Protein: Good or Bad?
A common question from clients seeking to change their diets is how protein is healthy. There are many weight loss programs out right now and many weight loss products. Many help people lose weight quickly by adding excess protein to their diet. Most experts agree to lose weight we need to reduce junk carbs (white flour, white rice, corn products, white sugar, etc) and junk fats (transhydrogenated fats, fried foods, etc.) What most experts disagree on is the protein: how much is enough, not enough, or too much?
Current high protein diets like Atkins, Zone, etc, recommend in excess of 12-14% of the Daily Total. The thinking behind this is the body needs protein to rebuild itself on a daily basis, therefore the need for excess protein. What they fail to understand is that the body recycles itself, keeping a vast majority of amino acids (protein building blocks) every day. This combined with the meat, dairy and egg lobby serves to increase protein into our daily diet beyond what we can process. The long term cost is the body must deal with this excess protein somehow, and on an extended program this creates many symptoms which are not health enhancing, but disease contributing.
What we have found in our office over 27 years of clinical practice is that 6-7% of body totals in diet serve well as a daily protein requirement. This would be the amount of meat you could fit in a deck of cards. Remember, nuts, seeds, grain, vegetables, and fruits all have cell walls, which are also made of protein. The average American is rarely protein deficient. The larger problem is protein excess leaving us with the same diseases as the kings and queens of Europe in the 1700-1800’s. See the Pottinger Cat Study and T. Collin Campbel of Tufts University study on excess protein consumption for some eye opening data.
I’m a small frame weighing about 120-125 and 5’5″. However the cholesterol level is high and TSH has been a real problem for over 30 years. It bounces and doesn’t stay in balance.
You said ” the amount of meat you could fit in a deck “. Is this recommended to eat once a day or every time you eat to eat that much meat?
I went on a 20#-35 Day Challenge last Sept probably and lost several inches and 6 pounds. I had never eaten that much meat in all my life. I ate meat with every meal which was 4-5 times a day. At one time I went off meat totally for 3 years and got into a LOT of trouble with focus, stamina, energy level etc. at that time. While on that challenge and after it I had amazing energy and stamina and focus. It was a real transformation for me. One day I ate some carmel popcorn and after that I sabotaged myself with sweets for 1 month. Then I went back to pretty much clean eating all but for a couple times a week. I’m just starting to get the stamina back and it’s been 2 months.
The answer to your question is long and complex. To do justice, I would recommend you go onto morter.com and order the Eat to Live nutrition series (The science of Nutrition Series)Dr. Morter addresses these and other concepts. As to your question about amount of protein per day its between 40 or 50 grams or the amount that would fit in a deck of cards per day. Your body reprocesses the broken down cells and re-utilizes those amino acids every day besides the amino acids in the cell wall of vegetables. Excess protein consumption is highly stimulatory which is exaclty what you felt. However in the long run it depletes your alkaline reserve leading to many health dilemmas. I highly recommend the science of nutrition series available at morter.com or by calling Morter Health System at 1-800-874-1478.
In Health & Service,
Dr. Roland Phillips
RFP:JDP