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"Protein is an important component of every cell in the body. Hair and nails are mostly made of protein. Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. You also use protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood." from the web
I love that my dad is exploring a more natural approach to food and wellness - whole grains, oats, seeds, fruits, natural remedies. I won't push anything on him, but maybe he'll eat less meat. Or local meat? He's buying his eggs locally - that's a start! I thought I'd drop some knowledge to inspire my meat-eating friends to seek out more plant-based protein. We need 8 essential acids from our food, but they need not all come from the same place or the same meal.
While I've heard and read many opinions that meat provides the best or most complete form of protein, it's just not true. From Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet:
Will I get enough protein without meat? Think of it this way: The average gorilla could lift up your whole family, and he doesn't eat meat (okay, a few bugs, but that's it!) Clearly he's getting enough protein.
(I like Silverstone's book because while she firmly supports a cruelty-free lifestyle, she offers her knowledge and advice with a certain honesty and support that can only come from someone who's worked through making the change herself.)
Meat-eaters, I'm sure you know that meat is bad for your heart, it contributes to cancer and osteoporosis, it's hard to digest and can exacerbate other health issues, it's full of antibiotics and horomones, and carries scary pathogens - to say the least. But really, we're just not built for meat consumption. Think of a cheetah - razor-sharp teeth, long claws, super speedy runner. With our teeth, fingernails, not to mention our speed, we can't compare ourselves to a true carnivore. We want to eat the same things but rely on technology to provide us with goods. Okay, so society has "evolved" to make this happen, but we haven't. Beyond the flat teeth and lack of claws, our insides can't handle the digestion:
A carnivore's intestines are only about 6 feet long, because meat isn't meant to hang out in the gut forever. Our intestines are 20 feet long; when we eat meant, it takes a full 72 hours to pass through us. That's 3 days, and your body, my friend, is 98.6 degrees inside! It's like having a steak sit out in the hot sun for 3 days straight. Eventually it will start to rot and putrefy. And that's what's happening inside of you. You may not feel that process now, but I challenge you to abstain from animal products for a month and then eat some meant. You will feel how heavy and dense it feels in your gut. - The Kind Diet
Protein Source: Meat versus Bean
Here's a list of just some of the good non-meat protein you can try:
Beans, Nuts, Seeds
1 cup pinto beans 12 grams
1 cup refried beans 15.5 grams
1 cup soybeans 28 grams
1 oz. cashews 4.4 grams
1 oz. peanuts 6.5 grams
1 oz. sesame seeds 6.5 grams
1 oz. pistachios 5.8 grams
1 cup tofu 22 grams
1 cup lentils 18 grams
Dairy
1 cup yogurt 13 grams
1 oz cheddar cheese 7.1 grams
1 egg 6 grams
1 cup cottage cheese 10 grams
Fruits and Vegetables
1 avocado 10 grams
1 cup broccoli 5 grams
1 cup spinach 5 grams
1 cup peas 9 grams
1 medium artichoke 4 grams
1 cup asparagus 5 grams
1 cup beet greens 3 grams
And here's how much you need according to the CDC:
| Recommended Dietary Allowance for Protein | |
|---|---|
| Grams of protein needed each day | |
| Children ages 1 – 3 | 13 |
| Children ages 4 – 8 | 19 |
| Children ages 9 – 13 | 34 |
| Girls ages 14 – 18 | 46 |
| Boys ages 14 – 18 | 52 |
| Women ages 19 – 70+ | 46 |
| Men ages 19 – 70+ | 56 |
awesome information! thanks for sharing! and go daddy!
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