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The heading might seem like a hard stop rule of nutrition, but by the end of this article you will understand the crux of it.
We all have our own health related goals - few might want to lose weight, few might want to gain it, then there are others who would want more energy and better performance in life activities or in sports. While we really toil hard in the gyms, dance studios and outdoors and understand the importance of exercise, little are we aware of the role that nutrition plays in our fitness and life goals. It's easy to hide behind our culture, tradition and feelings and really ignore the logic and science behind reaching your fitness goals.
The most common taboo and fear among people on nutrition is with regards to protein. It is almost as if everything goes except protein related information or recommendation for the good. I won't put all the blame on you, you have been brainwashed from your external environment - from the people who would spread their bias in the name of religion or community, people who think their eating pattern should fit all and then there are those who would believe how our ancestors used to eat still holds perfect in today's day and age.
The need for Protein and recommendation:
Apart from the umpteen benefits including safeguarding lean muscles tissue, bone resilience, organ function and fat loss, protein has immense power to fight diseases by building antibodies. In short, if you want to truly become a bulletproof individual, you need to prioritize protein in your meals.
Protein keeps you full and doesn't make you binge and snack often leading you closer to your weight loss goals. It also spares your hard earned muscles when you try to reduce your calories and helps you lose fat. Losing fat in of itself wards off so many heart and blood sugar issues.
The general recommendation given by clinicians is 0.8 gram/kg of bodyweight/day which for an average 60kg person would turn out to be 48 grams. However, this doesn't account for your activities and muscular stress. If you are into physical activities and want to perform optimally, the recommendation would be roughly in the range of 2-2.5g/kg bodyweight/day and for a 60kg human it comes out to be 120-150g/day. Now, this number looks daunting doesn't it? No matter how much you try, it will be very difficult for you to hit these higher numbers esp. with your current eating pattern which is carb heavy and built up on emotional bias.
If you want to truly become a bulletproof individual, you need to prioritize protein in your meals.
Indians and the Protein fear !
India doesn't stand among the top 25-30 countries who have the highest protein consumption. Maybe due to the fact that a high percentage of population (about 40% - highest in the world) is vegetarian or vegan and we have all kinds of food variety and delicacies across different states and religions which makes eating more community based and influenced by the select few who we look up to (that's emotion and follower attitude coming into play). Nothing wrong in it, but when the communities are influenced by celebrities and clinicians with ulterior motives and bias and sometimes careless attitude then there's nothing much a person can do apart from seeking the logic behind the claims.
We Indians have all kinds of fear over protein, the most prevalent being kidney malfunction, steroids in whey protein supplements and weight gain. All of these are claimed under influence and not actually backed up with data and observation. On the contrary, data suggests that there is really no correlation of high protein with kidney malfunction in healthy individuals (PMID 30669401), whey protein is manufactured when you separate cheese from milk and it is always recommended to buy protein supplements from authorized sources. The most ridiculous claim of weight gain caused by protein can simply be challenged when we examine the number of calories a person is consuming. There is really no magic in protein that makes you gain weight, it's time we understand energy balance (calories in vs calories out).
Start with a target of 100 grams of protein per day
Now that we understand the benefits, recommendations, trends and myths surrounding protein, how do we make a change and actually increase our protein consumption without drastically changing up our eating habits and feelings of course ;D?
The sole reason I mention 100 grams of protein per day is because that is the sweet spot everyone must eye at. Initially, hitting this number will feel like a challenge as we are so used to filling up our plates with rice, pasta and noodles, but if you consciously reduce the portion sizes of other food sources, you will add up your protein to round about 100 grams per day.
Do make a note when I say "reduce" not "restrict". The whole point of a sustainable long term diet is to help you reach your goals while keeping your sane and happy. So, you will eat all the foods you were initially consuming, but the only catch will be an increase in protein. Which protein sources are the best and which aren't is a separate topic and you can follow my Instagram handle for that information. If you find it really challenging to get that additional 20-30 grams in, use a good quality whey protein powder.
Not only will this eating pattern help you reduce unwanted fat (because protein keeps you full for long, so you have lesser room for carbs and fats in your meal automatically), but it will also help build and preserve lean muscle tissue and help people gain "healthy" weight if required. It will also improve your body's resistance against diseases and will turn you into a fit and athletic being. Not to mention, all this has profound benefits in terms of leading lives in a happier and stronger environment because if you fuel your body optimally, it will work optimally and it in turn has the power to influence the mind and thereby change your life for the good. Moreover, you will be a role model for your family and friends and help them create a better version of themselves through nutrition and exercise.
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References:
https://www.howtocook.recipes/top-20-countries-that-eat-the-most-and-least-protein-per-capita/
https://righttoprotein.com/assets/pdf/Indias-Protein-Paradox-Study.pdf
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23107548/ : Protein consumption in India
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23107551/ : Protein consumption in developing countries
https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=116953 : State-wise breakup of protein consumption in India
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6356875/ : Protein and kidney function
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32669325/#:~:text=High%20dietary%20protein%20intake%20can,lead%20to%20de%20novo%20CKD. : Protein and kidney function