What is a protein?

Proteins are the basis of body structures (e.g. muscles, skin, and hair. To keep your body strong, you need to feed those proteins. Huh? Proteins need amino acids in order to multiply and repair themselves. About twenty amino acids are found in the human body, and about ten of these are essential, and therefore must be included in the diet, and are particularly important during early development and maturation, pregnancy, lactation, or injury. A food is considered a protein source if it provides the body with essential amino acids. A complete protein source contains all the essential amino acids; an incomplete protein source lacks one or more of the essential amino acids.

Sources of dietary protein include meats, tofu and other soy-products, eggs, grains, legumes, and dairy products such as milk and cheese. You have likely heard that you must sometimes pair certain foods together to make a complete protein. Beans alone or rice alone do not have all the essential amino acids to make them useful for your body's function, but if you put them together, they do. Animal sources of protein contain all essential amino acids. Most non-animal sources are lacking some. A good rule of thumb is to pair a non-animal protein (nuts, seeds, beans, soy) with a whole carbohydrate (whole wheat, brown rice). It is interesting, however, that quinoa (a grain) is a complete protein.

I find it fascinating that in the Bible, Ezekiel was commanded by the Lord to do the following: "Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches (spelt), and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof." The Lord was telling him to create a complete protein. He lived on this and water for over a year!

RULE #4

Eat all kinds of protein. High calorie and high fat proteins, like a nice marbled beef roast, should be eaten sparingly, of course, but they aren't evil. The fat in that meat is as nature intended and your body can metabolize it and use it. It would be wiser, and better for your figure, to choose one of the following animal proteins: Chicken, turkey, elk, bison, or fish. However, use even these in moderation. You will eat protein 5 times a day on this diet. Do not make them all from meat. Use eggs, dairy, nuts, protein powders, beans, and seeds as often as you can. Eating meat sparingly is a good idea.