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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. 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 you to
think about protein and the other roles that become just as important for maintaining your health
during your menopause transition. Once you understand the role that protein plays internally,
then I hope that this increases your attention towards getting the right type and amount of good
quality protein into you to assist your health and reduce
inflammation during menopause. Because you need a certain
amount of protein four times a day, every day.
Proteins are most critical for your
Thousands of substances in the body are made of proteins. Amino immune health and in this ‘Circuit
Acids are the building blocks for proteins and they are unique Breaker’ phase of your
compared to carbohydrates and fats because they contain Menopause Transformation, this
nitrogen bonded to carbon. Plants combine nitrogen from the soil is the main reason you need good
with carbon and other elements to form amino acids. These quality plant proteins more than
amino acids are linked together to make proteins. meat 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.

Whilst eating a balanced diet mostly supplies you with sufficient essential and non-essential
amino-acids, sometimes as you transition through menopause, you need to have a bit more focus
on the type, timing and amount of proteins you are eating. This is because if you don’t eat
enough essential amino acids, your body might struggle to conserve what essential amino acids it