When I started my raw food journey in 2005, one of the most frequently asked questions from family and friends was “where do you get your protein?” Now I hardly ever get this question; however, recently my sister expressed that she is still concerned about my protein needs. It was then that I realized how important this question really is, and as a health advocate, it is my responsibility to fully explain this topic to those who are interested or concerned. Here’s my report …

First, let’s talk about what protein is …

Our body is mainly made up of water. The second most abundant building block in our bodies is protein. Our hair, skin, nails, organs, muscles, bones, and every cell is made up of protein molecules. All protein molecules consist of a chain of amino acids. You may have heard the term “essential amino acids” – these are amino acids that our human body cannot synthesize. To date, we know of 9 essential amino acids that humans must include in their diet to receive their full protein requirement. When analyzed, all plants have at least some protein because all plants have at least one or more amino acids, the building blocks of protein.

Victoria Boutenko explains very well the difference between the complex proteins found in meat, dairy and fish and the individual amino acids found in plant foods in her book “Green for Life:”

“It is clear that the body has to work much less when it creates proteins from the variety of individual amino acids in vegetables, rather than the long protein molecules already combined, assembled according to the strange patterns of a totally different creature, like a cow or a chicken …

“Imagine you have to make a wedding dress for your daughter. Consuming the complex proteins that we get from cows or other creatures is like going to the thrift store and buying used dresses from many other people, coming home and spending several hours ripping apart the pieces of the dresses that you like best and combine them into a new dress for your daughter. This alternative will take a lot of time and energy and will leave a lot of waste. You could never make a perfect dress this way.

“Consuming individual amino acids is like taking your daughter to a fabric store to buy beautiful new fabrics, lace, buttons, ribbons, threads, and pearls. With these essentials you can make a beautiful dress that perfectly fits her unique body.

“Similarly, when you eat vegetables, you ‘buy’ new amino acids, fresh from sunlight and chlorophyll, which the body will use to rebuild its parts according to your own unique DNA.

“Contrary to this, your body would have a difficult time trying to make a perfect protein molecule from someone else’s molecules, which consist of totally different combinations of amino acids. Also, your body would probably get a lot of unnecessary parts that they are difficult to digest. These pieces would be floating in your blood like garbage for a long time, causing allergies and other health problems. “

Here is an interesting table found in his book, which compares the essential amino acid content in kale and lamb quarters (a wild green) compared to the FDA recommendations:

 

AMINO ACIDS		  RDA FOR AVERAGE       CONTENT (MG) IN LAMBSQUARTERS

                           ADULT(MG/DAY)               ONE POUND RAW

Histidine                       560                         527 

Isoleucine                      700                        1149 

Leucine                         980                        1589

Lysine                          840                        1607

Methionine + Cysteine           910             222 + 404 = 626

Phenylalanine + Tyrosine        980             754 +795 = 1549

Threonine                       490                         740

Tryptophan                      245                         173

Valine                          700                        1026               

AMINO ACIDS               RDA FOR AVERAGE           CONTENT (MG) IN KALE 

                           ADULT(MG/DAY)              ONE POUND RAW

Histidine                       560                         313

Isoleucine                      700                         895

Leucine                         980                        1051

Lysine                          840                         895

Methionine + Cysteine           910             145 + 200 = 345

Phenylalanine + Tyrosine        980             766 +532 = 1298

Threonine                       490                         668

Tryptophan                      245                         182

Valine                          700                         820

And here is another interesting comparison:

       CHICKEN                ENDIVE 

     One Serving:            One Head:

   222 mg tyrosine        205 mg tyrosine

   261 mg phenylalanine   272 mg phenylalanine

So you may be wondering, “If I can get adequate sources of protein from plants, why do I crave meat?” David Wolfe, author of “Sunfood Diet Success System” states:

“When someone says, ‘I need protein,’ they often need and want fat. Most people and nutritionists cannot distinguish between the desire for fat and the desire for protein … Imagine a newborn human baby doubling your body weight over several months on a breast milk diet. Most breast milk has less than 2% protein and even the heaviest ‘final milk’ has only 10% protein. Breast milk itself is a food predominantly fat … The real strength and building material comes from green leafy vegetables, seeds and superfoods where amino acids are found. These are our true ‘protein foods’. They contain all the amino acids we need. We could look at the gorilla, zebra, giraffe, hippopotamus, rhinoceros or elephant and discover that they build their enormous muscles on the vegetation of green leaves and grass seeds exclusively “.

Additionally, the Max Planck Institute reports that half of the protein in food is destroyed by cooking. This means that the normal 25-30% protein that meat is reported to have is generally reduced to only about 13-15%.

Plant protein, in my opinion, is a higher, lighter vibe. It is also easier for our bodies to digest and absorb and that is why I choose to receive my protein this way. Here is a list of foods that I eat that are considered a “complete protein”, which means that they contain all the essential amino acids that our body needs. . .

COMPLETE PROTEIN SOURCES

* Most leafy greens

* Hemp seeds (36.6% protein, which makes them, by weight, the food with the highest protein content in the world, with the exception of algae. Furthermore, 65% of hemp protein is Edestin, considered by scientists as the type of protein)

* Flax seeds

* Chia seeds

* Goji berries

* Bee pollen (contains all the essential amino acids and some more, such as arginine, aspartic acid, glutamine, proline, glycine alanine, etc.)

* Royal jelly

* Blue-green algae (60% protein)

* Spirulina (65-71%)

* Marine phytoplankton (more than 60%)

And here are some more superfoods that contain high amounts of amino acids. . .

HIGH PROTEIN FOODS

* Mesquite powder (approximately 20% protein)

* Brazil nut and hemp protein powder (contains almost 50% protein)

* Inca berries (16% protein)

* Bruise

* Pumpkin seeds (about 24% protein and one of the best sources of tryptophan, which, by the way, is completely destroyed by heat)

In conclusion, as long as one is consuming vegetables, superfoods, seeds and a wide variety of plant foods, much more than adequate protein is supplied. If you are still concerned about whether or not you are getting enough protein, here are some symptoms of amino acid deficiency:

SYMPTOMS OF PROTEIN DEFICIENCY

* Lethargy or fatigue

* Lack of focus and concentration

* Depression

* ADD

* Cravings for certain foods such as caffeine, sweets, alcohol, starches, aspartame, marijuana, cocaine, and tobacco.

* Impaired wound healing (i.e. a cut or sore that just won’t heal)

* Edema (fluid buildup) in your hands and feet or abdomen

* Decrease in muscle mass