52 Healthy Habits: Eat More Protein

Welcome to the latest edition of 52 healthy habits when each week I work to establish a new healthy habit, because healthy habits are the building blocks of a healthy lifestyle.

You don't have to overhaul your whole life at once. Choose one small change and take the time to establish a new habit, building one small step at a time. Even if you already live a healthy lifestyle, there is always room for improvement and to take it to the next level. No matter where you are in your healthy living journey, establishing healthy habits can snowball into massive results. 

I saw this painted in the floor at the Rock 'n' Roll marathon health & fitness expo in Dallas on Saturday and I thought it summed up my healthy lifestyle philosophy perfectly.

(p.s. I am a rock 'n' blogger for the rock 'n' roll marathon races, so if you want to run a half or full marathon in 2017, you can use discount code RNB15 to save $15 off most of the races in the series.)

Last week I confessed that even though I am a personal trainer and huge proponent of strength training for runners, I have let my own strength training slide a bit. I have an injured shoulder and I am limited in what I am able to do. Instead of focusing on what I can't do, I decided to focus on what I can do (take my own advice, right?). I committed to just 15 minutes of strength training a day to get back on the wagon. Obviously, this will be largely lower body and core based as I can't put any pressure on my shoulder. 

I am happy to report that I did it three days last week, which is a great start! Sometimes we want to go from 0-6 days but it is not always realistic. I am happy with my start and I have plenty of room to grow and build on the three days from last week. This week I'll shoot for 4. 

EAT MORE PROTEIN

I may have mentioned that I am studying sports and exercise nutrition with Precision Nutrition. I have been studying hard and you can expect a lot more nutrition-based content coming in the future, plus nutrition coaching services coming soon.

My habit goal for next week is to increase my protein intake. I wasn't tracking my intake and when I started to track in My Fitness Pal I realized that my protein intake was lower than I thought. I generally eat a healthy diet and I assumed that since I eat a protein-centric meal at every meal (eggs, chicken, fish, etc.) that I was getting enough. But what is enough? Why do I need protein? What types of proteins should I be consuming? How much is too much? Let's dive in. 

WHY PROTEIN?

Protein or amino acids are the building blocks of our body. We use protein to break down and build up muscle and structure. Protein intake helps us preserve our lean muscle as we lose weight. (Remember our focus should always be on losing fat, not losing weight.) Protein helps us feel full longer and it has a higher thermodynamic effect, which means it take more energy for our bodies to process protein. We actually burn more calories just processing protein than we do processing carbohydrates or fats. 

HOW MUCH PROTEIN?

The National Academy of Sports Medicine recommends is 0.4 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (or .8 per kg) for the average sedentary person. But we're not sedentary (or average!), right? For athletes (yes, you are an athlete if you run or workout) protein requirements go up.

There are recommendations that are higher, but there is an upper limit of protein that our liver and kidneys can handle. If you are training hard or frequently increasing protein intake higher than these recommendations is probably safe for most healthy people, but consuming protein amounts double the recommendation on a regular basis is unnecessary (no added benefit) and possibly unsafe. As always, talk to your doctor or registered dietitian regarding any health concerns or when experimenting with a new diet or going outside general recommendations. 

WHAT TYPES OF PROTEIN?

OK, you know as an active person you need more protein than the average bear, but what foods are best? It is always ideal when making any nutritional choices to choose diverse, whole, less-processed foods. For protein this includes foods like lean meats including beef and pork, poultry like chicken and turkey, fish and seafood, dairy like cottage cheese and plain Greek yogurt, beans and tofu. 

SUPPLEMENTS

Once you get most of your protein from whole food sources, you may find you need to supplement protein in order to meet your daily requirements. I always suggest whole foods first, then supplement to fill in the gaps as it fits into your lifestyle. No time for breakfast? Then a morning shake with fruit, spinach and protein powder can be a great way to get in your nutrition as your run out the door. I use whey protein powders to supplement, but a vegetarian eater may prefer a plant-based protein like pea or hemp. Make the best choice possible for your own lifestyle and preferences.

ACTION PLAN

What's the plan? I always enter the foods I am going to eat for the day in the morning before I eat anything. Why? For one, it helps me plan ahead. What's that saying about failing to plan is planning to fail? Yeah, that one. In order to enter in my food for the day, I need to have a pretty good idea of what I am going to eat. I always end up editing as the day goes along, but it gives me an idea where I stand and if I need to make any adjustments to my day. You don't want to be looking at My Fitness Pal at 8PM and realizing you didn't get your protein for the day. (Actually, it's not the end of the world, you can just try again tomorrow.)

My protein intake plan looks a little like this (left out the non-protein items in my day, this is not everything I plan to eat):

Breakfast: 3 eggs

Snack: 1/2 cup of cottage cheese

Lunch: Grilled chicken

Afternoon snack: 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt mixed with a spoonful of chocolate protein powder

Dinner: Fish or Turkey

A word of warning on tracking if you're anything like me. I tend to have an all-or-nothing personality and I work really hard on balance. It's something I have to be aware of or else I can easily slip out of a healthy-balanced mindset. I track for a week or so to get an idea of where I stand, but I am careful not to let tracking take over my thoughts or actions. It's a good idea to see where you stand, it's a terrible idea to get obsessed with every morsel that goes into your mouth. Some people have no trouble with tracking, others can take it too far if they are not careful. Remember that our ultimate goal is a healthy life which includes a healthy body and mind. 

You can track by using an app like My Fitness Pal or you can just increase, if needed, by including more protein in your diet. It not so much about hitting the exact number of grams but finding the correct amount of protein to optimize your body. It just might take experimenting to find it. 

Let me know how it goes!

Playing catch up? Follow along with the 52 Healthy Habits series:

52 HEALTHY HABITS SERIES

week 1: Early to Rise
week 2: Track calories
week 3: Macro cycling
week 4: Morning pages (journaling)
week 5: Stop the scrolling (reading instead of social media)
week 6: Be a good student (take time for learning) 
week 7: Strength Training 15 minutes per day   

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Coach Lea

Delicious Turkey & Spinach Portobello Mushroom Caps Recipe

Happy Friday, Friends! I was going to call this post Foodie Friday because it has a nice ring, but this is not a food blog and I am not a foodie. I wasn't blessed with domestic gifts; my husband jokes that he was short changed by marrying an Italian who can’t cook. Ha. 

I believe that healthy eating is the most important part of a healthy lifestyle, so even though I am not domestically-inclined, over the years I learned how to prepare some simple, healthy, quick and delicious meals. Since complicated recipes, hard-to-find ingredients and long cooking times aren't my thing, you won't find any of that here. 

I realized that the recipe section of my blog archive was lacking, so I am going to add some new recipes over the next few months. These are some of the meals that are on regular rotation in my home.

If you are just starting out and you only have the time, energy or motivation to focus on one thing, focus on healthy eating first. Working out is important too, but you can layer that on later. Get your nutrition on track. What does healthy eating mean to me? I define it as eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods mostly from nature that make you look, feel and perform your best, while still maintaining balance and enjoyment. 

Let’s get started with one of my favorites, delicious turkey & spinach Portobello mushroom caps.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound of 100% natural lean ground turkey
2 large Portobello mushroom caps
5 oz. of frozen chopped spinach (steamed) 
1/2 cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 chopped red pepper
1/2 chopped green pepper
1 fresh jalapeno pepper (optional)
1/2 small onion
Grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350

Bake the mushroom caps on a cookie sheet stem side down for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, cook the turkey meat in a skillet over medium heat and steam the frozen spinach in a separate pot.

Once the meat is no longer pink, drain the grease and add the steamed spinach, chopped peppers, onions, salt and pepper.

Continue stirring on the stove top until all is combined and heated through. Remove from heat, add the Greek yogurt and stir it up!

Once the mushroom caps come out of the oven, flip them over, cut off the stem (you can cut it up and add to your mixture) and scoop out the gills to make room for your toppings.

Spoon the turkey and spinach mixture into the mushroom caps and bake for an additional 10 minutes. I build mine up high and top with a little Parmesan cheese and Sriracha.

There you have it!  An easy, healthy dinner for two!  I'd love to hear what you think!

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Coach Lea

5 KINDS OF JUNK FOODS DISGUISED AS HEALTH FOODS

One of the most challenging parts of living a healthy lifestyle is sorting through all the information and misinformation out there. Some say the "magic formula" for successful weight loss is to exercise regularly and eat healthy foods in a calorie-deficit. But what exactly does "eat healthy foods" mean? It can be confusing with all the mixed messages and misleading food marketing labels.

The most important thing to understand is that food marketing labels are sometimes intentionally deceiving. Many foods are marketed as healthful choices when in reality they are quite the opposite. 

This isn't intended to be a post about what you should or should not eat. Each person needs to make those choices for themselves, possibly under the direction of their doctor or registered dietitian (RD). This is a post about being aware of what you are eating, so that you can make the best decisions for yourself, your health and your family, based on reality, and not on misleading food packaging marketing.

5 KINDS OF JUNK FOODS DISGUISED AT HEALTH FOODS

1. YOGURT

Yogurt is one of the worst offenders of misleading marketing, often advertised as a diet food. Most flavored yogurts are very high in sugar and often have artificial sweeteners and/or high-fructose corn syrup. They can have as much sugar as a cup of ice cream, but people eat them and think they are making a good choice for their body. 

Try buying plain Greek yogurt, which is higher is protein and lower in sugar than traditional yogurt and then add fresh fruit or berries for flavor. If it is not as sweet as the yogurt you are used to, it is because it has a lot less sugar.

2. PROTEIN BARS

Protein bars are often advertised in health and fitness magazines by models with six-pack abs. Everyone knows protein is important for building and maintaining muscle, right? Right. But A lot of these packaged protein bars are nothing more than glorified candy bars with added protein. Check the ingredient list, sugar content and calorie content. They are often high in calories, sugar and are highly processed. I think they are OK in moderation but generally should not be consumed as a health food. I enjoy some protein bars, but consider them an occasional treat, not a healthy staple.

Try to get most of your protein from whole food sources like lean meats, beans, nuts and leafy greens.

3. FROZEN DIET DINNERS

Frozen diet dinners are often too high in sodium and processed ingredients and too low in nutrients to be considered a healthy food, but with labels like "Healthy Choice" and "Weight Watchers" we can be misled into thinking that they are a good choice for our body. 

Try meal prepping for the week with these mason jar salads for a quick, fresh lunch on the go. 

4. FAT FREE FOODS

Let me let you in on a little secret. If the food label boasts claims of Fat Free or Low Fat, it is often a red-flag that the food is not healthy at all. You see they take out the fat, but then add more sugar and processed ingredients so it still tastes good. Read the nutritional and ingredient label to be sure what you're eating.

Our bodies need healthy fats. Reducing intake of healthy fats does not necessarily equate to reduced body fat. You need a healthy balance of protein, carbs and fat in your diet.

5. ORGANIC, GLUTEN-FREE OR LOW-CARB PACKAGED FOODS

Watch out for buzz words on packaged foods like organic, gluten-free, and low-carb. While natural foods that are organic, gluten-free and low-carb are obviously just fine, processed foods with these labels are not any healthier than their counterparts. Organic junk foods are not any better for you than regular junk food. A gluten-free cupcake is still a processed low-nutrient food. Low-carb cookies are still cookies. When it comes to packaged foods, these types are labels are generally marketing labels designed to mislead you. (Obviously if you have celiac disease or a gluten intolerance a gluten-free label is helpful, but for the rest of the population it doesn't mean much in terms of the the health status of a food.)

Honorable mentions of junk foods disguised as health foods are dried fruits, trail mix, processed meats, veggie chips, sports drinks and cereal. Most of these have either too much added sugar or sodium to be considered healthy. Always look for the most natural alternative. 

I encourage you to ignore package marketing all together, read the nutrition label, take note of the calories per serving and number of servings in the package. Pay attention to the sugar content per serving and most importantly, the ingredient list. 

If you want to eat junk food then it's always OK to enjoy an occasional treat. It is actually healthy for us to have a balanced approached to nutrition (no one can eat 100% perfectly all the time). The idea is to learn to decipher between health foods and junk food, so that you don't eat junk food that you think is healthy. Eat healthful foods from nature most of the time and when you want to enjoy an indulgent treat, do it with your eyes open.

For any serious nutritional concerns please see a registered dietitian. Have questions? Leave them in the comments or be a part of my new series "Ask the Trainer" and have your questions answered in a future blog post.

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Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help. 

While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program. This is an opinion blog. No information in this blog is intended to be taken as medical advice or prescription. Please see your doctor and/or registered dietitian for any health concerns.

Pina Colada Protein Smoothie

Who doesn't love a Pina Colada? Since this is a health and fitness blog, I'll leave the alcoholic versions to your favorite bartender and I'll tell you about this delicious, healthy, Pina Colada protein smoothie instead! 

Fill the bottom of the blender with a handful of spinach. I do this for every protein shake that I make because you can't taste it and it is an easy way to add a serving of greens into your meal. 

Add a cup of Greek coconut-flavored yogurt, a handful of fresh or frozen strawberries, 1/4 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes, 1/2 cup of canned pineapples, a scoop of vanilla protein powder and water to blend. 

Blend it all up and serve!

Pina Colada Protein Smoothie

This is a delicious post-workout recovery meal. Be sure to eat carbs and protein like found in this Pina Colada protein drink 30 minutes to an hour after a hard workout. 

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Coach Lea

Avocado Pineapple Protein Smoothie

I made this delicious protein shake that I wanted to share with you. I've been experimenting with different flavor combinations to keep my protein shakes interesting. 

I start with a handful of spinach in the bottom of the blender. I add spinach to every shake I make because you can't taste it and it is an easy way to add in another serving of green vegetables. I added a 1/2 cup of canned pineapples, a 1/2 of avocado, 1/2 of banana, one scoop of vanilla protein powder and water to blend. 

This was seriously delicious. It's a great post-workout recovery drink with a good mix of healthy protein, carbs and fats. The avocado provides healthy fats and gives the shake a creamy smooth texture. This might be my favorite flavor combination yet. 

Avocado pineapple protein smoothie

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Coach Lea