In the pursuit of health and fitness goals, few nutrients are as crucial as protein. Whether you're aiming to build muscle, lose weight, or simply maintain overall wellness, ensuring an adequate intake of quality protein is paramount. In a recent episode of the HVMN podcast, we delved deep into the world of protein sources, exploring the best options for optimal health and performance.

Whole Foods vs. Supplements: Finding the Right Balance

Host and fitness enthusiast Marker kicked off the discussion by highlighting his personal preference for whole food sources of protein, particularly from animal products such as beef, chicken, fish, eggs, and milk. He emphasized the importance of incorporating these nutrient-dense foods into his daily diet, citing staples like steak, ground beef, and chicken as his main go-to sources.

However, Marker also acknowledged the convenience of protein shakes, especially given his busy schedule. He shared his experience of incorporating both plant-based and grass-fed whey protein powders into his routine, noting the role of these supplements in meeting his protein needs efficiently. For Marker, protein shakes serve as a convenient solution for ensuring adequate protein intake amidst a hectic lifestyle.

Navigating Food Sensitivities: The Role of Personalized Nutrition

A particularly insightful aspect of the conversation revolved around food sensitivities and their impact on protein digestion and absorption. Marker recounted his own experience of discovering a sensitivity to whey protein through a food sensitivity test, which manifested as inflammation in his knees.

This revelation prompted Marker to eliminate whey protein from his diet and transition to alternative sources such as plant-based protein powders. Remarkably, within a matter of days, the discomfort in his knees subsided, underscoring the profound influence of personalized nutrition on overall well-being.

Strategies for Optimal Protein Consumption

As the conversation progressed, Marker and his guest delved into practical strategies for maximizing protein intake. They emphasized the importance of tracking protein consumption and adjusting dietary habits accordingly to align with individual goals, whether it be muscle building, fat loss, or weight maintenance.

Moreover, they highlighted the common challenge of underestimating protein requirements and offered protein shakes as a convenient solution for bridging the gap between dietary intake and optimal protein levels. By prioritizing protein intake and leveraging both whole food sources and supplements strategically, individuals can unlock the full potential of their health and fitness journey.

Final Thoughts: Making Protein a Priority

In conclusion, the discussion underscored the pivotal role of protein in supporting various aspects of health and performance. Whether sourced from whole foods or supplements, protein remains a cornerstone of optimal nutrition, capable of fueling muscle growth, supporting weight management, and enhancing overall vitality.

As you embark on your own health and wellness journey, remember to prioritize protein intake and tailor your approach to suit your unique needs and preferences. By doing so, you'll empower yourself to unlock the transformative power of protein and propel yourself towards your goals with confidence and clarity.

Stay tuned for more insights, tips, and strategies to optimize your health and performance journey. Until next time, prioritize protein, and thrive in the pursuit of your best self.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Marker emphasizes the importance of incorporating whole food sources of protein, such as beef, chicken, fish, eggs, and milk, into his diet for optimal health and performance.
• Despite his busy schedule, Marker acknowledges the convenience of protein shakes and supplements, particularly plant-based and grass-fed whey protein powders, in meeting his protein needs efficiently.
• Personalized nutrition plays a significant role in optimizing protein intake, as highlighted by Marker's experience of discovering a sensitivity to whey protein through a food sensitivity test, prompting him to adjust his dietary choices accordingly.

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Transcription

Dr. Latt Mansor:

What are the best protein sources that you would recommend?

Tyler Holt:

I'm an advocate for eating, whole sources of food from animal protein, beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, whatever. I, I. Do that myself, and I strongly believe it that those are some of the best sources of protein. I'll give you for myself. For example, I do steak very often. I do ground beef very often.

I do chicken very often. Those are probably meat wise. Those are probably my main go twos. But I also do. I personally, just because of how crammed my schedule is, it's very convenient for me to do protein shakes quite often. And so I'll do a few different kinds. I have a plant based Protein.

So going off topic, and I'll come back on the topic. I years ago, I did a food sensitivity test in this. I think everybody should do a food sensitivity test because if you eat a lot of the same stuff over time, your body becomes. sensitive to things and then won't quite respond to it, right? So when we're talking about how much protein can one person absorb if that person has an intolerance to chicken or a sensitivity to chicken and they don't to beef, then beef would be a better option for them because their body's sensitive to chicken and is actually not going to digest and absorb what it could.

So going back to my, my, I had a sensitivity to whey protein and it was really strange. I actually had, I had a lot of inflammation in my knees when this was going on. And I tried a number of different things. I did acupuncture, cupping, massage therapy, all this kind of stuff, rehab to, to see what was going on with my knees.

And then I did the food sensitivity test. Whey was one of my highest markers as far as highest sensitivities go. And so I took out whey protein and not even five days later, the knee pain was just gone. It was wild. And so At that point in time, I had switched to a plant based protein powder, and that worked really great for me, and I retested that since then, and and I have, my sensitivity to whey has gone down, so I've now thrown in, I do 100 percent grass fed whey protein powder, but those are super just convenient for me during the day, like I'm not gonna, I don't plug away six Thanks.

Solid meals a day like I did back when I was bodybuilding. I'm a I'm also a man of convenience I like things that are just you know, what whatever makes my day more efficient so if I don't have to actually sit down and eat a meal while I have all this other stuff to do if I can Make a protein shake and drink that I will just do it.

So So going back so main protein sources. I would always recommend that people do you know animal protein sources Protein powders, if you can't get all the, sit down and do meals, all that kind of stuff, protein powders, super, super efficient, easy way to just get that protein number.

And, I think a lot of people struggle to get a high amount of protein, right? When most people, when I deal with people and I'm like, I just want you to track your food. Just, I just want to see what you're doing on a daily basis. Don't change anything. Don't do anything different. Just track what you normally do.

And they, and then when I show them, okay, you actually need to be eating double this amount of protein. Then people are like, I don't know how to do that. So protein shakes, they're just so easy. They don't make you feel super full or anything like that. But if you can, get 40 grams of protein in a quick drink that's a game changer.

It's a no brainer. 

Dr. Latt Mansor:

No, that's the thing. Because protein is feeling like whole foods that meat are going to be filling. And a lot of people. just struggle to have that much food in during the day. And they don't realize how little protein they are consuming versus, their goal. And when myself included, I've made that mistake myself when I tried to, I'm like, okay, I want to lose weight, but I still want to build muscle.

But I ended up having too much of a calorie deficit and certainly under eating protein. And as a result, I wasn't getting anywhere. I was losing both muscle and fat at the same time. And then I go to the gym, I build it, and then I lose it back. It's just a very bad cycle of not getting progress.

Tyler Holt:

Yeah. And that's tough. And that's where the exploration of all that comes in, right? Okay where do I actually need to be, and a lot of times people do a lot of stuff to lose weight, lose fat, and they under eat on protein. We bump up their protein, boom, suddenly they're losing fat, right?

Of course the opposite, right? With people are trying to put on muscle and they're under eating on protein, they're just not going to build muscle. You increase that, boom, they start building muscle. So I think protein is just solely the most important thing that people need to focus on.

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