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Part of my Gut Goals for 2026 experiments

Listen.

I’m not about to tell you that eating more protein will cure all your gut problems.

But after years of healing from SIBO and IBS, I’ve learned something critical: most women with digestive issues aren’t eating nearly enough protein to support gut repair.

So for three days, I bumped my protein intake daily. Started at my baseline of (about) 96g, worked up to 144g by day three. [Note: The GOAL was only to increase by 7g daily, but something different happened. Read on to see.]

Here’s what I learned, what I ate, and whether this is something you should try.

What Is Protein, Really?

Protein is made up of amino acids. These are the building blocks your body uses for basically everything.

When you eat protein, your body breaks it down into individual amino acids. Those amino acids then get reassembled into the specific proteins your body needs.

[Translation: your gut doesn’t just need protein to exist. It needs protein to heal.]

Here’s what protein does for your digestive system specifically:

Protein Builds Your Intestinal Barrier

Your gut lining is made of a single layer of cells held together by tight junction proteins.

These junctions determine what gets through your intestinal wall and what stays out.

Amino acids like glutamine and tryptophan play protective roles in the intestinal barrier by supporting tight junction proteins. [source]

Without adequate protein, these junctions become compromised, leading to increased intestinal permeability.

Protein Supports Active Gut Repair

Glutamine, the most abundant amino acid in the body, is an oxidative fuel for enterocytes and plays an important role in maintaining gastrointestinal mucosal barrier function. [source]

Your intestinal cells turn over every 3-5 days. That means you’re constantly rebuilding your gut lining.

No protein? No repair.

I Ate 7 More Grams of Protein Daily for 3 Days: Here’s What Happened

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The 3-Day Protein Bump Challenge

Here’s how I structured it, as my general rules I’d follow:

1. Day 1: 103g protein (+7g)
2. Day 2: 110g protein (+14g from baseline)
3. Day 3: 117g protein (+21g from baseline)

The goal wasn’t to hit some magical number. It was to see how my body responded to added protein.

Other things to make note of:

• I don’t count all the super small, misc. protein I get throughout the day. This way, I know for sure I’m hitting my protein goals. For example, the milk I use in my coffee on the daily has protein. I don’t count that.
• Prior to this, my baseline was likely somewhere between 80-100g of protein per day.
• I do not usually measure my food like I did for these 3 days. But I wanted to know for sure for this experiment.
• Before any and all meals which contained at least 1/2 cup protein, I always took my Betaine HCl + Pepsin.
• You might see my daily eats and think, “Is this a full day of eats?” And the answer is “Mostly, but not all.” For example, when I’m wanting just a little something, I also had things like: raw almonds and other raw nuts, sweet potato chips, nut butters, bananas…..I just didn’t record all of that because this was to show you HOW I got to Xg of protein per day.
• To that extent, I also didn’t include water intake and/or the other supplements I took on a daily basis. Again, this was about demonstrating protein.

What I Ate Each Day

Monday, February 16: [GOAL] 103g

Morning [about 7:45am]

I had an 8am dentist appointment, and I knew I’d be working out right after it, so I wanted something to tie me over:

• Beef stick (10g)
• Sourdough with cream cheese (Green Valley Organic Lactose-Free Cream Cheese)

Total: 10g

Late Morning [11:30am]

After my workout, I had Protein Pancakes:

• 2 eggs (12g)
• 1 scoop Truvani Banana Cinnamon Protein Powder (20g)
• 1/4 cup oats
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt (6g)
• 4 oz. Organic Chicken Breakfast Sausage (22g)

Total: 60g

Late Lunch/ Snack:

I didn’t eat again until 3pm because I wasn’t hungry. And I also didn’t eat at ton for this meal because I knew I was going out for dinner.

• 1 chicken drumstick (15g)
• Organic spiral noodles
• Avocado
• Grapes

Total: 15g

Dinner:

We went out to eat this night for a birthday, and here’s what I had:

• Grilled Chicken Salad
  • Lettuce
  • Grilled Chicken (approx 3/4 cup; 28g)
  • Shredded Cheese
  • Blue Cheese dressing

Total: 28g

Day Total: 113g protein

Tuesday, February 17: [GOAL] 110g

Morning [about 7:15am]

I had an early appointment for IV Infusion in a town that’s about 20 minutes from where we live, and didn’t know when I’d be able to eat a full meal again.

I needed to make this one count to start the day off right:

• 2 cups green beans
• 1/2 cup garbanzo beans (6g)
• 1 cup ground turkey (44g)
• coconut oil

Total: 50g

Snack [about 11:15am]

After my appointment, I went to a coffee shop to get some work done for a couple hours. And after that, I wanted to hit the gym before heading home.

I wasn’t super hungry still, but wanted to get some protein in, so I had a protein bar. I got the bar from my doctor’s office.

And while it’s a holistic office, I wouldn’t write home about the ingredients, so it’s not even worth mentioning:

• Protein Bar (15g)

Total: 15g

Late Lunch [2pm]

I went to the gym, and then was hungry. Because I felt hungry, and had just worked out, I made the protein pancakes a little different [more carbohydrates]:

• 2 eggs (12g)
• 1 scoop Truvani Chocolate Strawberry Protein Powder (20g)
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt (6g)
• 1/2 banana

Total: 38g

Dinner [6pm]

I ate a ton for dinner, and was far too full. But it was so good!

• 8 x Amylu Chicken Meatballs (28g)
• white rice
• avocado
• huge piece of my mom’s apple pie (just had to add this one in for fun!)

Total: 28g

Total: 131g protein

Wednesday, February 18: [GOAL] 117g

Morning [about 7:15am]

No workout today, and I was at home working this morning, so I could make my protein pancakes for breakfast:

• 2 eggs (12g)
• 1 scoop Truvani Chocolate Mint Protein Powder (20g)
• 1/4 cup oats
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (4g)
• 1 banana

Total: 36g

Lunch [1pm]

Since today is a no-gym day for me, I won’t be super hungry. Getting protein in, then, becomes very intentional:

• 8 x Amylu Chicken Meatballs – leftovers from last night (28g)
• white rice
• avocado
• 1/2 cup garbanzo beans (6g)
• 1 carton Kettle + Fire Beef Bone Broth (and yes, you read that correctly – 1 carton – I love to sip on it while I work to replace other hot beverages) (19g)

Total: 53g

Snack [4pm]

My body is craving something salty, but not much:

• 1/5 block extra firm tofu (10g)
• hummus

Total: 10g

By the way, I love this for a quick and easy snack. Maybe not “normal,” but I love it nonetheless.

Dinner [6pm]

Yes, this is a super random dinner, but I just wanted to throw together something quickly for myself. The kids wanted noodles and beef; I wasn’t feeling that:

• 2oz Brami Protein Pasta (12g)
• 1 can tuna (33g)
• avocado
• carrots
• cauliflower

Total: 45g

Total: 144g protein

Was It Hard to Eat 7g More Per Day?

As you can see from the above, no it was not hard to eat 7g more per day.

In fact, I did a lot more than that.

• Day 1: Goal > 103g; Actual > 113g
• Day 2: Goal > 110g; Actual > 131g
• Day 3: Goal > 117g; Actual > 144g

Is It Hard to Eat 110g+ Daily?

Going into this experiment, I wasn’t sure how much protein I’d be able to get in.

But when I actually measured and tracked, realized that was easy.

Again, this was mostly because I focused so heavily on the protein, building my meals around it.

Instead of simply throwing things together, I started with the protein, and built around.

Doing so had me eating far more protein than I set out to do.

This tells me that I can easily do this in the future.

Whole Foods vs. Protein Powder: What I Actually Used

I stuck primarily to whole food protein sources during this experiment.

Why? Because I wanted to see how my gut handled real food, not just isolated protein supplements.

That said, I’m not anti-protein powder.

While I did not use collagen during this experiment, it’s one that I do use often.

However, I did use 1 scoop of Truvani Protein Powder each day of this experiment. This is because:

• It’s an easy way to get in an extra 20g…..
• Without the need for cooking a huge meal for the entire family…..and
• It’s like dessert! [p.s. The Chocolate Mint hit alllllll the cravings!]

Besides, the Truvani Protein Powders are as clean as they come. [Yes, I do work with Vani, but no, I make no money if you purchase the Truvani protein, as I don’t work on that team.]

For this specific experiment, I wanted the full package: protein plus the cofactors, minerals, and other nutrients that come with whole foods.

My go-to whole food proteins:

• Eggs (they are just an easy option to add, and I’m also getting the fats I want)
• Wild-caught fish (light, anti-inflammatory)
• Chicken (versatile, easy on digestion)
• Greek yogurt (bonus probiotics)
• Tofu (I have this occasionally, and wanted to include it here in case you’re Vegan)
• Organic turkey (one of my personal fave sources of protein)

I USUALLY have ground beef at least every other day; it just so happened that I didn’t during these 3 days.

By the way, don’t ever forget that the quality of your protein source matters just as much as the quantity.

You can’t just boost the amount of protein you’re getting, and think it’s all the same. It’s not.

Practical Strategies: How to Add 7g Without Feeling Stuffed

Here’s what 7g of protein actually looks like [approximate values below]:

• 1 large egg
• 1 oz chicken breast
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 scoop collagen peptides
• 1/4 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 scoop protein powder
• 1 oz beef
• 1/3 cup tofu

Easy ways to sneak in extra protein:

1. Add an extra egg to your morning scramble
2. Stir collagen into your coffee or smoothie
3. Top your salad with an extra ounce of protein
4. Keep hard-boiled eggs ready for snacks
5. Add Greek yogurt to your afternoon routine
6. Use bone broth as a base for soups

But the REAL secret? Build your meals around protein.

Figure out what protein you’re craving, then add in whatever else makes sense for meal/craving.

Protein Quality

Not all protein sources affect the gut the same way.

The research states, “Different dietary protein sources led to changes in the abundance of microbial proteins involved in amino acid degradation.” [source]

Some protein sources are more easily digested in your small intestine, meaning less reaches your colon for fermentation.

For example, many people find that eggs, white fish, chicken breast, and lean ground turkey feel lighter and easier.

And red meat, pork, and dense protein bars feel heavier.

HOWEVER, this was not the case for me.

In fact, NOTHING during these 3 days felt heavy.

Here’s why I think that’s the case:

1. I’m not eating large amounts of protein (or food in general) every 2-3 hours. I’ve learned that meal spacing is clutch!
2. I ALWAYS took my Betaine HCl + Pepsin with protein-dense meals

Satiety and Hunger Cues: What Changed

Here are some things I noticed when I actively tracked the protein:

1. I felt fuller for longer
2. There was far less desire for any snacking
3. The meals felt complete, and I didn’t feel like I needed something more after eating them

More protein often means better satiety signals, which can actually help you tune into true hunger vs. habit-based eating.

Common Pitfalls: What NOT to Do When Increasing Protein

I’ve made these mistakes before, so you don’t have to.

1. Don’t jump too fast. Going from 60g to 120g overnight will wreck your digestion. Your gut bacteria need time to adapt. Increase gradually over weeks, not days.

2. Don’t rely solely on heavy protein sources. If all your protein comes from red meat and beans, you’ll feel like a brick. Mix in lighter, more digestible sources.

3. Don’t forget hydration. More protein requires more water. Your kidneys need it to process the nitrogen waste from protein metabolism.

4. Don’t ignore fiber. Protein without fiber can slow digestion. Keep vegetables and whole foods in the mix. You’ll notice that my favorite form of fiber are beans!

5. Don’t force it if you’re already full. This isn’t about stuffing yourself. If you’re genuinely satisfied, don’t add protein just to hit a number.

6. Don’t use this as permission to eat garbage. Quality still matters. Protein from a fast-food burger hits differently than protein from a pasture-raised chicken breast.

[The worst thing you can do is increase protein rapidly with low-quality sources. Your gut will revolt.]

Who Actually Needs This Experiment?

Not everyone needs 96g of protein daily. And not everyone needs to bump it higher.

You might benefit from gradually increasing protein if you’re:

• Eating less than 0.5-0.6g per pound of body weight
• Dealing with gut issues and struggling to heal
• Very active or strength training
• Constantly hungry even after meals
• Experiencing hair loss, weak nails, or slow wound healing
• In active gut repair mode

You might NOT need more protein if you’re:

• Already eating 0.8g+ per pound and you don’t have goals for building muscle and/or intense gut repair
• Have active SIBO with known protein fermentation issues (Do make note, though, that this could be a stomach acid issue)
• Have kidney problems (talk to your doctor first)
• Already feeling great at your current intake

How to calculate your baseline:

I swear, everyone out there will tell you something different for this.

I like Dr. Gabrielle Lyon for her thoughts on women and protein needs.

For an entire peek inside her thoughts, I strongly recommend reading, The Forever Strong™ PLAYBOOK: A Six-Week, Science-Based Plan to Sharpen Your Mind, Strengthen Your Body, and Get Healthy at Any Age.

Anyways, here are some of her foundational thoughts regarding protein:

1. 1 gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight
2. The minimum amount of protein she recommends is 100 grams per day, preferably split between two substantial meals to maximize muscle protein synthesis [source]
3. She recommends three meals each day for most adults with a minimum of 30 grams of high-quality protein to optimize muscle protein synthesis. Ideally, she’d like to see 50 grams at two meals. [source]

[These are guidelines, not rules. Your body gets the final say.]

I definitely had more than 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, BUT I personally am 100% on board with that.

This is because I:

1. Don’t do traditional long-form cardio, opting instead for lifting weights. And with that, it’s because I want to gain more lean muscle mass.
2. Already know how much protein is an essential part of the gut lining.
3. Would rather get the calories from protein at any given meal than reaching for empty carbohydrate calories in between meals.

Is This a ‘Forever’ Philosophy?

Here’s what I need you to understand: this was a 3-day experiment to gather data.

I’m not suggesting everyone needs to eat 117g+ of protein daily for the rest of their lives.

This is how I approach all gut healing protocols. Test. Observe. Adjust. Nothing has to be permanent.

However, for me personally, this COULD be a forever philosophy now that I’ve done the experiment.

I see zero reasons why it couldn’t be, given how I felt and the benefits I know a higher-protein diet give.

But the point is to gather information about YOUR body, not to follow someone else’s rules forever.

[This experiment gave me data. What I do with that data is an ongoing conversation with my gut.]

Should You Try This?

Here’s my honest take.

If you’re dealing with gut issues and you’re eating less than 0.6g of protein per pound of body weight, you might benefit from gradually increasing your intake.

But.

Don’t jump from 60g to 120g overnight. Your gut bacteria need time to adjust. Increase by 5-10g per week and pay attention to how you feel.

And if you have active SIBO or other conditions where protein fermentation is already a problem, work with your practitioner before making changes.

Start here:

1. Track your current protein intake for 3 days
2. Calculate 0.6-0.8g per pound of body weight as your target range
3. If you’re below that range, increase by 5-10g per week
4. Focus on quality protein sources that feel good in your gut
5. Spread protein throughout the day
6. Pay attention to energy, digestion, and satiety signals
7. Adjust based on what you observe

[This isn’t about hitting a perfect number. It’s about finding YOUR range and staying flexible.]

The Bottom Line

Adequate protein is essential for gut healing. Dietary proteins can affect the gut barrier and immune system by regulating gene expression and metabolite secretion. [source]

But like everything in gut health, there’s nuance. Too little and you can’t repair properly. Too much and you might trigger fermentation issues.

For me, this experiment confirmed that I’ll aim higher than 96g on a daily basis.

And that I will build meals around the protein.

But I won’t count and track anymore because….time. That’s not how I personally want to spend my time.

Your job? Figure out YOUR range, and what works best for you.

Track your protein for a few days. Notice how you feel. Experiment gradually.

And remember: healing your gut isn’t about restriction. It’s about giving your body what it needs to repair itself.

Then, being flexible enough to adjust as things change.

If you liked this article, you might also enjoy:

1. Want more gut health experiments? Check out my full Gut Goals for 2026 series where I’m testing one new protocol each month.
2. 13 High Protein Broth Recipes [simple ingredients, dairy-free]
3. 6 Low FODMAP Complete Proteins for Vegetarians and Vegans

Questions about this experiment? Drop them below. I’m reading and responding to every single one. Which experiment should I do in March?!

Xox,

SKH

This article is part of my 2026 Gut Goals Monthly Experiments, where I’m testing different approaches to gut health throughout the year. Each month brings a new experiment, and I’m documenting everything – the good, the bad, and the bloated. Follow along and maybe even try some experiments yourself.