The “GREAT” Protein Myth

Fact vs Myth

Humans need only 10 percent of the calories we consume to be from protein. Athletes and pregnant women need a little more, but if you’re eating enough calories from a varied plant-based diet, it’s close to impossible not to get enough.

No one is saying that eating vegan will make you stronger, but the rap that you cannot be healthy without animals protein or build muscle or maintain stamina is a myth.

According to Dr. Ornish, “high-protein foods, particularly animal protein, dramatically increases the risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, and many other illnesses. Whats compelling is the new evidence that eating vegan can reduce this risk along with heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

The cancer connection is spelled out at length in a fantastic book by Cornell scientist T. Colin Campbell, called The China Study. Basically, there is overwhelming scientific evidence to implicate that animal protein consumption causes disease.

Even if you ate only one food and not the variety of foods typical of a vegan diet, you would probably get enough protein and essential amino acids. Kicking the meat habit doesn’t automatically make you healthy — there are risks, you have to make sure you are eating the right foods. With links like how to go Veg they make great beginners guides to eating healthy and properly.

So what’s stopping you? If reducing disease and promoting health are not good enough reasons then I don’t know what else there is. What about global warming? It’s just a matter of time before people make the connection. So who is making the change? Social-networking wunderkind Biz Stone, the 36-year-old co-founder of Twitter; real estate magnate Mort Zuckerman, who is worth some $2 billion; and, perhaps less surprisingly, the co-CEO of Whole Foods, John Mackey, who oversees a $6.3 billion empire with 55,000 employees ‹ whom he urges to eat green.

1/Myth: Lack of protein contributes to loss of sharpness and brain function.

Fact: Eating meat means eating fat, wich means making your blood thicker, like old motor oil. A plant-based diet improves blood flow and delivers more oxygen to your entire body. Including your brain. This occurs not just over the long-term but after every single meal.

2/Myth: You can lose stamina and feel tired if you don’t eat meat protein.

Fact: Complex carbohydrates found in whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables are the ideal fuel for athletic performance. These food are easily broken down into glucose, wich is what active muscles need. It is more of a challenge for our bodies to converting high-fat, high-protien products such as meat into usable energy.

3/Myth: You can’t build healthy muscle on plant-based diets, you need meat protein to build healthy muscle.

Fact: When we build muscle on animal protein, we get what animals get when we fatten them up: marbling layers of fat inside the tissue. The result is a much weaker muscle.

4/Myth: Plants are low in protein

Fact: Plant foods are generally abundant in protein. For example, lettuce gets 34% of its calories from protein, and broccoli gets 45% of its calories from protein. Spinach is 49%. Cauliflower is 40%. Celery is 21%. Beans range from 23% to 54% depending on the variety. Grains are 8% to 31%. Nuts and seeds are 8% to 21%. Fruits are the lowest at around 5-8% on average.