The Protein-Brain Connection: 10 Foods That Fuel Focus, Mood, and Hormones

Recipe: Tempeh Reubens with Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

*This newsletter is not intended to be medical advice. Supported by Mandy Murphy Carroll, RD MPH, Dr. Rosa Keller, PHD RD, Dr. Ricki Pollycove OBGYN, & Dr. Claire Packer OBGYN

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Welcome to Modern Women’s Nutrition!

Empowering the busy modern woman to understand her hormone & metabolic health, and how to eat to thrive at every step of her journey—from fertility to menopause and beyond.

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→ Jump to Recipe: Tempeh Reubens with Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

Hey gals,

It’s a Sunday morning as I’m writing this, the sun is shining, and although I slept in and feel happy, I also somehow feel like I’m half-speed. I ate out at a restaurant last night, and while it was a beautifully crafted meal, it might not have been the most supportive for my mental clarity.

And I’m not just talking about the glass or two of wine I had. :) I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent more moments than I’d like to admit feeling like my brain is stuck in a lower gear, and it’s been quite confusing. It starts with a certain kind of fog in my thought process—everything seems to take me longer (getting dressed, making my breakfast), my thoughts feel sticky, I can’t focus, and sometimes I start craving things that I know won’t be good for my body.

I know I’m not the only one. So many women I know and who I’ve spoken with, especially those navigating parenting, working full-time, and/or riding the wave of midlife transitions, tell me a similar story: their brains feel overloaded and under-functioning, like there’s just too much information coming in and not enough clarity coming out.

We’re told to get more sleep, cut back on caffeine, and meditate to reduce our stress. All great things, but often even when we do those things, the brain fuzziness can stick around like an unwanted houseguest.

Through lots of trial and error, I’ve learned to recognize the signs of brain fatigue in myself, and use them as a reminder to pause, check in, and take a quick food inventory.

When I would run through what I ate that day or the day before, the answer would most often come down to what I didn’t eat:

….enough whole-food protein.

By now, you’ve very likely heard the news that protein matters—a lot. The protein-talk is overwhelming, and I’m a little sick of hearing about it, to be honest.

But then why am I talking about it here? Well, I see the direct affects on my own health quite often, and I wanted to share this with you so that you can understand, too.

While many of us have been programmed to connect protein to muscle building (cue bodybuilders chugging protein shakes), protein isn’t just for building muscle. It plays a key role in the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which impact everything from mood to motivation—even for little things like making your own breakfast and getting ready for the day.

It’s also required for balancing blood sugar (helping to reduce anxiety and irritability), regulating cortisol (the stress hormone), supporting ovulation (hello fertility and regular cycles!), and generally helping you feel steady and focused throughout the day.

Simply put, it’s one of the most powerful tools available for supporting your body and mind.

But what kind of protein you eat makes a difference. Contrary to what the 14 billion dollar (as of 2023) protein bar industry would have you believe, not all protein is created equal.

I am a firm believer in protein that comes from whole food sources, rather than protein that’s formulated in a lab and loaded with additives and sugars that mess with your blood sugar and hormone regulation. Experience has shown me that there really isn’t a shortcut to giving your body the protein that it requires.

Just one serving of wild salmon delivers 22–25 grams of protein, a cup of lentils gives you 18 grams, and just six ounces of Greek yogurt packs in about 15-20 grams—all of it feeding your brain, your energy, and your sense of calm.

Recent studies show that when and how much protein you eat matters, too. Researchers are suggesting that women in perimenopause and beyond may need to eat 30–50 grams of protein at breakfast to maintain muscle and metabolic health (source). If you’re eating oatmeal and coffee most mornings and feel drained or foggy—this is very likely the culprit.

I bring this topic up because of a recent project I’ve been working on with perimenopause nutrition expert

Beth Bollinger

. We go deep into the topic of why oatmeal might not be the best breakfast choice, as well as what delicious options are much better for breakfast, in The Blood Sugar Method Course. Available for early access starting April 16th for my Substack subscribers, and May 1st for everyone else. Mark your calendar and sign up for the waitlist here!

Also (SO excited) — we’re going to be hosting a FREE Live Virtual Cooking class on May 1st to celebrate the launch of our Course & Membership! Spots are limited. Sign-up here to join us! ☺️

And this is not just about midlife. If you’re pregnant, the science is clear that protein plays a big role in fetal brain development. One study found that women who ate 50–70 grams of protein a day during their third trimester had babies with better brain growth markers (source), measured by things like head circumference and biparietal diameter. Wild stat, right?

But you’ve probably heard stuff like this from your doctor. Yet, it can still be confusing and overwhelming to make sure you get enough protein everyday and throughout the day!

So yes, the scrambled eggs (6 grams of protein per egg) and cottage cheese (about 14 grams for a ½ cup) really count, not just for your baby’s body, but for their brain. Keep reading for some protein ideas below to ensure you are getting enough.

For my postpartum mamas, there’s growing evidence that protein helps buffer mental health dips in the fourth trimester (source). What a rollercoaster this time is, and as we discussed in my recent postpartum post, it’s a time of survival. But it’s also important that you continue the healthy eating practices that you learned and instilled into your life when you were pregnant.

Fold in omega-3-rich proteins like that wild salmon, and you're supporting both your mood and your brain chemistry at a time when both can feel wobbly. The early months after a baby's arrival is a tender transition and food is one of the most powerful forms of postpartum self-care. And it’s one of the few parts of this phase that you can control.

Thankfully, getting more protein into your diet doesn’t need to be a big to-do. You don’t need to make a big proclamation or read a bunch of nutrition books. You just need to be a little more intentional about where your protein is coming from and when you consume it.

These are 10 of my favorite high-protein, brain-loving foods that also support hormonal balance. They’re easy to work into your day, and they leave you feeling sharp, steady, and clear-headed.

Paid subscribers get the full 10 foods and their protein content + my favorite ways and recipes to use each one throughout the week + a featured delicious, protein-packed recipe of the week: Tempeh Reubens (melt in your mouth, umami-good).