I went to a vegetarian culinary school in New York (The Natural Gourmet Institute), but starting noticing that none of the chef instructors were still vegetarian. It got me thinking.

I went on to get my master\’s in holistic nutrition, and my instructors were recommending protein intake as a primary indicator of all-cause mortality. Huh? At the time, all I heard in the health space was you really don\’t need that much protein, just eat some legumes. Meat will kill you, in fact. Vegan = healthy. Healthy = vegan.

The problem is, high quality protein is essential to preserve muscle, which we should really be thinking of as the body\’s largest endocrine organ. It does so much more for us than looking good at the beach!

Contracting muscle secretes hormones called myokines that have beneficial anti-inflammatory effects throughout the body and brain. They also play an important role in the immune system, which is especially critical right now.

Muscle is the body\’s #1 method of glucose disposal (aka how many donuts you can eat before bad things happen). High blood sugar is incredibly stressful on the body and leads to chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and Alzheimer\’s. Not to mention, the ups and downs of the blood sugar roller coaster are a recipe for anxiety and depression.

Finally, the amino acids in protein are necessary for proper repair of the body\’s tissues, which we see most urgently in the gut and bones–two areas of extremely rapid turnover. Did you know your gut lining cells replace themselves every 2-4 days?

All of this to say, protein is a critical macronutrient that we all need to be sure we\’re eating enough of (.75-1g per lb of ideal body weight).

Can you do this as a vegan without relying heavily on soy, fake meat or processed protein powders? Perhaps. But for me, it just makes sense to go for high quality meat, eggs, and fish. And the clients I work with who decide to re-introduce animal foods into their diet see improvements in gut health, skin, and mood–the results speak for themselves.

If you\’re navigating your way through a vegetarian or vegan diet but unsure if it\’s right for you, I\’m happy to help. I have utmost respect for all lifestyle choices, but I also believe there are ways to nourish yourself properly without compromising morality.