Cheryl is the founder and editor of Heal Nourish Grow, an ultimate wellness, healthy lifestyle and advanced nutrition site. She helps others develop the confidence and habits to create lasting change and greater health by sharing her wealth of knowledge and over 25 years of experience in psychology, addictions studies, fitness, nutrition, yoga, meditation, overall health and wellness. Coaching others to reach their personal version of ultimate wellness is her passion. She hosts the Heal Nourish Grow podcast, a show dedicated to sharing information about all aspects of healthy lifestyle and weight loss. She posts keto food ideas daily in her Instagram stories and more in depth recipes, research and wellness content at HealNourishGrow.com. Cheryl’s first cookbook, Easy Weeknight Keto and The 21 Day Fat Loss Kickstart: Keto Made Easy, Take Diet Breaks and Still Lose Weight are available on Amazon. She was the featured chef for August 2021 at US Wellness meats. Her recipes have been featured by outlets such as the local news, Kevin’s Natural Foods, Cut da Carb, Choc Zero and Women’s Health Magazine and she is a frequent speaker at keto and wellness events.
New Recipes and Does Unmet Need for Protein Cause Weight Gain?
As I write this, I'm on a plane going on vacation! This is a much-anticipated trip and I can't wait to be back on the ground in Europe enjoying our latest adventure. There will definitely be lots of great food as well as sun, scenery, beaches and new experiences! Be sure to follow along with my stories on Instagram if you'd like to join my adventure.
Does Lack of Protein Cause Weight Gain?
Researchers Stephen Simpson and David Raubenheimer’s protein leverage hypothesis posits that animals/people will continue eating to meet their protein requirements. In a world where we have easy access to highly processed, nutrient and protein-poor foods, this can create a major problem for weight and health.
Their hypothesis continues to be studied in new research today and there is certainly evidence that getting the proper amount of protein can help create better body composition and increase satiety. Protein also has a higher thermic effect than either fat or carbohydrates, which results in energy expenditure of 20-30% of the calories eaten in protein. Basically, this is because it takes more energy for the body to break down and utilize the amino acids it needs from protein.
The US RDA for protein was created as a minimum to prevent serious disease. It was never meant as an amount to create good health or build muscle. For optimal protein intake, you should be getting somewhere between .8 and 1.2 grams of protein per pound of lean mass. If you don't know that number, use your ideal body weight to calculate. Better yet, just go enter your stats into our handy macro calculator that will also give you "higher protein" keto macros, which is based on the optimal amount listed above.
The moral of the story is, prioritize protein for better body composition and weight loss! I'll be recording a podcast episode soon where I talk about this in more detail.
New Recipes
I've been hard at work creating more recipes, with about three new ones posted since the last newsletter. Be sure to check out my Roasted Hatch Chile Salsa, while you still might be able to find them in season, Keto Hamburger Helper (made with Perfect Keto noodles, HNG20 for 20% off) and Egg Roll in a Bowl.
Shop
Whenever I find a product I love and that serves my health, I see if I can get a discount for you. You can find all of those linked on our shop page. Sometimes that means I get a small commission, but you save money on things that you'd buy anyway. It's a small thing, but it all helps with "keeping the lights" on over here, so using my links is always MUCH appreciated! I also have an Amazon shop page and starting there whenever you purchase from Amazon helps too, no matter what you end up buying.
Wellness Workbook
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Cheryl McColgan
Cheryl is the founder and editor of Heal Nourish Grow, an ultimate wellness, healthy lifestyle and advanced nutrition site. She helps others develop the confidence and habits to create lasting change and greater health by sharing her wealth of knowledge and over 25 years of experience in psychology, addictions studies, fitness, nutrition, yoga, meditation, overall health and wellness. Coaching others to reach their personal version of ultimate wellness is her passion. She hosts the Heal Nourish Grow podcast, a show dedicated to sharing information about all aspects of healthy lifestyle and weight loss. She posts keto food ideas daily in her Instagram stories and more in depth recipes, research and wellness content at HealNourishGrow.com. Cheryl’s first cookbook, Easy Weeknight Keto and The 21 Day Fat Loss Kickstart: Keto Made Easy, Take Diet Breaks and Still Lose Weight are available on Amazon. She was the featured chef for August 2021 at US Wellness meats. Her recipes have been featured by outlets such as the local news, Kevin’s Natural Foods, Cut da Carb, Choc Zero and Women’s Health Magazine and she is a frequent speaker at keto and wellness events.
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I'm long overdue for a deep dive into this topic, but in the meantime, I'd like to share the basics optimal protein consumption so you can start to incorporate and benefit from it. First off, the RDA numbers for protein are woefully low. Everyone thinks of these guidelines as what you "should" be getting when they're actually the bare minimum required just for survival. If you're trying to improve or optimize your health, the real amount of protein (according to experts) you should be...
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