Issue #113: The Protein Cheat Sheet
Good morning. It's Wednesday, January 25th. In 1924 the first Winter Olympics started today in Chamonix, France. The event was initially called the Winter Sports Week, but it was so successful that the IOC retroactively named it the First Olympic Winter Games.
“Calories from protein affect your brain, your appetite control center, so you are more satiated and satisfied.”
From the Lab: Amino Acid & Protein Sources
Take Action: Grass-Finished
Speed Read: Hunga Tonga
Wednesday Weights: Hamstring Day!
What We're Reading: Effortless
The number of active volcanoes like Hunga Tonga (see Speed Read). This doesn't account for the continuous chains of volcanoes on the ocean floor along spreading plates (Mid-Atlantic). There may be up to 1M volcanoes, most extinct. (USGS)
From the Lab
We left off yesterday (Issue #112) with the goal of getting to 1.5g of protein per kg body weight per day (123g for that 180 lb person).
So how are we going to get there?
Protein isn’t really a single nutrient - it’s more like a multi-vitamin. There are 20 amino acids (9 "essential" amino acids we can only get from diet) that all do different things for our body - so we should really try to get all of them to optimize our health (think of them the same way you would as Vitamin C vs. Vitamin B12).
For example:
Lysine supports the production of hormones and energy and important for immune function.
Leucine helps your body make protein, growth hormones. It also helps grow and repair muscle tissue, heal wounds and regulate blood sugar levels.
Methionine helps with your body’s tissue growth, metabolism and detoxification. Methionine also helps with the absorption of essential minerals, including zinc and selenium.
See full list from Cleveland Clinic.
If you want to get real complicated - here’s the quantity of each of the 9 essential amino acids we need (at a minimum) per kg of body weight per day:
Cleveland Clinic
You can look up the amino acid profile of every food with protein in your diet and try to create a master eating plan.
A quick cheat - animal protein has the complete set of amino acids in the ratio we need.
So if you eat sufficient protein from animal products (meat, eggs, dairy), you’ll be good to go and don’t really have to worry about getting into all the amino acid details.
A note on animal protein - not all meat is created equal.
A cow pumped full of growth hormones and antibiotics that is stuck in a pen of its own sh** eating corn laced with pesticides can absolutely crush your health. Compare that to a cow raised without drugs/hormones walking around to build natural muscle and eating natural grass. 🐄
We aren’t just what we eat - we’re also what it ate too.
How do we know this? Well, all those amino acids started in the bacteria on plant roots and were taken into the plants and then the animal before going into us - so remember the entire food chain matters.
Before I lose any vegetarians out there - you absolutely can get sufficient protein from plants. 🌱
But, as you'll see the overall protein quantity is lower, the amino acid profile might be limited, and, on average, plant protein has only 60-70% bioavailability - meaning if it says 5g protein you’re really only getting 3-3.5g. Math again???
If you don’t eat much (or any) meat, here’s a list of “clean” vegan protein supplements to make sure you add to your normal diet to get all those awesome aminos.
Take Action
Look for “grass-finished” if possible. Grass-fed labeling isn’t certified and doesn’t guarantee anything than the cow ate grass at some point in it’s life (read more).
If eating vegetarian protein - make sure to try it without any other foods for a few hours to see how it affects your gut. Many of these blends can wreak havoc on our digestion.
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Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
Hunga Tonga: It’s been a year, but the greatest explosion on Earth is still reverberating with scientists. Measuring cosmic water in the atmosphere warming Earth to concentrated lightning (5,200 events/min) - what?? But the most important lesson from Hunga Tonga is the blindspot we have for underwater volcanoes and their impact with all of life. (WIRED)
Timeless: Ever tried the Pomodoro technique? We have struggled with balancing work and life, especially since working from home. And Max started to do something similar without a guide and has had success when he remembers to do it. This article is from June 2020, but still a great view into the how and why. (NYTimes)
Metabolic Health Meter: Do you experience low energy, brain fog, mood changes, breakouts or have trouble losing weight? Take stock and potentially make changes with how/when/what you eat (Issue #97), how much and what type of sleep you get (Issues #99, 101-105), and exercise regularly (Issue #96). See more from Levels Health.
Wednesday Weights
Here's a way to get those hamstrings as strong as your quads. Make sure you do a light stretch and some walking after this one, plus lots of water to hydrate to prevent soreness on Thursday and Friday.
Click HERE to view the workout on our YouTube channel.
Workout and video courtesy of Connor J. Obrochta. Check out all of Connor's workouts on Playbook!
What We’re Reading
Effortless by Greg McKeown
Why we love it? It does a great job of disconnecting the myth of having to always work hard to get ahead. It makes it actionable to "work smarter, not harder." Enjoy the sequel to Essentialism!
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.