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'm so honored to be highlighted by someone whose work in metabolic health I deeply admire. The community you've built around understanding and optimizing our health is truly inspiring. Together, we're showing that eating for our wellbeing doesn't mean sacrificing beauty, flavor, or joy. I am so happy that you called out the importance of protein - it's such a foundational piece for metabolic health and satiety. Thank you for all you do to educate and empower us!🧡
The feeling is mutual. I truly wanted my community to see how beautiful your plates are because there's a myth that protein forward plates are meat centered. Your diversity and attention to whole health is what I want my patients and community to be inspired by!
This means so much coming from you! You're absolutely right - there's such a misconception that protein-forward means meat-heavy and monotonous. I'm passionate about showing that we can prioritize protein while still creating vibrant, plant-rich plates that nourish every part of our health. I love that we're both working to shift these outdated ideas about healthy eating.
I'm so excited that you'll be joining us as a guest expert in The Blood Sugar Method course on July 10th! Your holistic approach to metabolic health and the incredible community you've built will be such a gift to our members. Thank you for championing this message and for all the important work you do!🧡
Wini, good question. Eggs are a wonderful source of protein and B12, choline and other brain food nutrients. They also don't raise your cholesterol the way other foods with trans and saturated fats do. Guidance from more recent studies have shown that you can have somewhere around 7 eggs a week without a change in your risk of heart disease. (There's some debate on the exact number if you have diabetes.) Eggs are one of those foods I would not worry about. I also would not worry about rising "good" cholesterol, HDL. That is great if it's at a good level. You're not my patient so I don't have your full blood work or full health picture but there's almost always other factors at play than eggs as a source of trouble for your cholesterol. Good job leaning on the leaner meats and fish as well. Hope that helps.
Thank you for the health information you share for women. I will be sharing this one about the importance of protein intake with my daughters, who both just entered their 40s. Personally, I wonder if you have written about collagen and creatine in our diets. Is there any reason to consider adding them if I’m eating whole, minimally processed foods for my diet?
Jeanne I’m so glad you asked this! Someone asked about creatine before and I really meant to add that in, oops! But honestly there’s so much new research that I think I’ll do a separate post on this. And I’ll add collagen in there too. So appreciate the questions so I know how to serve the community better.
Tanmeet, I also have been reading about the benefits of intermittent fasting. At times, I have fast from dinner to lunch. I can’t get to my protein target when I fast. Also, I am very challenged to even hit 90 grams of protein a day - 75 can even be a challenge. What are your thoughts about fasting and protein? Second question, should I add a snack to get to 90 grams a day? Thanks!
Tracey I agree. I used to fast longer than I do now. Now I just do 12-13 hours between dinner and my first meal. So that I can get enough calories and more fiber as well as protein. And I’m with you. Getting that high amount of protein is challenging! I give myself grace and remember it’s all a process. And I recommended Beth Bollinger for a reason. She really makes eating fiber and protein forward meals appetizing and still prioritizes plant diversity. Check her out and let me know what you think.
Super interesting and helpful post — thank you, Tanmeet! I agree it's an odd time for protein in the limelight. I appreciate the ideas for food options (salmon, greek yogurt, nut butter all are on my regular rotation) and the non-shaming of protein powder use (which, for assorted health reasons, I add on). Thanks for being so kind and thorough in your explanations.
Thank you also for introducing us to Beth Bollinger. I'm so intrigued that she aims for 10 grams of fiber per meal, and am excited to learn how she does that!
I started tracking my food in order to increase my percentage of protein, to about 100g per day at body weight 142. Then I was able to increase my deadlift to a weight I wouldn't have attempted a few weeks ago. And I stopped craving peanut butter too, so maybe I'll slim down just a touch!
Dr. Sethi, it's so funny that I'm reading this article today because it definitely applies. I don't know if anyone's ever had their holistic nurse practitioner to tell them to eat more quality or what we call good fat and more calories! I live on 10 acres and take care of my mom's home which is 4000 ft.² and takes about six hours to clean my home and all the property all by myself and I'm 64. I say that not because 64 years old because it certainly isn't well I guess depending on your health. With the hotter months here it is really hard for me to eat like I normally do and I do eat according to my DNA and it's worked very well for me.. but I really crave more electrolytes and fluids do to the hours. I work outside and the amount of perspiration that I lose in the heat. I actually eat three steaks a week normally before the summer months and I also take supplements due to the depletion of the soil, although I try to get almost all my nutrients in my food when possible. The work that I do on the 10 acres requires a use of chainsaw lifting up objects as much as 40 to 50 pounds of course leveraging and watching my back because I have herniated disc in my cervical and lumbar spine, but I do all the precautions and necessary things to prevent any type of surgery. In 2020 they wanted to do surgery on my cervical spine and I said there's no way you're touching my cervical spine unless I become incontinent of bowel or bladder and or I'm paralyzed.. I've worked in the system for almost 29 years of my career and I know exactly what happens and I'm not saying that sometimes those things aren't needed, but there are thousands of ways around it if we know what to do and do it.
Back to the fuel for the body though you're 100% right and the other thing is that if I don't eat enough for my activities, I will actually gain weight because the body will start storing . I've experimented with this for a couple decades, and it rings true every time so now what I'm eating those colder dishes according to my DNA I will add the highly beneficial or neutral meats etc if I don't, I get myself in trouble and it's happened. I'm more than one occasion and it's not intentional so I have to plan in the summer months.
Thank you for such a wonderful article and for what you're doing here on substack 🙏
I forgot to mention one thing hormone balance- I had a TVH with BSO in 2000 and I won't go into all the reasons why, but I do take topical bioidentical HRT and it's based on my labs that are drawn. I don't walk into a health food store and grab a bottle of DHEA, estrogen or progesterone like a lot of people do and I just wanna let people know that is very dangerous because in my 30s I did those things. So adding to what I stated above, I wanted to say that following my food plan for the summer helps keep my hormones balanced.
Such a practical approach vs. the typical "just start eating 1g of protein for your bodyweight" -- I used to do that back in my bodybuilding days but something changed with my gut over the last decade of chronic stress and now I find that trying to eat more protein is *really* tough. I'm working on it, but it's slooooow.
What many people don't realize is that after age 50 we generally require more protein, not less. Most older people eat smaller portions of food, don’t get enough high-quality protein, and exercise less. That contributes to sarcopenia and subsequent frailty, making exercise more difficult. Even worse, when they end up in an assisted living facility, they are given high-calorie, "diabetes promoting" diets to keep them from losing weight. Do you have any senior-specific suggestions?
I'm so honored to be highlighted by someone whose work in metabolic health I deeply admire. The community you've built around understanding and optimizing our health is truly inspiring. Together, we're showing that eating for our wellbeing doesn't mean sacrificing beauty, flavor, or joy. I am so happy that you called out the importance of protein - it's such a foundational piece for metabolic health and satiety. Thank you for all you do to educate and empower us!🧡
The feeling is mutual. I truly wanted my community to see how beautiful your plates are because there's a myth that protein forward plates are meat centered. Your diversity and attention to whole health is what I want my patients and community to be inspired by!
This means so much coming from you! You're absolutely right - there's such a misconception that protein-forward means meat-heavy and monotonous. I'm passionate about showing that we can prioritize protein while still creating vibrant, plant-rich plates that nourish every part of our health. I love that we're both working to shift these outdated ideas about healthy eating.
I'm so excited that you'll be joining us as a guest expert in The Blood Sugar Method course on July 10th! Your holistic approach to metabolic health and the incredible community you've built will be such a gift to our members. Thank you for championing this message and for all the important work you do!🧡
I'm curious what you think about cholesterol in our quest for protein. I adore eggs, but ... cholesterol!
I try to eat leaner meats and fish, but no matter what I tend to have rather high cholesterol. (Good and bad).
Wini, good question. Eggs are a wonderful source of protein and B12, choline and other brain food nutrients. They also don't raise your cholesterol the way other foods with trans and saturated fats do. Guidance from more recent studies have shown that you can have somewhere around 7 eggs a week without a change in your risk of heart disease. (There's some debate on the exact number if you have diabetes.) Eggs are one of those foods I would not worry about. I also would not worry about rising "good" cholesterol, HDL. That is great if it's at a good level. You're not my patient so I don't have your full blood work or full health picture but there's almost always other factors at play than eggs as a source of trouble for your cholesterol. Good job leaning on the leaner meats and fish as well. Hope that helps.
Thank you so much! That helps me sort through a lot. Cheers!
Thank you for the health information you share for women. I will be sharing this one about the importance of protein intake with my daughters, who both just entered their 40s. Personally, I wonder if you have written about collagen and creatine in our diets. Is there any reason to consider adding them if I’m eating whole, minimally processed foods for my diet?
I am curious about this, too, Jeanne. There is so much buzz around collagen. Thanks for asking.
Brianne see my answer:) I’ll def get to an article on this!
Jeanne I’m so glad you asked this! Someone asked about creatine before and I really meant to add that in, oops! But honestly there’s so much new research that I think I’ll do a separate post on this. And I’ll add collagen in there too. So appreciate the questions so I know how to serve the community better.
I look forward to reading it! Thank you 🩷
I’m so glad you gave me the reminder!
I too look forward to a post about creatine and collagen! I’ve been wondering about those too.
Tanmeet, I also have been reading about the benefits of intermittent fasting. At times, I have fast from dinner to lunch. I can’t get to my protein target when I fast. Also, I am very challenged to even hit 90 grams of protein a day - 75 can even be a challenge. What are your thoughts about fasting and protein? Second question, should I add a snack to get to 90 grams a day? Thanks!
Tracey I agree. I used to fast longer than I do now. Now I just do 12-13 hours between dinner and my first meal. So that I can get enough calories and more fiber as well as protein. And I’m with you. Getting that high amount of protein is challenging! I give myself grace and remember it’s all a process. And I recommended Beth Bollinger for a reason. She really makes eating fiber and protein forward meals appetizing and still prioritizes plant diversity. Check her out and let me know what you think.
Super interesting and helpful post — thank you, Tanmeet! I agree it's an odd time for protein in the limelight. I appreciate the ideas for food options (salmon, greek yogurt, nut butter all are on my regular rotation) and the non-shaming of protein powder use (which, for assorted health reasons, I add on). Thanks for being so kind and thorough in your explanations.
Thank you also for introducing us to Beth Bollinger. I'm so intrigued that she aims for 10 grams of fiber per meal, and am excited to learn how she does that!
You will love Beth Bollinger! I absolutely love her focus on fiber as well. I salivate when I see her plates ❤️
I started tracking my food in order to increase my percentage of protein, to about 100g per day at body weight 142. Then I was able to increase my deadlift to a weight I wouldn't have attempted a few weeks ago. And I stopped craving peanut butter too, so maybe I'll slim down just a touch!
Love that you were able to see the benefits in real time. And congrats on the dead lift! I’ve been working my way back up to a good DL as well!
Dr. Sethi, it's so funny that I'm reading this article today because it definitely applies. I don't know if anyone's ever had their holistic nurse practitioner to tell them to eat more quality or what we call good fat and more calories! I live on 10 acres and take care of my mom's home which is 4000 ft.² and takes about six hours to clean my home and all the property all by myself and I'm 64. I say that not because 64 years old because it certainly isn't well I guess depending on your health. With the hotter months here it is really hard for me to eat like I normally do and I do eat according to my DNA and it's worked very well for me.. but I really crave more electrolytes and fluids do to the hours. I work outside and the amount of perspiration that I lose in the heat. I actually eat three steaks a week normally before the summer months and I also take supplements due to the depletion of the soil, although I try to get almost all my nutrients in my food when possible. The work that I do on the 10 acres requires a use of chainsaw lifting up objects as much as 40 to 50 pounds of course leveraging and watching my back because I have herniated disc in my cervical and lumbar spine, but I do all the precautions and necessary things to prevent any type of surgery. In 2020 they wanted to do surgery on my cervical spine and I said there's no way you're touching my cervical spine unless I become incontinent of bowel or bladder and or I'm paralyzed.. I've worked in the system for almost 29 years of my career and I know exactly what happens and I'm not saying that sometimes those things aren't needed, but there are thousands of ways around it if we know what to do and do it.
Back to the fuel for the body though you're 100% right and the other thing is that if I don't eat enough for my activities, I will actually gain weight because the body will start storing . I've experimented with this for a couple decades, and it rings true every time so now what I'm eating those colder dishes according to my DNA I will add the highly beneficial or neutral meats etc if I don't, I get myself in trouble and it's happened. I'm more than one occasion and it's not intentional so I have to plan in the summer months.
Thank you for such a wonderful article and for what you're doing here on substack 🙏
I forgot to mention one thing hormone balance- I had a TVH with BSO in 2000 and I won't go into all the reasons why, but I do take topical bioidentical HRT and it's based on my labs that are drawn. I don't walk into a health food store and grab a bottle of DHEA, estrogen or progesterone like a lot of people do and I just wanna let people know that is very dangerous because in my 30s I did those things. So adding to what I stated above, I wanted to say that following my food plan for the summer helps keep my hormones balanced.
Such a practical approach vs. the typical "just start eating 1g of protein for your bodyweight" -- I used to do that back in my bodybuilding days but something changed with my gut over the last decade of chronic stress and now I find that trying to eat more protein is *really* tough. I'm working on it, but it's slooooow.
What many people don't realize is that after age 50 we generally require more protein, not less. Most older people eat smaller portions of food, don’t get enough high-quality protein, and exercise less. That contributes to sarcopenia and subsequent frailty, making exercise more difficult. Even worse, when they end up in an assisted living facility, they are given high-calorie, "diabetes promoting" diets to keep them from losing weight. Do you have any senior-specific suggestions?