Conscious Eating, Okay, But Where (On Earth) Do You Get Your Protein?
When I tell people that I’m a vegan, the most popular question, by far, inevitably follows: “But, how do you get enough protein?”
There it is again, I think, the meat industry’s most potent weapon against vegetarianism–the protein myth.
And it is just that–a myth. In fact, humans need only 10 percent of the calories we consume to be from protein. Athletes and pregnant women need a little more, but if you’re eating enough calories from a varied plant based diet, it’s close to impossible to not to get enough.
The way Americans obsess about protein, you’d think protein deficiency was the number one health problem in America. Of course it’s not–it’s not even on the list of the ailments that doctors are worried about in America or any other countries where basic caloric needs are being met.
What is on the list? Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity–diseases of affluence. Diseases linked to eating animal products. According to the American Dietetic Association, which looked at all of the science on vegetarian diets and found not just that they’re healthy, but that they “provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.”
They continue: “Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence… Vegetarians have been reported to have lower body mass indices than nonvegetarians, as well as lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; vegetarians also show lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer.”
Dr. Dean Ornish writes of his Eat More, Weigh Less vegetarian diet–the one diet that has passed peer-review for taking weight off and keeping it off for more than 5 years–that in addition to being the one scientifically proven weight loss plan that works long-term, it “may help to prevent a wide variety of other illnesses including breast cancer in women, prostate cancer in men, colon cancer, lung cancer, lymphoma, osteoporosis, diabetes, hypertension, and so on….”
So when people ask me about protein, I explain that protein is not a problem on a vegan diet, that the real problems that are plaguing us in the West can be addressed in part with a vegetarian diet, and that I get my protein the same way everyone else does–I eat!
Beans, nuts, seeds, lentils, and whole grains are packed with protein. So are all vegetables as a caloric percentage, though they don’t have enough calories to sustain most people as a principal source of sustenance. And these protein sources have some excellent benefits that animal protein does not–they contain plenty of fiber and complex carbohydrates, where meat has none. That’s right: Meat has no complex carbs at all, and no fiber. Plant proteins are packed with these essential nutrients.
Plus, since plant-based protein sources don’t contain cholesterol or high amounts of saturated fat, they are much better for you than meat, eggs, and dairy products.
It is also worth noting the very strong link between animal protein and a few key diseases, including cancer and osteoporosis.
According to Dr. Ornish, “high-protein foods, particularly excessive animal protein, dramatically increase the risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, and many other illnesses. In the short run, they may also cause kidney problems, loss of calcium in the bones, and an unhealthy metabolic state called ketosis in many people.”
The cancer connection is spelled out at length in a fantastic book by Cornell scientist T. Colin Campbell, called The China Study. Basically, there is overwhelming scientific evidence to implicate that animal protein consumption causes cancer.
And just a few quick anecdotal points:
• Olympian Carl Lewis has said that his best year of track competition was the first year that he ate a vegan diet (he is still a strong proponent of vegan diets for athletes).
• Strength trainer Mike Mahler says, “Becoming a vegan had a profound effect on my training. … [M]y bench press excelled past 315 pounds, and I noticed that I recovered much faster. My body fat also went down, and I put on 10 pounds of lean muscle in a few months.”
• Bodybuilder Robert Cheeke advises, “The basics for nutrition are consuming large amounts of fresh green vegetables and a variety of fruits, to load yourself up with vibrant vitamins and minerals.”
A few other vegans, all of whom sing the praises of the diet for their athletic performance: Ultimate fighter Mac Danzig, ultramarathoner Scott Jurek, Minnesota Twins pitcher Pat Neshek, Atlanta Hawks Guard Salim Stoudamire, and Kansas City Chiefs tight-end Tony Gonzalez.
And let’s not forget about tennis star Martina Navratilova, six-time Ironman winner Dave Scott, four-time Mr. Universe Bill Pearl, or Stan Price, the world-record holder in bench press. They are just a few of the successful vegetarian athletes.
Basically, vegans and vegetarians needn’t fret about protein, but many Americans do need to worry about their weight, heart disease, cancer, and other ailments–many of which can be addressed by healthier eating, including a vegan or vegetarian diet.
Vegetarians and vegans get all the nutrients our bodies need from plants, and will thus, according to the science, be more likely to maintain a healthy weight and stave off a variety of ailments, from heart disease to cancer.
Happy eating!
- Posted by Kathy on February 3, 2009 at 10:24 am
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Tagged as: nutrition, vegan, vegetarian
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#1 question on my raw diet, and I don’t worry about protein much at all. I like Manitoba Hemp protein in my smoothies. Nuts, seeds, tons of hemp seeds, veggies, I ‘m good!
deb
Brilliant1 Even though I know this is generally common sense in the Raw world I am printing a copy to carry in my purse. That way when my co-workers fake concern about my diet I can just hand them this and keep reading my book.
Great post. The question I get most, though, is not about protein, but calcium… especially concerning the kids. Could you put out some information on that?
Thank you Kathy. I have been working on eliminating animal products from my diet for the past year and finally feel that yes- I am a vegetarian! (yeah!). I have really struggled with the protein question and continue to worry about it because I am also healing from a soft tissue injury. Can you recomend any specific products such as bars, shakes etc. that are ‘protein replacemetns’?
I get asked this ALL the time! All the time. Thank you thank you thank you…I now have a great link I can send to those who inquire!
Rock on!
Angela
Thanks Kathy for giving us even more examples and easily digestible ones to use in conversation when this question comes up…as it always does.
I found that I was literally getting so irritated when people would ask that I’d immediately change the subject rather than have a debate about it. I just got SO tired of the question.
This is a great synopsis with solid talking points that I am definitely going to share!
Patricia – If you are eating a well rounded whole food vegan diet, most folks don’t need additional protein supplementation…but if you wanted to, there are loads of options…. VEGA products, protein powders made from hemp, rice, pea, etc. There’s lots of great substitutions for the traditional dairy/soy based protein shakes/bars.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this post! Certainly all stuff I already know and have read many times, but I still love reading it again and again!
Cheers,
Kristen
I LOVE this post! With permission, I’d like to share it on Facebook and on my blog. More and more of my friends are becoming interested in my raw/vegan lifestyle and this is the perfect kind of information for me to conveniently leave “lying around” my electronic coffee table.
Kathy, I love the way that you write your message. It is even-handed and full of scientific information that simply can’t be disputed. You are one of my favorites of all time. Hugs to Kris for having you today, yaay!
I found a hilarious group on Facebook called, “Do You Eat Chicken? And Other Dumb Questions Vegetarians Get Asked.” If you need a laugh and a leg up from people who really understand your journey, go read that wall. It’s a total hoot and you’ll completely relate.
I’m so thrilled to see this post! Thank you
Thank you so much, i went Vegan three weeks ago i have never felt better or healthier but everyone kept telling me i wont get enough protein i now know where to send them. Thank YOU!!!!!!
Mmmm. Interesing post, but this is not a “meat industry” myth. If you look at your basic science (btw, what exactly is your scientific education?) textbook, you will note that once homo-erectus began to consume meat more often, brain size increased dramatically. In fact, this rather large jump in evolution was due primarily to meat. So no, not all proteins are equal. Yes, we could all do to consume less red meat, but let us at least be honest about facts. We have omnivore bodies and digestive systems. If you make a moral choice to eat vegan, fine. I won’t bug you about your diet. But do not pretend that your diet is all that much healthier than a well-rounded diet.
Not to mention the increase in greenhouse gasses that accompanies a vegan diet – that offsets any reduction in your carbon footprint.