The critical macro no one’s talking about: holistically detox, slow aging, and build muscle with each bite
If you have ever been on a diet, you are likely familiar with the term “macros.” Short for macronutrients, macros are simply the main nutrients that we eat daily. The three main macros are carbohydrates, protein, and fat, and they all do different things for our bodies.
The macro spotlight tends to fall on carbohydrates and fat, while protein is usually forgotten. However, we need to talk about how protein is critical for everything from keeping your skin healthy to helping your body holistically detox and even slowing the aging process.
Keep reading to learn why the forgotten macronutrient is so essential and easy ways you can start incorporating more of it into your meals.
Protein: the macro that you need to holistically detox
Have you ever felt that you just needed a reset? Maybe after an indulgent vacation or all the stress and sugar of the holiday season? Maybe you’ve had that icky feeling like you need to get some nutrients into your body and flush all the junk out—you need to holistically detox!
Twenty years ago, I couldn’t have found a detox product if my life depended on it. Fast forward to the present day, and everywhere I turn, I hear about how to holistically detox. From my neighbor who raves about the water enhancer she swears by to help her body detox to the friendly woman at my local farmer’s market peddling her juice bar’s 7-day juice cleanse.
But do these trendy and frequently expensive products really work? What does our body actually need to holistically detox?
In a perfect world, your body doesn’t need anything to detox. Detoxification, technically known as biotransformation, is a natural process built into your body's cells. However, you and I both know that we do not live in a perfect world.
We are constantly bombarded by toxins that our ancestors never encountered. A 2020 report estimated that 350,000 chemicals are used worldwide. Roughly 60,000 of these are not well regulated, and the health effects are poorly understood (1).
It can take scientists years to fully understand the harmful effects of many commonly used chemicals, and by then, these chemicals are immersed in the marketplace. In our cleaning products, our drinking water, our makeup and toothpaste, and even our clothes and furniture!
Recently, the media has spotlighted certain chemicals that are super harmful to our health. You have probably heard of PFAs because they made news headlines regarding their link to decreased life expectancy. More science has shown that PFAs are particularly harmful to women because of the way they interact with female hormones. A 2020 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that women with the highest levels of PFAs in their blood had an earlier onset of menopause—2 years earlier, to be exact! (2). This is problematic because early menopause is linked to other health problems later in life.
Hearing news like this can be scary, but it can also be a great motivator to support your body’s natural detox systems. If you want to holistically detox, supplements and juice cleanses are not going to give you the results you are looking for.
While these products often provide high amounts of vitamins and antioxidants needed to holistically detox, they are missing a key nutrient that is absolutely essential for getting toxins out of your body: you guessed it—protein.
Protein is needed to complete each biochemical step of detoxification. But it’s particularly important for the 2nd phase of detox—the activation of enzymes that neutralize harmful toxins and package them up so they can be easily eliminated. Without protein, these toxins remain in your body, building up and leading to uncomfortable symptoms.
If you’re looking to holistically detox your body, the trick is to take small steps. You can do this by:
eating enough protein from sources like wild-caught fish, bison, pastured beef, chicken, and turkey
Including lots of colorful fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices
staying hydrated
moving your body through activities like Pilates, resistance training, or taking a relaxing walk
supporting your gut health with foods like broth, stocks, okra, aloe, ginger, and cabbage.
These daily actions will ensure you fully support each of your body’s natural detox pathways.
Protein: the macro you need to age gracefully
Our skin is made up of proteins, especially collagen. Collagen is a special protein found in animal tissues, and it is needed to keep skin strong, supple, and healthy. As we age, collagen production gradually declines, leading to thinner skin, dryness, and wrinkles.
Collagen helps repair and renew skin cells and also acts as an antioxidant, neutralizing inflammatory free radicals that cause premature skin aging (3)!
Consuming enough dietary protein, especially from collagen-containing animal sources, is essential to age gracefully and maintain the glowing skin we associate with youth.
Many studies have shown that daily use of supplemental collagen peptides can improve skin hydration and elasticity and reduce wrinkles (4).
Remember that collagen is only found in animal proteins. That’s right, ladies, “vegan collagen” is, unfortunately, deceptive marketing. Great sources of real collagen include bone broth and chicken, and chicken broth made from chicken necks and feet (sounds weird but tastes amazing!). And, of course, powdered collagen peptides, which you can conveniently add to your smoothies or even your morning coffee. Keep reading to see my favorite collagen brand!
Protein: the macro you need to build lean muscle and feel your best
Collagen isn’t the only thing we lose as we age. We also lose lean muscle mass.
Building muscle becomes a little more difficult as we age, but increasing the amount of protein we eat each day, plus performing regular resistance exercise, will help prevent muscle loss.
The current recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 g/kg of body weight each day. However, experts agree that this is not nearly enough. Instead, we should get at least 1.0 g/kg daily, and the optimal amount may be closer to 1.4g/kg when trying to build lean muscle. Older adults who eat this much protein daily have 40% less lean muscle loss than those who follow the RDA (5)!
Building lean muscle helps support healthy fat loss and healthy hormones, and can even increase energy levels. And don’t forget the physical aspect! Simply eating more protein won’t provide a toned physique—the key is combining it with low-intensity resistance training.
Ready to holistically detox, slow aging, and build lean muscle? Pick your protein!
If you struggle to figure out how to get enough protein in, I’m here for you! Here are a few of my favorite sources of bioavailable protein.
Wild-caught salmon and salmon roe
In addition to being high in protein, these are packed with anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats. I love ordering from Vital Choice because I know it is sustainable and high quality.
Skin-on chicken
Chicken skin is a great source of glycine—one of the building blocks of collagen. Hello chicken, bye-bye crow’s feet!
Grassfed beef
Grassfed beef is higher in anti-inflammatory fats than its conventional counterpart. Beef is particularly high in carnitine, an important protein for building muscle.
Mt Capra’s grass-fed goat’s milk whey protein powder
Whey protein is easily digested and absorbed and is a unique (and well-researched) compound for promoting detoxification and gut healing (6).
Skyr yogurt
Rich & creamy, skyr yogurt is the perfect ingredient for a protein-packed dessert! Pair with your favorite fruit and a drizzle of honey for a lovely sweet treat.
Collagen peptides
My picks for collagen are Perfect Supplements and Great Lakes.
Important Disclaimer: Collagen is not a complete protein, so it shouldn’tshould n't be counted toward daily protein intake. I like to think of it as a protein boost that helps improve my skin and hair health.
