The Power of Protein: Why It Matters for Satiety, Metabolism& Energy with LAURA COLLIS

Always nice to see, to see people live if you're able to put your camera on, and that's wonderful, Katie. It might just be you and me today. Yeah, well, we'll get started. It's 12:05 here. So we'll get the presentation started and hopefully some other people will join us as the time goes on. I was just saying, I think I had my audio off, unfortunately, but I was just saying that, you know, if you want to let me know where you're calling or where you're coming in from and what your weather's like today. I'm in here in Toronto. It is a very typically gloomy November day, very rainy and cloudy and dark. So it kind of puts you in a little bit of a solemn— maybe is the right word— mood. It's not cold out, but it's certainly not cheerful. So I guess that's what we expect when it becomes November and we're getting into more of the winter season. But anyway, um, today we are not talking about the weather, we're not talking about November or the seasons. We're actually talking about protein, um, and the power of protein actually, and why it's so important for our metabolism, our energy, basically every function in our bodies. And especially important as we're going through the metabolic reset. And there's a, there is a method to our madness why we ask you to include 4 ounces of protein with each meal. It's not just a random number, and I'm going to get into that more in the presentation. So I will let people in as they join as time goes on. But in the meantime, I'm just going to get started. And of course, this is always available. This presentation is always available as a recording if you are unable to join live, we always include the replay link in our weekly newsletter. It is also in the Practice Better portal. You can watch past Q&A sessions and presentations anytime. So if you weren't able to make it live, then please feel free to, to watch the replay. And I'm just going to go ahead and share my screen and we will get started. So As I said, I think today's topic, protein, has received a lot of buzz lately. You know, everybody's sort of talking about protein. How much protein do we need? You know, why does it matter? Why are we supposed to get all this protein all of a sudden? So I think it's, it's worthy of talking about. And I also think that, you know, it's a little bit misunderstood. So I just wanted to go more into what protein is, how it matters for our our bodies and how it affects us in terms of this metabolic— metabolism reset that we are all either going through currently or have gone through in the past. So, uh, one of the things we, we know is that protein is a macronutrient, right? There's carbohydrates, fat, and protein, and it's an essential macronutrient. It's pretty much the cornerstone of good overall health. Um, but it's also very much essential for metabolic health, and that's why it is such a key focus during our reset. And when we talk about protein, most people sort of think of it in relationship to muscle, but it's much more than that actually. It's really the, the building block of nearly every structure and function in your body. It's— it, yes, it definitely is part of your muscular— musculoskeletal system, but it's also part of your bones. It influences enzymes, your hormones, your immune cells, antibodies, and neurotransmitters that all affect your mood and focus. So when you eat protein, you are literally providing the raw materials your body needs to function to repair itself, and to renew. Now, being part of the reset, our focus is really on metabolism. So I'm going to try to connect why protein matters mostly to our metabolic health during this presentation. And we've probably all heard over the course of our lives that you can control your metabolism by how much you eat. But metabolism actually isn't just about calories in and calories out, right? That's sort of old thinking. It really is the sum of every chemical process your body performs that keeps you alive, energized, and balanced. And, and here's the actual truth, uh, protein is your metabolic foundation, and without enough of it, your body starts to break down muscle tissue for fuel, which actually slows your metabolism. Over time. Welcome, Martha. Thank you for joining us. Um, and, and this is important for us, especially as we age, because we naturally start to lose muscle mass and bone density, which is a process called sarcopenia. And this can actually start to begin as early as our 40s. And for women, it's especially true because of the decline in estrogen that we experience with age. And that actually accelerates with each decade, with each decade we age. So the less muscle we have overall, the fewer calories our bodies are able to burn at rest. And that's one reason why maintaining or building lean muscle mass is the secret weapon for sustainable weight management. And by consistently eating adequate protein, like the 4 ounces of clean protein that you are required to eat with each meal during the reset, You're actually helping your body not only maintain lean muscle mass, but build it and preserve its strength. You're also stabilizing your blood sugar, and that's going to help you keep your cravings and your energy and fatigue in check. Protein is going to help stimulate leptin production and promote better appetite regulation, so you feel full longer and you're not always wanting to reach for those snacks in between meals. Protein is also going to support our, our hormones and neurotransmitters for better mood, better focus, and motivation, especially important as we age and in the midlife transition. And it's going to enhance our recovery, repair, and immune function. I think it's really also worth noting that protein has a unique advantage for fat loss. Not just because it keeps you full, but because of how your body processes it. And this is something we're going to talk about more as we go through the presentation. It's, it's a function called the thermic effect. But for now, let's just think of protein as a metabolic multitasker and something that is really supporting everything from your energy and mood to your skin, your hormones, and your body composition. So now that we have a little bit better understanding of what protein actually is and why it's so essential, let's try to make this a little bit more practical. And as you know, if you are going through the reset, or as I said, if you've gone through it already, you know that we require you to have 4 ounces of clean protein with each meal. Um, but sometimes it's difficult to know what that looks like, especially if you are not actively measuring it. You know, you maybe you are traveling or you don't have your scale with you. So sometimes a visual cue is important to have so that you can have an idea if whether or not you're getting enough protein with your meal. So 4 ounces is approximately the size and thickness of your palm, not counting your fingers. And then in terms, in real terms, in terms of grams, 4 ounces of chicken or turkey breast is 26 grams. 4 ounces of fish is about 23 to 25 grams. 4 ounces of beef or bison, 28 to 30 grams. 2 eggs plus 3 egg whites is 20 grams. 3/4 of a cup of cottage cheese, 16 to 18. 3/4 of a cup cooked lentils is 18 to 20 grams. And then 4 ounces of tofu or tempeh is 20 to 22 grams. So you can see there's a real difference between the proteins themselves in terms of, even though they're all basically 4 ounces, how much protein you're actually getting. So that's something to keep in mind going forward as well. If you are eating a mostly plant-forward diet, it's totally possible to meet your protein goals. Sometimes it just takes a little bit more planning and combining of sources versus with an animal protein-based diet. For example, combining lentils and hemp seeds or quinoa and beans or tofu, and edamame are going to get you that complete amino acid profile that you want, similar to what you would get from eating an animal protein. I also think it's important to say that consistency here matters more than perfection, and you don't actually have to hit the number exact every single time. Your goal is just to get as close to it as you can at each meal. So over the course of the day, your total protein intake stays steady. So if you happen to be someone who tends to undereat protein earlier in the day and then try to play catch up later on, you're not alone. It is definitely a common pattern, but spreading your protein throughout the day actually makes a huge difference in how your body uses it. So it's, it's a really good idea to be very specific with trying to balance out the intake of your protein per each meal. That even distribution is going to help your muscles recover and grow. It's going to keep your your metabolism humming, and it's going to stabilize your energy throughout the day. So if you think of it this way, that every time you eat your 4 ounces of protein, you're giving your metabolism a nudge. It's just sort of telling your body to like keep burning, keep building, and, and stay strong. One of the biggest benefits, and probably something that you have learned as you've been eating more protein through the, the reset, is that protein helps to manage our hunger and cravings. Right? One of the first things our clients often say is like, I'm not hungry. I don't have cravings anymore. I'm not even hungry in between meals. Like, this is amazing what's going on, right? And they probably were undereating protein prior to that because when we start to eat more protein and adequate amounts of it, our bodies release hormones that, that make us either feel full or trigger hunger, right? So if we're not eating enough, we're going to feel hungry. If we're eating enough, then we feel full. I mean, that's common sense. Those two hormones that are the main players here are ghrelin and leptin. So ghrelin is the hunger hormone. It rises before you eat and drops after you've eaten enough. And leptin is your satiety hormone. That's the one that tells your brain, you know, I'm full now, I've had enough to eat, and you can stop eating. When you include protein in your meals, it actually lowers ghrelin. And increases leptin sensitivity. So it helps you feel satisfied longer after eating. That's going to mean fewer energy crashes, fewer blood sugar, fewer blood sugar crashes and sugar cravings, and just less mindless snacking in general in between meals. And we've all, we've all been there, right? I think a good example of this and one that most people can relate to is when it comes to breakfast. You know, prior to the reset, you were probably eating 3 meals a day, and a very common breakfast in the standard American diet is, you know, like a bowl of cereal or oatmeal or perhaps a piece of toast with jam or something like that. And if that's your breakfast, you know what happens by mid-morning? You're starving again. It's just not satisfying you. But when you switch to eating a higher protein breakfast, like eggs with veggies or even, you know, Greek yogurt, you noticeably stay full longer. And this has nothing to do with willpower. It's all about hormones, right? It's those two hormones that are actively telling you that you are in fact satisfied or you're hungry based on what you're eating. And also protein slows digestion. It keeps your blood sugar stable. So you avoid those crashes, those highs and lows that trigger that feeling of needing something sweet as well. Um, and again, just eating this 4 ounces of protein consistently at each meal is starting to train your metabolism to burn steadily and help your brain relearn what true hunger and fullness actually feel like. And when you start to experience that, when you realize you're no longer ruled by cravings, I think that's a huge non-scale victory. If you happen to also notice you're less snacky in the afternoons, you can go longer in between meals. And again, that's something we hear a lot, you know, like, oh my gosh, I never thought that I would, um, that I would not be craving, you know, breakfast now that I'm intermittent fasting. I can actually go really long periods of time without, without eating. That's because your hormones are starting to respond to this better balance, and protein is helping you stay revitalize not just your metabolism, but your mood, your focus, and your energy too. So another incredible benefit of protein is muscle maintenance, and muscle isn't just about strength or tone. It's one of the most important factors that determine your metabolic health. Every pound of lean muscle you have burns calories even when you're at rest. So the more lean muscle you maintain, the more efficient your metabolism stays. And when we lose muscle, our metabolism slows down, our body composition shifts, and it becomes easier to gain fat, especially as we age. We notice that that is happening around the midsection. But when you're eating your 4 ounces of protein at, at each meal, retraining your metabolism, you're also giving your body the amino acids it needs to repair and rebuild muscle tissue, especially important after activity or any exercise that you're doing. It's kind of like supplying the raw materials to keep your internal engines strong and efficient. And again, without enough or enough protein, your body is going to start to break down muscle to meet its needs, and we definitely do not want that. Um, I know that it can get frustrating when, you know, we're here for weight loss and perhaps the scale isn't moving as quickly as we'd like. However, if we're eating enough protein and moving regularly, our body composition is in fact changing. And that's why we ask you to take photographs so you have before and after proof and also measurements so you can see that happening in real time. That also is a sign that your body is losing fat while preserving muscle. And that's exactly what we want, right? It might not show up up as a big dramatic change on the scale, but it's nonetheless a huge metabolic victory. And it, it does mean that you are learning how to burn fat. Your body's learning how to do that. You probably are going to start to feel firmer and more toned. As I said, your measurements are going to start changing. Your clothes may start fitting differently, and you probably are starting to have more energy. You— maybe you can do more physically than you used to be able to do. Perhaps you have more strength and you have better recovery after exercise. These are all signs that your metabolism is being retrained to run efficiently again. So another often overlooked part of eating enough protein, uh, and that one that is like such a complete game changer for metabolism is something called the thermic effect of food. And this refers to the energy your body uses to digest, absorb, and metabolize the food you eat. So every time you eat, your metabolism naturally speeds up for a while as your body is processing the nutrients. But what's really key here is that not all nutrients or macronutrients have the same thermic effect. And as you can see by the slide, this is sort of how it breaks down. Protein has the highest thermic effect, so 20 to 30% of its calories are burned just through digestion alone. You don't have to do anything else but eat protein and your digestion is— and you're starting to, to burn calories. Whereas you can see carbohydrates is significantly lower, only about 5 to 10% of carbohydrates are burned at rest. So it only has a moderate thermic effect. And fat is even lower than that. So with only, you know, maybe a 3% thermic effect. So that means if you're eating 100 calories of protein, your body is burning 20 to 30 calories just break— trying to break it down. Compare that to fat, you might only burn 2 or 3 calories for every 100. That's why it can cause us to gain weight. So in very simple terms, protein is really making your metabolism work harder. And this matters because, especially during the reset, because again, we're trying to train your metabolism to become more efficient and become flexible. And protein is one of the best tools for doing that. So let's just take a few moments to bust some myths, because I think there are a lot of myths out there about protein. Even though most of us know protein is important, there's still some confusion out there, especially with it becoming a little bit more buzzier in the wellness world. And it can hold people back, or people just may have questions about, you know, what's enough or what's not enough. And I think one of the first ones, and it's been around for decades, is that too much protein is bad for your kidneys. But the truth is that for healthy individuals, there is no evidence that moderate to high protein intake harms the kidneys. This myth really came from studies done on people with existing kidney disease. Where the kidneys can't process nitrogen waste as efficiently. But if your kidneys are healthy, they are more than capable of handling the byproducts of normal protein metabolism. In fact, uh, some clinical studies have shown that higher protein diets can improve blood pressure, blood sugar control, and weight regulation, all of which actually protect kidney health in the long run. So unless your doctor has advised you otherwise, you can rest easy knowing that the 4 ounces of protein that you're eating per meal isn't just safe, but it is actually beneficial. So another myth is that you don't need that much protein unless you are trying to bulk up, build muscle, bodybuild, or lift heavy. Another common myth, right? And while it's true that athletes and bodybuilders do need higher amounts of protein, everyone benefits from adequate protein, especially as we age or going through a metabolic reset like this program. Because protein isn't just for muscle, muscle growth, it's for maintenance. Every day your body is breaking down and rebuilding your cells, your hormones, your enzymes, and connective tissue, and protein is the raw material for all of it. And without enough of it, your body is going to start pulling from its own muscle tissue to get what it needs, and again, we do not want that. So another myth is that plant proteins aren't complete or effective. This one is a little bit more nuanced. Um, it is true that most plant proteins are lower in 1 or 2 essential amino acids compared to animal proteins, uh, which are considered to be complete proteins. But here's the thing, you don't need to get all of your amino acids in one food or even in one meal. And as long as you're eating a variety of plant proteins throughout the day, so think lentils, beans, seeds, tofu, your body will combine these amino acids and create a complete profile. So that's a really good thing. And if you do prefer to eat more plant-based, or you're just looking to reduce your meat intake, you can still thrive eating, plants for protein. You just need to be a little bit more intentional about mixing and matching them. Another common myth is that protein makes you bulky, right? This one is especially important for women. I think a lot of women feel like they don't want to, to eat too much for fear of, you know, getting too big. It's a common fear, but protein alone does not make you bulky. Building large amounts of muscle requires very specific conditions, including a calorie surplus, uh, high-volume strength training, and often a genetic predisposition. For most women eating adequate protein, uh, it's not going to bulk you up. It will actually help you look leaner because it supports muscle tone, fat loss, and that healthy metabolism that we want. And remember, muscle actually takes up less space than fat. So when you increase your lean muscle mass through protein and movement, your body becomes smaller, tighter, and more defined, not bulkier. And then one final myth is that if you're eating enough calories, you're getting enough protein. Well, we probably know by now that this is not true. It's completely possible to meet your caloric needs while still falling short on protein, especially if your meals are carb or fat heavy. You know, you can compare smoothies like one with almond milk, a banana, and nut butter. You might get 400 calories out of there, but you're only getting 8 to 10 grams of protein. But compare that to a smoothie with Greek yogurt or a scoop of protein powder, you're getting the same amount of calories but doubling or tripling the amount of protein. So it's not about calories, and shifting your mindset from that to more of a macronutrient balance changes everything. You know, your cravings really do start to drop, your energy stabilizes, and your body composition improves. So what are some of the signs that you're not getting enough protein? Because even when we think we are getting enough, um, it's easy to fall short, right? That's why we have you weigh and measure your food. But if you're not getting enough protein, your body is going to start sending little signals that your intake is too low. They might be subtle at first and, and And, you know, again, we really try to encourage you to start tuning into your body and looking for messages from it. But once you know what to look for, they really are hard to miss. So first of all, you can, you know, you get that hunger, right, or the cravings, especially for sweets soon after you've eaten a meal. And that's— protein is what's keeping your blood sugar stable. So without enough of it, your appetite is not staying in check. If you've ever finished your lunch and you find yourself digging through the pantry, you know, an hour or two later, that's a sign that you probably didn't get enough protein or that you paired it with too many carbohydrates. But without protein, your, your blood sugar spikes quickly and crashes quickly, and that sends a signal to your brain to reach for a really quick source of energy. You know, usually that afternoon cup of coffee or sweet or some kind of refined carb. Another sign is that you're losing muscle tone or strength. And again, as we age, one of the biggest risks of undereating protein is muscle loss. Even if your weight stays stable, you may be losing lean muscle mass and gaining fat, something that you may have heard referred to as skinny fat. If you notice you're feeling weaker or you look softer, you know, your body just looks softer, or your workouts feel harder than usual, your body may be signaling that a need for more protein, or at least more consistency with it. Fatigue is a big indicator of, of lack of protein. When you're not getting enough, your brain just doesn't have the raw materials it needs to function optimally, optimally. And you might notice a little bit more mental fog, slower recovery, or just that general low energy feeling because protein isn't just fueling your muscles, it's fueling your mind and your mood as well. Physically, your hair, your skin, and your nails may show signs. Your body is super smart. When it's short on protein, it's not going to give that energy to your skin, your hair, and your nails. It's giving it to your essentials—your organs, your enzymes, and your hormones. It's trying to keep you alive, right? So it's pulling protein away from the less vital things like your hair and nails. So that isn't, you know, seeing those changes in your physical appearance is not, it's not a beauty thing. It's not necessarily like a product or something you're using. It's most likely a nutritional one. And adding just a little bit more protein can make a big difference. Another sign is slowness to recover from workouts or illness. If you happen to be sore longer than usual after a workout, or if you got sick and it takes you a lot longer to bounce back from a cold, your body may be short on the amino acids it needs to rebuild. Again, just getting enough protein post-workout helps repair muscle tissue and support immune function. If you're having any trouble sleeping, this is often related to lack of protein. Because it helps regulate blood sugar and support neurotransmitters, both of which are precursors to melatonin, which is the sleep hormone. If your evening meals are too low in protein or very carb-heavy, you might experience restless sleep, nighttime waking, or even, you know, being super hungry in the morning. So a balanced meal, a balanced dinner with adequate protein, is going to help you fall asleep fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. And then if you are retaining any water or feeling puffiness at all, that can also be a sign of low protein because it can affect your fluid balance. Uh, protein helps maintain the balance of fluids between your blood and tissues, and when your protein levels are low, fluid can leak out into the tissues causing mild puffiness or swelling. So if you're feeling bloated at all, or noticing perhaps your rings are feeling tight, even if you're not getting excess salt, this could be your body's way of signaling it needs a little bit more protein. So all of this to say that, you know, we want to also look for some practical ways to, to boost protein, and there are lots of ways to do that. These are all really super simple and doable strategies to help you meet your protein targets throughout the day. We talked about breakfast earlier, starting your day strong with, with a protein-rich breakfast, whether that's egg whites or a protein smoothie or collagen in your smoothie, something like that, or even having dinner for breakfast is a great way to start your day with enough protein. You can look for ways to add protein as a topper to things like salads or bowls Um, hemp hearts are a great source of protein, pumpkin seeds, even, you know, some grilled chicken or some other kind of grilled meat. Always making sure you have enough protein ready and cooked so that you can grab it quickly. So if you're grilling or cooking in the oven, make an extra batch. Chicken, fish, turkey burgers— these are all really great things that last well, are easy to reheat, and are good to have on hand for quick meals. Meals. And then making sure you have smart snacks. So hard-boiled eggs, tuna in, in water-packed tuna, edamame, even like a small handful of nuts as you get through the, the release phase. Those are all good sources of protein to have on hand if you do feel like you need a snack. And then if you are using protein powders to supplement, just make sure they're good, clean, unsweetened options. We have a great pea protein we like to recommend to everyone, even collagen protein powder is a good way to boost your protein. And as with everything, you know, consistency really is more important here than perfection. So just keeping it simple and clean is a great start. And finally, just to kind of wrap it all up and bring everything full circle, we talked about the fact that protein isn't just about building muscle or helping with fat loss. It truly is the foundation of your metabolic health. It supports your strength, your energy, your focus, your mood, and even your sleep. And when you are consistently including your 4 ounces of protein at each meal, you are supporting your lean muscle and maintaining a healthy metabolism. You're taking advantage of the thermic effect of protein and burning calories just by the, by the process of digesting it. You're keeping your blood sugar steady and stable and your cravings under control. And you're helping your body feel full longer and fueling your brain and body for sustained energy. I know it can be really easy to focus only on the scale, but real progress shows up in other ways. Steady energy, better sleep, clearer mind, improved mood, and a stronger body are all results that are telling you your metabolism is healing and thriving. So as always, celebrate all of those non-scale victories. Every balanced meal you make, every mindful choice you make, every time you honor that 4 ounces of protein in a meal is a way of telling your body you're supporting it. You're not depriving it. And I think that's something to really feel proud and grateful for. And remember, protein isn't a rule, it is self-care. And when you start to think about that, it will make a big difference. It's fueling the life you want to live. And when you trust that the way you're eating is building a stronger, more resilient version of you, you will absolutely thrive from the inside out. So thank you for coming to this presentation with me. As always, on Friday, we follow up the presentation with an open Q&A. Can be about the presentation that we just did. Just did, or it can be anything related to the program. I would love to hear from any of you. If any of you have questions, I'm happy to help. You can put them in the chat.

You can come off mic, of course. Hi, Laura. Good morning. Good morning.

Thank you for joining, as always. Rajpal.

Yeah, a wonderful presentation. I just want to share that I've been a victim of that thing myself. You know, as I was starting to age and so on, you're looking at things like cholesterol and you want to eat so much of this fatty food. And I did lose muscle mass and so much to my own detriment. But then I started to recover and I'm on that phase. So I totally concur with what you're saying there and encourage, you know, others who are on the program and who would be wanting to share this and pass it on to their patients that that protein part of the thing is very, very important. Yeah. The second thing I have, so these presentations that you're doing on Friday, are we allowed to like send this to the patient? Is this recording? Let's say somebody signed up with me, Patient X. Yes. So that I don't have to spit this out to them, but they have this, you know, we released this, this week to them. Is that how this thing is set up in this program?

Yeah, absolutely. So there is a replay in a YouTube playlist. We upload the replay every week and you can send that, the link to the YouTube playlist to your clients.

And they'll see you divulging all this stuff so I don't have to do it.

You don't have to do it again.

They can just watch it. Wonderful. Wonderful. Hey, man, I'm so much behind. I have to get my act together. All right.

That's okay. Yes. So let us know if you would like the link to that YouTube playlist, and then you can send it to whoever you like. Yeah.

Well, let me work on getting them signed up, and I'm still trying to get my way around practice better.

Oh, yes. Okay. Wonderful.

Thank you, Laura. You're welcome.

Any other questions today? Thanks for joining me, Katie.

Before you go, do I have to request that playlist or is it automatically sent to us, the ones who are licensed in the Living Light Metabolic Coach?

So I know for the regular Metabolic Reset clients, there's a weekly newsletter that the replays are all linked in every single week. I don't know what Natalie sends out to the licensees weekly. Do you get a newsletter?

I don't know what the hell I'm getting. I don't mean it in an offensive way. I mean, I get so much stuff. It also drives me nuts. That thing is a lot of stuff to divulge there and still trying to take care of patients. But I'll ask Natalie.

What I'll do, Rajpaa, is I will send you the link in Practice Better as a private message. And then it will automatically update every week. So once you have that link, you don't need it again. Just hang on to it and then it just automatically every week we get, you know, the new presentation is uploaded.

Okay. Thank you so much. I do enjoy your presentation. I want to be very candid about that. Well, thank you. You have a nice pace at which you divulge information. It is succinct. And to the point. So very good work.

Thank you all. Thank you very much. Appreciate the feedback. Any other questions? Thank you also, Katie and Martha and Tony and iPhone. I maybe is my friend Renee again. I'm not sure, but thank you for joining whoever that is on iPhone. You're welcome to put any questions you might have in the chat if that's easier, if you can't unmute yourselves, or if you're in a place where you can't come on camera. And of course, this, the replay that I was referring to, these are all available to you as well every week. Great if you, if there are weeks that you're not able to make it, we have a new presentation every week and just give you a heads up that next week is all about breaking through plateaus, weight loss plateaus. So that one will be really interesting. And then the following week is all about the lymph system, and Deepa is doing that one. I'm not sure, she might actually even have a guest speaker coming in for that. So that one will be definitely one you won't want to miss. So that is on November 21st. Thank you, Katie. Appreciate the feedback. But if there are no questions, I will let you get on with your day. And again, you can catch this recording if you missed the beginning or any part of it or want to watch it again. And I so appreciate all of you, and I appreciate you taking the time to, to join me for this hour today. And I wish you a wonderful rest of your day, and we'll see you next week. Bye for now.