Getting Enough Protein When Reducing Your Meat Intake

What is that “Something’s Missing” Feeling Really Telling You?

The subject of “getting enough protein” is probably the most over-rated piece of misinformation put out by the American Medical Association and the FDA.

Many health foodists, especially vegetarians, have mistakenly attributed that “low energy feeling” to a low protein sign.

The typical response is to reach for nuts, soy products, protein shakes, meat, cheese, and the like. The subsequent digestive disturbances, fuzzy brain and even lower energy the next 1-3 days (signs of excessive protein or a food combining compromise) is not always associated to yesterday’s “high protein” intake.

If low protein is not the real cause of low energy, then what is it really telling us, and how do we regain our energy in ways that do not compromise our health?

Such is the subject of the following article with a few surprising nutrition facts from extensive health studies.

How Much Protein Do We Really Need?

An excellent article by RawFoodExplained.com provides the history of how AMA protein requirements were first determined (by observing dogs), then compares that excessively high estimate to cultures that live healthily on very little protein.

Here is the conclusion of their analysis:

“Although Natural Hygiene and Life Science do not endorse gram-counting, calorie-counting or a preoccupation with minimal daily requirements, it seems that a reasonable estimate of the protein needs of an adult is probably in the 25 to 30 grams daily range — or about 1 gram per five pounds of body weight. If a person eats a varied diet of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouts, he is assured that he will meet this protein requirement, along with all the other nutrient needs.”

Consuming more protein than this small amount can lead to excess protein related health problems which may include:

1. Excessive nitrogen buildup in the muscles resulting in chronic fatigue
2. Protein poisoning resulting in headaches, general achiness, and allergy-type symptoms
3. A disturbance of the natural balance of the hormonal system of the body due to the abnormal amounts of hormones (for the human) existing in the animal parts eaten
4. Additional strain on the liver, kidneys and adrenals to eliminate the toxins created by the excessive protein & hormones
5. Excessive acidity resulting in joint pains, bone deterioration and arthritic symptoms
6. Autoimmune conditions due to the inefficient digestion of proteins (particularly meat proteins fed GMO grains)
7. Fuzzy brain, and in cases of extreme protein toxicity from liver failure, delirium
8. Parasites (which feed off of undigested, putrefying meat in the gut)
9. Leaky-gut (where undigested proteins enter into the bloodstream due to an inflamed or weakened bowel lining)
10. Cooked meat proteins are hard for the digestive tract to break down and cannot be recycled as a protein. Vegetable proteins are readily recyclable in the body
11. Slow bowel activity due to the constipating nature of meat, nuts, eggs and cheese, common protein sources
12. Candida overgrowth (yeast or fungus is used by nature to break down hard to digest matter. Being fed by the excess proteins, and sugars or starches commonly consumed with proteins, candida grows to excess)
13. Lower energy overall due to the congestion caused by excessive proteins in the diet

The China Study

The China Study (an extremely thorough 20 year study comparing diets in several provinces of China and its effect on promoting diseases/good health in the Chinese population) revealed that individuals that consumed the highest amounts of meat and dairy in their diet had the greatest number of diseases (coronary heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, high cholesterol, arthritis, etc), whereas those that ate no animal meat or dairy products, relying strictly on a whole vegetable, fruit and grain diet had almost none of these same diseases.

To understand the origin and basis of the China Study and clinical trials performed here in the US along the same lines, watch the DVD: Forks Over Knives.

The Quality of the Animal Protein

Many other symptoms of excessive protein in the diet are also possible based on the origin of the protein, how the animals were cared for (antibiotics, hormones, etc. vs. clays and natural remedies), what they were fed (genetically modified grains or grass fed), the quality of their life (grass fed, free range, or constrained to a small area) and the conditions surrounding of their death prior to slaughter.

Consciousness of the animal can also be transferred to the consumer, much like the consciousness, habits and food preferences of an organ donor can be transferred to the recipient.

Are Protein Supplements Any Better?

Protein supplements are made from fragmented foods such as soy powder, dried egg whites, powdered milk, etc. When foods are eaten in a processed and fragmented state, they tend to oversupply the body with some nutrients while creating a deficiency of other nutrients.

Consequently, protein supplements, besides supplying an excessive and harmful amount of protein, also disrupt the body’s nutritional balance.

Clearly, sufficient proteins can be obtained from a plant-based diet resulting in far greater health (as the China Study proved) than that provided by an animal-based diet.

So what is the real reason we might experience that low energy feeling that we interpret to mean we need protein?

The truth is, it is not protein we are craving (even if some nuts or meat temporarily satisfy the craving). Low energy or spaciness is a sign of adrenal burnout and spleen weaknesses (often caused by consuming sweets and stimulants).

There are a few other causes as well. Here is a summary:

What is the “something’s missing” feeling really telling you?

1. Dehydration (before consuming protein, try a glass of water).
2. Mineral deficiency (resulting in hormone deficiency).
3. Low blood sugar (adrenal exhaustion from sugars, alcohol, stimulants, toxins, candida overgrowth, etc.).
4. Excessive sulfur intake (brassica-mustard family plants) coupled with insufficient iron intake (best derived from earthen foods like Gaia’s Cleansing Clay) resulting in low thyroid and anemia.
5. Spleen weakness from the consumption of sweets, stimulants and congesting foods (like dairy).

OK, so what are some good sources of protein?

To begin with, most plant-based foods are high in amino acids, minerals, and phytonutrients. These are the ultimate building blocks of protein required by your body. The body is capable of manufacturing its protein needs when provided with a sufficient amount of the raw materials. Some of the best raw materials for protein are:

1. Bee pollen (a near total nutrition source)
2. Avocado and other foods rich in amino acids (which form proteins)
3. Seaweeds (good source of proteins, minerals and amino acids),
4. Algae (good source of proteins, minerals and amino acids),
5. Clay and non-clay mineral sources (minerals are the building blocks of amino acids which form proteins)
6. Mushrooms (dried or cooked, but not fresh raw)
7. Sunlight
8. Common fruits and vegetables
9. Mineral dense herbs (nettle, alfalfa, etc.)