How Much Protein Do We Really Need
For A Healthy Diet?
How much protein you need, and what are
the best forms,
can and do cause heated debates. I have received some
emails from those concerned whether they were getting
enough protein on the plan. If you follow the basics
and eat a big raw salad before your lunch and dinner
like I suggest, you will see from the info below that
you are in fact getting plenty of good protein as well
as an abundance of living enzymes that support every
function of the body.
Whether you choose to eat animal products or not, that
is your choice. But how much protein do you really need?
And are animal products the only way to get the protein
that is so vital to our health?
Do you need to eat meat for breakfast lunch and dinner
or
include some at every meal like the high protein diets
suggest?
Many say meat is the way to go because it was man's
first
food. Well, I guess it will depend on which book you are
reading
to find out about the history of man.
Finding out how much protein you need will also depend
on who you are listening to at the moment and their
thoughts
on the consumption of animal products. Eating meat and
eating
as much as you want is really the "in" thing right now.
But I need
you to know that I get emails all the time from people
who say
the high protein diet worked for them in the past, but
for some
reason, it stopped working and they can no longer lose
weight
following it. It is partly to do with all the muscle
meats
suppressing thyroid function which will slow or cease
weight loss.
According to Dr. M. Ted Morter, Jr., of Your
Health--Your
Choice, 'the problem with protein is excess'. "Following
the
premise, if a little protein is good, a lot is better
can
lead you down the garden path to disease."
Dr. Morter suggests keeping your daily animal protein
intake under 47 grams per day (that is less than 2
ounces!)
and keep protein pig-outs limited to rare special
occasions.
He believes that you can maintain glowing health on a
daily protein intake of the amount that is in two eggs.
You would be surprised to know that you probably eat
more
protein than you think.
Protein is found in many foods besides animal products.
For example, one slice of cheese pizza has 6 grams of
protein and 1 cup of potatoes has 7 grams of protein,
yet most people wouldn't even think they were getting
protein at all from potatoes.
In keeping with Dr. Morter's suggestion of 47 grams of
protein a day, he also says to make sure and include
protein
from foods other than animal products. He states, "Even
without meat,
a variety of typical American foods will give you at
least enough protein."
No authorities completely agree on how much protein we
actually need. Here are more suggestions on protein
amounts from various organizations:
1. Reports from the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition
estimate that we need 2 1/2 percent of our daily
calories
from protein.
2. The World Health Organization sets protein
requirements
at 4 1/2 percent of caloric intake per day for both men
and women.
3. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy
of Sciences gives a range of 4 1/2 to 6 percent as the
range for the needs of protein for 98 percent of the US
population.
4. The National Research Council cites a figure of 8
percent
of our daily calories needing to be coming from protein.
Beef cattle, deer, elk, bison, etc., all animals with
ample
and massive muscle, don't have any problem gaining their
protein (and calcium) from plants. Granted, they have a
different digestion process than we do, but Living Well
does
not promote the consumption of grass or grazing on it
all day.
People that eat a diet high in raw leafy green
vegetables, a wide
assortment of all other kinds of vegetables, beans,
seeds, and
whole grains, will not be lacking in protein.
I have always gone by feel when it comes to eating
animal
protein myself. Some days I just feel I need a few eggs
so I
eat them. Going by "feel" when deciding to include small
amounts
of cheese, meat, eggs, etc. is fine to do.
Listen to your body. When you do think of eating animal
products it will be healthier to eat them sparingly.
Consider this. The most we ever grow is from when we are
born to age six months. During that time we double our
birth weight.
You would think that a little person who is doubling in
size
would need more protein than anyone. But breast milk,
the perfect
food for the baby with just the right amount of protein,
carbohydrates, fats, and enzymes is only about 5-8
percent protein
(the number varies depending on the source). So a child
that
has maximum protein needs gets enough when less than
10 percent of his daily caloric intake is protein.
The importance of protein cannot be denied as we need it
to
stay alive, to build tissue and more, but know protein
is
available to you from many living foods as well as
animal
products.
Nature does provide, so if you have decided to switch to
an eating plan that reduces animal products, know that
you
can get a good amount of protein from plants too. It is
important that you combine these plant foods in such a
way
to maximize protein.
Protein is important. Without sufficient protein, your
metabolic rate becomes extremely low. You are shooting
for
quality in protein though, not quantity. You don't need
to
bombard your body with excessive amounts of animal
protein to lose weight.
You can definitely get protein from animal sources, but
eating
animal products in moderation will encourage good
health,
keep from clogging your body and help you to feel light
and
energetic. And hypothyroids, remember that muscle meats
actually suppress thyroid function, so go easy on that
kind
of protein. Choose other sources suited for your
condition.
Here are protein percentages in some
plant foods:
spinach--49% protein
broccoli--45% protein
lettuce--34% protein
cauliflower--40% protein
kale--45% protein
zucchini--28% protein
cabbage--22% protein
Chinese cabbage--34%
Mung beansprouts--43%
bamboo shoots--39% protein
wheat germ--31% protein
strawberries, oranges, cherries, apricots, watermelon,
and grapes--8% protein
lemons--16% protein
honeydew melon--10%
navy beans--26% protein
mushrooms--38% protein
pumpkin seeds--21% protein
soybean sprouts--54% protein
oats--15% protein
brown rice--8% protein
whole wheat--17% protein
walnuts--13% protein
pecans--5% protein
filberts--8% protein
potatoes--I don't have the exact percentage but the
amount of protein in potatoes is similar to the
amount in cow's milk
Source: Nutritive Value of American Foods in Common
Units, USDA Handbook No. 456
From the list above you can see how eating a big salad
full of different kinds of vegetables can provide the
body with protein. And you can also see from that list
that grains and nuts have less protein than greens. Many
vegetarians who are overweight and protein deficient
get that way because they eat mostly processed grains
very little protein rich vegetables. Someone eating
vegetarian or vegan must eat more vegetables than grains
and nuts to get a good amount of protein into their
body.
As far as plants go, sprouts will be highest in protein
and
since they contain all eight essential amino acids, they
are
a complete protein.
Speaking of sprouts, you need to be including them in
your Living Well plan. Not only are they high in
protein,
but they are packed full of vitamins, minerals and
enzymes.
If you grow your own, they will be organic. Any of the
sprouts
you buy in the store are sprayed. It is a law that they
have
to be sprayed with some sort of chemical because of the
problem with e-coli and sprouts a while back. I heard
this info from my local grocer.
There is a place with a goldmine of information (cheap
$9.95),
for homemade do-it-yourself sprouters and readymade
sprouters (that beat the commercial units), resources
for bulk organic grains, etc. Check out the following
link for more info:
http://www.eatsprouts.com/order.html.
Note: This is the place to get the best
build-it-yourself
sprouter info, but I do not agree with all the
philosophies
on this site. It is a lot of Ann Wigmore info.
Sprouts are very economical too (once you get the
sprouter paid for). So if your budget is limited and you
can't afford a lot of organic produce, sprouts are your
answer to greater health, healing and a useable source
of complete protein for the body.
I want to point out that my intent with this article is
not
to promote vegetarianism, or make you feel like you
should
not be eating animal products. Hey, I eat animal
products
myself. But you need to know you don't have to eat
massive
amounts of protein to lose weight, maintain tissue,
metabolism, etc.
You do need protein and animal protein is fine to eat,
but as with anything, moderation is key and it should
never be the bulk of your meal. The rainbow on your
plate should always dominate.
This article was written by Victoria
Creator of the Living Well Plan
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