The Importance of Protein as You Age. As we age, we typically experience things like decreased appetite and muscle wasting which is also known as sarcopenia. It is also common to experience other chronic diseases or illnesses that impact one’s overall health and well-being. These circumstances may change the way the body processes protein or change how much protein the body needs to function properly.

As we age, we naturally tend to lose the ability to complete everyday tasks that we used to complete without giving much thought; this could include things like going up and down flights of stairs, dressing, grocery shopping, or anything that requires movement. These changes often happen slowly and we tolerate them or think there is nothing we can do about it. Being proactive about your nturition and giving your body real food to stay healthy and strong can transform the aging process. Maintaining protein intake will help preserve muscle mass and prevent it from deteriorating or breaking down, which will in turn help to maintain your everyday functions. Consuming enough protein as we age will also help to improve the body’s immune function and help the body recover when you are experiencing illness of any kind.

Poor health does not happen in one day. There are many factors that affect health and there are some things beyond our control, but there are MANY things that we can control.

Food can feel like a real challenge for many people as we are surrounded by fake food, addictive foods, and engineered foods loaded with toxins. I might people every day that have tried so hard to make changes to what they eat but find it impossible to stick to long term. Our program starts with a metabolism reset (with the bonus of weight loss), a stabilization phase and a lifestyle phase. It’s not magical, you do need to put some effort in but it’s 100% reliable, proven, scientific and delicious. A coach + a proven protocol = Success.

So, how do our protein needs change as we age?

Younger adults are typically recommended to consume 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. However, these needs increase to around 1.0-1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight in older age. At Vital Body, we work with you to help you find your unique macros that keep you feeling full, satiated, and keep your cravings for poor quality foods.

Unique macros, means you know how much fat, protein and carbs to eat in a day. And we differentiate between poor, fair and ideal foods. There may be 10 carbs in chocolate but that is very different than 10 carbs in a bowl of fresh berries. Finding the right protein to eat is a game changer. It drastically reduces cravings for junk food and poor quality foods. It helps protect your muscles and build more muscle.

It’s not about eating the exact same macros every day either. A body is designed to be flexible, handle change and be able to handle higher and lower carb days. We teach you how to carb cycle, how to eat the next day after a high carb day, how to trust food, how to ensure your body is burning fats and carbs.

We take into account what you grew up on, what you like, the seasons, your lifestyle and much more.

Protein is often misunderstood. People have heard “high protein” is dangerous. Our program is founded on a balanced diet. Some protein, some carbs and some fats along with veggies and water. It is not high protein. This has worked for thousands of years and is not rocket science. The issue is that when you don’t eat enough whole foods and don’t get enough protein your body is smart and starts to crave energy and will seek out foods with energy – and boom that is where donuts, fast food and engineered food that are not really food take over and wreak havoc on the body.

How to calculate your protein needs in a day

To calculate how many grams of protein you need in a day, you first will have to divide your body weight in pounds by 2.2 to get your weight into kilograms. If you weigh 180lbs it would be 180/2.2 and you would get 81.6kg. Or, even simpler, head over to google and search how many kg is 180lbs.

Next, simply multiply your body weight in kilograms by 1.0 or 1.2, and you will now know how many grams of protein you should aim to consume in a day. For example, if you weigh 70 kilograms and multiply it by 1.0, you should try to eat at least 70 grams of protein per day. Consuming enough protein as we age can be a challenging goal, especially if someone is experiencing a decreased appetite. One trick to get in some more protein even if your appetite is decreased is protein shakes! Protein shakes contain can have 20 grams of protein in smaller quantities of food, making it much easier to eat protein without consuming a full meal. Maintaining protein intake as we age is a crucial step in keeping your body’s overall health and function. By consuming enough protein foods and meeting your daily protein goals, it will help to preserve and maintain muscle mass to help your quality of life and promote longevity.

Reminder – the macros we use at Vital Body are based on a simpler calculation of servings and Phase 2 is a stabilization phase so your body learns to stay at the new weight. The protein calculations for post weight loss is unique to our protocol to ensure you don’t regain.

What does 70g of protein in a day look like?

In this example we look at someone weighing 154lbs (70kgs) and we want them to have 1g of protein per kg so 70g of protein.

• 1 cup cottage cheese 25g of protein
• 6 oz chicken breast 52g of protein

Voila – you hit your target. It’s much easier than you realize to get enough protein. It’s helpful to have easy protein available.

• 2 hard boiled eggs 12g of protein
• 1/2 cup edamame beans 8g of protein
• 4 jumbo prawns 20g of protein

What does 130g of protein in a day look like?

In this example if you weight 240lbs (108kg) and you want 1.2g per kg so 130g per day.

• 4 eggs at breakfast = 24g of protein
• 7 oz chicken at lunch = 62g of protein
• 6 oz of salmon at dinner = 34g of protein
• 1 cup Greek Yogourt for snack = 16g of protein

And you are at 136 grams of quality protein choices. You can easily leverage one our Ideal Protein soups or chips at lunch to make things lighter on day that you have less prep time or just feel like a change. Our products have 15-20 grams of highly bioavailable protein (protein that is easily absorbed by the body).

This article focuses on protein. And many people look at food in isolation. But it’s really important to look at what you eat over the day, over the week, are you hydrated, do you get enough vegetables to manage insulin spikes, are you getting any movement and the quality of your sleep. All these factors are part of the equation. With a personal coach piecing all this together for you at Vital Body you can be confident that you are getting a metabolism reset, healthy weight loss, a sustainable approach to maintenance and delicious foods that work for you and your life.

At Ideal Protein we work with servings and one protein serving is about 15-20g of protein. When you reach your goal weight it is extremely important (if you want long term success) to stabilize at the new weight and slowly re-introduce quality fats and carbs, along with protein and veggies. Protein helps you feel satiated (full), gives your body energy and ensures your muscles are protected as well.

Take the first step towards achieving your goals – meet with a coach today!