Protein Power

For many people, the warnings of eating too much meat, milk and cheese are familiar ones, but these are often due to fat content in the animal by-product. There may be another problem- consumption of too much protein overall.

According to a study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, people who have a diet high in animal proteins during middle age were four times more likely to die of cancer and diabetes than others with low-protein diets. High protein diets like Atkins and the currently popular Paleo diet rely heavily on animal-based proteins to promote weight loss. These diets might have short-term benefits, but the long road down could see problems.

The research defined a “high-protein” diet as one in which at least 20 percent of calories came from protein; a “low-protein” diet was defined as less than 10 percent. Even moderate amounts of protein consumption among middle-age people had detrimental effects over a long period of protein excess.

A good way around this problem is to get the majority of your proteins from plant-based foods such as nuts, seeds and beans. You should consume about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. 

Great sources of plant-based proteins are:

·     Avocados

·     Beans

·     Buckwheat

·     Chia Seeds

·     Chick Peas

·     Dark Leafy Greens

·     Edamame

·     Green Peas

·     Hemp

·     Nuts

·     Quinoa

·     Seitan

·     Spirulina

·     Tofu

·     Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Try replacing these with the animal based proteins you usually consume. It will not only be easier to regulate your protein intake,but it will improve your overall health as well.