Myths about Protein!

Having a diet high in protein is overrated. A lot of modern/fad diets (like Atkins) actually call for a much higher protein intake which is more than double the daily recommended value. According to the Physicians Committee for Modern Medicine, consuming so much protein (especially from meat), creates many health risks such as osteoporosis, kidney disease, some cancers, and stones in the urinary tract. This includes dairy because it is animal based. It is also a myth that athletes need way more protein than an average person when they really only need slightly more.

My husband, Matt, meets with a nutritionist regularly. She actually told him to cut back on his protein consumption to have better results in weight loss. And she was right. Once he cut back on protein, he was able to trim down. Matt is also an athlete who ran a half marathon and works out on a daily basis. (Twice a day most days.)

Meat is a great source of protein, but can also be a breeding ground for disease and other medical ailments. I am not here to convert people to become vegetarian or vegan, because I still have chicken and fish. But that's no reason not to have the information. There is danger of consuming too many animal based products. According to CBS news, people who eat more red meat and processed meat run a much higher risk of heart disease and cancer. These are issues running rampant in our American society. Even when researching healthy balanced diets, it is recommended to reduce meat consumption because our bodies do not have the ability to process the meat quickly enough and can even rot inside the intestines. This is how calcium deposits can build and eventually become urinary tract stones.

We've all heard how meats purchased from local grocery stores are hormone injected animals that are raised in small feedlots before being slaughtered. The hormones are used to create unnatural growth. This is what is being put in the average American's body. By doing this it reduces the cost of production, allowing meat to be more affordable to the consumer. This needs to be considered when purchasing other animal products, too, such as eggs, yogurt, and cheese...all dairy, really. I personally like Ted Nugent's philosophy when it comes to eating meat. He kills his own stock from the wild so it really is all "natural" and not processed from the store. If I lived in the woods and owned a gun, I would do the same, but I have to make due with what I have. Of course consumers can buy all natural, free range meat and eggs from butcher shops, health food shops, and farms, but expect to pay more. When we look back over the years, before food was processed, meat was way too expensive and only eaten on special occasions.

So how much protein should we have and where else can we get it? Livestrong.com recommends that we take .4% of our body weight and multiply that by our body weight. So someone that weighs 140lbs should only have 61.6g of protein a day. Plant-based foods are a wonderful source of protein such as veggies, legumes (beans, lentils, and peas), fruits, and nuts. You

read correctly...fruits and veggies have protein in them. Do not fret about the fat in nuts! The fat from nuts is actually healthy if eaten in moderation. There are good fats and bad fats. Nuts have the good fats that are necessary to cushion bones and insulate the body. The bad fats are any type of saturated fat (from animal products). There are many wonderful recipes that have beans and lentils. I love my lentil soup, if I say so myself and I will post my recipe in the near future. Beans are also more cost effective than meat. Eating a diet high in plant-based foods, rather than lots of meat is healthier and contains enough protein essential to our body.