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The Problem With Protein

nutrition Sep 18, 2021

Is Protein Important?  

Most people equate protein with muscle.  

But the amino acids from protein, which means “first” or “primary” by the way, are responsible for helping us build the hundreds of thousands of proteins our body needs for optimal health. 

Things like neurotransmitters, channels, receptors, hormones, immune system proteins – they are all made from amino acids, which are from protein. 

If we don’t supply amino acids in the diet, our body breaks its own proteins down to provide them. 

In other words, making sure you (and your patients) have adequate protein intake should be one of the first health checkpoints to consider. 

How Much Protein Do You Need?   

The RDA, and just about every primary authority, tells us 0.8 g/kg body weight is all we need to be healthy.  

But that is only enough to prevent deficiency.  

The fitness industry tells us to eat one gram per pound, but that is mostly for muscle growth, fat loss, or both.  

We’ve got the vegans telling us plant protein is the way to go. Of course, this counters Team Paleo, who loves red meat.  

Then, weighing in from the corner, we’ve got the Keto crowd, advising not to eat too much protein because it will knock you out of ketosis.  

What’s the deal?! 

Scientific studies are demonstrating that there is an evidence-based optimal protein amount our patients and clients need to be healthy, and it’s quite a bit higher than the RDA.  

Good. So, we should eat more protein, right? 

Not so fast. 

The Problem with Protein

Most people don't talk about it (or maybe they don't like to), but dietary protein consumption increases acidity in the body. 

Acidity is implicated in numerous chronic diseases and leads to things like bone loss, muscle breakdown, insulin resistance, and kidney stones.

Because of this, we can’t just start shoveling in truckloads of protein either. 

As with everything, there is a balance. 

What is the Best Protein Recommendation? 

For optimal health, we need to provide the body with enough protein while protecting it from acidity. 

Arguably, this is one of the first dietary interventions we need to consider.

It’s not hard to do. 

Step 1: Toss the trendy protein prescriptions out the window. They may work for some people looking to achieve certain goals, but they don’t work for all. And most of all, they’re questionable for your health when using long-term. 

Step 2: Use an evidence-based protein recommendation and tailor it to individual needs.

Step 3: Calculate individualized buffer amount to protect from acidity.

You can learn this entire advanced protein strategy in just 60 minutes.

We provide all the science, the calculations, and even a cheat sheet to make it as simple as possible: all you need to do is start helping people with it!

(And no, you don’t need to be a math whiz to do this.)

Dr. Kang watched it and said, “Extremely helpful. I have been wondering what could be the balancing pivot for especially older adults who should be ingesting slightly higher amounts of protein but yet be able to mitigate age-related bone loss risks. This clinical content session answered the question. Dr. Walsh has done it again, by translating evidence-based insights into practical clinical implementation that we could use immediately.”

Chris just watched it and said, "This should be 101 level teaching for anyone studying to be a healthcare practitioner. I tremendously appreciate the insights presented here." 

Learn this Advanced Protein Strategy

Why not get this fundamental piece of the puzzle down for every one of your patients?  

Because anyone can Google, "How much protein do I need?" and get an answer. As health professionals, we must provide better information than that.

Learn this, and so much more in our clinical mentorship, Clinician's Code. where we help practitioners build confidence, cut overwhelm, and become successful in Functional Medicine. Learn more and apply here. 

"I LOVE everything about these presentations. It makes me excited to practice. 😊" - Sadie

"This is incredible information Dr. Walsh." - Carrie

"Another outstanding presentation...Thank you!" - Fernando

"You ground me from all the FM Hype out there, which is mostly messy, biased, and FOMO driven. Please keep doing what you're doing. Your work is benefiting so many patients around the globe. Truly blessed to be amongst your students. Much love ❤️" - Khaled 

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