We all know we need protein in our diet – right? But, what you might not know is how much protein you should be eating to maintain or build strong muscles and bones, or the best, most affordable way to get protein into your diet.
In this article, we will cover these two important points. And because we feel protein in so powerful and yet overlooked, we want to make sure everyone reading this is motivated to start a protein program today. So, for one week only we are having a WINTER PROTEIN BLOWOUT SALE.
THIS IS OUR BIGGEST SALE EVER ON USDA ORGANIC IN.POWER PLANT AND WHEY PROTEIN POWDER AT JUST $21.95 per bag*. That means whether you just want 1 bag or 100 bags you pay just $21.95 per bag while they last. Click here to take advantage of this sale. And to sweeten the deal.. When you buy 6 or more bags of In.POWER protein we will give you a free tornado portable mixer cup ($24.95 value) so that you can make perfect smoothies on the go!
SO, SHOULD YOU BE TAKING A PROTEIN SUPPLEMENT?
So, whether we want to admit it or not, we are all getting older, and while we don’t mind getting older, we do want to make sure that we stay healthy as we age so that we can continue doing the things we enjoy for many more years to come, which for us includes writing our books and running Calton Nutrition and of course…traveling.
We were recently in St. Barths with some friends when this topic of staying healthy came up. Our friends wanted to know how we were able to travel so much and still manage to stay healthy and fit. We of course just gave them our standard answer about how we take our vitamins and fish oil everyday and eat a healthy diet. But as the conversation continued we realized that not everyone might have as much information as we do on what constitutes a “healthy diet”.
COMPARING YOUR DAILY PROTEIN INTAKE WITH PROTEIN REQUIREMENTS?
Our friends were particularly interested in how much protein they should be eating each day. With all of us being in our 40’s protein consumption is one area of our diets that becomes more important, while at the same time becomes harder to achieve due to digestive issues, food allergies, and time constraints. When we asked them how much protein they were currently consuming we were surprised to find out that they both only ate two meals a day and were consuming a fraction of the protein considered by the USDA to be the bare minimum amount required to sustain health (which is 46 grams for women and 56 grams for men).
She was taking in about 35 grams a day and he was getting about 50 grams. Some days a little more and some days a lot less when they would skip meat altogether and eat an almost a vegan diet. This is nowhere near enough protein for their active lifestyles since protein requirements can nearly double for active people. The fact is almost everyone needs (or would benefit from) more protein than they are currently consuming. The trick is to create a simple and sustainable meal plan that gives you the amount of protein you need on a daily basis.
Whether you are sitting behind a desk most of the day or are training for a triathlon studies show that you are simply not getting enough protein – especially if you are over 30. That is when a process called sarcopenia begins to occur, which is a gradual loss of muscle mass as one ages. Sarcopenia has been credited with a causing a slew of health problems, including insulin resistance, low bone mineral density, and fractures. Researchers determined that individuals who ate the most protein were best at building muscle. Specifically, those who ate double the RDA of protein, (which would be 92 grams for women and 112 grams for men). These individuals increased their rates of muscle protein synthesis (the process by which cells use protein to build muscle) and improved their net protein balance (the difference between muscle protein synthesis and protein breakdown), exactly what you want to combat muscle tissue and bone loss.
HOW WE BALANCE OUR PROTEIN DAILY …even while traveling
When our friends heard this they were shocked and wanted to know how they could get more protein into their diets, even when traveling. We explained that they didn’t have to change their diet, eat a ton of meat, or spend a lot of money. We ingest this amount of protein almost effortlessly by simply having two of our Triple Threat shakes or meal replacement snacks and two regular meal everyday. And it’s true… In the morning, whether we are at home, exploring the Amazon or sunbathing in St. Barths, we most often start our day with one of our signature Calton Nutrition Triple Threat protein shakes. This gives us between 12 grams of protein (for Mira) and 24 grams of protein (for Jayson) for our first meal. This has become even easier with our new Triple Threat Tornado Mixer Cups!
Our second meal is usually something simple like a piece of fish with a salad. One of our favorite fish is Red Snapper and 6 oz. of Red Snapper delivers 44 grams of protein (for Mira) and 8 oz. delivers 59 grams of protein (for Jayson) for lunch. Mid afternoon, around 3:00 pm, we have another Triple Threat protein shake, delivering another 12-24 grams of protein for both of us, and finally we eat a protein-based dinner. Here again, we simply eat something easy to find on almost any menu from veal Ossobuco, to a piece of chicken or maybe even a spicy Indian curry. Just as with lunch, we aim for between 6-8 oz. of protein, which delivers approximately 40-60 grams of protein. So when you add up our daily protein intake you can see that Mira consumes about 108 grams of protein while Jayson consumes about 167 grams of protein per day.
Even if our friends wanted to continue to have their meat free days and follow a more vegan diet now and again, they could simply switch from using a whey protein powder on those days to a plant protein, up the protein in their two Triple Threat shakes, and consciously work at eating meatless meals that paired foods that contain a full spectrum of amino acids and a good amount of protein.
We are happy to report that since returning home our friends have purchased a copy of The Micronutrient Miracle and have started drinking two of the Triple Threat protein shakes everyday, and they love it. She lost three pounds, even while upping her caloric intake and her cravings for sugary snacks have completely disappeared. He has reported feeling stronger than he has in years and finally breaking through many of his plateaus in the gym. And that is just the beginning of the numerous scientifically proven health benefits that getting enough protein can deliver—such as weight loss, lowered stress levels, improved mood, protection against cognitive decline, decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, lowered risk of type 2 diabetes, increased lean body mass, improved bone mineral density, boosted beneficial gut bacteria, and even inhibited growth of cancer cells.
We wrote this blog because, just like our friends, there is a good chance that you are also a little shy at getting the amount of protein you need each day to maintain your health as you age. Check out the chart below to get a better idea of about how much protein a day you want to ingest based on your weight and your activity level.
FREE PROTEIN GUIDE, RECIPES, and COUPONS!
To support you on your health journey we have made an incredible, FREE, 20-page downloadable guide that will give you all the information you will ever need to choose a high quality whey or plant based protein powder, outlines tons of amazing new research on the health benefits of protein, and gives you some of our favorite protein recipes that will make getting the protein you need as effortless as it is delicious. Don’t miss our incredible protein muffin recipe – they are soooooooo good!
Additionally, this also seemed like the perfect time to have THE BIGGEST SALE OF THE YEAR our IN.POWER Organic Whey and our IN.POWER Organic Plant protein powders. As you know we don’t do sales very often here at Calton Nutrition, but when we do it is definitely time to stock up and save big! This year we are slashing the price of our IN.POWER Organic protein powders (both whey and plant) by 50%! While supplies last you pay only $21.95 per bag.
Remember protein breaks down in the body into amino acids, which are micronutrients just like vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. Making sure you get enough protein so that you can become sufficient in your amino acids is just as important as becoming sufficient in any other micronutrient. And just to make things interesting we are going to through in a FREE Triple Threat Tornado Mixer Cup into any order of 6 or more IN.POWER Organic proteins. That’s an additional $24.95 value!
You can clearly see we really believe in the health-enhancing power of a quality protein and after reading our Free 20 page protein guide and recipe book we are sure you will too. Oh, and we almost forgot to mention one of the things we love most about both of our IN.POWER organic plant and whey proteins – not only are they made up of the absolute highest quality organic ingredients, but they tastes really, really good! Enjoy!
*THIS IS OUR BIGGEST SALE EVER ON USDA ORGANIC IN.POWER PLANT AND WHEY PROTEIN POWDER AT JUST $21.95 per bag. Free mixer cup offer valid with purchase of 6 or more bags of In.POWER protein. Not valid on previous purchases. Sale runs from February 20th, 2018 – February 26th, 2018 at midnight PST.
