Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats

Protein: I have to laugh when people ask me where I get my protein.  Plants, of course.  All living things provide the building blocks for protein.  In fact, animal protein is a secondary source of protein, the original proteins coming from the plants that the animals ate.  How do horses get so big and strong?  They eat grasses and other plants.  What about elephants? Plants again.  Gorilla’s?  Mostly plants.  Plants are the best source of protein for all mammals, including humans.  Plant sources that are particularly good are whole grains, especially wheat, legumes, nuts and seeds and sprouted seeds, especially alfalfa (which is a complete protein), dark green leafy vegetables and wheatgrass juice.   Wheatgrass juice provides all of the some 15-20 essential amino acids that make up protein, and is one of the best sources you can get.  The largest, strongest mammals eat mostly grass. I drink a couple of ounces of wheat grass juice every day and give my kids ½ to 1 ounce daily.  We also eat plenty of legumes and nuts and seeds in the form of nut milks, granola, raw power bars and nut butter and honey sandwiches.  We don’t eat peanuts, however, because they are difficult to digest, and acidifying.

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are present in all plants. Carbohydrates give you energy.  You need them to function as a normal person.  Whole grains are your best source for complex carbohydrates, which will release sugars slowly into your bloodstream and give you energy over an extended period of time, while fresh fruits, dried fruits, fresh juices and raw honey will give you more simple sugars and quick energy.  Processed foods like white flour grain products, cereals, junk food (including all children’s snacks that contain corn syrups) and sugary drinks should be eliminated as they promote obesity and diabetes as well as ADHD and other behavioral problems and may contribute to osteoporosis and vision loss. If you have diabetes or are extremely overweight, you may want to limit even your complex carbohydrates for a while to promote the burning of fat as energy, but simply eliminating refined foods will promote weight loss. Low carb, high animal protein diets are very popular right now, and there is some validity to them:  they will help you achieve a leaner more muscular body more quickly, but they will also raise your cholesterol levels and promote heart disease as well as back up your bowels and eventually lead to low energy, which will likely lead back to weight problems and other more serious diseases. If you are contemplating a diet that requires you to eat 6 eggs for breakfast, you may want to reconsider for your hearts sake.  Remember that 1 egg is 70% of your recommended daily cholesterol intake.

Fats: Fats are also essential to normal body function. You need fats in your diet, especially Omega fatty acids.  Most Americans get plenty (ie too much) of the other fats. Eating walnuts, flaxseeds and other nuts and seeds during the healing phase and a little fish or cod liver oil after that will get you your Omega’s.  Nuts and seeds, avocado’s, first cold-pressed extra-virgin olive and coconut oils are great plant sources of fat to include in your diet, in moderation, to achieve a balance of healthy fats.  Avoiding refined and processed oils like margarine and soybean/ vegetable oil, hydrogenated oils like shortening and high cholesterol fats like butter, other dairy products and lard will help to eliminate the dangers associated with improper fat consumption.

For educational purposes only.  This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.