Why Protein is Essential for True Health - Not Just Weight Loss

low carb real food mindset tips protein Sep 12, 2025

This week we’re shining the spotlight on one of the most underestimated nutrients for long-term metabolic health: protein.

Health Is More Than Aesthetics

Real health is not about a number on the scales or squeezing into a smaller size. It’s about how you feel and how you live. Good health is freedom — the freedom to move with ease, to enjoy energy that lasts the day, to quieten cravings that once seemed impossible, and to stay resilient as you age.

Insulin Resistance: The Silent Threat

Many of the health conditions we see today — obesity, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver, high blood pressure, dementia, heart disease — share a common driver: insulin resistance. This is when the body no longer responds well to insulin, leading to unstable blood sugar and fat storage.

Left unchecked, insulin resistance robs people of vitality and brings a cascade of chronic disease. But here’s the hopeful truth: it can be reversed. Your daily food choices are powerful medicine. And one of the most powerful of those choices is protein.

Why Protein Matters

Protein is not just “fuel for muscles.” It plays a crucial role in reversing insulin resistance and improving metabolic health. It helps stabilise blood sugar, reduces hunger, and prevents the loss of lean muscle — especially during weight loss. It supports every system in your body, from brain health to immunity to hormone balance.

Most importantly, protein helps protect against frailty as we age. One of the strongest predictors of quality of life later in life is strength and mobility. Without enough protein, it’s harder to maintain the muscle that keeps you strong, independent, and doing the things you love.

Food for Body and Mind

Every cell, every enzyme, and every hormone in your body relies on amino acids from protein. When protein needs are met, people often notice fewer cravings, better satiety, and greater stability in their energy. We see this time and time again with our patients: when protein goes up, quality of life improves.

Your 5 Protein Podcasts

To explore this further, we’ve chosen 5 Real Health and Weight Loss Podcast episodes that unpack the importance of protein for health and longevity. They cover everything from satiety to kidney health to creatine and muscle strength.

If you’re looking to understand why protein makes such a difference — not just to your metabolism, but to your whole quality of life — we’d love you to take a listen.

At Real Life Medicine, our aim is always to give you:

✨ Strategies to improve your metabolism
✨ Brain-based skills to overcome self-sabotage
✨ Tools to make it easy to implement

The Friday 5 at 5 is part of this structure. We hope you find it useful.

With love and great health

Dr Lucy and Dr Mary XX

Dr Mary Barson and Dr Lucy are the founders of Real Life Medicine. They help women who have been on every diet under the sun, optimise their health and achieve long lasting weight loss without feeling miserable or deprived.

They do this with their 3 step framework that

Improves metabolism
Develops mindset skills
Provides tools to implement it easily into busy lives

With this comes increased energy, vitality and confidence.

You can avoid chronic disease and stop living life on the sidelines!