Makeripples

Protein...How much is enough?
As you research this question you will certainly find many different opinions.

Protein Power by Michael & Mary Eades suggests that an adult needs 80 to 100 grams daily. Smokey Santillo in Intuitive Eating suggests a much lower amount, 25 to 35 grams per day. Prescription for Nutritional Healing by James Balch suggests that 50 grams is adequate for the average adult. So who do you believe?

I respectively submit that the protein needs vary according to your ability to digest and utilize it. However, my experience suggests that women need 35 to 45 grams daily and men need 45 to 55 grams daily. If properly digested, these amounts are adequate.

Remember this !!! Just because you eat the correct amount of protein does not mean that you are digesting and utilizing it.  Now, lets look at some of the things that protein is responsible for in the body.

Protein is crucial in the balancing of hormones. So, if you are having problems with hormones in any way it is probably due to an incorrect level of protein in your body.

Protein is responsible for antibody production in the immune system. So if you catch every nasty bug that goes around you may be lacking protein.

Do you take weeks to heal from a small wound and do you scar from every small scratch? Skin health and wound healing is heavily reliant on protein to do it's job.

Protein is a yang food so it is warming to the body. It may be the perfect food for the chronically cold person.

Protein is broken down through digestion into amino acids. Some of these protein building blocks are considered mood enhancers and control depression and anxiety.  Heard of Tryptophan? It is the amino acid used for seasonal depression.

Protein is also responsible for building and repairing muscle. Are those arms a bit softer than they used to be in your younger years? It becomes more important as we age to absorb all the protein we consume.

Ok. Now that we know how important protein is and what can happen if you don't get enough, let's take a look at what too much or undigested protein does to your body.  We all know that protein causes an acid condition in the body, but do you know how it happens?

If you eat more protein than your body can use, especially animal protein, you place your body into a state of catabolism. Catabolism is the process of the rapid burning of excess protein which gives you the sense of false strength. The uric acid produced by this process is an irritant to your body, especially the nervous system.

In an effort to protect itself from this irritant the body "steals" calcium and other alkalizing minerals such as magnesium, sodium, and potassium from storage areas like the bones and teeth in an effort to buffer the uric acid. So now your body is not only overstimulated but also calcium depleted. This combination can cause premature aging. It will also cause stress on the kidneys as they work to strip the nitrogen from the excess protein in the blood stream. This may lead to problems like weak kidneys, kidney stones, or gout.

Over acidity in your body sets up the ideal conditions for "dis-ease" to strive. Certainly, the chances of conditions such as cancer, candida, and any autoimmune disorders are significantly increased as the acidity in the body increases.

So...Now what? Which foods provide us with the best source of protein?

Complete protein sources
We need to find protein sources that contain all 8 essential amino acids.  Essential, by definition in nutrition, means that it must come from your diet. It is essential that you eat it because you body cannot produce it. Some foods like meat, fish, poultry, and eggs naturally contain the 8 essential amino acids. Although these foods are common they may not be the best choice due to the increased use of antibiotics and hormones to make the animals grow faster. If you are looking at these foods as your primary protein source I recommend you buy only certified organic or free range products.

Non-meat complete sources include soy products, yogurt, and L-Lysine fortified corn meal. I do caution people about excessive use of soybeans as they are frequently genetically modified and arehigh in estrogen. This estrogen is an easy one to eliminate from the body it is an estrogen none the less.

Protein sources that need help
Some other foods are high in protein but are missing one or more of the essential amino acids. For instance brown rice, corn, nuts, seeds, and wheat are complete when we combine any of them with beans in the diet. Brown rice for example needs to be eaten with beans, nuts, seeds, or wheat to be considered complete. Realize that combining wheat bread with nut butter, serving nuts, seeds, or legumes in salads will also provide a more complete protein source.

Follow the following link to a document on our website that lists the protein values of many common foods. Protein values of common foods.

Protein digestion
In order to digest protein properly it is essential to have the enzyme protease. It is also essential to have the proper pH in the gut as well as the correct concentration of stomach juices to break it down. Therefore drinking fluids with meals (especially cold drinks) will be detrimental to the breaking down of proteins. Stress interferes with the production of hydrochloric acid, which is needed to create the proper pH in the stomach for pepsin to break down the protein into amino acids.

Signs that you are not absorbing the protein you eat may include:

• Any menstrual cycle problems. This may include infertility, painful or skipped cycles.
• Problems with TMJ, that's the clicking sound or pain in the joint of the mouth.
• Scattered thoughts or the inability to shut off your brain.
• Feeling "wired" all the time, even when not drinking coffee.
• Bleeding gums, Cold hands and feet
• Depression
• The real tip off is that you have excess saliva, watery eyes or general "too wet" conditions.