The Truth About Protein!
Plant based, banishing ALL chronic illness symptoms, and feeling VIBRANT each and every day—
Sustained muscle mass, increased energy, improved performance all from a plant based way of living!
One gram per pound, animal protein or a shake at every meal, and protein first thing in the morning! Does this sound like you? That is not your fault! This is how we are taught to nourish our bodies! This way of eating is what I did for years thinking it was my body that was broken and not the countless diets I had put myself through. It took me 27 years of living to find what would heal my body and give me a body I love to live in, one that feels good and looks good. For real change to occur I had to abandon the protein trap that was misleading me for years and keeping me sick.
We have been misled by supplement companies and mainstream media about how much protein we actually need and alternative sources for protein. HEAR ME OUT: I am not against meat. I still do enjoy meat occasionally in my diet because I do believe it has benefits. I grew up farming, fishing and hunting eating our own source of meat. However, I do not believe our bodies are made to eat meat at every meal, every day. To properly digests meat our liver is required to excrete a tremendous amount of bile and our digestive system requires a ton of energy to move heavy, sticky proteins through. Ever heard of the "meat sweats"? That is your body literally going into shock after it registers the energy needed to digest the full slab of baby back ribs ingested. I am not criticizing you for doing this. I used to eat this way! I thought there is NO WAY spinach, seaweed and sprouts would supply me with enough of the amino acids necessary to maintain and build lean, gorgeous muscle. Here I am almost 18 months later consuming a plant based diet feeling just as strong for my body weight with a ton more energy and banished autoimmune disease symptoms. Large amounts of animal protein and protein supplements makes our blood thick, making it harder to eliminate pathogens and toxins. This can be extremely taxing on our liver and kidneys. We need these organs thriving in order to bring about detox and healing.
To be fair, our meat just is not what it used to be. It is not a natural, clean source any longer. We all know that animals produced in feeds lots provide meat filled with stress hormones, growth hormones, and antibiotics. Even our grass fed, our wilderness-hunted animals are not grazing on 100% pesticide free terrain. There is no perfectly clean source, it is just the world we live in. However, we have not been left here to fend for ourselves and suffer in illness. There are tools and healing modalities we can incorporate to drastically reduce toxin exposure and HEAL our bodies for good.
Individuals suffering from chronic illness and bodybuilders alike, we are all harming our vital organs by the quantity of protein we are shoveling in our mouths daily. Beyond essential amino acids needed to build muscle there are three main factors that are needed to give you that pump and build muscle:
1. GLUCOSE (isolated away from protein and fat in high amounts is best)- I will give the bodybuilders some credit here..they know what they're doing when they tell you to slam a dextrose only drink immediately post workout (that's the best time to take those flexin' selfies in the mirror right?! Our brains also need glucose to function, not the toxic fish oil the supplement companies are encouraging you to buy!
2. Mineral salts like chromium, copper, iodine, manganese and phosphorus are found in a wide variety of foods. These can be found in vegetables, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, squash, celery juice, etc. People were getting jacked way before protein shakes existed and they were not able to kill & eat game every single day. Think about it!
3. USE of that muscle! Plain and simple, place strain on the muscle and it will require itself to produce more fibers, build itself to be stronger and GROW. A personal trainer or crossfit coach is great resource to help you achieve the strong, healthy, and muscular body you desire. Different kinds of training will give you different functionality and appearance.
To sum it up, we do not need a gram of protein per pound or even half of that amount. I'M NOT KIDDING! What our bodies need is more glucose from natural sources that don’t bog our systems down with junk and require us to spend all our energy processing food rather than absorbing the amazing, vital nutrients we consumed through living foods. People most often say, "but I am shaky or feel famished without high amounts of protein at every meal!" The problem is not the protein. You are simply not consuming enough calories, so in order to compensate and provide energy to your body your adrenal glands kick out cortisol. Cortisol=adrenaline=that shaky feeling. If you are adapting from a high protein/fat lifestyle to plant based carbohydrate rich diet your body will go through an adjustment period. This is normal, especially as you reduce your inflammation and heal insulin resistance in your body.
Consider what you just read. Take small, practical steps that lead you towards nourishing you body and true healing. Ask questions- I am here to correspond with you! Listen to your body. Finally, ask yourself this, am I getting the results I want and feeling AMAZING each day? If the answer is no, then maybe it is time to make a change to feel incredibly energetic and VIBRANT every single day. It is possible, I am living proof!
Tangible tips:
What if instead of 1-3 protein supplements a day and high amounts of animal protein at each meal, you traded a few shakes out for a smoothie with plenty of leafy greens and fruits or a fruit salad and kale?
Start juicing fruit & greens, then go to the gym!
Talk with me. Let's find an individualized plan that brings your body healing and also meets your fitness goals. Do your own research on this topic!
You are on your way to incredibly healing and ABUNDANT life just by reading this. Listen to that voice inside you encouraging you to start nourishing your body and healing today. I am here to help show you the way!