The Power of Protein in Modern Nutrition

Protein isn't just for athletes. It’s vital for your immune system, nerve repair, and more. Discover how much you really need each day.

Join Todd Scarborough, Kyle Drew, and Josh Bellieu as they delve into the intricacies of protein's role in health, diet, and energy regulation. Discover why reaching for a Snickers bar isn't the solution for low blood sugar and explore the myths around protein consumption for athletes versus average individuals. Todd shares his personal journey from veganism back to meat-eating, highlighting the emotional and physical shifts that occur with dietary changes. 

This episode challenges general dietary guidelines and emphasizes finding personalized nutrition strategies for optimal well-being.

Listen here are watch on the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-qlM63bhX5c

Visit UltraBotanica.com to learn more about us and how you can get a free sample of our products.

Transcript

0:00:00 - (Todd Scarborough): And that brings up a great point because when people get low blood sugar, like the commercial grease for a Snickers bar, that's the worst thing you can do. I mean, you're jacking the blood sugar back up again and spiking it yet again. So my whole thing is that if you eat sugar to alleviate low blood sugar, you're still on that roller coaster ride. You're going to go up and you're going to come right back down.

0:00:23 - (Todd Scarborough): The way the body balances blood sugar is by the hormone glycogen and it actually releases blood sugar. So what is that protein? That's a protein based enzyme. So when you eat protein, it settles the blood sugar back down, it releases blood sugar back into the system. So really your best source for low energy and low blood sugar is a protein like pig turkey or something or cottage cheese that will bring the energy back up more stable than any other sugar source foreign.

0:01:03 - (Josh Bellieu): Hey, it's ultra life today. Have you ever wondered when you see these massive people walking around and they're, They've got this 35 gallon jug that they're drinking out of. It may be protein, but we're going to talk today about protein for the rest of us. And we brought in Kyle Drew once again. And Kyle is going to introduce someone that's been a friend of his for years and years.

0:01:29 - (Kyle Drew): Yeah, about 22 years. I do a radio show in Oklahoma City called Super Health and I met Todd back in 2002 and he started coming on the radio show. We became fast friends. He is a five time Mr. Arkansas. I call him Jawbone because when he eats I see these jaws just clinching. And we asked him to be on the show with us today. Todd, how you doing brother?

0:01:56 - (Todd Scarborough): I'm great, my man. I'm doing well. I just, I'm enjoying being with you as always. I love being on your show. You know that in the history that we have together. And Josh, just to clue you in on the, the overall weight of the jug, we use that as a workout.

0:02:12 - (Kyle Drew): So that's part of our workout.

0:02:14 - (Todd Scarborough): That's how we do it. So anyway.

0:02:16 - (Josh Bellieu): But it's a kettlebell. What was I thinking?

0:02:21 - (Todd Scarborough): Well, they should put a handle on those things because they sell them like £20 at a pop and, and it really needs a handle on it. You could with it for sure is the truth. But it's, it's a, it's a good way to put it because as far as protein and that's the one that I train the average people, I don't Train athletes. I. My phone is going off or anything's going crazy. People are checking on me here. But, but as far as protein needs for athletes, you're right, it's radically different for the average person.

0:02:46 - (Todd Scarborough): It's very calculable. Everybody has an overall set point. It depends on your age, your activity level and all of that. It can be figured out, but it's been so confused over the years. There's these generals that are set by dietitians and all that with no scientific basis. And it's very calculated. It's not that hard. It's been confusing.

0:03:11 - (Kyle Drew): I'm curious about this now. There's an old bodybuilding mantra. One gram of protein per pound of body weight. How closely have you followed that when you were competing and how much do you deviate from that when you're working with the rest of us? With average people, it's the 1 gram.

0:03:34 - (Todd Scarborough): Per pound per body weight is the, I think the high end level, the apex. That's generally about right for them. I don't think that that is required for the average person because that is, I think, excessive. I think the very bare minimum is a half a gram per pound per day of lean body weight. And the maximum is that gram per pound per body weight. And that is certainly based on activity level. I mean, the athlete is going to need a lot more than a sedentary person. But let me tell you, it is as important for the average person to get protein and the adequate amount and assimilatable protein as it is for the athlete. Just as important.

0:04:17 - (Todd Scarborough): And we are missing it today.

0:04:19 - (Kyle Drew): That's what I want to know. You said assimilatable protein. Can we talk about that a little bit? What are we talking about when we say that?

0:04:28 - (Todd Scarborough): Well, I get this question all the time in my lectures and they say, what is the best source of protein? I said that's for you to answer, not me. Okay, that's you to answer. How does it digest? You should pay attention when you eat protein. How does it digest? How does it make you feel? How fast does it move through? Does it cause indigestion, upset stomach, those type of things? That's a sign you're struggling with that protein.

0:04:52 - (Todd Scarborough): We are each individual. Some people digest certain proteins better than others and you have to find those and stay with those. As we age, we need to find the proteins that work and the amounts that work and stay with those. Don't listen to anything else. It's more instinctual as we go find out what works and the amounts at work and Stay there. Stay in your lane. Stay there.

0:05:17 - (Josh Bellieu): So I have to ask, Todd, with the people that you train that you said are typically not, you know, hardcore athletes, bodybuilders, how many of them are actually getting enough protein every day? I want to know, is this going to shock me to find out that people are really underserved in the protein department?

0:05:37 - (Todd Scarborough): I hope you're not easily shocked because, yes, it's going to shock you. The great majority of the people, when I have them write down what they eat just. And I tell them, don't alter what you eat at first. I just need to know what you've been.

0:05:49 - (Josh Bellieu): Exactly.

0:05:49 - (Todd Scarborough): And it does no good a lot to me. I need to know a history. So when I put it all together, they're way under on protein, way over on what? Carbohydrates, of course.

0:06:00 - (Kyle Drew): Yeah.

0:06:01 - (Todd Scarborough): And then over on fats and protein. It's not just muscle. People have to understand the immune system is totally reliant on protein. You have to have it for that. It serves so many purposes. Nerves, nerve function repair, all of these things. So an adequate amount of protein. Now, again, we talk about a similar relatable protein. There are certain proteins that do not agree with people. There are certain carbs that.

0:06:30 - (Todd Scarborough): Certain fats that don't. So I'm. I'm in. I'm. The biggest problem that I have is when I hear these people talk about generalities, putting people in a box saying that it's this for everyone. No, it's not. That is up for you to find out on all these. Not just protein, but the types of carbs, the types of fats that work for you. And stay there, because that's your body telling you, I like these. I don't like these.

0:06:54 - (Kyle Drew): You know, I love what you're saying, Todd, and we talked about assimilatable. This is going to be sort of a ridiculous question, but one that has to be asked, which foods are protein foods? And the reason that I ask, and I know that you've been through this yourself, I will talk with people who I say, are you getting enough protein? And they go, oh, my gosh, yes, I get protein. The time. Really? How are you getting it? Well, I slathered peanut butter on my toast this morning, and, boy, that's loaded with protein.

0:07:30 - (Kyle Drew): Uh, no, it's not. And so talk about this a little bit. How, how. What are you directing people towards who are willing to eat things like meat and dairy? And then how does thathow is it affected with vegans, for example?

0:07:46 - (Todd Scarborough): Well, and vegans confuse this Thing with. You put beans and corn together, you get a complete protein, okay? You get a complet. Complete protein profile. You get a creep. A perfect amino acid blend, but you don't get near enough from those sources.

0:08:00 - (Kyle Drew): Right.

0:08:00 - (Todd Scarborough): That's the problem. They're carbohydrate sources, they're not protein sources. So peanut butter is a great fat, but certainly not a great source for protein.

0:08:09 - (Kyle Drew): Right.

0:08:10 - (Todd Scarborough): When you look at protein sources and you lead in your show, you know, a meat eater, you know, and unapologetic and. And let me tell you, there is, There is a reason why we are at the top of the food chain, I think. And the reason why we're omnivorous is because we have searched out all of these food sources and why not? I mean, why wouldn't we? And meat is a part of that, eggs are a part of that, Dairy is a part of that. And people who are total vegan have a very difficult time getting enough protein because it's hard to come by from just a vegan diet. Now you add eggs there, you add dairy products there.

0:08:47 - (Kyle Drew): Yeah.

0:08:48 - (Todd Scarborough): You can get an adequate amount of protein from those sources. So you can be vegetarian and still get plenty of protein by going to animal sources. But animal sources, let's face it, are superior. Eggs are by far the best protein source that we have. It's a single cell that's packed with protein with, with good cholesterol, with good fats. It's just, it's. We just have demonized these meat sources for so long and we shouldn't.

0:09:17 - (Todd Scarborough): It's the amounts that we're eating, it's not. I mean, we're just eating too much of it that' Too much of the heavy stuff.

0:09:25 - (Kyle Drew): Yeah. No. And a question that has to come up if given the choice, Todd, do you prefer people to get their protein through whole food sources, the eggs, the meat, the yogurt and so forth, or is it okay to get a bit of it or a portion of it or maybe even a large portion from like a whey protein shake or some other protein shake? What are your thoughts on whole food versus liquid proteins?

0:10:01 - (Todd Scarborough): The reason that I'll have liquid protein sources around like kefir or yogurt or protein shakes, is that when I eat meals and I eat about every three and a half to four hours, I eat a solid meal, then I'll have a liquid meal behind in another three or four hours. And what that does is give my intestinal tract a break a little bit because it's so easy to digest. That shake. It Goes right in, right through.

0:10:24 - (Todd Scarborough): And it doesn't tax the body. Bodybuilders, their biggest problem is they're trying to eat every three hours and they're trying to eat solid food. And that's hard to do because you just get barely digested that last meal. And here comes another. So I say these guys are freaks on a lot of levels. And their digestions are freakish too, because I don't know how they do it. I couldn't do it. I tried to eat 6,000 calories one day to put on more muscle, and I just could.

0:10:50 - (Todd Scarborough): The third day. I have no room left. I don't. And when you're trying to eat 6,000 calories a day with clean food, it's almost impossible. You don't have enough room. So.

0:10:59 - (Kyle Drew): Well, and for average people, Todd, the way that protein seems to operate in terms of satiety really works in our favor. I think that we'll do another show with you about weight loss in particular. But that satiety factor, with protein, particularly whole food sources, we may be able to get away with a lot less food if it is a protein heavy diet. How am I doing? What do you think on that?

0:11:32 - (Todd Scarborough): Oh, perfect. And that brings up a great point because when people get low blood sugar, like the commercial grease for a Snickers bar, that's the worst thing you can do. I mean, you're jacking the blood sugar back up again and spiking it yet again. So my whole thing is that if you eat sugar to alleviate low blood sugar, you're still on that roller coaster ride. You're going to go up and you're going to come right back down.

0:11:56 - (Todd Scarborough): The way the body balances blood sugar is by the hormone glycogen and it actually releases blood sugar. So what is that protein? That's a protein based enzyme. So when you eat protein, it settles the blood sugar back down. It releases blood sugar back into the system. So really your best source for low energy and low blood sugar is a protein like beef, turkey or something, or cottage cheese that will bring the energy back up more stable than any other sugar source.

0:12:27 - (Kyle Drew): You know, there is a show, a reality show called Naked and Afraid. I don't know if you've ever seen it, but they release these people into the jungle. They literally have no clothes and they're supposed to survive for 20 days or 10 or something. I don't know what it is. But what's interesting is they have very little food out there and they're having to kill their food or pick the Food or whatever, and they might find berries or something and they'll eat them and they're thrilled to have them.

0:12:59 - (Kyle Drew): But when they get a protein source, the way they always report that they feel is palpably different than whenever they're eating the berries and the nuts or whatever. And I find this to be true all the time. People who are under protein aided always tend to feel better when they finally get an adequate amount of protein. And it's always surprising because they think, well, I thought carbs were what gave me energy.

0:13:30 - (Kyle Drew): Man, protein feels so good.

0:13:33 - (Josh Bellieu): I want to tag in on what you just said, Kyle, because, Todd, do people actually feel emotionally better when they get their protein levels right? Is that something? Or do people end up that are low protein or some of these problems of drama and mood swings and things like that? Can they be related to protein deprivation?

0:13:55 - (Todd Scarborough): Almost, and almost certainly blood sugar related. And in fact, about 50% of the depression, minor depression cases can be led by blood sugar because when you're low blood sugar, the brain doesn't work and you just don't feel good. And that's why you reach for sugar, you know, and so. But I'll tell you a story real quick, Josh. And this is something that happened to me. I was vegan, total vegan, vegetarian for about two years, two and a half years. And I thought it was best I had a health food store. That's what I bought into. I thought, okay, vegan lifestyle is the best.

0:14:25 - (Todd Scarborough): I had to need a Versicola. I had low blood sugar. I had to take a nap at 1:00. I couldn't. I mean, after I ate pasta for dinner or for lunch, I'd go to sleep. I had major rashes from skin fungus, which is caused by too much blood sugar, too much sugar in the diet. And so I played a class, softball and with these guys and they'd go, when we would go eat, they would go to the steakhouse and I'd get a salad bar. I was vegan vegetarian, so I'd eat a salad, they'd eat a steak. Well, after about two and a half years, I said, I just blew. I thought, I can't do this anymore, I've got to have some meat. And we went in after we got beat in the first game, put us in the losers bracket. We were depressed.

0:15:04 - (Todd Scarborough): I got in line, ordered the biggest steak they had, medium rare. My coach laughed. He said, said he's not going to eat that. And I said, oh yes I am. And, and I did. And I was gnawing the bone like a dog. Anybody that came close to me, I growled at him. I was like, you're not getting them. And I was just craving, I mean literally crazy. I couldn't believe how the connection was there emotionally and everything. And I was just gnawing and the juice and I was soaking it up with the potato.

0:15:30 - (Todd Scarborough): Coach was going, wow, don't get your hands and feet anywhere close to him right now. And I went back and I went five for five, hit four home runs and a triple, almost hit five home runs and was just, and was on fire. And I could not believe the difference and what it was. And Kyle, to your point is that when you're missing something and your diet or your body, your body is craving and calling for it.

0:15:54 - (Todd Scarborough): People need to listen to these things. Pregnant women eating dirt, you've heard that before, it's mineral related. Their body calls out for what it needs and protein sources. A lot of the times it does, it will listen. And, and the difference that it makes because again, we run on three things. Fat, sugar, basically carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Those are the three fuel sources. And in right now, in America, the one we're missing, it's protein, pure and simple. We're not getting enough adequate protein, plenty of fats and sugar.

0:16:27 - (Kyle Drew): Not enough protein, man. Todd, I love that Josh asked you to be on the show today. We've been friends for an awfully long time. I know that you're always good kinds of discussions. I think that Josh is going to have you back on some more shows. But what a great conversation and one that I think people will go back to again and again. You're the best, man. You know how to do this, brother. Thank you for doing this.

0:16:54 - (Todd Scarborough): Well, I love being here. You know, you can call me anytime, guys.

0:16:58 - (Kyle Drew): Awesome.

0:16:59 - (Josh Bellieu): Awesome. Well, you've been listening to Todd Scarborough. You've been listening to my friend Kyle Drew. This is Ultra Life today and we are going to dig into some other subjects aren' coming up.

0:17:11 - (Kyle Drew): All right. All right, thanks.