adminFor years, I believed what many of us have been taught — that getting enough protein should be one of the most important parts of a healthy diet.
Protein is everywhere. Protein powders, protein bars, high protein meal plans, and endless reminders that we need more of it. If you’re tired, trying to lose weight, looking to improve your health, one of the first questions you are asked is “Are you getting enough protein?”
Then I came across Anthony Williams Medical Medium information, and it completely changed the way I looked at nutrition.
One of the most surprising things I learned was that the body runs on glucose—not protein.
Glucose from fruits, potatoes, winter squash, raw honey, and other healthy carbohydrate-rich foods is considered the body’s preferred fuel source. Every cell depends on it.The brain depends on it. Muscles depend on it. Our organs depend on it. Even the liver relies on a steady supply of glucose to carry out the over 2000 jobs it performs every day!
Yet these are often the very foods people are encouraged to fear while increasing their protein intake.
That made me stop and think.
If the body’s primary fuel is glucose, why has so much of the conversation become centered around protein?
We’ve spent decades being taught to worry about protein deficiency, when true protein deficiency is considered to be extremely rare from this perspective. Instead, many people may be missing something else entirely—an abundance of fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, mineral salts, antioxidants, vitamins, and other nutrients that help the body function at its best.
This challenged much of what I had always believed.
Instead of asking, “Am I getting enough protein?” I started asking different questions.
Am I eating enough fruit?
Am I nourishing my body with enough whole foods?
Am I giving my liver the support it needs?
One of the concepts that resonated with me most is that nutrition is about far more than a single nutrient.
Think about a fresh apple.
Most people simply see sugar.
I learned to see much more than that.
An apple provides clean glucose along with vitamins, antioxidants, phytochemicals, anitvirals, antibacterials, hydration, and countless compounds that work together to nourish the body.
The same is true for potatoes, leafy greens, berries, herbs, and so many other plant foods.
When we focus only on protein, we can miss the incredible value of foods that provide so much more.
Another concept that transformed my thinking was learning about the liver.
The liver is one of the hardest-working organs in the body. It is constantly filtering, storing nutrients, supporting digestion, helping regulate blood sugar, protecting us from toxins, and performing hundreds of vital functions every day.
Diets high in fat and protein place additional strain on the liver, making it more difficult for glucose to move efficiently into the cells where it is needed for energy.
Wether you agree with every aspect of this perspective or not, I think it’s an interesting question to consider.
If we’re consuming more protein than ever before, why are so many people still struggling with fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues, inflammation, and chronic symptoms?
Perhaps the conversation has become too focused on one nutrient while overlooking the foods that truly nourish the body.
For me, learning about the bodys need for glucose was incredibly empowering.
It shifted my focus away from counting grams of protein and toward eating more fruits, vegetables, potatoes, leafy greens, herbs, and other nutrient-rich foods that support the body in so many different ways.
More than anything it changed the questions I ask about nutrition.
Instead of asking, “How much protein does this have?”
I now find myself asking,
“How much nourishment does this provide?”
That simple shift changed the way I look at food, the way I care for my body, and the way I think about wellness.
My goal here isn’t to tell you what to eat or what to believe.
It’s to encourage you to stay curious and continue learning.
Knowledge is empowering, and sometimes the greatest breakthroughs happen when we’re willing to question long-held beliefs and consider a different perspective.
Maybe the conversation isn’t just about protein.
Maybe its about giving our bodies the nourishment they’ve needed all along.
In health and hope,
Karie
