In all foods – find the deliciousness of life itself!
When we talk about Eating Real Food, once again we need to override some long-held Mis-information about food. Likely at the top of that list is the story of Protein: How to get it and how much we need.
The story began years ago, when scientists decided to answer this question. They found what a group of healthy young men ate, calculated their protein intake, & set that number as the amount needed. While that sounds logical, we were guided to the assumption that an adult male needed to eat over 100 grams of protein each day to stay healthy.
In 1968, further research determined that we didn’t need all that protein, and the recommended daily amount was reduced to 65 grams for men 22-35, & 55 grams for women in the same age group. More research in 1981, again reduced that number to 56 grams for men and 44-46 grams for women. Now, nearly 40 years later, clinical experience reveals that optimal health resides with a diet of just 25-40 grams of protein.
Here are 5 simple Real Food Protein Facts:
- Every cell in our body contains protein: In fact cells are made up primarily of water (70-80%) and protein (10-20%). Furthermore, protein is vital for the function & repair work of our cells.
- Almost every food contains some protein, & long-held beliefs that protein is hard to obtain if we do not eat meat, dairy products & eggs, is simply not true. In fact, if you eat meat, dairy or eggs 2-3 times/day, you are actually getting too much protein…more than your body can handle efficiently & more than you need for long-term health.
- Our body is designed to live on plant food. Our teeth and our saliva speak to this fact. Our relatively alkaline saliva is perfect to begin the process of digestion of plants, contrasted to the acidic saliva of meat-eating mammals.
- While we can eat & metabolize some meat, it should not be our primary food. Metabolized as an acid ash, over-consumption of meat creates a pH imbalance that cannot be compensated for, even by eating large quantities of vegetables or fruits. And when that occurs, we are in an acidic state, which is where 95% of all disease begins.
- Clinical experience reveals that optimal health resides with a diet of just 25-40 grams of protein.
- Variety is absolutely the path to a healthy diet, with 70-80% of that coming from vegetables & fruits. Remember, a colorful plate is a healthy plate, with 2/3 of the plate being a variety of vegetables & fruits, and 1/3 being good fats, nuts, grains, legumes & concentrated proteins, if you choose.
Allowing all food to nourish & bless you is the cornerstone & foundation of total health.
Remember…Knowledge is Power. As parents and caregivers, it is so important to work from a foundation of knowledge and set the marketing myths aside.
Join me in this conversation by subscribing to our Newsletter, where I will continue to provide more in-depth information about eating Real Foods…including some fun and easy recipes.
Mahalo nui loa!
Peace & Blessings,
Dr. Patricia