest version of yourself.