Protein is the wellness buzzword of 2025 and for good reason. The benefits of protein go way beyond building muscle. While the hype is high, I want to slow it down and share what I actually tell my clients day in and day out.

Because yes, protein helps with strength and recovery—but you might not realize it also fuels your hair, supports hormone balance, and even helps your body detox more efficiently.

This isn’t about trends or macros. It’s about understanding what protein is and how it works with your body, not just in the gym but in your everyday life. Let’s break it down.

What Is Protein?

Protein is one of the three main macronutrients your body needs to survive, along with carbs and fat, but it plays a unique role. It’s your body’s building material. Muscles, skin, hair, nails, hormones, enzymes, and even your immune system all rely on protein to function.

But here’s the thing: your body can’t store protein like it does carbs or fat, and it can’t make the essential building blocks (called amino acids) on its own. That means you have to get them from food such as lean meats, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, tofu, beans, and protein powder if you need a boost.

When you eat protein, your body breaks it down into amino acids, then sends those out like tiny workers heading to different job sites—your muscles, skin, hair, hormones, and more. Wherever there's a repair, a rebuild, or maintenance needed, they show up.

Top 5 Benefits of Protein in a Healthy Lifestyle

Once you understand how protein benefits your body, you might be more likely to work in larger servings for you and your family.

1. It Boosts Your Metabolism

Protein has a naturally high thermic effect, which means your body burns more calories digesting it than it does when processing carbs or fat. On average, your body will burn 30% of the protein calories ingested. Compare that to the fat, which burns less than 3%! Even carbs rarely break 10%.

Without enough protein, your metabolism can slow down over time, making it harder to burn calories efficiently, even when you’re doing all the “right” things.

2. It Supports Weight Loss and Keeps You Satisfied

One of the most effective (and underrated) strategies for appetite control is increasing your protein intake. Protein slows digestion and reduces ghrelin, the hunger hormone, which helps reduce cravings and that constant urge to snack.

Low protein intake often leads to increased hunger, more frequent cravings, and a higher likelihood of overeating or turning to quick, carb-heavy snacks.

3. It Builds and Repairs Muscle

Whether you’re strength training or just moving through a busy life, your muscles go through daily wear and tear. Protein provides the amino acids your body needs to repair and rebuild tissue, preserve lean muscle, and support recovery.

Maintaining muscle isn’t just for athletes. It’s critical for metabolism, joint health, balance, and overall strength as you age. Starting at age 30, we lose up to 5% of our muscle mass per decade. Women in perimenopause are also facing a loss of strength due to hormone levels.

When protein is lacking, your body struggles to maintain lean muscle mass, which can lead to slower recovery, fatigue, and reduced strength over time.

4. It Helps Stabilize Blood Sugar

Protein plays a powerful role in blood sugar regulation. It slows the absorption of glucose, reduces post-meal spikes, and improves insulin sensitivity over time.

Protein-rich meals stimulate glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a hormone that enhances insulin secretion and slows digestion. This kind of balance is key not just for energy, but for long-term metabolic health.

Skipping protein can cause blood sugar to spike and crash more dramatically, which not only drains your energy but also stresses your insulin response.

5. It Supports Detox and Hormone Health

Protein is essential for more than just muscle. It plays a major role in your internal health. Your liver depends on amino acids to drive detoxification pathways, and your body needs protein to produce hormones, enzymes, and neurotransmitters. It even helps transport nutrients throughout the body.

Inadequate protein intake can impair your body’s ability to detox effectively, disrupt hormone production, and contribute to issues like mood swings, bloating, or fatigue. When you're not getting enough protein, your body shifts into preservation mode and prioritizes essential organs over non-critical functions like hair growth. This can lead to telogen effluvium (temporary hair loss).

Make Protein an Important Part of Your Meal Planning

Protein is essential, no question, but like anything in wellness, more isn’t always better. Too much protein, especially without proper hydration or balance with other nutrients, can put stress on your kidneys, disrupt digestion, and throw off your overall nutrition plan.

The key is getting the right amount for your body, based on your goals, lifestyle, and activity level. That’s where personalized guidance matters. If you’re unsure how much protein you should be eating or how to actually hit those numbers without living on chicken and protein bars, I can help.

My one-on-one nutrition accountability program helps you balance the foods you need. We don't use the word "diet" around here. This is a balanced lifestyle with plenty of room for indulgence. For those starting a GLP-1 lifestyle using medications like Ozempic or Zepbound, I can also help you get the right amount of protein in, which can help reduce side effects and maximize success.

READ MORE: What REALLY Happens to Your Muscles on a GLP-1 Diet