Everyone on your feed is telling you to eat more protein. And honestly? They're not wrong, but how much more do you really need? This is where the advice is often either vague, overwhelming, or (and I saw this recently on a Forbes Instagram post that made me cringe) just flat-out incorrect.
There are two big issues with protein: You probably aren’t eating enough, AND even if you are, you aren’t absorbing it all.
The science-backed formula I use to calculate daily grams of protein is this:
That's it. Run the numbers for a 150-pound woman, and you land around 109 grams, not 200. Not "as much as possible." A real, achievable number rooted in evidence.
Now here's the part most influencers skip entirely: consuming protein and absorbing protein are not the same thing.
You can eat 130 grams in a day, but you generally absorb only 10-30 percent of what you consume. So your body may only use a fraction of it, which can be a huge issue for women already struggling to hit protein targets each day.
This is why intentional pacing matters more than the total. And this is also where I hear the same thing from women constantly: "I just can't eat that much. It feels like so much food. Should I really be eating when I'm not even hungry?"
I get it. I've said versions of this myself. But here's the reframe: protein-forward eating isn't about volume, it's about density and distribution. Greek yogurt, eggs, cottage cheese, a palm-sized piece of fish — these aren't massive meals, they're strategic ones. You're not eating more food. You're eating smarter food.
Spread your intake across three to four meals, aiming for roughly 25-35 grams per meal. Think of it less like hitting a daily quota and more like making consistent deposits into an account that only accepts so much at once.
As for eating when you're not hungry: yes, sometimes you should. Especially at breakfast, when appetite is lower, but the window for muscle protein synthesis is wide open. Your hunger cues and your biological needs don't always align. That's not a flaw. That's just physiology.
One more thing worth knowing: protein needs don't decrease as we age — they increase. Muscle synthesis becomes less efficient after 50, meaning your margin for error shrinks. Getting this right isn't vanity, it's vitality. One scientific discovery I am VERY excited about is an enzyme that can be activated by stomach acid and effectively doubles the absorption of the protein we consume. This enzyme, discovered at the University of California, Davis, builds on Nobel Prize-winning research and has the potential to change metabolic endpoints, such as blood glucose, and overall physical metrics, such as body composition. I will have more on this supplement in future issues! Stay tuned!
So yes, eat more protein, but spread it out, choose dense sources, and please — check the math before you trust the post.
There’s a version of midlife healthcare most of us have become accustomed to. You call your doctor, wait a few weeks for their next available appointment, get seven rushed minutes, and leave with more questions than answers. And if you still have a relationship with your OBGYN (who may have delivered your babies decades ago), there is a good chance when/if you do get an appointment, that somehow you feel ‘less important’ than the pregnant woman sitting next to you in the waiting room. I’ve felt it too!
And then there’s the version that actually works in terms of high-level, convenient access for busy women like us. That’s why I was excited when Alloy* approached us to sponsor this newsletter! Not as a product, but as a system that actually makes sense for this stage of life.
Instead of trying to squeeze menopause, hair changes, skin, libido, and weight all of it into fragmented appointments, Alloy brings dedicated care under one virtual roof, with doctors who specialize in this phase. All of the doctors at Alloy follow the protocols set by The Menopause Society and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
How it works:
You fill out a quick intake, connect directly with a menopause-trained physician, and get a plan that feels tailored to you, not something pulled from a standard playbook. Plus, Ajenda readers get $20 off their first order, with code AJENDA20.
Why I love it:
What stands out to me is the continuity and the accessibility. You are not just handed a prescription and sent on your way. With Alloy, you can follow up, ask questions, and adjust as things change for no additional costs or fees. And things do change, because this phase of life is not static, and your care shouldn’t be either. When you have a question, you deserve a timely answer, rather than a ‘we can see you in 2 months’ response.
Alloy providers cover a wide range of issues and treatments, from hormone therapy to skin, hair, sexual health, and even weight support, vetted through clinicians who are actually trained in menopause care. And it is not trying to reinvent medicine or push anything fringe. It is grounded in evidence-based, FDA-approved treatments, just delivered in a way that feels more human and a lot less rushed. It feels a lot more ‘according to YOUR schedule’ rather than someone else’s.
When you zoom out, the real value is not just what they prescribe. It is the access, the consistency, and the feeling that someone is actually looking at the full picture instead of one symptom at a time. And for many women, that alone is a pretty meaningful shift.
Join me:
Alloy is sponsoring a live Webinar with me and Liz Plosser, former Editor and Chief of Women’s Health, next Wednesday, April 15th, at 12 pm EST. We will discuss fitness, food, midlife health, GLP-1’s, and hormones!
You know I have been talking about incretin therapy and GLP-1 medications for years. This week, the news genuinely got me excited. I had the rare chance to sit down with Dave Ricks, CEO of Eli Lilly, and what he shared is too important to miss. Let’s break it down because complex health topics deserve more than a 75-second soundbite.
The big headline is that the FDA just approved Foundayo™, a new once-daily oral GLP-1. That is right, a pill, not an injection. The details on how it works, who can use it, and what it actually costs are even more interesting than the headlines suggest.
Here is what you need to know:
The current FDA approval is for adults with overweight or obesity, with or without type 2 diabetes, for weight loss. Approval for blood sugar control is expected later this year or early next year.
In clinical studies, Foundayo™ lowered HbA1c (a key diabetes marker) by about 2 points. As a physician, I can tell you that it is a remarkable result for an oral medication.
Participants lost an average of 11 percent of their body weight over about a year. Most people lost some weight, and many lost a significant amount.
There is more to this story. We talked about why this pill behaves differently than other oral options, the background on the “expedited” FDA approval process, and why there is nothing to worry about, and what is next for this class of medications. It goes well beyond weight loss.
I also asked the questions that matter most to me as a doctor: access for seniors, the risks of compounded knockoffs, and whether women’s health is finally getting the attention it deserves, in the form of specific research and development. Some of his answers genuinely surprised me. And I want to be clear on one important point that many people raised on my brief Instagram post last week with Lilly’s CEO: the cost of these drugs is PART of the picture, not the whole picture. I asked questions, and the CEO gave answers. How you think after hearing them is up to you, not me.
I am not pro-pharma or anti-pharma. I live in the real world, where it costs $2-3 billion to develop a new drug. Pharmaceutical companies are not non-profits, and I don’t think they should be. I actually WANT them to make money so they can afford to research and develop new drugs that can help many people. I think the blame rests more with insurance company coverage of these and other medications than with the industry that makes them. To address the cost issue, my personal POV is that in a country where 70% of the population could benefit from these drugs, the government should be subsidizing them for those whose insurance doesn’t cover them or who can’t afford them. (Perhaps work on people’s health rather than build missiles or spend $200B on a war that was elective- but I digress.) Regardless of any societal or political view, this is a complex issue, and many of the people, myself included, commenting on the pros and cons of big pharma are not expert enough to make definitive statements, so I hope you watch and read with an open mind.
The full conversation is live now on my Ajenda YouTube channel. Go check it out. You do not want to miss this one.
Have you or someone you love been waiting for a GLP-1 medication but held back by the needle, the cost, or the shortage?
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In her former roles as chief medical correspondent for ABC News and on-air cohost of “GMA3: What You Need to Know,” Dr. Jennifer Ashton—”Dr. Jen”—has shared the latest health news and information with millions of viewers nationwide. As an OB-GYN, nutritionist, and board-certified obesity medicine specialist, she is passionate about promoting optimal health for “the whole woman.” She has authored several books, including the national best-seller, The Self-Care Solution: A Year of Becoming Happier, Healthier & Fitter—One Month at a Time. And she has gone through menopause…
This material is provided solely for informational purposes and is not providing or undertaking to provide any medical, nutritional, behavioral or other advice or recommendation in or by virtue of this material. This newsletter is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this newsletter or materials linked from this newsletter is at the user’s own risk. The content of this newsletter is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advice for any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.
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