Page 20 - MyMT EATS Recipe book (Proofed May 2017) (2)

Protein Plan – four times a day, every day

Over my years lecturing ‘Nutrition for Wellbeing’ to university students, the most attended
sessions were those about protein! With all the questions I have answered, I also think that this
important macronutrient was the most mis-understood food source as well.

Adequate protein intake is really important for your health, but in menopause, too much protein
puts a strain on liver function. Known in sport-science as
‘recovery-food’ for too long it has primarily been associated with
muscle recovery and growth. Whilst these are important roles of
the proteins that we eat, I want to add to these benefits and help Proteins are most critical for your
you to think about protein and the other roles that become just immune health and in this ‘Circuit
as important for maintaining your health during your menopause Breaker’ phase of your
transition. Once you understand the role that protein plays Menopause Transformation, this
internally, then I hope that this increases your attention towards is the main reason you need good
getting the right type and amount of good quality protein into quality plant proteins more than
you to assist your health and reduce inflammation during meat proteins.
menopause. Because you need a certain amount of protein four
times a day, every day.

Thousands of substances in the body are made of proteins. Amino
Acids are the building blocks for proteins and they are unique
compared to carbohydrates and fats because they contain nitrogen bonded to carbon. Plants
combine nitrogen from the soil with carbon and other elements to form amino acids. These amino
acids are linked together to make proteins.

Hence, when you eat dietary proteins, you get the nitrogen you need in a form your body can
readily use. Proteins therefore are critical to the regulation of many of your body processes, not
just muscle repair and growth. We also need proteins for blood clotting, fluid balance, hormone
and enzyme production, vision, transport of substances and cell repair.

I want you to think of proteins as healing food for your health in menopause. Your body needs 20
different amino acids to function and these are classified as ‘essential’ or ‘non-essential’. This
classification determines their quality as some sources of proteins are more useful than others.
Out of these 20 amino-acids, 11 are considered ‘non-essential’ with respect to your dietary intake
because your body can make them. The remaining 9 amino-acids cannot be made by the body.
These are the ‘essential amino acids’ and you must consume them every day.