- Anyways, I know you mentioned you were going to post more later about proteins and fats, but here is why I vote for proteins.After reading the carbs thing with my roommate, we got into a lengthy discussion on how were definitely not eating enough protein- at all. Within probably the last two months, I've given up meat probably 80%ish and she almost 100% (still eats fish but so rarely). My decision came from watching those horrible videos on fb about slaughterhouses. Additionally, when I go to see Nick in Indiana, all we eat are farm raised meats from his family's farms and I noticed how much better I feel when I eat that as opposed to store bought meat. I have to be super selective about the meat I buy here because I'll get a stomach ache otherwise. Obviously that's a sign of animals being mistreated and fed.To substitute for meat, I do as best as I can with quinoa and black beans, but it's definitely not enough. I'm always hungry for sweets specifically, and I typically hate sweets and love salts. I realized with your post I'm eating so much carbs and fat and that's obviously why I'm craving other (bad) things. I'm wanting to adapt meat back into my diet more frequently, because I truly do miss eating it often. The reason why my roommate and I even got to talking about it last night is because we both feel like we've gotten soft since cutting it out. We both work out frequently, keep our shit together diet wise Monday-Friday (even on the weekends not even veer too off course) and eat healthy things. But I feel like I'm starting to atrophy and turn to blubber, and it just occurred to me last night it's the lack of protein- correct?If one wanted to stay on a meat free diet but still get the proper amount of protein a day (what is it, like half to all your body weight in grams or something?) how would you even compensate and get all the protein without going into caloric overload? I know whey protein with a low caloric ratio to protein is a great choice, but you can only drink so many of those while still getting your other necessary nutrients and not eating 3k cals a day.......
- Today
Grant IfflanderFirst of all, I want to say I enjoyed reading your rambling message. It makes a lot of sense to me and it is interesting to see your curiosity unfolding. I will perhaps turn this into a blog post because it is great information to share. Also, thank you for encouraging me!Anyways - you are definitely on point with the crappier cuts of meat making you feel sick and weak. It is cool that you've noticed how the fresh meat from the farm makes you feel better. Nearly all of the conventionally raised meat we get at the regular market will be terrible quality, because of the way that meat is raised. You've seen the videos. Imagine cows that are cramped in horrible living conditions, fed GMO corn and soy and other crap... I've even read that they mix chicken poop in with their feed because it can increase bulk. Not sure how true that is but when you see the living conditions of these animals, it makes sense why we feel bad after eating them. They are literally fattened up purposefully to improve taste, but animals store toxins in their fat so we are eating fatty toxin laden crap... Omega-3 to omega-6 ratios are extremely unfavorable, meaning we get inflamed, beneficial fats like CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) appear in lower concentrations, and on and on...So without getting more in depth, I hope that helps explain why you've noticed you feel different between eating cuts of meat from a happy, healthy animal that is fed the right stuff and is raised correctly, vs conventionally raised meats.Moving on... you are likely spot on with cravings happening due to lack of protein in your diet. There are high amounts of vitamins and minerals that appear in high concentrations in good quality meat that won't appear anywhere else at those levels... this is why if you go Vegan for too long, you experience some serious negative side effects. They simply aren't receiving enough of the right micronutrients, and over time the body becomes malnourished. You are probably experiencing this on a very low level but still... the cravings are a sign you are missing something.Quinoa and black beans are not 'complete' protein sources - meaning they lack a full amino acid profile, and some of the EAAs (essential amino acids - your body cannot produce these) will appear only in animal protein sources (meat, dairy).It is okay to get by on a meat-free diet, although you will need to include tons of eggs to satisfy those requirements. Your 'getting soft' can definitely be attributed to lack of adequate, complete protein in your diet, as through training you are breaking your tissue down and unable to fully repair it, causing a cascade of biochemical responses which I don't fully understand but can contribute to low rate of muscle building and even fat gain.A good rule of thumb is half your bodyweight in grams of protein, although if you increase that you will likely see beneficial responses, ESPECIALLY if you are weightlifting, and ESPECIALLY if you are restricting calories. I recommend up to .8g protein per pound of LBM (lean body mass), or more if you can tolerate it and include it. This will help satiety, maintenance of muscle mass while losing fat, and also strength.You will find that as you increase protein, it will be easier to reduce calories from other sources that are adding up much more quickly (very easy to go over 1000 calories a day in just carbs, for example), as your hunger will decrease and your cravings will also decrease. While whey protein is definitely a great source, you should aim to consume whole foods when possible. Try to limit yourself to maybe one protein shake per day.To circle back on your point of being meat-free – this is a good subject to talk about, because there are two reasons why someone might consider avoiding meat. One – they don’t want to support the cruelty of animals that occurs from raising the animals for food, or Two – they just don’t like meat.To the first point…. I think if you find a good source of grass-fed beef, you can avoid this problem. These ranchers truly do care for their cattle, and want to raise happy animals. This is the way it should be. 100% grass-fed beef might mean that the cows are grazing on pastures their whole lives. Antibiotic and hormone free would probably mean the cows are raised in more natural conditions so that they get sick less often and grow at a natural rate. If this still is something you want to avoid, you can always eat wild caught fish or shellfish, which in my opinion are better sources of protein than beef. Specific omega-3 fatty acids like DHA and EPA which are excellent for your brain are very high in wild sea-life.For point two…. If you don’t like meat, seek ways to consume other high quality sources of protein, such as eggs, maybe some raw full-fat dairy, or a good quality whey protein powder. Bottom-line is, protein is absolutely critical for body composition and overall health and well-being.So to finally answer your question as to how you will consume enough protein without going overboard on calories, I’ll outline a sample meal plan that would accomplish a general protein recommendation I’d make, and you can add/ change items to meals and switch things around as you see fit.Breakfast: 3 whole eggs – 21 grams of protein Lunch: Green smoothie with whey protein powder – 30 grams of protein Dinner: 8 oz meat such as organic, 100% grass-fed beef or wild caught fish such as sockeye salmon – 50 grams of protein.Right there you are over 100 grams of protein, and have achieved this in under 800 calories. You are also getting a TON of high quality fat and micronutrients to keep you fully satisfied from the eggs, green shake, and fresh fish/ beef. From here you can really customize as you see fit, but this is a pretty solid general guideline to follow.Anyways… My response turned into an expansion of your saga, but I truly hope it helps you on your health journey, and your roommate’s as well. Tell her to choose good cuts of fish and eat it more often! And if you guys are stuck in the city, try to find a good source of 100% grass-fed beef from either a local farmer’s market or Sprouts/ Wholefoods. See if you still notice the difference between that and regular supermarket beef. Good luck and feel free to reach out anytime! Thanks again for your encouragement
Knowledge Links:
Journal of Nutrition & Metabolism - overview of protein intake:
Study on Critical Processes for muscle development with respect to dietary protein. Talks about need for complete protein sources to create MPS (muscle protein synthesis - new muscle):
Role of protein quality of MPS (muscle protein synthesis):
Study talks about comparison of milk vs. soy protein on lean body mass gains... milk wins, due to pattern of amino acid make up:
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