Protein Does Not Equal Meat.

Most Americans are Obsessed with Protein.

Protein is a nutrient.  It is needed for growth, tissue repair, immune function, preserving lean muscle mass, hormone production and energy when carbohydrates are not available.  Protein is not Meat, it is a nutrient.

Myth:  Protein builds muscles.  Only exercise builds muscles, protein helps repair the damage and provides the nutrition, but does not build the muscle.

Extra protein beyond the daily requirement will not make extra muscle or grow hair faster or protect against diseases. Protein beyond what is needed is either broken down and used for energy, or it is turned into fat and stored in fat cells.

Say that Again!

What happens to all that extra Protein we consume?

It is stored as Fat.

How much Protein should we eat?

Depending on how active we are, age, and  gender, we should eat a diet of approximately 10%-30% of our daily food intake as protein.  For an average woman that is around 46 grams per day.  For a man it is 56 grams per day.  Pregnant women, children, and athletes have a higher requirement.

The average American eats 100-120 grams of protein a day, largely from an animal source.  This animal source will also include a higher level of saturated fat which puts an undue stress on the kidneys. 

Other health conditions that may result from an overabundance of protein include excessive calcium leaching from the bones and causing osteoporosis, acid reflux, obesity, plaque build-up in the arteries, high blood pressure, pain from arthritis, high cholesterol, bad breath from sulfur-containing amino acids, and increased risk of heart disease and cancer, especially colon cancer.

An interesting fact is that the World Health Organization says we require 4.5% to 5% of our daily diet in protein.  That is exactly what human breast milk contains.

Where did we get the Idea that we need to eat large amounts of Protein?

The campaigns by the meat and dairy producing companies have saturated the market and media with  hype such as: "Where's the beef?" and "Milk does a body good".  Protein is a product that has political power and makes big money.  We have been sold the idea, that we need more protein from animal sources, and we need more protein to build strong bones and build muscles. 

The word "Protein" carries a lot of power.  Consumers will buy products that have labels and advertising touting they contain lots of protein to build muscle.  Have you ever seen  a plant product with that kind of power?

We can obtain all the protein we need from plant based sources.  We have not been educated with the facts about protein.  We equate protein with animal. 

Sample of Protein Content from Vegetables

Spinach: 49% protein
Broccoli: 33%
Cauliflower: 26%
Romaine lettuce: 36% (what, I thought lettuce was worthless)

Corn: 11%
Kale: 22%
Cucumber: 24%
Potato: 11%
Carrot: 10%
Cantaloupe: 9%
Grapefruit: 8%
Berries: 7%
Tomato: 16%
Almonds: 13%
Pumpkin seeds: 17%
Brown Rice: 8%
Oats: 15%
Kidney beans: 26%

Why should we eat more Carbohydrates?  

According to the USDA, we should also be consuming 45%-65% of our Diet as Complex Carbohydrate.

WHY?

Because:

• Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel.
• Carbohydrates are easily used by the body for energy.
• All of the tissues and cells in our body can use glucose for energy.
• Carbohydrates are needed for the central nervous system, the kidneys, the brain, the muscles (including the heart) to function properly.
• Carbohydrates can be stored in the muscles and liver and later used for energy.
• Carbohydrates are important in intestinal health and waste elimination.
• Carbohydrates are mainly found in starchy foods (like grain and potatoes), fruits, milk, and yogurt. Other foods like vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and cottage cheese contain carbohydrates, but in lesser amounts.

The Moral to this story:

Eat meat sparingly.

 

Cryyyyinnnng Over You

I am still in full swing preserving my garden.  Today, I chopped up all the onions from my garden and put them in the dehydrator.  Then I promptly put the dehydrator in the garage.  Our cars will smell like onions by morning.  (big snicker on my face).

While I peeled and chopped the onions, I couldn't get the song from Roy Orbison out of my head.  I kept singing  " I've been Cryyyyinnnnng over you."    Again, and again and again I sang that line with tears running down my cheeks.   It's a good thing I only do this once a year.

I won't bore you with all the details, but it has been quite a busy month.  I finished drying my peppers and tomatoes.  Picked and dried all the collards, kale and chard then blended them into a green powder.  I will add this to my smoothies this winter.  Froze green beans, and summer squash.  Picked the Bartlet pears and prepared and froze them.  I also froze my cantaloupe and honeydew.  Did I mention I have a very big garden?

The corn was worthless.  This is the last year I try to get corn.  It just doesn't like me, at least I will have some decent corn stalks for decoration.  My daughter and I picked lots of cucumbers and made dill relish.  We made two different recipes. 

I picked my dry beans and shelled them.  It is so fun to grow dry beans.  I chose 4 varieties this year. 

I have tomatillos waiting for me in the fridge and two large bags of Anjou pears ripening on the table.  I still have carrots, turnips, rutabagas, potatoes and winter squash in the garden.

OK, I said I wasn't going to bore you with all the details, so I will stop now.

Before I leave, I have to share a fun recipe I tried.  Homemade Potato chips made in the microwave.  It was great fun.

Homemade Microwave Potato Chips
Slice a potato into thin slices on a mandolin.  Spray your turntable with Pam and place the potatoes around on the tray.  Lightly spray the top and sprinkle with salt and any seasoning you like.  Then cook for approximately 5 minutes.  This will depend on how thick you sliced your potato.  Don't let them burn, but they can get a touch golden if you like.  We had a great time making and eating homemade chips.