Welcome back to week three of our four-part series of my best nutrition tips.

If you missed week 1 (balancing blood sugar) or week 2 (are carbs bad?), you'll want to catch up.

My number one tip is to balance your blood sugar.  

It profoundly impacts your overall health and is key to avoiding chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

This week’s tip is about protein.

I often see that most women undereat protein. 

Protein is a macronutrient made up of 20 different amino acids.

It is the building block for our muscles, bones, skin, hair, nails, and cartilage.

It’s so important because protein helps maintain lean muscle mass.  

You’ve likely heard me say that muscle is the fountain of youth.  

You need to feed your muscles to maintain them as you age.

Protein also helps you to stay full and satiated.  It’s a natural appetite suppressant.

If you want to snack all the time, try adding more protein to your meals and see if it reduces the need to reach for a pick-me-up

If you want to lose body fat, try adding more protein to your plate and see if it helps.

I’ve always thought I had a sweet tooth. 

Eating enough protein has removed my cravings for sweets.

Adding at least 30 grams of protein to each meal can do wonders for your appearance and health.

How much protein do you need in a day?

Grab your calculator and multiply 0.8 x ideal body weight in pounds = total grams of protein/day.

Animal protein serving sizes:

• 1 large egg = 6 grams
• 4 oz boneless skinless chicken breast = 34 grams
• 4 oz chicken thighs = 30 grams
• 4 oz 90% lean ground beef = 30 grams
• 4 oz ground turkey = 30 grams
• 4 oz sirloin = 30 grams
• 4 oz wild salmon = 27 grams
• 5 oz can of tuna = 30 grams
• ½ cup greek yogurt = 10 grams
• ½ cup cottage cheese = 14 grams
• Protein powder - check packaging

Start slowly by looking at your breakfast to see how much protein it contains.

Starting the day with enough protein will support your blood sugar balance throughout the day.

I hope you see how food matters when balancing your blood sugar.  

Stay tuned for next week, when I’ll share my fourth-best nutrition tip.