by Lucienne Steel – Naturopath
One of the most common recommendations I find myself making over and over is PROTEIN. It is one of the fastest changes you can make with some of the quickest results I see in clinic. Getting more protein can boost energy, decrease sugar cravings, improve brain clarity, stabilise moods, improve healing time and immune function, you name it and protein is probably involved, because proteins are used to build and repair all cells in our body.
This is especially apparent in pregnancy and the early years of parenting, when we are more in demand than we’ve ever been before, and we’re doing it all on broken sleep, coffee and the toast crusts our kid didn’t eat.
So, why do we crave carbs if protein is so great? Carbohydrates give quick energy, which we crave when we’re tired, hungry and stressed. They are digested easily; the glucose hits the blood stream fast to be used as fuel for hungry cells. Unfortunately, this boost is over quickly, so your blood sugar levels spike up and drop down again just as fast, leaving you feeling much worse and craving more sugar/caffeine. This quick rise and fall of blood sugar levels is itself inflammatory for the body.
Protein is digested slowly, meaning that it provides a more stable rise and fall of energy, and gives us the building blocks for daily body repair and growth. That’s exactly how I teach it to my kids: carbohydrates for quick energy, protein for long energy and growth, fibre for your gut microbiome, good fats for your brain and skin. We don’t want to demonise any foods, we don’t want shame attached to foods, we just emphasise that different foods have different functions. Treats are great, in small doses, but they’re not fuelling you efficiently for your everyday life.
With every meal and every snack, consider the protein: meat, fish, beans (inc soy), eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds. For an animal protein, aim for at least 3-4 palm-sized pieces a day. For vegetarian protein, you’re looking at 3-4 big handfuls a day.
How does this look in parenting?
- Have an icecream if you want, but have a handful of nuts as well, to increase the protein and good fats. This increases the nutrient density, slows the blood sugar spike, gives longer energy and reduces inflammation.
- Sure, kiddo, you can have a piece of toast, but have peanut butter with your jam, or cheese with your vegemite.
- Cheese or a bean dip with those crackers, not just crackers alone
- Learn to read the nutritional panel on the packet. Choose cereal/bars that have at least equal protein to sugar (you’ll be shocked at how hard that is to find).
- Model eating a good breakfast! Too many parents are having just coffee! Coffee is an appetite suppressant and kids are watching. Model choosing foods that fuel you properly for the day ahead. Start however small you need to, but practice putting food in with the coffee.
Good luck, happy cooking, hit me up if you want more resources or support in this area.
Lucie