But, where do you get your protein?
Now that you’ve decided to “go raw” (good for you!), there will be lots of questions from well-meaning friends and family. The most common question will likely be “Where do you get your protein?” This is the most common question when someone goes vegetarian/vegan, as well. If you are already vegan when making the transition to raw, you have undoubtedly already heard this question ad nauseum. I know I did, and I have tried many responses over the years with varying degrees of success at getting the idea across that concern over protein is no more or less important than concerns over calorie intake, vitamin and mineral absorption, and the newly-controversial carbohydrate content of foods.
Initially, my favorite response was to simply state that the perception that we need massive amounts of protein is a myth, and that excess protein (such as is found in the Standard American Diet) actually causes great harm in the body, causing a buildup of toxic ketones.* Aside from creating an acid state in the body, too much protein can also cause loss of skeletal calcium (think osteoporosis), dehydration (stressing the heart and kidneys), and has been linked to cancer (among other things).
Don’t get me wrong, protein is absolutely necessary. Protein consists of a chain of amino acids and is important for building our bodies (muscles, bones, blood, hair, etc.), building antibodies and for blood clotting, among other essential functions. A true lack of protein can weaken immunity and the heart, shrink muscle mass, and ultimately lead to death.
What is not necessary is the amount many people assume is needed, nor is it necessary to consume meat or dairy to obtain it. In fact, protein derived from animal-based foods has been directly linked to disease, and while animal sources may contain a “complete” protein (that is, all of the essential amino acids are present) our bodies have to dismantle it into the various amino acids to use it. Protein doesn’t build protein; amino acids do. (For the record, soybeans and goji berries can also be considered to have complete proteins.) Once broken into the individual amino acids through the digestive process, they can then enter the bloodstream and cells are able to use them. Eating greens, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, also provide these much needed amino acids. Unlike animal-based protein, assimilation of plant-based protein is much easier and less work is requird by the body to use it. In addition, the once-gospel idea that foods such as rice and beans have to be consumed together, at the same meal, in order to form a complete protein (and thus build protein in the body) is now antiquated and has been proven incorrect. As with any diet, as long as a variety of nutrient-rich foods are eaten, not necessarily in the same meal, it is not difficult (read: almost impossible not) to meet and/or exceed the USDA’s recommended daily allowance of protein.
John Robbins, author and former heir to the Baskin Robbins empire (as well as a leading expert on the link between diet, health and the environment) wrote in his groundbreaking book Diet for a New America (a book I highly recommend): “If we ate nothing but wheat (which is 17% protein) or oatmeal (15% protein) or pumpkin (15% protein), we would easily have more than enough protein. If we ate nothing but cabbage (22% protein), we’d have over double the maximum we might need. In fact, if we ate nothing but the lowly potato (11% protein), we would still be getting enough protein. This fact does not mean potatoes are a particularly high protein source. They are not. Almost all plant foods provide more. What it does show, however, is just how low our protein needs really are. There have been occasions in which people have been forced to satisfy their entire nutritional needs with potatoes and water alone. I wouldn’t recommend the idea to anyone, but under deprived circumstances, it has been done. Individuals who have lived for lengthy periods of time under those conditions showed no signs whatsoever of protein deficiency, though other vitamin and mineral deficiencies have occurred.”
If wondering about the levels of protein in various sources, you might consider consulting this great raw foods guide. If you refer to the USDA guides, all of the protein ratios for vegetables list their cooked values. All cooking strips food of vital nutrients, including protein — the extent of nutrient loss depending upon temperature and length of time at that temperature. Foods in their raw state (or dehydrated at under 105-115 degrees) have all of their nutrients and enzymes intact. For a truly enlightening look at protein’s role in health and disease, I highly recommend T. Colin Campbell’s The China Study, a review of which I’ll complete in a future article.
Also highly recommended are John Robbins’ Diet for a New America and May All Be Fed.
*Ketones: ‘A class of body chemicals in which part of the molecule contains a carbon-oxygen bond (C= O).These form from the breakdown of fats and proteins in the liver. They can accumulate to toxic levels if the blood sugar falls too low (as in certain diabetic situations, starvation, or eating a high-fat/low-carbohydrate diet). They are toxic because they make the body fluids too acidic for enzymes to work properly.’
Source: http://peer.tamu.edu/curriculum_modules/Cell_Biology/Glossary/gloslist.html
