This week, a 5'3", 46-year-old, female client of mine was told by a "fitness consultant" at her new gym that she needs to eat 150 grams of protein per day. 🤦♀️
Arbitrary instructions like this inevitably send people into a tailspin, pushing them to count everything they eat and choke down excess food they don't need or want.
When they are unable to stick with these unreasonable (and often unhealthy) plans, they:
👉 Blame themselves
👉 Get stressed out
👉 Go back to old coping mechanisms (aka ice cream! 😊)
It makes me NUTS.
Food does not have to be complicated. It might require some attention or a change of approach, but it does not have to be SO COMPLICATED.
According to the Mayo Clinic, this client likely needs about 60 grams of protein per day (up to 100 grams if she's training for a race or doing heavy weight lifting... which she is not).
In a scenario like this, health "experts" can increase the pressure on someone newly finding their groove at the gym—pushing them to eat more food than they're comfortable eating, and adding unnecessary anxiety and calories. (Protein and carbs both contain 4 calories per gram!)
Dani Blum at The New York Times wrote a great piece this week on the pros and cons of supplemental protein. She sums the situation up this way:
"You’d be hard-pressed to find an American who actually needs more protein, said Eric Rimm, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Most meat eaters get far more than the recommended daily dose of protein (which is about 0.4 grams per pound of body weight). And those who don’t eat meat can get enough protein from plant sources like tofu, nuts and legumes... For the average person, adding another punch of protein into your diet — particularly when it comes with a lot of added sugar — is not going to make you healthier."
The old Michael Pollen adage is one most of us can safely live by:
"Eat food, mostly plants, not too much."
To make this easier, I answered a question from "Veggie Monster" at Forbes this week: Are frozen vegetables unhealthy?
Scroll down for the answer!
And, if you want a protein bar, go for it! Sometimes they make great, easy snacks, but don't let anyone convince you their bars or powders are the secret to weight loss. A handful of nuts and berries can just as easily help you stay energized and satisfied.
Sarah
"A two-year study in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysisfound that in the majority of comparisons between nutrients within the categories of fresh, frozen, and 'fresh-stored', the findings showed no significant differences. In some cases, the vitamins in frozen outperformed 'fresh stored.'"
To learn more about the nutritional and environmental pros and cons of frozen produce, CLICK HERE to read this week’s Hey, Health Coach column at Forbes.
Lesbian M&Ms in sneakers
M&M's "spokescandy" was cancelled last week after Fox News' Tucker Carlson protested that the "female" M&M must be a lesbian because she switched from go-go boots to sneakers.
According to Molly Roberts at The Washington Post, Tucker also "decried the introduction of Purple, whom he described as 'plus-sized' and 'obese.' (She’s just a peanut M&M.)"
(Spoiler: there is speculation that M&Ms cancelled the spokescandy not because of Carlson, but rather as a stunt to launch a Superbowl ad.)
I've been thinking about fashion lately—my lack of natural ability and/or bandwidth or money to devote to it—and I've been inspired to play a little more.
For what it's worth, Tucker Carlson helped me out with that this week. 💃
Lesbians can wear stilettos. Trans men can wear dresses. Everyone can wear sneakers and wigs and baseball caps and feather boas. Cheers, Tucker! Thanks for the inspo. 😀
If you care to read more about the M&Ms debacle, check out Roberts' Opinion piece.
And if you care to tell me about your favorite thrift shop, I'd love that! Maybe I can do a round-up for you all. That would be fun. Reply to send me your favorites!
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