No this is not someone trying to preach veganism on you and defend themselves about where they get their protein from, I simply want to address the misconception of the ‘protein craze’ and ‘high protein diets’ they we as a society are faced with and many are influenced by.
By no means at all am I saying to stop eating any
plant-based foods and that you can’t be healthy if you do consume them, I am
purely trying to provide you with information to try and make healthier changes
to your like style that are going to be sustainable and work for you and
benefit you. All I’m really recommending is to eat more fruit and vegetables,
that’s all I really want anyone to try and do, because they truly are healing!
Now, Protein:
Research suggests that consuming over 30% of your
daily caloric intake from protein can place added stress on internal organs
such as the kidneys, liver, and heart. One of the biggest misconceptions is
that more protein is needed for muscle growth while weight training. The only criterion
for building strong muscles is proper and consistent training, as well as
meeting the caloric needs for your body and activity level.
Protein deficiencies only exist in the presence of
total caloric insufficiency, meaning that in order to meet our basic protein requirements;
we have to eat enough of the right food.
The diet and nutrition industry pushes protein as
the most important component of the human diet, but nitrogen only makes up 3%
of our total body mass (compared to oxygen which makes up 65%, and carbon at
18.5%). The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein according to US
government standards is 46 grams for women and 56 grams for men; these figures
account for roughly 7% of the total daily caloric intake (based on a 2500
calorie diet for women, and 3000 calorie diet for men). The World Health
Organization suggests a protein intake of 2.5-10% of total calories. The goal
is to consume no less than 50-75% of the protein requirements for your body.
General recommendation is to get 20% or less
Ironically, the majority of our protein needs are
met by internal protein sources. The human body actually recycles and reuses a
considerable amount of protein (70-100 grams) per day in the form of endogenous
protein (internal protein)
Exogenous, external protein sources, are
concentrated in the foods that we consume on a daily basis. External protein sources can be separated into two categories: animal
based sources and plant based sources.
Animal based sources: Meat,
Poultry, Fish, Eggs, Dairy
The main issue with consuming animal-based protein sources is that they
are high in protein AND fat, as well as saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, heterocyclic
amines, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (linked to cancer
formation).
Example: The average 8 oz. New York strip steak contains a whopping
65 grams of protein, 450 calories, 11 grams of saturated fat, 150 mg of
cholesterol, and 0 grams of fibre.
Firstly, the protein content is over the daily recommendation, the
saturated fat and cholesterol levels are above 50% of the recommendation for
any individual consuming daily 2500 calories but also the lack of fibre is
going to make it hard to digest the steak and remove it from the body,
increasing the risk of colon cancer and other gastrointestinal disease and not
only that but your body is going to use up a great deal of energy trying to
digest that steak that it could be using to provide you with greater energy in
your everyday life.
Also, please understand that animal based proteins
are actually secondary sources of protein. Animals are required to consume
their protein from plant-based sources (eg: cow eating grass).
I felt so silly when I first heard that.. it makes so much sense but we are bought up just knowing that animals contain protein but I guess we don't think about where they get theirs from!
I felt so silly when I first heard that.. it makes so much sense but we are bought up just knowing that animals contain protein but I guess we don't think about where they get theirs from!
Plant based sources:
Legumes/Beans, Grains, Nuts, Seeds, Starchy Vegetables, Green Leafy
Vegetables, and Fruit
One of the major differences between plant based
protein and animal based protein is fibre. Fibber is a dietary component that
is responsible for the movement of food through the digestive tract as well as
the removal of undigested food (including protein and fat). Without
sufficient fibre intake, the foods that we consume can remain trapped in the digestive
tract for days, weeks, months, and even years. This can increase our risk of
colon cancer and other gastrointestinal diseases. It is always recommended to
have a side of salad or vegetables with your meal, whether it be oatmeal, stir-fry,
curry, soup, fish and chips, pizza etc.
Plant- based foods are easier for the body to absorb as
they require less energy to digest, therefore resulting in a greater absorbing
of nutrients while at the same time a greater amount of energy.
Fruit contains the most bio-available
amino acids because fruits are the easiest and quickest foods to digest (as
long as the fruit is ripe). So even if you only consumed fruits and vegetables,
you would still meet your protein requirements as long as you consume enough
calories from the foods.
Exceeding protein requirements generally means that
there will be a lack of carbohydrates coming in to the diet, which can
interfere with how the metabolism functions. If protein and fat intake
exceeds carbohydrate intake, or if carbohydrate intake is not enough to support
energy demands; the body will revert to burning protein/fat for fuel
(gluconeogenesis). Since any excess protein/fat are immediately stored
for later use, this fat burning concept sounds great to many but the actual
process of converting protein/fat into glucose is a very energy demanding and
inefficient process.
Now for the serious gross stuff..Ketosis is the toxic condition that results from the burning of protein/fat for fuel. Ketone bodies are the by-products of this reaction, and due to their high level of toxicity, must be removed immediately. Typically if a person is following a high protein/fat diet
(Atkins, South beach. Paleo, Ketogenic) the kidneys filter out the ketones along with internal water stores (to dilute the toxins), which results in dehydration and (water) weight loss on the scales.
This metabolic situation mimics
starvation, and the metabolism lowers in an effort to conserve fuel.
Weight gain typically follows a ketogenic diet, as the body stores both
water and food until the metabolism recovers back to normal. In the long
term, a ketogenic diet can cause blood sugar imbalances, nutrient imbalances,
hypothyroidism, blood pressure, imbalance, metabolic damage,
depression/anxiety, kidney/liver disease, disorders related to chronic
dehydration, heart disease, cancer, gastrointestinal disorders (IBS,
constipation, diverticulitis), inflammatory diseases, and premature aging.
I’m sorry if I’ve offended anyone or come across as a
preacher, these are not my intentions
Lil x
No comments:
Post a Comment