Protein in dietary balance
How much protein you need may vary, depending on what else you're eating. Raw foods and juicing includes enzymes that balance blood sugar in ways a processed diet won't.
The really interesting thing about dietary protein, as far as I’m concerned, is how the standard varies with who you ask. Most general food guidelines recommend that 10-15% of our diet come from protein. This number can vary depending on your body’s individual metabolism and your daily activity, and holistic practitioners tend to recommend more rather than less protein. Bodybuilders and athletes have been known to eat about 35% protein to support the growth of lean muscle mass - yet many nutritionists claim that this is not necessary and that, like the Atkins diet, athletes who consume this much excessive protein are putting their heart and kidneys at risk.
I have type A blood - the blood type that is typically considered the least protein-dependant and most condusive to being vegetarian. However, I tend to feel tired, dizzy, or get a stomach ache if I haven’t had enough of a complete protein at a meal - particularly if there are a lot of starches, sweets (even healthy ones) or other carbohydrate foods involved.
When I focus my diet on raw fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, my need for protein to balance the blood sugar high of the carbs decreases - thanks primarily, I think, to the high count of enzymes in the raw produce. I notice a particular difference when I'm juicing (green vegetables, lemons, and whatever else I have on hand) first thing in the morning, as I have been lately. Despite the high sugar content of most raw fruits and veggies, the sugars don’t hit my system the way processed carbs do, and I feel less need for protein when I’m eating a more raw diet.
How much protein you need may vary, depending on what else you're eating. Raw foods and juicing includes enzymes that balance blood sugar in ways a processed diet won't.
The really interesting thing about dietary protein, as far as I’m concerned, is how the standard varies with who you ask. Most general food guidelines recommend that 10-15% of our diet come from protein. This number can vary depending on your body’s individual metabolism and your daily activity, and holistic practitioners tend to recommend more rather than less protein. Bodybuilders and athletes have been known to eat about 35% protein to support the growth of lean muscle mass - yet many nutritionists claim that this is not necessary and that, like the Atkins diet, athletes who consume this much excessive protein are putting their heart and kidneys at risk.
I have type A blood - the blood type that is typically considered the least protein-dependant and most condusive to being vegetarian. However, I tend to feel tired, dizzy, or get a stomach ache if I haven’t had enough of a complete protein at a meal - particularly if there are a lot of starches, sweets (even healthy ones) or other carbohydrate foods involved.
When I focus my diet on raw fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, my need for protein to balance the blood sugar high of the carbs decreases - thanks primarily, I think, to the high count of enzymes in the raw produce. I notice a particular difference when I'm juicing (green vegetables, lemons, and whatever else I have on hand) first thing in the morning, as I have been lately. Despite the high sugar content of most raw fruits and veggies, the sugars don’t hit my system the way processed carbs do, and I feel less need for protein when I’m eating a more raw diet.
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