By Lillian Khanna
“Hot Girl Summer” is on the way and that means bringing out the bikinis that fell to the bottom of the drawer. But after Christmas dinner, New Year’s Eve champagne, Valentine’s Day chocolate and St. Patrick’s Day liquor, the dreading feeling of putting on a bikini is understandable. Health and fitness generally has a negative connotation because much of it revolves around conversations of what you should get rid of – curb the amount of sugar you eat, lay off the carbs, be mindful of your calorie intake. Fortunately for you, there’s a nutrient group that you can and should eat more of.
We learned in high school biology that we are made up of cells. The same way we take care of our feet with proper shoes and our backs with proper bras is the same way we can take care of our bodies by feeding our cells macronutrients like proteins. Eating protein is not just for bodybuilders and weightlifters. The benefits of eating this food group translate across all people of all activity levels – the social media influencer, the mom, the teenager.
There’s no set amount of protein that one person should eat but if you are the kind of person that likes numbers, as do I, it would be anywhere between 0.8 grams to 1.2 grams per pound of body weight each day. Protein is the foundation of our daily functions. It helps us build strong and healthy bones. The body uses it to repair our muscles and tissues. Protein provides long term energy to our bodies to get us through the day and especially long form transformations such as puberty and menstrual cycles.
Chances are you aren’t eating enough clean, whole protein dense foods. While protein shakes and protein bars are good, there’s nothing more satiating than a steak or a chicken breast. The feeling of being tired after a meal typically comes from the amount of processed carbs that are associated with the restaurants and home cooked meals that include these protein items such as steak with mashed potatoes or chicken marsala and pasta. Learning to build a plate that reflects 50% protein, 25% carbs, 25% vegetables will leave you fuller for longer, satisfied, and help in building and repairing strong bones and muscles.
Using protein to curb snacking helps in the process of losing weight. Focusing on eating these nutrient dense meals eliminates the precipice of weight gain – eating too many calories than you burn over an extended period of time.
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Lillian Khanna is an NPR & PBS affiliate station producer turned Khanna House Studios studio manager who has a love for all things video production, health + fitness, and travel!
