The 3 Day Nutrition Protocol: Exactly What to Eat For Your Best Body & More Energy

1. 0:00 – 8:33

   Meet the Guest

   1. ASDr. Amy Shah0:00

      Did you know that every single medication, procedure, diagnosis that doctors make is based on research that is done on men, and it's mostly done on white men?

   2. MRMel Robbins0:11

      So for a century or more, medical advice that has been given to women is medical advice that is the result of only studying white men? Dr. Amy Shah is a double board certified medical doctor who trained at Harvard Medical School and has degrees in nutrition and immunology.

   3. ASDr. Amy Shah0:31

      Heart attacks were never studied in women, and so when women would have a heart attack, it would be missed 50% of the time because women present differently. They don't have the, like, crushing chest pain to the left arm. It's like anxiety, like nausea, and you say, "Oh, you're fine. Go home," and 50% higher mortality.

   4. MRMel Robbins0:51

      This is shocking.

   5. ASDr. Amy Shah0:54

      We need to learn to speak up, and we need to learn more about our bodies. And our bodies are different, and being empowered with information is gonna change your life.

   6. MRMel Robbins1:03

      What is the ideal plan or framework for a busy woman who wants better health, longevity, and energy, Dr. Shah?

   7. ASDr. Amy Shah1:10

      Change your gut. Change your hormones. Change your brain. The plan is 30 grams of protein in your first meal, 30 grams of fiber throughout the day, and three probiotic foods every single day. There is no framework currently in textbooks for doctors, in handbooks, in women's health books. There's never been an accepted framework for women, and we're creating it today.

   8. MRMel Robbins1:37

      Dr. Amy Shah, welcome to The Mel Robbins Podcast.

   9. ASDr. Amy Shah1:40

      Thank you for having me, Mel.

   10. MRMel Robbins1:41

       I always learn so much from you, and here's where I want to start. What will I experience in my life that will change for the better or could be different? If I take everything that you're about to teach us today, and I apply it to my life, what's gonna change, Dr. Shah?

   11. ASDr. Amy Shah1:57

       Well, Mel, I'm gonna give you the framework to feel better in your body, to feel more energized, and it is the simplest thing that's distilling down thousands of research papers, thousands of women that have come to me, and I am gonna give that to you today.

   12. MRMel Robbins2:18

       Wow! So what is this framework, and where has it been my whole life?

   13. ASDr. Amy Shah2:22

       [laughs] That, uh, that's a great question. Uh, the framework is 30/30/30, okay? 30 grams of protein in your first meal-

   14. MRMel Robbins2:32

       Mm-hmm

   15. ASDr. Amy Shah2:33

       ... 30 grams of fiber throughout the day, and three probiotic foods every day. And each of these is based in deep scientific research, and this is something that should have been given to us when we were in health class in s- whatever, sixth, seventh, eighth grade. It should have been maybe given to us at our doctor's offices, which it wasn't. It should have given to me in medical school, wasn't, and it is not till today that we are sharing this with the world.

   16. MRMel Robbins3:06

       Dr. Shah, I have interviewed you before, but you seem even more passionate than normal about the research and about the recommendation to women specifically, that we be getting 30 grams of protein first thing in the morning, 30 grams of fiber throughout the day, and three probiotic foods, I think you said-

   17. ASDr. Amy Shah3:26

       Yes

   18. MRMel Robbins3:26

       ... throughout the day. Why are you so excited and passionate about this new protocol?

   19. ASDr. Amy Shah3:32

       The reason why is I think that women have been ignored for far too long. Did you know that every single medication, procedure, diagnosis that doctors make is based on research that is mostly done on white men? And it wasn't until there was a female that actually came in as the NIH director in 1991, and she was like, "None of these big research articles include women or minorities," and so she created the Revitalization Act in 1993 to actually mandate that they be included. Because there is this theory that women are complicated. We have hormones, pregnancies, and so they were thinking that it was a favor not to have women in there, but what ended up happening is that very, very big mistakes were happening. For example, heart attacks were never studied in women, and so when women would have a heart attack, it would be missed 50% of the time, and this is still true because women present differently. They don't have the, like, crushing chest pain to the left arm. It's like anxiety, like nausea, and you say, "Oh, you're fine. Go home," and 50% higher mortality.

   20. MRMel Robbins4:48

       That's crazy!

   21. ASDr. Amy Shah4:50

       Isn't that crazy? I mean, I think women have always, always felt like we are not listened to. Like, I know that there are people listening and watching today who are feeling, "Hey, nobody's listening to me. I have all of these things going on for me," and that's, that's why we're here-

   22. MRMel Robbins5:07

       Right

   23. ASDr. Amy Shah5:07

       ... because I want to fill this gap by giving people the tools, the blueprint.

   24. MRMel Robbins5:13

       So, Dr. Shah, you have now looked at the research. You have crunched the data, and you have distilled it down into a brand-new formula that you are recommending that women follow. What is this formula, and why are you so excited about it?

   25. ASDr. Amy Shah5:32

       It's called the 30/30/30, 30 grams of protein in your first meal, 30 grams of fiber throughout the day, and three probiotic foods every day.

   26. MRMel Robbins5:43

       And why are you making this recommendation?

   27. ASDr. Amy Shah5:45

       Because women have gotten diets, weight loss plans. They have never gotten a framework to make them stronger and to make them happier and to make them more energized.

   28. MRMel Robbins5:58

       I love it because I feel like a lot of people are like, "Oh, just eat healthy," and I'm like, "Well, what does that actually mean?" And so I'm excited to dig into it, but I want to read to you from your bestselling book, Hormone Havoc. This is in the introduction. Wait till you hear this, as I read this.... After you've made the simple, science-backed nutritional changes I am recommending in the 30/30/3 protocol, you can expect the following: improved mood and less anxiety, better sleep, healthy digestion, higher libido, sharper thinking, diminished hot flashes and night sweats, a fitter figure, including around your waist, greater energy, less fatigue, and more. Your body is changing, cycling through completely normal phases of life that all women journey through. You cannot control how your hormones change, but you can control how you experience it. With the protocols and tools that you're about to teach us today, Dr. Shah, you have the power to reframe perimenopause, menopause, and your health in general, as an opportunity, not a curse. And Dr. Shah, you're saying with just this protocol, 30/30/3, you can achieve those benefits?

   29. ASDr. Amy Shah7:18

       Yes, and it's grounded in research. It's a simple framework that anybody can do, and it's gonna change your life.

   30. MRMel Robbins7:27

       I want this, so let's dig into it. And you mentioned that the first core element of the 30/30/3 protocol is getting 30 grams of protein first thing in the morning. Why is that the first part of this?
2. 8:33 – 11:16

   Why Having Protein Is So Important

   1. MRMel Robbins8:33

      dig into this. Dr. Shah, what is protein?

   2. ASDr. Amy Shah8:36

      Protein, Mel, is a bunch of amino acids.

   3. MRMel Robbins8:41

      Now, what's an amino acid?

   4. ASDr. Amy Shah8:42

      And I'll tell you, these are the building blocks. You probably heard about building blocks of muscle. You might have even heard building blocks of your gut lining, but did you know it's a building blocks of neurotransmitters in your brain, like dopamine and serotonin? So what I'm saying to you is, by eating protein, you are giving your body the building blocks to make more muscle, to make hair, skin, and nails, but also to make more gut lining and to make neurotransmitters, like dopamine, which is our motivation, our energy, and our focus.

   5. MRMel Robbins9:21

      Okay, I wanna make sure [chuckles] that I'm tracking, because I thought that you're supposed to eat protein in order to just help you with muscle mass-

   6. ASDr. Amy Shah9:34

      Yes

   7. MRMel Robbins9:34

      ... which, of course, is important-

   8. ASDr. Amy Shah9:36

      Yes

   9. MRMel Robbins9:36

      ... especially for women, especially when you're 35 and up and you're hitting perimenopause.

   10. ASDr. Amy Shah9:41

       Yes.

   11. MRMel Robbins9:41

       Understand that. But you just added on a long list of other things that protein does, from your neurotransmitters, to dopamine and serotonin, to your gut lining. Well, how is protein involved in those things?

   12. ASDr. Amy Shah9:55

       The reason why there's 30 grams of protein and 30 grams of fiber is that combination of protein and fiber, and we'll get into exactly what that looks like-

   13. MRMel Robbins10:02

       Okay

   14. ASDr. Amy Shah10:03

       ... the combination of protein and fiber is the perfect food for your gut bacteria. Our gut microbiome has trillions, with a T, organisms that are helping us make decisions, like talking to our hormones, immune system, and they're starving to death. We're not getting enough protein, we're not getting enough fiber, and so putting them together is the perfect way to feed your gut bacteria. You want it to be a lush Amazon jungle. You don't want it to be a barren wasteland, [chuckles] which is what it looks like for a lot of us, okay? And that protein is giving signals back to the brain that you're full. And so we know that women, especially, who have protein in the morning, they have more of the, um, signals to the brain that you're full, and, and it lowers that craving, especially that 3:00, that post-lunch craving or that nighttime craving that happens. The- having protein in the morning helps you control that.

   15. MRMel Robbins11:06

       Hmm.

   16. ASDr. Amy Shah11:07

       So not only is it helping your muscles, which you, like you said, very important, especially as we face that decline in perimenopause-

3. 11:16 – 15:05

   Why Women Need More Protein Than They Think

   1. MRMel Robbins11:16

      Just quickly, Dr. Shah, why is eating protein for muscles, as a woman, super important?

   2. ASDr. Amy Shah11:23

      Yeah, that's such a great question, because most of us, including myself, I was on that, "Get smaller, get thinner," and we're on this bandwagon of trying to look as small as possible. And what I wanna tell women is, you don't wanna be smaller, you wanna be stronger.

   3. MRMel Robbins11:40

      Okay.

   4. ASDr. Amy Shah11:41

      And the reason why for muscles this matters is that our signaling for muscle growth goes down as we age. So from the age of 35 on-

   5. MRMel Robbins11:52

      Wait, is that why everything's getting flabby?

   6. ASDr. Amy Shah11:53

      [laughs] Yes. It doesn't mean that you're screwed.

   7. MRMel Robbins11:57

      Okay.

   8. ASDr. Amy Shah11:57

      It just means you need a stronger stimulus. That stimulus that, um, you used to have for muscle growth has blunted because our estrogen is going down.

   9. MRMel Robbins12:05

      What is the health benefit of me having muscles?

   10. ASDr. Amy Shah12:09

       Listen, if you don't have muscle, and your bones are brittle-

   11. MRMel Robbins12:14

       Hmm

   12. ASDr. Amy Shah12:16

       ... when you fall, which you will inevitably, we all fall at some point in our lives, we just get up, right? But if you are in your 80s or 90s, and you fall, you don't have the muscles to hold you up, and you don't have the bones to withstand the impact of that fall. That is a life-ending fall for you.

   13. MRMel Robbins12:42

       So muscles are important for longevity-

   14. ASDr. Amy Shah12:44

       Yeah.

   15. MRMel Robbins12:44

       Muscles are important for you to feel strong in your body, and muscles also signal other things to other parts of your body, and protein and the building blocks, you called it amino acids, in a protein, are essential for your body to be able to build and maintain muscle.

   16. ASDr. Amy Shah13:04

       When you exercise and you eat protein, these- the muscle becomes a sink for your glucose. It's like a sponge that's taking up all the glucose in your system.

   17. MRMel Robbins13:17

       What does that mean?

   18. ASDr. Amy Shah13:18

       So what ha- happens is, when we eat a huge meal, we get a big blood sugar spike.

   19. MRMel Robbins13:24

       Okay.

   20. ASDr. Amy Shah13:24

       And the goal, for all of us, is to make sure the spike isn't too big, and that it comes down very quickly. Even if the spike is big, as long as it comes down quickly. Your muscles suck that in.

   21. MRMel Robbins13:36

       Mm.

   22. ASDr. Amy Shah13:36

       It does- the muscles actually, they don't even need insulin. They have these... their own transporters, called the GLUT4 transporter, okay? So one of the best things I find about eating protein and exercising, is that you're actually improving your metabolism.

   23. MRMel Robbins13:51

       Mm.

   24. ASDr. Amy Shah13:51

       So your blood sugar will be lower, you'll have less abdominal fat, you'll be more energized, less crashes. I mean, those are, like, the benefits we don't talk about enough with protein, um, is that connection with protein and exercise in the muscle.

   25. MRMel Robbins14:06

       Wait, so just as I'm sitting here, and I've got some biceps and some quads, okay? And I'm- and I've eaten my protein-

   26. ASDr. Amy Shah14:13

       Yes

   27. MRMel Robbins14:13

       ... which I did this morning, 'cause I knew you were coming.

   28. ASDr. Amy Shah14:15

       [laughs]

   29. MRMel Robbins14:17

       Um, if I were to eat something that spikes my insulin, the mere fact that I have built my muscles up, and I've fed them protein, which is critical to maintaining the muscle, means the muscles themselves almost act like a [slurps] -

   30. ASDr. Amy Shah14:32

       Yes
4. 15:05 – 16:54

   The Surprising Benefits of Protein

   1. MRMel Robbins15:05

      the surprising things that happen in your brain or your body when you eat protein-

   2. ASDr. Amy Shah15:13

      Yeah

   3. MRMel Robbins15:13

      ... especially first thing in the morning as a woman?

   4. ASDr. Amy Shah15:15

      The surprising benefits is that it's actually the building blocks of dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine is so needed for us, especially when we're in that midlife and beyond, 'cause our levels are lower, right? So that motivation, that feeling of energized... Do you know when you feel, like, so excited to do something? That is dopamine, and it's, like, the one that keeps you going on the project, um, because you want it to be done. It's the one that gets you up out of bed.

   5. MRMel Robbins15:51

      Sure.

   6. ASDr. Amy Shah15:51

      It- it's the one that makes you drive across town. Dopamine is so positive. It can be negative, too, 'cause it's part of addiction. But w- in the mornings, we wanna have our dopamine and our serotonin, our happy hormone, serotonin is, we want it to be higher. You've heard of GLP-1-

   7. MRMel Robbins16:11

      Mm-hmm

   8. ASDr. Amy Shah16:11

      ... neuropeptide Y, we wanna have those high so that we can feel full, and not have cravings for the rest of the day. So that's a natural way to boost those hormones in our body that make us feel full. And so not only are we more focused, and we're more motivated, but we're also less likely to kind of be distracted, because we're craving something. And so there's very good studies that show people who eat protein in the early part of the day will get benefits all day long, because of the neurotransmitters, because of the craving, and, um, the sa- satiation factor of eating.

5. 16:54 – 22:12

   How to Calculate How Much Protein You Need

   1. MRMel Robbins16:54

      What is the recommended range, and obviously-

   2. ASDr. Amy Shah16:57

      Yeah

   3. MRMel Robbins16:57

      ... everybody's slightly different, but what is the general range for how much protein you should be getting?

   4. ASDr. Amy Shah17:04

      That's a great question, and that varies depending on what your goals are, and-

   5. MRMel Robbins17:07

      My goal is to be healthy, and wealthy, and happy, and to take advantage of all this research.

   6. ASDr. Amy Shah17:13

      Okay, so for someone like you-

   7. MRMel Robbins17:14

      Yes

   8. ASDr. Amy Shah17:15

      ... I would recommend 0.8 grams per pound.

   9. MRMel Robbins17:19

      Okay, 0.8.

   10. ASDr. Amy Shah17:20

       Okay? So between 0.7 and all the way up to one gram per pound is, like, the range-

   11. MRMel Robbins17:25

       Okay

   12. ASDr. Amy Shah17:25

       ... for the high-protein diet. And I said that for you, because I know that you're working on building more muscle.

   13. MRMel Robbins17:33

       Yes.

   14. ASDr. Amy Shah17:33

       So I know that you're working to maximize, and it's so sad, but that's a lot higher than the RDA.

   15. MRMel Robbins17:42

       So what the recommended amount is, is much lower, but what your medical opinion is, is that if you're between- if you're around 0.8 grams... So that's like, so I just need to make the math easy.

   16. ASDr. Amy Shah17:55

       Yeah.

   17. MRMel Robbins17:55

       So if I were to- so if, if you're working with, I don't know, 150 pounds-

   18. ASDr. Amy Shah17:59

       Yeah

   19. MRMel Robbins17:59

       ... and you are going one gram-

   20. ASDr. Amy Shah18:03

       Yeah

   21. MRMel Robbins18:03

       ... that's 150 grams.

   22. ASDr. Amy Shah18:04

       Right.

   23. MRMel Robbins18:05

       I'm just trying to, like, make this simple for myself.

   24. ASDr. Amy Shah18:07

       Yes.

   25. MRMel Robbins18:08

       And if you-... s- were to do .8, it is- [laughs]

   26. ASDr. Amy Shah18:13

       120.

   27. MRMel Robbins18:14

       120?

   28. ASDr. Amy Shah18:14

       Yeah.

   29. MRMel Robbins18:14

       That's a lot of protein.

   30. ASDr. Amy Shah18:15

       It's a lot of protein. And here's the thing-
6. 22:12 – 28:01

   5 High Protein Foods For Busy Days

   1. MRMel Robbins22:13

      when it comes to 30 grams of protein first thing in the morning, and how to get it. And I also want you to surprise us, because there's probably a lot of things that I'm throwing in my mouth-

   2. ASDr. Amy Shah22:24

      [laughs]

   3. MRMel Robbins22:24

      ... that I think are great sources of protein, that might not be. You ready?

   4. ASDr. Amy Shah22:30

      Ready.

   5. MRMel Robbins22:30

      Okay, great. So we're gonna bring in some different foods. Our executive producer, Tracy, is gonna go grab it right now. Okay, so we have all this amazing, like, food on the table, and now I'm starting to salivate-

   6. ASDr. Amy Shah22:45

      [laughs]

   7. MRMel Robbins22:45

      ... 'cause I'm looking at all this stuff. And why don't you walk us through every single one of the food items that you have in front of us, and just describe what it is, how much protein there is, and what you want us to know about it?

   8. ASDr. Amy Shah22:58

      Love that. All right, let's start with an egg, okay? Do you like eggs?

   9. MRMel Robbins23:02

      I love eggs, but there's only so many eggs I can eat. You know what I'm saying?

   10. ASDr. Amy Shah23:06

       That... Yes.

   11. MRMel Robbins23:06

       And I feel like this is my go-to for fast protein.

   12. ASDr. Amy Shah23:09

       It is the go-to for fast protein. What I love about eggs is that they have six grams of protein per egg. But-

   13. MRMel Robbins23:16

       That's it?

   14. ASDr. Amy Shah23:17

       That's it.

   15. MRMel Robbins23:18

       Oh, I thought I was getting more.

   16. ASDr. Amy Shah23:19

       So two eggs is not enough.

   17. MRMel Robbins23:22

       It's only 12?

   18. ASDr. Amy Shah23:23

       Yes. Most women are having two eggs for breakfast.

   19. MRMel Robbins23:26

       That's what I have for breakfast.

   20. ASDr. Amy Shah23:28

       That's too little. You need to have an egg scramble, okay? You can put t- one or two yolks, because the yolk has a little bit of, um, uh, choline, and, uh, f- fat-soluble vitamins in it.

   21. MRMel Robbins23:44

       Uh-huh.

   22. ASDr. Amy Shah23:44

       But then you can put in the whites, so then you can get, like, five eggs.

   23. MRMel Robbins23:49

       So-

   24. ASDr. Amy Shah23:49

       And if you-

   25. MRMel Robbins23:50

       ... three egg whites, two eggs?

   26. ASDr. Amy Shah23:51

       Exactly. And or you could do all eggs, but having all eggs, um, amps up the cholesterol a little bit. So I like to add just, like, two egg yolks or one for taste, and then the rest egg whites. And the great thing about eggs, they're so versatile.

   27. MRMel Robbins24:07

       Mm.

   28. ASDr. Amy Shah24:07

       You can throw it in to a stew. You can throw it in on a side- you can eat it on the side of something else. Whenever I'm in a crunch, that is a go-to, really easy food that you can make at home. And then we're gonna go to one of my favorites-... is cottage cheese. Now, here, so you love cottage cheese, I know.

   29. MRMel Robbins24:27

       I do. Shout out to my mother. She-

   30. ASDr. Amy Shah24:29

       Yes
7. 28:01 – 32:17

   Quick and Easy Protein Options for Busy Mornings

   1. MRMel Robbins28:01

      Now, I'm so glad I asked that question, because my typical breakfast, especially if I'm traveling, 'cause I find it to be not only surprisingly hard-

   2. ASDr. Amy Shah28:11

      Yeah

   3. MRMel Robbins28:11

      ... to get 120 grams of protein in, but I find it particularly hard when it's a work week or-

   4. ASDr. Amy Shah28:18

      Yeah

   5. MRMel Robbins28:18

      ... it's a super busy day, and I'm racing out the door. Um, and so I would be ordering at a restaurant in the morning or getting takeout and adding bacon in, and now I'm realizing while I'm trying to fill the protein gap, I'm actually working against myself, because I'm eating something that's ultra-processed, even though I'm not considering it.

   6. ASDr. Amy Shah28:40

      Yes.

   7. MRMel Robbins28:41

      What are some other ways that you want us to think about filling that gap, especially on those mornings that it's busy or you're traveling?

   8. ASDr. Amy Shah28:48

      Well, that's where, that's why I set out some quick options.

   9. MRMel Robbins28:52

      Okay.

   10. ASDr. Amy Shah28:52

       So here's the thing, not everyone is gonna have time to make a full breakfast, and often we are trying to get... You're trying to figure out a smoothie, but you're getting- it's Jamba Juice, and you're like, "How do I even get enough protein without getting 800 calories in my-

   11. MRMel Robbins29:07

       Yes.

   12. ASDr. Amy Shah29:07

       And so you wanna pick options that are good to go, like this Pure Genius has 23 grams of protein in one shot, and so you can get something like this on the go that c- actually helps you reach your protein goals.

   13. MRMel Robbins29:21

       Now, in full disclosure, I am one of the co-founders of Pure Genius, and you are on the founding scientific advisory board. As a medical doctor, why is it that you got involved in this, and what is it that is- that you want people to know about it?

   14. ASDr. Amy Shah29:38

       Well, I got involved, first of all, because just like you, I'm struggling every single day to get enough protein. And so what this kind of does is gives us an option to have protein in a- and I love that it's in a small container, and I loved that I got to be involved to help create something that is something you can be proud of putting in your body-

   15. MRMel Robbins30:04

       Mm

   16. ASDr. Amy Shah30:04

       ... and not being like, "Oh, God, I feel so sick, and I really shouldn't have done that."

   17. MRMel Robbins30:08

       Mm-hmm.

   18. ASDr. Amy Shah30:09

       Which is what I usually feel like when I'm at an airport or trying to figure out what to eat for protein in the morning when I'm traveling.

   19. MRMel Robbins30:16

       Yeah.

   20. ASDr. Amy Shah30:16

       And so this was such a great solution, and I got to work so closely with the team and you, and we got to see how it's being made, and so we know what's happening inside of it. That's- that made me really proud.

   21. MRMel Robbins30:28

       Well, it made me proud, too, because the thing that surprised me the most when I really started to pay attention to this is-... how hard it is to get the amount of protein that you need, and the fact that there are so many hidden calories.

   22. ASDr. Amy Shah30:39

       Yes.

   23. MRMel Robbins30:40

       W- when I saw how much my smoothie- [laughs] I mean, no wonder it tasted delicious. It was basically the same amount of calories as a freaking milkshake with ice cream.

   24. ASDr. Amy Shah30:51

       I know. I mean, I'm gonna share with you kind of the biggest mistake that we're making with protein.

   25. MRMel Robbins30:57

       Okay.

   26. ASDr. Amy Shah30:57

       Um, and that is thinking that things like peanut butter-

   27. MRMel Robbins31:01

       Oh, God, don't go for my peanut butter, Dr. Shah. [laughs]

   28. ASDr. Amy Shah31:04

       I love peanut butter. It's a super healthy fat, okay?

   29. MRMel Robbins31:07

       Okay.

   30. ASDr. Amy Shah31:07

       But you would have to have eight tablespoons of peanut butter to get enough of protein to be considered 30 grams.
8. 32:17 – 39:02

   A Simple Hack to Tell If a Food Is Actually High in Protein

   1. MRMel Robbins32:17

      So there are high-calorie and low-calorie proteins. Is there a hack for how we can evaluate protein?

   2. ASDr. Amy Shah32:26

      Okay, I have a hack for you.

   3. MRMel Robbins32:27

      Tell me.

   4. ASDr. Amy Shah32:28

      Look at the label here.

   5. MRMel Robbins32:29

      Okay.

   6. ASDr. Amy Shah32:30

      Okay.

   7. MRMel Robbins32:30

      Yep.

   8. ASDr. Amy Shah32:31

      Look at the label-

   9. MRMel Robbins32:32

      Yep

   10. ASDr. Amy Shah32:32

       ... and look at the protein grams. Okay?

   11. MRMel Robbins32:36

       Protein grams, 23 grams.

   12. ASDr. Amy Shah32:38

       Okay, add a zero to it.

   13. MRMel Robbins32:40

       Add a zero? So 230.

   14. ASDr. Amy Shah32:43

       230. Is that more than the calories?

   15. MRMel Robbins32:46

       Yeah, 'cause this, this, the Pure Genius has only 100 calories.

   16. ASDr. Amy Shah32:50

       So that's a high-protein food.

   17. MRMel Robbins32:52

       You're kidding.

   18. ASDr. Amy Shah32:53

       So a really easy hack, and it's not perfect, but you pick up something-

   19. MRMel Robbins32:57

       Yep

   20. ASDr. Amy Shah32:57

       ... and you're like, "Is this high-protein food or not?" And you're like, "All right, let me just add a zero to the protein and look at the calories." So like in this case, it would be 230, way more than the calories. This is a very high-protein food.

   21. MRMel Robbins33:13

       That's incredible.

   22. ASDr. Amy Shah33:14

       Isn't that a great hack? My h- my son, 18-year-old son, was like, "I use this all the time now," because we get bombarded with things that say that they're high protein, good for you, and he's like, "When I use this trick, I feel like half the stuff doesn't even match."

   23. MRMel Robbins33:28

       I n- now I know the answer to the follow-up question I was gonna ask you: that protein is having a moment.

   24. ASDr. Amy Shah33:33

       Yes.

   25. MRMel Robbins33:33

       It's in everything. It's in bread, it's in popcorn-

   26. ASDr. Amy Shah33:36

       Desserts

   27. MRMel Robbins33:36

       ... and chips-

   28. ASDr. Amy Shah33:37

       Yeah

   29. MRMel Robbins33:37

       ... in desserts, and cereals, and now we know if you go and you add a zero, and something says, you know, five grams of protein, you're like, "Okay, now it's a 50."

   30. ASDr. Amy Shah33:47

       Is it more than 50 calories? Probably.
9. 39:02 – 46:12

   How to Read Nutrition Labels: Protein, Sugar, Fiber, and Serving Sizes

   1. MRMel Robbins39:02

      you talk about, Dr. Shah, is as you're looking at your label, and you gave us that great hack for is this low protein or is this a high-impact, high-protein food by add the zero, and if the protein count is higher than the calorie count-

   2. ASDr. Amy Shah39:15

      Yep. There you go

   3. MRMel Robbins39:16

      ... we're in the high protein. Great payoff. But what should we also be looking for, like, as you're scanning the label, that sneaks in there?

   4. ASDr. Amy Shah39:25

      Okay, so the biggest thing is added sugars.

   5. MRMel Robbins39:29

      Okay.

   6. ASDr. Amy Shah39:29

      So a lot of things, like, you know, we mentioned smoothies, um, earlier, and if you actually look at the amount of sugar that a smoothie has, sometimes it's, like, the same as a Coke. So, like, you wouldn't necessarily have a, a co- can of Coke first thing in the morning, but you would definitely go for a smoothie-

   7. MRMel Robbins39:52

      Right

   8. ASDr. Amy Shah39:52

      ... and that has just as much sugar. Now, you could argue, "Oh, it has fruit sugar," and, like, all the things, but it- at the end of the day, you really do wanna watch how many total grams of sugar that you have in a day. So you definitely wanna watch that. And then, of course, you wanna be looking at the calorie count, the fat, especially trans fats. Those are the most dangerous types of fats, and so that's another thing, if you're, like, just scanning a label, that you would wanna look at.

   9. MRMel Robbins40:20

      Can you just tell us what should we be looking for in terms of protein?

   10. ASDr. Amy Shah40:25

       Yeah.

   11. MRMel Robbins40:25

       Since protein is now finding its way into everything, what are we actually looking for?

   12. ASDr. Amy Shah40:30

       A lot of the proteins that we get out there are not complete proteins.

   13. MRMel Robbins40:34

       What does complete protein mean?

   14. ASDr. Amy Shah40:35

       So a complete protein means it has all the amino acids in order to build muscle.

   15. MRMel Robbins40:39

       Okay.

   16. ASDr. Amy Shah40:40

       There's a special amino acid called leucine, um, that actually is a great stimulus for muscle growth. That's not in a- all protein foods, and so you want to find a complete protein, and you want it to have leucine if you're really trying to build that muscle.

   17. MRMel Robbins40:59

       And what are the forms of protein that don't have leucine in it?

   18. ASDr. Amy Shah41:03

       A lot of vegetarian proteins, I'll have to say, are incomplete proteins, but that's why you eat lentils with rice, for example, 'cause lentils are incomplete, but you pair it with rice. But cer- some things that are surprising that are not complete proteins is, like, collagen. I mean, a lot of people are using collagen and thinking it's a replacement for protein, and it's great for your hair, skin, and nails, okay? But it's not a complete protein.

   19. MRMel Robbins41:28

       So on its own, without it being fortified, it's not having the benefit to your muscles in terms of the amino acid profile?

   20. ASDr. Amy Shah41:35

       That's right.

   21. MRMel Robbins41:35

       It, it is in the Pure Genius shot.

   22. ASDr. Amy Shah41:38

       It is, but it's also- it has a combination of collagen with BLG, which is a component of whey protein, and so that actually makes it a complete protein.

   23. MRMel Robbins41:48

       You mentioned whey.

   24. ASDr. Amy Shah41:49

       Yeah.

   25. MRMel Robbins41:50

       Talk to me about whey protein.

   26. ASDr. Amy Shah41:52

       So whey protein is so great. So it's derived from milk. It's made from, um, cow's milk.

   27. MRMel Robbins41:59

       Okay.

   28. ASDr. Amy Shah42:00

       And so the thing I like about whey is that not only is it a complete protein, which a lot of proteins are not, it's also less processed, meaning to turn milk into a white powder that you'll con- you're gonna be consuming on a daily basis, it's not that hard, right? But to turn peas that are green with a taste into a white powder is a lot harder.

   29. MRMel Robbins42:27

       Hmm.

   30. ASDr. Amy Shah42:28

       And so I've really changed my own personal stance on protein powders and also what I recommend to patients. Because I used to think, "Well, if it's a vegan source of protein, it must be better," right? But what I learned is that you have to process that pea or that hemp a lot-
10. 46:12 – 48:28

    Why Fiber Is So Important

    1. MRMel Robbins46:12

       So the next part of your 30 30 3 research-backed protocol is fiber, specifically eating 30 grams of it per day. So let's talk about why is fiber so important, and what does it do in the body?

    2. ASDr. Amy Shah46:28

       Great question. All right, Mel, how many Americans do you think are getting 30 grams of fiber? Like, what percentage?

    3. MRMel Robbins46:35

       I don't know. [laughs]

    4. ASDr. Amy Shah46:36

       Like, less than 5%.

    5. MRMel Robbins46:38

       Less than 5%?

    6. ASDr. Amy Shah46:40

       Yeah, and this-

    7. MRMel Robbins46:40

       So 95% of us are not getting enough fiber?

    8. ASDr. Amy Shah46:43

       Uh, yes.

    9. MRMel Robbins46:44

       What does fiber do?

    10. ASDr. Amy Shah46:45

        Okay, so let me explain this. So a lot of people think of fiber as like the thing that helps you go poop, which it is. It is one of the things that help you go poop. But what it does is that we have organisms-

    11. MRMel Robbins46:56

        Mm-hmm

    12. ASDr. Amy Shah46:56

        ... that live in our gut, and their main source of food is fiber. And by not eating enough fiber, we're starving that entire ecosystem, and it's so bad, Mel, that among generation to generation, we have lost so much of our gut bacteria that we have, like, 50% of what our ancestors had-

    13. MRMel Robbins47:20

        Hmm

    14. ASDr. Amy Shah47:20

        ... because of our modern diet. Those bacteria, they regulate how much hormones we have in our system. So when you don't have enough bacteria that are healthy and functioning, you get all kinds of hormonal imbalances. You get all kinds of GI issues, because our gut is constantly talking to our brain, and so feeding that gut bacteria becomes extremely important. And here's what happens. When you eat fiber, it actually, um, doesn't get digested fully until it gets to the colon, and the gut bacteria there, they will eat that fiber. And most of the other food that we ate has already been absorbed.

    15. MRMel Robbins48:02

        Hmm.

    16. ASDr. Amy Shah48:03

        And so the only food left for them, that whole entire ecosystem, is when you're eating fiber. And when you pr- pair protein and fiber, that's when they get super happy. They produce these things called short-chain fatty acids. These are the magical, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory compounds that go all over our body, including our brain, and lower inflammation.

11. 48:28 – 1:00:51

    9 High Fiber Foods for Busy People

    1. MRMel Robbins48:28

       Wow! Well, I wanna bring out some s- fiber f- foods, so let's bring in a bunch of examples of what fiber is, and then you're gonna explain to us what we should be eating in order to get 30 grams of fiber a day.

    2. ASDr. Amy Shah48:44

       Let's do it.

    3. MRMel Robbins48:44

       Okay. So if you're watching on YouTube, you can see that there is kind of a odd assortment-

    4. ASDr. Amy Shah48:50

       [laughs]

    5. MRMel Robbins48:51

       ... of things in front of Dr. Shah. I'm gonna just tell you as you're listening, I see a carrot, a kiwi, hummus, pistachios, a pear, and some things in bowls that you're gonna explain, Dr. Shah.... So walk us through, what does 30 grams of fiber in a day-

    6. ASDr. Amy Shah49:07

       Yeah

    7. MRMel Robbins49:08

       -look like?

    8. ASDr. Amy Shah49:08

       All right, I have some really easy things that you can add to your diet-

    9. MRMel Robbins49:13

       Okay

    10. ASDr. Amy Shah49:13

        -that have a lot of fiber, and some of them might be surprising. Um, for example, here's a pear.

    11. MRMel Robbins49:18

        Okay.

    12. ASDr. Amy Shah49:19

        So the best thing about a pear is that it has, like, six to seven grams of fiber, which is, like, double an apple. Isn't that crazy?

    13. MRMel Robbins49:30

        I, I'm sorry, I'm just sort of shocked. Do I have to- do I eat the peel? Do I do the inside?

    14. ASDr. Amy Shah49:35

        You eat the whole thing like you would eat an apple-

    15. MRMel Robbins49:37

        Okay

    16. ASDr. Amy Shah49:37

        ... but it just is a powerhouse of fiber.

    17. MRMel Robbins49:40

        Wow!

    18. ASDr. Amy Shah49:40

        And so I- pears, and the next thing I'm gonna show you, berries, is, like, the secret hacks to getting more fiber. So I love blueberries, and blueberries are amazing because they have tons of polyphenols. Um, but raspberries are the real fiber powerhouse.

    19. MRMel Robbins49:58

        Raspberries?

    20. ASDr. Amy Shah49:59

        Raspberries. They have eight grams per serving. Raspberries are one of the highest fiber fruits or foods you can eas- uh, have, and so easy to add these to, like, a yogurt or cottage cheese. Berries are such an easy way to add more fiber to your diet.

    21. MRMel Robbins50:16

        So if I were to throw frozen blueberries or frozen raspberries into a smoothie, do you still get the fiber benefit?

    22. ASDr. Amy Shah50:22

        Yes.

    23. MRMel Robbins50:22

        Okay.

    24. ASDr. Amy Shah50:23

        As long as you're not juicing it.

    25. MRMel Robbins50:24

        No.

    26. ASDr. Amy Shah50:25

        Yeah.

    27. MRMel Robbins50:25

        Just blending?

    28. ASDr. Amy Shah50:26

        Yeah.

    29. MRMel Robbins50:26

        Okay.

    30. ASDr. Amy Shah50:26

        And you-
12. 1:00:51 – 1:16:45

    Probiotic Foods & Their Benefits

    1. MRMel Robbins1:00:51

       I wanna get to the third part of your 30 30 3-

    2. ASDr. Amy Shah1:00:53

       Yes

    3. MRMel Robbins1:00:53

       ... which is probiotic foods.

    4. ASDr. Amy Shah1:00:55

       Let's do it.

    5. MRMel Robbins1:00:56

       So the last part of your protocol for women, 30 30 3, is 3 probiotic foods. What is a probiotic food, and why do they matter?

    6. ASDr. Amy Shah1:01:05

       Probiotic foods is something that existed in every culture around the world, okay? Before we had refrigerators and microwaves-

    7. MRMel Robbins1:01:12

       Uh-huh

    8. ASDr. Amy Shah1:01:12

       ... that was how we preserved things. There's this theory that people, even when we were hunter-gatherers, we would pick up kind of rotting fruit and food and eat that because that was fermenting.

    9. MRMel Robbins1:01:24

       Hmm.

    10. ASDr. Amy Shah1:01:24

        And our body, we knew even back then, that we needed that bacteria, that good bacteria, to go to our gut because it did so many-

    11. MRMel Robbins1:01:31

        Or we were starving-

    12. ASDr. Amy Shah1:01:32

        Yes

    13. MRMel Robbins1:01:32

        ... so we ate it and rolled the dice, and then we adapted. But still-

    14. ASDr. Amy Shah1:01:35

        And the gut bacteria-... yeah, I mean, they do so much for us. They are the super moms of our bodies. I mean, they're coordinating all of the signals. They're-

    15. MRMel Robbins1:01:44

        So what does the probiotic thing do?

    16. ASDr. Amy Shah1:01:46

        So probiotics is bacteria. It's like adding more bacteria to that ecosystem that so badly needs it. And so I am like, you know, 95% of people don't get enough fiber. Can you imagine the percentage of people in America that are not getting enough probiotic foods? It's probably, like, zero, right? Like, uh, most, most people-

    17. MRMel Robbins1:02:06

        So it's like fertilizer for that Amazon-

    18. ASDr. Amy Shah1:02:08

        Ex-

    19. MRMel Robbins1:02:08

        -forest in your gut.

    20. ASDr. Amy Shah1:02:10

        Yes.

    21. MRMel Robbins1:02:10

        Okay.

    22. ASDr. Amy Shah1:02:10

        So the way I think about it, actually, is like fiber is fertilizer for the sproutlings that are already there.

    23. MRMel Robbins1:02:16

        Okay.

    24. ASDr. Amy Shah1:02:18

        Probiotics are like seeds, where you're gonna add more seeds to your garden because now it's fertilized, and now it's gonna grow more. And so probiotics are actual foods that have bacteria in it that can reach our colon and seed there.

    25. MRMel Robbins1:02:36

        Hmm.

    26. ASDr. Amy Shah1:02:36

        The problem with probiotics is that... And this is the problem with the whole probiotic industry. It is really hard to get our body not to destroy bacteria when you eat it. So when you eat bacteria, your body just wants to get rid of it, 'cause it's like, "Oh, my gosh, she's trying- she's eating something that has bacteria in it. Let me kill it." But when we eat it within a kimchi or a probiotic cottage cheese or a yogurt, your body knows to let that through. And so the power of probiotic-

    27. MRMel Robbins1:03:05

        'Cause they recognize it as a food group?

    28. ASDr. Amy Shah1:03:07

        Yes.

    29. MRMel Robbins1:03:08

        Okay.

    30. ASDr. Amy Shah1:03:08

        It recognizes it as part of- kind of in the net of the food. And the thing about probiotics that I love is, like, it lowers inflammation, but it also improves mood.

Episode duration: 1:16:46