Stop Eating Eggs!

 

Freelee the Banana Girl on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTfvdypnAgg

Macronutrients: Carbs, Fat & Protein with Dr. Garth Davis

Dr. Garth Davis on macronutrients (posted 11/02/2014 on Facebook):

"People just can't get away from the concept of macro nutrients. We are so wedded to the terms protein, fat, carbs and this may be one of the essential reasons we keep getting sicker.

Even physicians, who have very little training in nutrition in general, talk about macronutrients. I had a physician see me the other day because he has the first signs of diabetes on his lab tests and is concerned that "despite cutting out carbs and increasing protein" his lab numbers are getting worse!" When I explained the diet I wanted him to try he exclaimed that it was too many carbs and not enough protein. I asked him point blank how great the "High Protein" diet was working, not just for him, but the whole country.

You cannot divide food into protein, carbs, fat. All food is a combination. Take for instance, an avocado. It is a combination of fat, protein, carb and fiber! The problem is that when we start classifying our diet by macronutrient break down we then begin to choose foods that are higher in certain categories. We will choose meat for protein and label bread as carbs. Unfortunately this leads to mislabelling certain foods as bad because they have a certain macronutrient considered, wrongly, bad.

Furthermore, the macronutrients can be broken down even further. Saturated fat is bad but stearic acid, which is one type of saturated fat, may not be that bad. Carbs are labelled evil, but they are the true fuel source of the body. Fruits and veggies, high in carbs, have been shown to extend life, prevent cancer, and prevent heart disease. Fruits are lumped in with candy in this ridiculous nutrition philosophy we have developed.

The answer is to throw out the terms, carbs, protein, fat. EAT WHOLE FOOD. Favour plant sources of food which have a nice variety of nutrients.

I NEVER think about how much protein or carbs I am eating. NEVER. Not even when I am training for Ironman or a Marathon. I would NEVER drink a protein shake to get more protein.

At the end of the day I try to make sure I have eaten some whole grains, some dark leafy vegetables, something orange or red, berries, whole fruit, beans, nuts/seeds. WHOLE FOODS. I have no use for this modern day lexicon of protein vs carb. Okinawans don't think that way and they are doing just fine, and so am I."

Dr. Garth Davis is a veteran weight loss surgeon who found himself running into a number of health problems, and ultimately becoming his own patient. A few years back he was suffering from high cholesterol, high blood pressure and a fatty liver, not good news for the ol' doc. 

Not satisfied with the high protein, low carb approach pushed by many of his peers he decided to finally study nutrition properly. Unbelievably, it wasn't even on the medical school curriculum.

For more information on how Dr. Garth became plant-based listen to the podcast he did with Rich Roll posted below. 

 

Protein Kills - Save Your Kids!

Kevin W. Reese - Protein Kills!

 

In the video above Kevin W. Reese talks about the negative effects of protein on the body, I advise you spend 10 minutes and watch it.

 

A few points Kevin makes about protein:

•  Protein is on the acid side of chemistry. When we consume protein our bodies have to break that protein down into amino acids. For this to occur the body has the produce more pepsin and hydrochloric acid, more acids! This causes inflammation and as Kevin puts it, causes your body to be, "on fire".

• We need amino acids not protein. You get amino acids from fruit and vegetables.

• Extremely harsh on the kidneys. Too much protein in the diet can lead to the kidneys leaking protein.

• We're a protein driven society. Protein basically sells products; protein powders, amounts added to labels, etc. In America the 'GOT MILK' campaign is pretty big, adverts on TV highlight the benefits of drinking milk, and how it does the body good!

Eat a plant-based diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, and you'll cover your protein needs, easy peasy!

PROTEIN: My Beef With Meat

"Where do you get your protein?"

 "You can't get enough protein from eating plants"

What is PROTEIN?

 

Proteins are nutrients made up of one or more chains of amino acids. These are essential to the structure, function and regulation of every cell in the human body.

 

Each protein chain contains 20 amino acids, 8 of which are called "essential amino acids" that can only be obtained through food. These are known as "complete proteins" and are found in meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, dairy, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds.

 

The World Health Organisation recommends that we get around 10% of our total calories from protein. They suggest following this formula to calculate your daily protein requirements:

(0.8 grams) x (your ideal body weight in kilo grams) = protein in grams

So, using this formula a 65kg guy like me should be getting 52 grams of protein per day.

TIM VAN ORDEN ON THE PROTEIN MYTH

So, you can only get high quality protein from animal products right? WRONG.

 

Animal Protein

 

Most people in the western world consume way too much animal protein. We've been lead to believe that this source of protein is the 'mecca' of good health and nutrition and we can't thrive without it. Animal protein is bad for your bones, creates inflammation, raises cholesterol levels and is extremely harsh on the liver and kidneys. Not to mention the high amounts of saturated fat is most meats which can lead to heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

The meat and dairy industries are big business, and through canny marketing we've been brainwashed to believe that consuming animal protein will keep your bones strong and muscles lean. Not the case. Animal protein is very acidic to the body. In order to neutralise the acidity in the bloodstream the body needs to balance out our pH, alkalise. The most effective alkalising agencies is the calcium stored in our bones! So by eating meat and dairy you dump acids into the bloodstream, therefore to alkalise this your body leaches essential calcium from your bones, which can lead to osteoporosis! "But you need to drink milk for calcium don't you?" Doesn't sound like it to me! In fact the countries that consume the most dairy products and eat the most meat - America, Northern Europe, Australia and New Zealand actually have the highest bones fracture rates! The regions that consume the lowest amount - eastern Asia and Africa have 50-70% lower rates! 

 

Plant Protein

 

Plant proteins are complete proteins, just like animal proteins.

 

"So why are plant proteins healthier?" Well, they have a much healthier composition and balance of the essential amino acids which protect us from inflammation and tumour growth. Also, plants contain fibre, phytonutrients and antioxidants, none of which are found in meat!

Where to get your PROTEIN!

 

By eating a whole food plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds you're more than covered. A medium banana is 5% protein and lemons as much as 15%! Leafy green vegetables such as kale or spinach boast as much as 50%! Quinoa is 18% protein.

 

All you have to do is consume enough calories of these wonderful foods and you're sorted. EASY PEASY!

WELCOME

Hi, my name is Sam and welcome to my blog!

 

My intention for this blog is to bring knowledge and information on how to live a plant-based lifestyle (or vegan if you like). Some people believe that excluding meat, fish, dairy and eggs from their diet is not only unhealthy but is also way too extreme. Don't worry, i get it. I myself used to think the notion of vegetarianism or veganism was a tad radical, but take a step back and think about it, what's extreme about eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds!

 

But..... "Where do you get your protein?!" 
 

One of the first (if not the first) question you get asked when someone finds out you're a vegan/vegetarian is, "Where do you get your protein?" "Errrm, the same place you do, food!". Protein is readily available in plant foods, and I eat a lot of plant foods! Watch the video clip above where Freelee and Harley tackle the question with humour. 

Cows milk for calcium, red meat for iron, fish for omega 3 fatty acids, chicken breasts for low fat, high quality protein? 

I will post videos, helpful information and recipes on how to thrive on eating a wholefoods, plantpowered diet and lifestyle.