In your busy life as a practicing lawyer, you probably feel overwhelmed, tired, unable to focus, and even depressed. You may think it is the nature of practicing law to feel this way, but a simple look at your diet might prove otherwise. You may not be eating enough protein.
Protein is made up of amino acids, which are the ‘building blocks’ of the human body. These building blocks repair the body and largely control how you feel mentally and physically. For example, protein increases focus and energy by causing the body to produce dopamine and norepinephrine, two substances that make you feel more alert and full of energy. It also causes the release of the hormone glucagon, which regulates glucose (blood sugar) levels for proper brain function. This, in turn, regulates hunger and energy levels. And because protein is more difficult to digest than carbohydrates and fats, it lasts longer in the body, suppressing hunger and satiating the appetite so you feel full after you eat and maintain that feeling longer.
Am I Eating Enough Protein?
The most common problems associated with a protein-poor diet are low energy, cravings for sweets and fats, constant hunger, and even emotional instability and depression.
Without enough protein, muscles weaken and the immune system functions less effectively. Our weakened bodies then have to work harder to perform basic bodily functions, causing us to feel tired, out of balance and unstable; we also get sick more easily, and can become depressed.
Cravings for sweets and fats are another telltale sign of inadequate protein in the diet. Similarly, feeling hungry less than two hours after a meal is also a symptom of eating too little protein. Without adequate protein, your body is unable to maintain blood sugar levels, causing you to feel hungry no matter how much you eat.
Eating too much protein isn’t healthy either; it causes constipation and sugar cravings (as opposed to sugar plus fat cravings). Meat, for example, is high in protein and fats but has no carbohydrates. Sugar is the exact opposite: it is only carbohydrates. When we crave sugar, we’re experiencing our body’s attempt to balance itself. But consuming lots of animal protein and sugar, neither of which contains water, can lead to constipation.
How Much Protein Should I Eat?
The health community is divided on how much protein we should consume.
The USDA recommends only 50 grams of protein per day. Dr. Barry Sears, author of A Week in the Zone and the popular Zone Diet, disagrees. He recommends a minimum of 75 grams per day for women and 100 grams per day for men, which should be part of a diet with a proportion of carbohydrates to fat to protein of 40%-30%-30%, respectively. Yet the accepted nutritional standard ratio of carbohydrates to fats to protein is 65%-15%-20%, respectively.
I don’t blame you for throwing up your hands in frustration and thinking, ‘Well, I might as well eat whatever I want since everyone disagrees as to what is a healthy diet.’ But if we look closely, we see that there is common ground: the correct daily amount of protein lies somewhere between 50-100 grams and 15-30% of our daily calories.
This actually makes sense. As Dr. Frank Lipman states in his book Total Renewal, everyone has a distinct genetic make-up, or ‘biochemical individuality.’ Because of these variations in our metabolism and biochemistry, no one diet or amount of protein is right for everyone.
In order to determine the proper amount of protein for you, experiment by varying the amount you consume for a week or two. Pay attention to the impact on your body, energy, mental state, hunger, and sustainability. Observe how your body responds to the food you eat and how you feel after you eat certain amounts of protein. (Use the Keep a Food Diary and Pay Attention to Breakfast pages below to guide you.)
Eat The Proper Portion Of Protein Per Meal
While the proper amount of protein on a daily basis may vary widely, the ‘per portion’ amount is approximately the same for everyone: 4 ounces of meat/6 ounces of fish for men, and 3 ounces of meat/4.5 ounces of fish for women, per meal. The body cannot utilize more protein than this at one time unless you are as active as a serious athlete.
Your hand is a perfect tool for determining the proper portion size. Dr. Barry Sears recommends eating a piece of lean animal protein no bigger and no thicker than the palm of your hand.
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