Shattering The Protein Myth

Before you order those fries with that shake and a burger, you need to read this! The myth regarding the overwhelming need for "protein"  has been blown through the roof!
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Myth #1 We have been told that protein is the most important nutrient to be healthy and strong.
Myth #2 To build muscle you need lots of protein daily.
Myth #3 We need to consume high quantities of dairy to combat osteoporosis.
Myth #4 The best place to get protein is from meat.
Joke: How many vegetarians does it take to screw in a light bulb?
I don’t know, but where do they get their protein!?

There has been so much focus on protein in the diet!

This is one of the major reasons the average diet is so poor. We equate protein with good nutrition and think animal products are the only way to get it into our diet.
Vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds are our best source of protein.  Green vegetables, peas and beans have more protein per calorie than meat and plant food proteins are rich in nutrients and phytochemicals and low in calories. There are no antioxidants and phtyochemicals in animal foods.
What you need to know is that people do not die in the western world from protein deficiency; being protein deficient is rare in North America.  For the most part we get too much protein and are unhealthy because of it.  Vegetarians can get too much protein as well.
The heavy diet of dairy and meat has created a heart attack and cancer epidemic because animal protein is full of saturated fat…the most dangerous type of fat (In a study adults were fed a vegetable based diet, cholesterol levels drop radically.)   And we are getting too much protein….yes too much!!!
“The average man in the US eats 175% more protein than the recommended daily allowance and the average woman eats 144% more.” Surgeon General’s Report on Nutrition and Health, 1988

We are actually dying of eating too much protein!

Hospitals in the west are full of people who have eaten too much animal protein.
“New research from the Harvard School of Public Health suggests even moderate consumption of red meat — as little as one serving a day — poses a more serious health risk than first thought.”
Check out this video: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-risks-of-red-meat.html#ixzz1pWshEVXT
The biggest myth of all is that heart disease is caused by too much animal fat and high cholesterol.  The real cause of heart disease is excess animal protein, processed carbohydrates and sugar according to Swedish scientist Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD.
The cause of heart attacks is actually the excess of stored animal protein in the interstitial space between heart muscle cells.
Countries with the highest rates of osteoporosis are the United States, England, and Sweden; the countries that consume the most milk. In China and Japan people eat much less protein and dairy food have the lowest rates of osteoporosis.
High Protein Diets Shrink Brain and Boost Risk of Alzheimers  High-protein diets may shrink the brain as well as the waistline, raising the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in later life.

How much protein is enough?

The amount established by the National Academy of Sciences says:

• 160-pound man needs about 58 grams of protein a day
• 120-pound woman needs about 43 grams

Eat 2 – 4 servings of fruits, 3 -5 servings of vegetables, and 6 – 11 servings of whole grains and your diet will include substantial amounts of vegetable protein.
 Author Diana Herrington