fat loss nutrition

The Dark Side of Protein

Hola!


You know I’m pro-protein. I’ve basically written love letters to eggs, legumes, and protein powders for years. I've been trolled by countless registered dietitians on my posts over the years for suggesting people eat more protein than the measly government recommendations before it became a more mainstream idea recently (and *ahem*, just like that, no more protein trolls!).


Protein helps stabilize blood sugar, preserves muscle, boosts metabolism, and makes fat loss feel like less of a war zone.

But also… here comes the nuance.

There’s a weird thing happening right now. People are learning that they need more protein (yay!), but skipping the next part: how to balance that intake with other pathways that impact long-term health and longevity.

Let me explain. Can we get a little nerdy together right now?

Protein stimulates something called mTOR, a growth and repair pathway in the body. This is a good thing in doses ... especially if you’re strength training or recovering from injury.

But mTOR is like a light switch: it signals GROWTH MODE in the body. Cells multiply. Tissues build. It’s helpful when you need to regenerate ... but you do not want that switch flipped all the time.


Because unregulated, chronic growth signals in the body can mean bad news:
⚠️ Accelerated aging
⚠️ Insulin resistance
⚠️ Reduced autophagy (cellular cleanup)
⚠️ And most critically… a potential environment for rogue cell overgrowth (yes, cancer)

To be blunt, If I were sedentary, chronically stressed, drinking alcohol regularly, barely sleeping, avoiding sunlight, eating lots of ultra-processed food ... and then started loading up on protein, I’d be nervous. That’s not growth, that’s fueling the wrong fire.

You don’t want to layer growth signals on top of dysfunction. That’s like watering weeds and calling it a garden. The wrong "stuff" will grow.

So while protein is powerful, it should come with knowledge and strategy. You’ve got to earn that mTOR activation by also engaging AMPK, the cellular cleanup crew if you care about more than just body composition. If you ALSO care about longevity and preventing disease.

🥩 Protein builds.
⚙️ AMPK recycles.
🧠 You need to cycle between both to thrive.

Here are a few ways to support that balance:

  • Train fasted once or twice a week

  • Go for a walk after dinner

  • Prioritize quality sleep

  • Keep alcohol in check

  • Give your digestion a break with 12–14 hour overnight fasts and no food (or protein supplements) 3 hours before bed 

Longevity isn’t built through obsession. It’s built through rhythm. And protein is still a star! Just not one that should be headlining every system in your body 24/7.

Did this blow your mind a little? Hit reply. I’m all ears.


And if you’re inside The Metabolic Edge, just know all of the pieces of our strategy we're working on together is built with the mTOR and AMPK cycling in mind. I studied my ass off for a billion years in school and spent trillions of dollars on degrees, certifications, continued ed., fellowships, etc. so that I can bring you a one-of-a-kind system that doesn't just sculpt your body to achieve body composition goals, but also works on improving every damn cell and organ in your body for health optimization. You're in good hands! ;-)

XO,
Tara


P.S. Ok, ok, maybe not quite a billion years or a trillion dollars… but I am turning 42 tomorrow, and something tells me my birthday gift to myself might involve signing up for more learning. Some habits die hard and I will never NOT serve you the best I can. 😊

Choosing a protein bar

It sure would be nice to be able to throw a bar into your purse for on-the-go, wouldn't it?





But how do you know you're picking one that isn't full of cr*p? And what if you want to make sure it's truly a protein bar that will help you reach your goals rather than a glorified candy bar?



Here are some of the biggies to think about when choosing a bar ...



1) Check the ingredients. If the list is longer than a CVS receipt or full of ingredients you've never heard of, put it back. Thankfully there are better options out there.


2) Does it really have enough protein? I'd argue that a bar with 5 or 6g of protein doesn't cut it for an adult-sized person. While this is a snack and not a whole meal, it should have at least 10g of protein, but preferably 12-15+.


3) Since blood sugar balance and satiety is important, making sure there's at least a little bit of fat in the bar is a good idea too. One with 5-10g would be ideal. In a perfect world, this fat isn't coming from industrial seed oils like sunflower, safflower, canola, etc., but just know with processed food it's pretty ubiquitous. I'd suggest trying to find one without but not beating yourself up if you end up consuming it every once in a while. What's most important is that you're eating mostly food you prepare at home so you know what ingredients are being used there. I have hope that more and more 'healthy' processed food companies will be swapping out those harmful oils for better versions (like coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil) soon.


4) Is this really a candy bar? I dunno. Have many carbs are in it? The best way to determine this is by figuring out the net carbs. Take the total carbs and subtract out the fiber. What's left? Is this higher than the actual protein content of the bar? Then you, my friend, are holding a glorified candy bar. It might be delicious! And in a pinch, it might be needed. But it's not ideal for your health or body goals to be consuming that on a regular basis.


Here are some bars that stand out amongst its peers (I have no affiliation with any of these brands)...

  • Rav Rev Glo Bar in Creamy PB Sea Salt (that flavor is yummy, but I mention it more b/c their other flavors are higher in sugar and lower in protein). This is one I almost always have on hand!

  • Kirkland

  • IQbar



Hope this helps!


XO,
Tara