Protein Needs and Physical Movement for Healthspan
Disclaimer: Please remember this blog post is for inspiration purposes only, and to ignite your curiosity.
To pursue a long and healthy life is the fundamental aspiration of many of us. To reach our highest potential and optimal health, we need the right fuel so that our bodies can repair and rebuild the cells. Proper nutrition - getting enough macronutrients and essential micronutrients - is key to our long-term health and wellbeing. What we consume and how much has an instrumental role in this intricate renewal process of our cells. Furthermore, to strengthen and tone our bodies, we also need to stay physically active.
There is this vigorous on-going debate on how much and what type of protein we need to reach our fullest potential. Some health experts believe we would be better off by following high protein diets whilst others believe higher amounts of protein would lead to premature aging and chronic diseases. One thing is sure, though, all the macronutrients - carbohydrates, fats, and proteins - do have a relevant role in our diets. The other question that often goes hand in hand with nutrition is what type of exercise or physical activity would maximise our health and wellbeing: strength or cardio training? High impact or low impact training? Or a little bit of everything?
Protein - The Building Blocks Of Life
Protein is a macronutrient and it’s all about structure. Proteins are the building blocks for our muscles, bones, hair, skin, nails, enzymes, and many of the most important hormones in the body. Proteins are also essential for our brain health. The brain uses protein-rich foods to produce neurotransmitters that are needed for brain-cell communication. Even studies show how protein-rich diets are associated with less cognitive decline. When we get enough protein we have more balanced blood sugar, more mental clarity, and better body composition.
We often talk about protein even though to be more specific we are interested in the tiny building blocks of proteins, also known as amino acids. There are 20 different amino acids, nine of which are essential that our bodies cannot make on their own and thus, we need to get them from food. The rest are non-essential amino acids that our bodies can synthesize. Even non-essential amino acids can become conditionally essential during certain physiological growth periods like during pregnancy and adolescent growth when the body has so many other responsibilities that it cannot synthesize these otherwise non-essential amino acids in sufficient amounts.
If we only consume carbohydrate-heavy foods, we will shortly feel hungry again because carbohydrates get broken down into simple sugars relatively fast. Still, carbohydrates from real, whole foods - like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains - are great because unlike highly-processed carb-rich foods (products from white flour and wheat, and foods with added sugar), carbs from unprocessed foods come with fiber. Fiber helps to keep our blood sugar levels more stable so that we don’t need to go through blood sugar spikes. Nevertheless, as a source of energy, proteins are much slower and longer lasting than carbohydrates. Proteins are complex molecules and take much longer to digest in the stomach. For instance, when I know that I have a long day ahead of me and several classes to teach, I make sure that I eat enough protein earlier in the day so that I will have enough slow-burning energy until the evening. This could mean foods like tofu, chia pudding, or protein-rich nuts like almonds.
How Much Protein Do We Need?
There are different types of recommendations but the current official recommendation is to get at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. These are minimum recommendations to avoid nutritional deficiencies, and they do not guarantee that we would reach our optimal health. We all have our bio-individual protein needs which are affected by various factors like age, sex, physical activity, state of health, body composition, individual goals, etc. Like during the time of infection our bodies need more amino acids so that our bodies can recover, and similarly we need more amino acids when we want to gain more muscle.
To give you examples of this on-going, often heated protein debate, I'll share with you the views of a couple of famous health experts. Peter Attia, MD, recommends in his book, Outlive, getting the minimum of 1.6g/ kg/ day of protein which is twice the RDA (recommended daily allowance). For active healthy people he recommends 2.2.g/ kg/ day as a starting point. On the other hand, some longevity experts like David A. Sinclair, Ph.D. believe quite the opposite, meaning that way less protein would be better for our healthspan. In his book, Lifespan, he even explains that all essential amino acids aren’t equal, and how protein drinks may be preventing the mTOR pathway from providing its longevity benefits because protein drinks are very high in certain amino acids like leucine. Yes, we need some amounts of these essential branched-chain amino acids but even studies have shown how a decreased consumption of branched-chain amino acids can improve markers of metabolic health significantly.
Peter Attia clearly represents those experts who advocate high-protein, more meat-based diets whereas David Sinclair is known for advocating plant-based diets. Having said that, it’s good to be aware of the ideological differences behind their recommendations and doing your own research, and trying how your own body feels and functions on a daily basis with different amounts and types of protein.
The Best Protein Sources
I think the quality of protein is at least as important as the quantity of protein. The right type of protein is what makes you feel satisfied, and aligns with your values. Personally I prefer eating plant-based or vegan and this is how I have been thriving for over a decade. It’s true though that animal protein contains all the essential amino acids in one package and that the distribution of amino acids in plants is not the same as in animal protein. Yet, there isn’t a single amino acid that we couldn’t get by consuming a variety of plant-based foods.
If you choose to eat foods from animal sources, it’s important to choose high quality, organic foods as much as possible to avoid growth hormones and other toxins. Although the same goes when choosing plant foods. Highly processed fake animal products (like vegan meats and cheeses) are not health foods and, in my opinion, we should limit them. These junk foods have low nutritional value and they often come with weird processed oils, chemicals, added salt and sugar. I think it’s very sad that the highly-processed fake foods are often labeled as “plant-based” or “vegan” which sounds healthy for many. Remember that french fries and many sweets are often vegan too. “Vegan” is not the synonym for healthy. The wonderful thing is that there are real plant foods that contain all the essential amino acids making them complete protein sources. These are foods like: pseudo-grains (amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat), tofu, tempeh, edamame, spirulina, hemp seeds, and chia seeds. So, yes, it is absolutely possible to thrive on a plant-based or vegan diet. The key is to eat real, whole foods in abundance!
Optimal Exercise Routine For Healthspan
When it comes to promoting our healthspan, exercise is the most powerful lifestyle intervention against chronic diseases - and the best tool to keep us functionally young. Even studies show that those who exercise regularly live as much as a decade longer than sedentary people. The more aerobically fit we are, the easier our daily activities will be - whether it’s carrying groceries, working in the garden, having fun with friends and family, climbing stairs - anything!
Regular exercise is essential for our physical health: it helps to build muscle, keeps our bones strong, improves our cardiovascular health, and so on. It’s very easy to ignore the importance of our muscle and bone health when we are relatively young and agile but it’s important to start building your body for your future health now. For instance, our bone mineral density tends to peak by the age 30, but it’s never too late to make a positive change! Exercise can also ease the symptoms of mental health issues like stress and depression by releasing feel good chemicals, dopamine and serotonin. Especially more holistic methods like yoga - where physical practice is combined with deep breathing - have many mental health benefits such as reduced anxiety and depression.
Like nutrition, exercise can be a very confusing area. Ideally you would combine cardio, strength, and mobility training. Aerobic or cardio exercise is anything that gets your heart and lungs - as well as your large muscle groups - work harder. This can be things like running, cycling, swimming, or brisk walking. Personally I love brisk walking in nature because it also helps me to calm my mind and I can let my mind wander. I don’t do anything crazy intense but that’s because teaching yoga and Pilates already keeps me active daily.
Strength or resistance training builds muscle tone and keeps our bones healthy. Many studies have shown that weight-bearing exercises can prevent and even increase bone mineral density. Resistance training is anything that makes our muscles work harder against a weight or force. As a general rule, high-impact physical activities tend to have a more significant effect than low-impact activities - and only the bones that bear the weight will get the benefits. For instance, running strengthens the bones in the lower body. You don’t need to get a gym membership or hire a personal trainer to get started. You can start with your own body weight by holding a plank or doing push ups, and later add weights, pull-up bars, resistance bands, or start carrying a heavier backpack. For example, I don’t like lifting heavy weights, but I like to use classical Pilates equipment with springs and I do a lot of plank exercises and tricep push ups to build my upper body and wrist strength.
Mobility training keeps us flexible and agile. Yoga and Pilates are great and so is functional training where you move with your breath. As a Pilates instructor I am more than biased, but in my opinion Pilates is the best exercise method out there for a well-rounded workout that improves our strength, flexibility, and mobility at the same time. When we flow with control through a sequence of Pilates exercises we can connect to our bodies and minds - and generate more stable and safe movement. All the small, yet effective Pilates movements tone and strengthen the body the right way. Almost any exercise is better than doing nothing at all. Start giving your body the love and care that it needs so that you can reach your full potential!
Sending you so much love and peace!
Resources:
Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity by Dr. Peter Attia
Lifespan: Why We Age and Why We Don’t Have To by David A. Sinclair, PhD