Media Protein

Here we will address a very controversial topic. The biggest thing that people are concerned about when considering going vegan, raw foodist or vegetarian. The question always arises. "Where will I get my protein?" Seeing as how protein is needed to live and achieve certain physical goals, it is important to understand what protein really is and where it comes from.

What Is Protein?

When it comes to the topic of protein, there are many questions that need to be asked. It is often said in the media that if you wish to gain muscle or maintain mass, you must get a large amount of protein. This sets the foundation for the biggest untrue concept in the fitness world. That you must eat meat in order to get the protein needed to achieve your goals. This concept is not thought out as we can look at nature and see this is not true.

There are many animals that have mass on them and do not eat meat. Animals such as the elephant, hippo, and Rhinoceros have a lot of mass but do not eat meat. Horses, Bulls, deer and many other animals are strong and do not consume meat. Many people talk about protein but do not know what it really is. Protein is 22 amino acids. Most do not know that protein from plants have all 22 amino acids, while the meat people eat does not have all 22 amino acids. In order to get all 22 amino acids from the meat that you’re eating, you would have to eat the entire animal.

This is true because in nature, the protein gotten from the meat is just a food chain effect. It all starts with a herbivore eating plants and getting all the nutrients needed including protein ( amino acids). When a carnivore comes and kills a herbivore or omnivore for food, the carnivore consumes all of its prey’s flesh, getting all 22 amino acids.

Seeing as how most will not be willing to eat the entire animal of what they are consuming; by definition they are not getting protein in most case. Just like in most cases, not all plant based foods have all 22 amino acids. So what’s the solution? The solution is to have diversity in your diet so that you can get your amino acids from various sources so that you will have your protein basis covered. This means eating different plants, herbs, grains, nuts seeds and/or legumes.

So does Diversity mean eat both animal and plant based foods? It’s up to you but there is no downside from getting all of your “protein sources” from plant based food while too much animal protein can be bad for the human body in a number of ways.

This is why regardless of you’re vegan or not, you should be encorperating more plant based sources of protein in your diet. If anything, just so you don’t overload your body with animal protein that can lead to various chronic diseases.

Artificial Vs Natural

Many people choose to get protein from artificial protein shakes or certain protein pills. These are not good for the body. They often take a long time for your body to digest because it is not natural. They can force your body to work faster which may get you results at the cost of your health.

People that are on artificial protein are more vulnerable to sickness because too much of their body’s energy is going to trying to digest the artificial protein. It’s possible you could see less mental activity because of the same reason.

The only exception is when it is a RAW food vegan powder that is simply the combination of food or powders that have been dried but not over processed. Remember, the closer you are to nature, the better the result and the easier it is on your body.

Foods High In Protein

The following is a list of natural foods high in protein and/or calories: Cashews, Almonds ,Sea Moss, Alfalfa, Moringa, Kelp, Chickpeas, Black Beans, Pinto Beans, Hemp Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Coconut Meat (From Young Coconuts), Chi Seeds, Flax Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Tahini (Sesame butter), Hummus (Mashed Chickpeas)Quinoa, Spelt, Kamut, Oats, Buckwheat, All seaweeds (Sea moss, blue green algae,Kelp, bladderwrack, etc). If you are looking for some vegan recipes that are tasty high in protein, the book below is a great place to start.

Raw vegan protein powders may be of use if you choose to use them. It’s best to look at the ingredients and confirm the powder is made from raw food vegan sources.

Sea moss can also be used to make treats such as cookies, ice cream and baked good since it is a thicken agent and can often be used in place of eggs in recipes. The video below shows how to prepare it.

Alternative milk sources: Almond Milk, Flax milk, Hemp Milk, Coconut Milk, Oats milk, Hazelnut milk. These can be found at most health food stores. You can also make your own by blending water and the base. Add organic sweetener to add more taste.

Organic sweeteners

Organic sweeteners can be used to sweeten and add taste to recipes. Keep in mind that they are still sweetness so if you are a diabetic, consult with your doctor before use: Blue Agave, Grade B maple syrup, coconut syrup, stevia, fruit powders and juices(Mango, peach, cherry, apple etc). Keep in mind that these are all still high in sugar which is something that should be monitored in itself

Cashews, Almonds, Pumpkin Seeds, sunflower seeds, Flax Seeds, and Chi Seeds make great snacks. Chickpeas, Black beans, and Pinto beans are great for tacos. Alfalfa, Moringa Sea Moss and Kelp are good protein shake and supplement replacements. Quinoa, Kamut, Buckwheat and Spelt can be used to make pancakes, cereal, bread and other grain base recipes.  

We must also remember that most of what is said about protein is propaganda. These are just a few sources among many that are high in protein. Everything that is eaten has protein. The stereotype that plant sources of food lack protein is a lie started just for the sake of making money and many do not think to look into the creditability of the statement. This should encourage you to do your own research on what has the nutrients that you desire since the media may not always take your health into consideration when giving information.

What's the difference between a Vegan and a Vegetarian?

A common question asked now days is "What is the difference between a Vegan and Vegetarian". This is a good question. A question that we have to take a little trip in history to find out (Not to far in history). Veganism is defined as abstaining from animal products but this is actually a modern term of another word and concept that needs to be revisited. In the past, people who did not eat animal product engaged in a plant based diet. This means that their food regime consisted of foods grown from the earth (Fruits, Vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, sprouts, ligaments, etc). These people were called vegetarians because their food intake was only from food that grew from the earth and no animals. The word has its foundation in the fact that the person's consisted of vegetation, hence the word vegetarian was born. However, the term has been modified due to the times and and manipulation of definitions. Now you will find vegetarians who not only do not consume only plants but eat chicken and fish (Which by the original definition is not vegetarian)!

It started with people who fit the original definition of a vegetarian with the acceptation of consuming dairy products such as milk and eggs. These people started labeling themselves as vegetarians because the word around society was associated with not eating meat but not necessarily dairy. At this point, the original definition had lost some of its original meaning. A few years later, various sources of scientific research were staring to confirm and label meats in categories based on how they affected the body. Meats such as Beef, Lamb, and pork were labeled as "heavy meats" that are very hard for the body to digest and shorten a person lifespan if eaten too much in abundance. Meats such as chicken, turkey and fish were labeled as "Light meats" that were much easier for the body to digest and was seen as preserving life. The other part of the story was that the NOI (Nation of Islam) started enforcing the notion of leaving pork and in some cases beef alone and leaning towards chicken, turkey and fish. Anyone who cared about their health at the time gravitated towards eating only chicken and fish for one of these reason. At this point, the modern fast food restaurants were in the middle of their formation. It was public knowledge that the food wasn't the best for you but its quick and convenient. People who had dietary protocols were seen as coming from another planet because they were conserving the art of cooking instead of going with the fast food crowd. In many cases, these people only ate what? You guessed it, Chicken, Turkey and fish. Since the word vegetarian was associated with someone with better dietary protocols, and NOT the original definition, the group of people that say" I'm a vegetarian. I don't eat meat. I only eat chicken, turkey and fish" were born. A person who consumes dairy products and eggs but no meat is what became known as a ovo-lacto vegetarian. The term “Vegan” is the modern term for what used to be known as vegetarian.

What does this mean for today?

 Now that were done with health history 101, we can sum it up like this.

Vegan (Dietary) = abstaining from consuming any animal products including dairy and eggs

Vegetarian: abstaining from eating meat but still consumes dairy and eggs.

What about the people who eat only eat chicken, turkey and fish?

What is the criteria for what is meat? If what you are eating had a tail or had a mother and a father, its meat.

If I'm a Vegan, that means I'm really a vegetarian, right?

Yes and no. You are by the original definition but by the societal modern definition you're not. You are the original vegetarian or "OV" for short

Alternative Milks

In today’s society, we often depend on milk in our everyday lives, whether it’s your cereal in the morning or a simple glass to accompany your pancakes with. I’m glad to tell you that there are a variety of plant based milks on the market today, although from a technical standpoint, they’re plant based water lol. Nevertheless, they taste great and come in many forms so if you have certain allergies such as soy or nut allergies, there are still plenty to choose from. The pictures used in this article come Sprouts Farmers Market.

The different types of milk

Plant based milks are made by blending a base of nut, seed or bean with water, running it through a strainer and adding sugar (unless you want it unsweetened). At the time of this article, there are more then 10 different plant based milks. This includes almond, cashew, macadamia nut, hazelnut, walnut, flax, hemp seed, soy, oats, rice, coconut, and pea. Each one offers it’s own unique taste. Almost every version of these milks comes in different flavors, the standard being regular, vanilla and chocolate. In addition to these different flavors, they often come in both sweetened and unsweetened. When you combine these, the type you want is for the picking! For example, if you want unsweetened cashew milk, while your friend wants sweetened chocolate milk, both are available!

Unfortunately, not all of them may be around the corner. Common vegan milks such as almond, soy, and coconut milk can pretty much be found at any major chain retail store such as Walmart, Kroger and Tom Thumb. Cashew, macadamia nut, hazelnut, walnut,  flax seed, hemp seed, oats, rice, and pea milk are found in mostly in health food stores such as Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Trader Joes. Cashew and rice milks are showing a trend of appearing in all stores but for the time being, they are more sure to be found in the health food stores.

Not all milks and brands are created equally. Many brands such as Sprouts, and Coconut dream fortify their milks with nutrients such as vitamin d and vitamin b12. This could make these brands more valuable to you if you’re looking to increase the amount of these nutrients in your diet. Some will say on the front that it is fortified with certain nutrients and some do not.

If you’re uncertain, you can check the ingredients and see if the nutrients are listed..

You can also make your own vegan milk. All you need is a base (nut, seed, grain, bean, etc), a sweetener (optional: omit if you want unsweetened), a strainer and water. Nuts, grains and seeds need to be soaked over night. Coconuts and bananas can be used fresh in most cases. There are many sweeteners to choose from such as maple syrup, blue agave, coconut nectar, coconut sugar, and cocoa or carob (If you want chocolate), just to name a few. Feel free to play around with the amounts. If you want you milk thicker, use less water. If you want it thinner, use more water, etc. There are plenty of You Tube videos showing how to make plant based milk. Use this as a guideline and play around with it until you get the recipe and result you want.

Surely you’re glad to see that there are many vegan alternatives to cows’ milk. If you find this content valuable, a like and share is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!