Quick Heads Up: Look out for our “Celebration 50th Newsletter” Coming soon!
News from US Side of the Pond
Before I dive deep into all things protein — who else has been completely obsessed with the viral Tik Tok series from “ReesaTeesa”? Full disclosure: I’ve never listened to a 3 part story on Tik Tok, much less a 50 part series — they seem to go on forever and the person usually rambles on and on and on and never posts the parts in order or in a timely manner, so I lose interest very quickly. From ReesaTeesa’s first video, I was completely hooked!! OMG!! She is not only a masterful storyteller, but her memory is absolutely incredible! The details she’s able to recall that happened 4 years ago is amazing — I’m barely able to remember what I did yesterday, let alone what happened 4 years ago.
If you’re wondering what the heck I’m talking about, ReesaTeesa posted a 50 part series on Tik Tok on how she met, married and ultimately divorced (not a spoiler, she literally says this a couple minutes into the intro video) a pathological lier, manipulator and narcissist. It’s a WILD story!! The lies her ex-husband told are beyond!!! I really hope Netflix, Hulu or even Lifetime makes it into a tv series.
Ok, now back to today’s theme — protein. Before I get on with it, I am not a medical professional. I’m not giving you any medical advice, but only telling you what I’ve learned, personally, from my own doctors, and sharing my own personal story. I encourage you to seek advice from medical professionals in your area if you have questions.
And, yes, in case you’re wondering, there is a connection between Reesa and protein. Remember when I talked about her brilliant memory? Protein helps with memory and brain fog, and overall cognitive brain function, so there you have your connection.
I started seeing a functional medicine doctor after my hysterectomy 2 years ago. My hormones were all out of whack (story for another time) and she was a huge help in resolving a lot of menopause issues I was having…..the usual things like hot flashes, brain fog, mood changes that swung more widely than a swing on a playground, low energy and fatigue. One of the things she recommended was adding more protein into my diet and suggested striving for the optimal amount of protein with every meal — 30 grams. If you’re trying to figure out, like I was, what that looks like that would be 3 eggs and 2 pieces of sausage. She also told me it’s important to balance protein with healthy fats (avocado, olive oil, olives), more green veggies, limit carbs (ugh….not the advice I was looking for as I’m a huge carb lover), and limit refined sugars.
Now, as someone who loves to cook, at first I was less than thrilled with having to start counting grams of protein. Not to mention, I’m not that great at math. So having to do math by adding up grams of protein every time I wanted to eat didn’t exactly thrill me. When I cook, I’ve never counted grams unless I’m baking. I focus on flavor, spices, and ingredients. One thing I had going in the right direction was cooking with whole ingredients. I rarely cook with processed food and have read labels for years to make sure there aren’t ingredients I can’t pronounce or colors that aren’t natural. The challenge for me was creating high protein meals and not sacrificing the joy I have in cooking. I didn’t want to make this shift and lose the excitement I get when I’m in the kitchen.
That’s how my journey started, and, I have to say, I’ve discovered some interesting things along the way as I’ve added more protein to each meal.
I’m satiated longer and don’t feel the need to have little snacks all day long because the protein meals fill me up.
High protein meals don’t have to be boring and can be full of flavor — shakshuka, poached eggs with miso hollandaise, frittatas, steak tacos, beef bourguignon…..there are so many delicious ways to add protein.
I feel more mentally clear (for the most part!) than I have in awhile.
I have more energy.
I’m not sick of eggs….yet. This is the one thing I was most worried about since I start most days off with some type of egg.
It’s fun to play around with recipes and treat it as a little game to get up to 30 grams of protein.
There are SO MANY sources out there to help — cookbooks, food blogs, websites, doctors, etc.
Like I said earlier, this is my own personal health journey, and everyone is different. I encourage you to find a doctor or health practitioner who will be able to best advice you on what will work for you. As we age, we shouldn’t get complacent in leaning into the “oh, this is just what it’s like to get older” — we should feel healthy, strong, energized and absolutely flipping fabulous no matter how old we are!
News from UK Side of the Pond
Yay - headache has finally gone, thank you for the lovely messages. We are so lucky to have such a fabulous “Foodies” community - (See last week’s newsletter).
One of my greatest loves is going to the cinema with friends. This week I saw “Argyle”. A spy spoof, a bit bonkers, but fun. It made me laugh, which is the best medicine!
Poor Lisa, I feel for her grappling with her protein dilemma. It’s so tricky changing your daily eating pattern , when you love your food and experimenting.
When you think protein, the mind swings to slabs of meat and I don’t know about you, but as I get older, this “slab” of meat protein appeals less and less?
I am of a generation that was taught “Home Economics” at school (showing my age), which was completely brilliant, creating the building blocks for a career in food. It also equipped me with some knowledge about nutrition, something sorely lacking in our UK schools today. There is no need to be popping (and paying out for) so many tablet and gummy supplements, when a balanced diet will provide a satisfactory balance of nutrients that the body requires.
Only this week, I was watching on TV (in my morning coffee break of course), Dr. Megan Rossi who is an absolute QUEEN! She is so knowledgeable, and explains things so clearly. Follow her on social media if you can.
I can highly recommend her book “Eat Well Live Well”. She is big on “Gut Health” and I would love to do one of her workshops! Find the link below.
She was challenged by “This Morning” programme, to add to a shopping basket for under £6.00 - top tip nutrient recommendations . It features on the show’s app’ if you can gain access to it. Well worth a watch.
Her shopping bag contained……
Garlic bulb - immune health
Dark Chocolate - skin health
Yogurt - bone health
Can of beans & a red pepper - hair & gut health
Banana, seeds & camomile tea - sleep
But back to “Protein”. We are so blessed to have so many fantastic options readily available to us these days, that are high in protein. If I had to offer a pearl of wisdom, it is to menu plan and of course Lisa is the champion menu planner. If you plan each meal for your week ahead and organise your shopping so that you cupboards are ready, it will save having to repeat eat the same old dishes day after day.
Also, if you are anything like me …. when you are short of time, it is so easy to reach for the potato, pasta or rely on the contents of the bread bin. Carb’ city!
Here are three of my top tips:
Add to your list - fresh herbs and spices to elevate & add flavour to your meals. And they are good for you too. Remember your seasonings!
Try to avoid to many carbs’ on the plate. These can cause a spike in sugars, which you want to avoid. Try to break that carbohydrate habit.
Add to your shopping list, a selection of nuts & seeds to snack on - if you fall into the carb’ trap, these will help you to reduce that sugar spike.
Suggestions for foods high in protein:
Eggs
Tofu
Corn
Green leafy vegetables, like chard, kale
Broccoli
Artichoke
Meat
Fish
Beans and pulses inc chickpeas
Lentils
Seeds
Peanut butter
Cottage Cheese (you can have my share)
Please remember that I am “Home Economist” not a Nutritionist, if you need more knowledge than my humble offering, there is so much more knowledgeable advice readily available. Click of a button.
CHEESY HERBY BAKED EGGS
These are SO easy to make and so adaptable depending on what herbs you have on hand. You can even chop up little grape tomatoes to put in the bottom, before adding the eggs or top with crispy prosciutto for even more protein. I like to chop the herbs and grate the cheese the night before and store in my fridge. This saves time in the morning, so I can have an extra cup of coffee before making breakfast.
Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
4 extra-large eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.
Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and Parmesan and set aside. Carefully crack 2 eggs into each of 2 small bowls or teacups (you won't be baking them in these) without breaking the yolks. (It's very important to have all the eggs ready to go before you start cooking.)
Place 2 individual gratin dishes on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of cream and 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each dish and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Quickly, but carefully, pour 3 eggs into each gratin dish and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place back under the broiler for 7 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked. (Rotate the baking sheet once if they aren't cooking evenly.)
The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. Allow to set for 60 seconds and serve hot with toasted bread.
Notes
Depending on your oven, this could take less time, so keep an eye on it.
GRILLED KALBI FLANK STEAK
This recipe couldn’t be any easier and uses ingredients in your pantry. The marinade is full of flavor and the steak is infused with all the big, bold Asian flavors overnight. Grill or oven broil and serve with salad or roasted veggies for a protein rich delicious meal. Leftover steak is fabulous in salads or tacos!
Ingredients
2 flank steaks
1 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 cup saki
1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro
1/3 cup of sugar
2 inches fresh grated ginger
4 cloves finely minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
Put all ingredients in blender until thoroughly mixed. Pour marinade over steaks and marinate overnight.
Grill 4-5 minutes on each side or until desired doneness.
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Have a great week everybody!
Jane & Lisa xx