*Prioritize Protein
There’s one thing that I know everyone can benefit from in here nutritionally, and that is prioritizing protein at every meal.
Why? Welp, when you workout with us, your muscles breakdown and the protein that you ingest helps rebuild those muscles. More specifically, the body breaks down those grams of protein into essential amino acids which will help those muscles rebuild into stronger versions of themselves via a process known as “muscle protein synthesis” (which could be it’s own blog post!).
Basically, protein helps you get stronger and build more muscle (which is also that “lean” and “toned” look you’re going for!).
But one of the other things that it helps out with big time? IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTION. That’s right, the protein you intake not only helps you build better muscles, but also helps fight off viral and bacterial infections. Antibodies rely on protein and the subsequent amino acids to fuel the fight for your well being.
More protein –> better muscles and less chance of getting sick.
Bonus tip: higher servings of lean protein will also help you stay full for longer, meaning you aren’t going to catch the hongries as often. If you’re staying more satiated, it’s easier to say no to the extra snacks, the larger servings, etc etc. So keeping protein as a prioritization in your diet will also help you keep calories lower and help you lose weight!
Basically, you want to be besties with protein at each meal. The Recommended Daily Intake for a sedentary human is .36 grams per pound of bodyweight. This is too low for us strength and conditioning folks. If you’re working out 3-4 times a week, we would recommend .6-.8 grams per pound of bodyweight a day.
If you don’t want to get into the dirty deets of tracking, try and have a palm size portion of a lean protein at each meal.
Good lean protein sources:
- Chicken breast
- Pork Tenderloin
- Pork chops
- White-fleshed Fish
- Greek yogurt
- Lean beef/turkey beef (93/7 or leaner)
- Shrimp
- Bison
- Lean and clean protein powder (if you need a good one, we have them at Yellow Rose!)
Prioritize your protein, make muscular gains, stay fuller for longer, and keep that immune system churning!
-Coach Clark
#YouCanDoThis
