Muscle-Building Fuel (Micronutrients)

After 28 years practicing medicine and 53 of my own years on the planet, I have never seen a time where a macronutrient took as much center stage as protein. I feel like you can’t turn around without a new protein forward bar, powder or tactic being sold to you. It’s the opposite craze of the ‘fat-free-heyday’ of my youth.

And I get why my patients are always saying they are leery of too much a ‘fad’ in nutrition, that it’s bound to change. So instead of going in full force, let’s tease apart why some of this is useful for you to take on and how to do that in a realistic and sustainable way.

And let’s face it, there’s also a frustrating too-long-fad of being told to “eat less and move more” — especially in midlife — that isn’t the whole story. Because when it comes to preserving muscle, balancing hormones, and staying energized as you age, the truth is:

You can’t build strength on scarcity.

Muscle is a metabolically demanding tissue — it requires fuel. Not just any fuel, but strategic, nourishing, deeply satisfying food. The kind that supports growth, repair, and resilience.

This week, let’s shift the narrative: from restriction to rebuilding. From calorie-counting to capacity-building. From shrinking to strengthening.

Let’s talk about how to eat for strength — in real life, with real food, and always, real grace for ourselves-grace that we learn more every day and we try our best every day but have self-compassion when we fall short of our goals.

Protein

Let’s start with what gets the most attention — and often, the most confusion.

Protein isn’t just for bodybuilders or gym bros. It’s for midlife. It’s for healing. It’s for anyone who wants to stay strong, mobile, and metabolically resilient.

• It provides amino acids for muscle repair and growth

• It helps regulate appetite and blood sugar

• It supports immune function and hormonal balance

Here’s what the science says:
Most adults — especially women — aren’t eating enough protein to support muscle health. And when we do eat it, it’s often too little, too late in the day.

✅ General target: ~1.2–1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day
(For example, that’s about 90–120g/day for many midlife women — more than the RDA.) Remember, you aren’t going to get hung up on this number being the only important goal. You are going to use this to nudge yourself closer to what your body may need, especially as you get older, are lifting heavy to build muscle or are very active.

✅ Spread it out: Aim for 25–30g of protein at each meal. Your body can only use so much at once, and consistent signals help with muscle maintenance.

✅ Whole food is always the ideal:

• Eggs, yogurt, lentils, tofu, fish, poultry, beans, tempeh, lean beef

• Whey or plant-based protein powders can help if your appetite or time is limited

This isn’t about counting macros. It’s about tuning in and asking: Is my plate building me up — or breaking me down?

If you want some inspiration, I love Beth Bollinger’s plates that feature a diverse spread of phytonutrients, healthy fats and always a good serving of protein. Here’s just one example from her publication

Nest Wellness by Beth Bollinger

to see that putting together a plate of whole foods can be as beautiful as it is nutritious. You’ll see what I mean when you see the gorgeous pictures of food and how it all adds up to what your body craves.

photo diary: how to hit 30g protein without loads of meat or protein powder

So many women — especially in midlife — are unintentionally undernourished whenever it comes to protein. But it’s not your fault, there is messaging and real biology that primes this to happen:

🍳Diet culture hangover (you were praised for eating less)

🍳Busy lives (skipping meals becomes normal)

🍳Hormonal shifts that blunt appetite or make digestion harder

🍳Stress, grief, or burnout that suppress hunger cues

But undereating — especially protein and key nutrients — sends your body into conservation mode. It slows your metabolism. It breaks down muscle. It increases cravings later. Your new goal can be to reframe food as strength training from the inside out.

Does it matter when you time the protein?

Many trainers and other experts in the nutrition field espouse the studies that show eating protein after resistance training supports muscle recovery and growth — especially as we age. But the science shows that timing may not be as important. ¹²

I have my own simple rhythm and suggest you do what works for you. Your body will have the best wisdom for you.

Experiment with eating before or after movement/resistance training and see if your performance or energy change. I personally cannot eat a large amount before working out and work out much better in a fasted state in the morning. But some people do better with a light protein + carb snack before movement (ex: a banana + nut butter, yogurt, a boiled egg). I do best with eating a solid meal with protein within 1–2 hours after resistance training.

It doesn’t need to be perfect. Just intentional.

Key Nutrients for Muscle Support

Beyond protein, your body relies on micronutrients to keep muscle working and recovering well:

Magnesium: Helps with muscle contraction, recovery, and energy metabolism

🥬 Found in leafy greens, beans, nuts, whole grains, dark chocolate

Omega-3s: Reduce inflammation, may support muscle protein synthesis

🐟 Found in salmon, sardines, flax, chia, walnuts

Leucine: An amino acid that triggers muscle building

🍗 Highest in animal proteins like chicken, dairy, eggs — but also in soy and legumes

Vitamin D + B12: Essential for energy, muscle function, and nervous system support

💊 Ask your doctor about testing levels if you’re chronically fatigued or plant-based (I routinely check these levels for patients.)

🍽 A Strength-Building Plate Might Look Like...

• Grilled salmon, quinoa, roasted broccoli, olive oil drizzle

• Tofu stir-fry with brown rice, edamame, veggies, sesame seeds

• Greek yogurt parfait with berries, chia, walnuts

• A protein smoothie with greens, nut butter, frozen banana, hemp seeds

What matters most?
That your meals are built with intention. And that you leave the table feeling nourished — not punished.

You don’t have to overhaul your diet overnight. You don’t need a perfect plate or a personal chef.

Start with one of these:

✅ Add 1 more serving of protein today
✅ Rebuild a meal you usually skip (for most of my patients, this is breakfast)
✅ Ask: “What’s one small thing I can eat that helps me feel strong?”
✅ Notice where food has felt like an enemy — and see if you can shift that story
✅ Even just shifting your mindset to seeing your muscle as a metabolic organ—this is awareness that will start to change everything

Muscle doesn’t just need movement. It needs fuel. I want you to feel empowered to eat like someone whose strength matters — because it does.

As always, I love to hear you share in the comments: What’s working for you right now around food? Where are you stuck? What meal ideas help you feel nourished and strong? Give your best suggestions for others in the community. And I will see you next week when we are talking about “Muscles, Hormones, and Aging” Thank you for investing in your health journey and being here with me!

1. Arent et al. Nutrients 2020, 12, 1948.

2. Schoenfeld et al. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013 Dec 3;10(1):53