If you enjoy this podcast, please consider Muscle Month. I simply can’t do topics like this true justice in a short podcast. Muscle Month is where I teach the actual physiology behind muscle building, fat loss, and long-term health—properly, in context, and without fear-based nonsense.

It was only a few years ago that we lived through the protein panic.

Fear-based documentaries told us protein was going to kill us and that we should avoid it at all costs. Films like Forks Over Knives painted protein—especially animal protein—as inflammatory, cancer-causing, and reckless.

At the same time, I was in a constant verbal battle with would-be clients asking me to write “new” vegan diets while also wanting to build muscle.

(Yes. Build muscle… while eating leaves.)

It was a fun time to coach.

But seriously—people became genuinely terrified of protein.

No explanation. No accountability. Just a hard pivot.

So if you feel confused, cautious, or unsure who to believe—you’re not wrong. You’re watching what happens when badly handled science gets turned into marketing.

This episode breaks down the three biochemical villains that were used to scare people away from protein:

TMAO

IGF-1

mTOR

Here’s what actually matters.

The scary headline:

“Red meat increases TMAO, and TMAO increases heart disease risk.”

What was conveniently skipped:

TMAO production depends heavily on gut bacteria and fiber

Fish contains ~66× more TMAO than red meat, yet is consistently linked with better cardiovascular outcomes

So no—TMAO is not a simple “protein = danger” equation.

Soluble fiber (can reduce TMAO production ~60%)

Cruciferous vegetables & sprouts

Resveratrol, garlic, berberine

B vitamins, probiotics, vitamin D

Translation: protein wasn’t the issue.

IGF-1 supports:

connective tissue

heart tissue

brain health

The fear came from animal studies suggesting lower IGF-1 may relate to longevity—without explaining that centenarians typically have normal IGF-1 but reduced sensitivity to it.

Key facts that got lost:

Resistance training raises IGF-1

Adequate protein supports IGF-1

Fasting naturally lowers IGF-1

Translation: IGF-1 isn’t something to eliminate. It’s something to cycle and balance.

mTOR is the pathway required for:

muscle protein synthesis

repair and recovery

Protein (especially leucine) and resistance training help activate it.

Yes—chronically elevated mTOR without balance can be problematic.

Your natural counterbalance is AMPK, activated by:

exercise

fasting

glycogen depletion

You’re meant to move between these pathways.

Translation: mTOR isn’t the enemy. Misuse is.

A small amount of real science was:

oversimplified

taken out of context

weaponized with fear

And in many cases, the loudest voices had financial incentives tied to plant-based products.

Protein was never the problem.

The real issues were always the unsexy ones:

ultra-processed food

lack of fiber

inactivity

metabolic imbalance

If this episode made you think “Oh… that explains a lot”, Muscle Month is where I teach this properly—with structure, timing, and application.

You’ll learn how to:

eat enough protein without fear

trigger muscle-building pathways correctly

stay lean while building strength

stop trying harder and start getting results

👉 Join here: musclemonth.com (or joannelee.com)

It won’t be back for a long time