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Protein Sources

Article: Do Elephants Eat Cows For Protein? - by Dr. Leslie Van Romer

By far, the most common question I hear is: "If I don’t eat meat, or as much meat, where do I get my protein?" Sound familiar? Let’s cut to the chase – the protein chase. I’m a simple kind of girl so I ask simple kind of questions. I don’t do complicated – complicated confuses me and the last thing I need is to be more confused. That’s a scary thought. Just for grins and giggles, let’s have fun with protein and see if my common sense speaks to your common sense.

8 Very Simple Protein Questions:

#1 Common Sense Protein Question: "Do elephants eat hamburgers?"As you know, protein is for growth, among many other things. Like the growth of muscles. Have you ever heard of an elephant, giraffe, ape, cow, or horse eating hamburgers, chicken, fish, or even protein drinks to get enough protein to grow great, big muscles? No, of course not. If elephants can eat plant foods to get plenty of protein, so can we with our relatively little muscles and bodies.

#2 Common Sense Protein Question: "Do elephants have to mix and match plant foods to get a ‘complete protein’?"Oh, yeah, right. I can just see it now. An elephant making sure he eats just the right plant foods to get just the right combo of proteins. I don’t think so. My brain says: If they don’t have to mix and match, neither do we.

#3 Common Sense Protein Question: "But aren’t we different from elephants?"Good question. Yes, elephants are a wee bit different than us. No, duh, as the kids say. But this is the common sense point: If a small variety of plant foods can provide the right quantity and quality of protein necessary to grow and maintain a great big mammal like an elephant, then isn’t it logical that plant foods, and a much larger variety at that, can provide people with enough protein to grow and maintain our relatively little muscles, bones, tissues, and organs?
My common sense says, "Yes." What does your common sense tell you?

#4 Common Sense Protein Question: "At what time in life do human beings require the most protein?" Okay, so you can’t quite wrap your brain around the fact that elephants and humans can be compared—that can be a big leap—elephants to people. That’s fair enough. So I’ll tell you what—let’s talk about just people—little people, as in babies. Our cute little babies tell the whole protein story. See for yourself. Again, what is the purpose of protein? You’ve got it! Growth. When do we grow the most? From the ages of 0 to 2. Right? What is the very best food for 0 to 2 year olds? Mamas’ milk. How much protein do you suppose is in mama’s milk? 15%, 25%, or 30% protein? Guess again. This may knock your socks off, but human milk contains only 4.5% to 5% protein—that’s all. If 4.5% to 5% protein is plenty of protein to meet the growing needs of babies, then that same amount of protein, and even less, is plenty for us big people. We’ve stopped growing.

#5 Common Sense Protein Question: "How much protein is in an orange?"Hang on. Shock factor coming. An orange has 8% protein. Whoa! Isn’t that unbelievable? An orange with 8% protein?Remember, rapidly growing babies only require 4.5% to 5% protein. At 8% protein, oranges not only have enough protein, they actually have an abundance of protein. What about other plants?Spinach: 49% proteinBroccoli: 33%Cauliflower: 26%Romaine lettuce: 36% (imagine that much protein in that watery, green stuff!) Corn: 11% Kale: 22% Cucumber: 24% Potato: 11%Carrot: 10%Cantaloupe: 9%Grapefruit: 8%Berries: 7%Tomato: 16%Almonds: 13%Pumpkin seeds: 17% Brown Rice: 8%Oats: 15%Kidney beans: 26%Looks to me like we get plenty of protein from eating plants. We don’t "have to" eat animal protein, which also comes with a lot of fat, cholesterol, extra calories, extra weight, extra diseases, and extra heartache. In fact, we don’t even have to eat beans, tofu, or any other higher protein plant foods to get enough protein.Fruits and vegetables have plenty. Interesting, don’t you think?

#6 Common Sense Protein Question: "But isn’t meat protein superior to plant protein?"In a word, "No." That is a complete myth that has been perpetuated for almost 100 years. No matter how much this boggles our brain-washed brains, meat protein is not superior to plant protein. The amino acids, or building blocks that make up protein, are just the same whether they come from a plant or animal. Protein is protein is protein is protein, no matter what the source. If we eat enough food (not a problem in the U.S.), we get enough of the "right" protein—even if the food sources are just plants.

#7 Common Sense Protein Question: "But don’t I need more protein for strength and energy?"Okay, back to our friend, the elephant. Where do elephants get their strength and energy? Not from eating cows or protein bars, that’s for sure. An elephant’s power comes from plants – that’s all there is to it.Our best source of energy doesn’t come from protein at all – it comes from carbohydrates found in whole, unrefined plant foods, like fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables capture the sun’s energy and then generously pass it on to us. The core energy we have (or don’t have) today comes from the plant foods we ate (or didn’t eat) – yesterday; not the so-called energy protein bar or steak (or that dark, liquid brew) we ate today.

#8 Common Sense Protein Question: "How much protein does the World Health Organization recommend?"Good thinking. The WHO recommends, not exactly a coincidence, the same amount of protein that is found in human breast milk: 4.5% to 5% protein. Remember, oranges have 8% protein.Is the protein fog starting to lift a bit? There are lots of true experts out there, way, way smarter than I, who agree: Plants provide us with plenty of protein for superior health and fitness – it’s as simple as that. Bingo bango. You may choose to eat beef, chicken, fish, and protein drinks, but you don’t "have to." Aren’t we lucky to have the gift of choice? What’s not so lucky is that many of us forget that consequences follow choices—sometimes immediately and sometimes many years down the road. Good choices beget good consequences; bad choices, especially day after day bad choices, beget painful consequences. It’s your body and your life. You have the incredible power to feed your body and your life or the power to deplete your body and your life. Will your very next bite feed you or deplete you? It’s your choice.

Dr. Leslie Van Romer is a motivational health speaker, writer and lifestyle coach. Visit Dr. Leslie at Http://DrLeslieVanRomer.com for practical direction, hope and inspiration.

Top 10 Foods to Fight Cholesterol

Top 10 Cholesterol-Fighting Foods
The best news about reaching healthy cholesterol levels? It's a delicious journey!
by Paula Rasich
Snack on nuts. Drizzle a little olive oil on your salad. Dine on salmon. Have a little chocolate--guilt-free! These, and more, eating strategies can help lower "bad-guy" LDLs, maintain "good-guy" HDLs, AND help you reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.

What follows are Prevention's choices for the top cholesterol-fighting foods.
If you're already eating plenty of them, keep up the good work. If not, begin adding them into your diet today.

Soy The Smart, Delicious Alternative Reducing saturated fat is the single most important dietary change you can make to cut blood cholesterol. Used as a replacement for meat and cheese, soy foods help your heart by slashing the amount of saturated fat that you eat.
Why is saturated fat so bad for your heart? The liver uses saturated fat to make cholesterol, so eating foods with too much saturated fat can increase cholesterol levels, especially low-density lipoproteins (LDL)---the bad cholesterol. Saturated fats are usually found in animal products such as whole milk, cream, butter, and cheese, and meats, such as beef, lamb and pork. There are some plant-based saturated fats you should avoid too, notably palm kernel oil, coconut oil, and vegetable shortening.
Beyond replacing saturated fat, research suggests that compounds in soy foods called isoflavones may also work to reduce LDL cholesterol.

Eat Some Today Not familiar with soy foods?
The basics include tofu, soy nuts, soy flour, and enriched soymilk. Great-tasting, protein-rich meat alternatives include soy sausage, and breaded cutlets and nuggets that taste like chicken. Crumbled soy--an alternative to ground meat--works well in chili, burritos, lasagna, soups, and casseroles. Add tofu to chili, eggs, or casseroles. It absorbs the flavor of whatever you're cooking. You'll find many soy products in the produce section of the supermarket.

What about soy supplements? Research shows that isoflavone supplements alone don't work. To lower cholesterol, you need the whole soybean with its unique protein, phytates, and isoflavones, which may all act together.
Get This MuchThe FDA recommends getting at least 25 grams of soy protein each day. Consuming 25 grams of soy protein daily lowers high cholesterol.

Beans: The High Fiber Solution Except for your morning wheat bran, no food is more fiber-rich than beans. And beans are especially high in cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber. Eating a cup of any type of beans a day---particularly kidney, navy, pinto, black, chickpea, or butter beans--can lower cholesterol by as much as 10 percent in 6 weeks.
Soluble fiber forms a gel in water that helps bind acids and cholesterol in the intestinal tract, preventing their re-absorption into the body. This may be why soluble fiber helps to lower cholesterol levels (and decreases the risk of heart disease). Soluble fiber is also found in oats and oat bran, barley, brown rice, beans, apples, carrots, and most other fruits and vegetables.
Eat Some TodayKeep your cupboards stocked with canned beans of all kinds: black, white, kidney, fat-free refried, etc. (as well as instant bean soups). You'll always have the makings of a delicious, healthful dinner on hand. Beans add protein and fiber to any dish and can be used in salads, stuffed baked potatoes, veggie chili, or pureed for sandwich spreads. And since they come in cans, beans are handy to use. But remember to rinse canned beans first--they're packed in a high-sodium liquid.

Get This Much Eat beans five or more times a week. For the greatest health benefits, both the FDA and the National Cancer Institute recommend that adults get 25 to 30 g of fiber each day.

SalmonAmazing Heart-Friendly FatResearch has shown certain types of fat actually protect against high cholesterol. Omega-3 fatty acids--found in salmon and other cold-water fish--help lower "bad" LDL cholesterol, raise "good" HDL cholesterol, and lower triglycerides.
Salmon is an excellent source of protein because it is high in omega-3 fatty acids called EPA and DHA that are good for your heart while low in cholesterol and saturated fat.
Eat Some TodayTo get the most omega-3s, choose salmon, white albacore tuna canned in water, rainbow trout, anchovies, herring, sardines, and mackerel.
Get This MuchThe American Heart Association now recommends eating at least two servings of fish every week, preferably fatty fish, by far the richest sources of fish-oil omega-3s.

Avocado Healthy Fats, Lower Cholesterol: Avocados are a great source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat?a type of fat that may actually help to raise levels of HDL ("good"cholesterol) while lowering levels of LDL ("bad" cholesterol). And these delectable green orbs pack more of the cholesterol-smashing beta-sitosterol (a beneficial plant-based fat) than any other fruit. Beta-sitosterol reduces the amount of cholesterol absorbed from food. So the combination of beta-sitosterol and monounsaturated fat makes the avocado an excellent cholesterol buster.
Eat Some Today Avocado is a bit high in calories. Your best strategy: Use this luscious veggie in place of another high-fat food or condiment.
Get This MuchThe American Heart Association recommends that you get up to 15 percent of your daily calories from monounsaturated fats like those contained in avocados, but some heart experts recommend an even greater percentage. (In an 1,800-calorie diet, 15 percent translates into 30 grams per day.) FYI: A whole avocado has about 300 calories and 30 g fat.

Garlic:The Ancient Herb for Heart Health: For thousands of years, garlic has been used in nearly every culture in the world, and not just to repel evil. Its nutritional value and flavor have made it a kitchen staple. Ancient Egyptians ate garlic for stamina; in modern times, garlic has been found to lower cholesterol, prevent blood clots, reduce blood pressure, and protect against infections. Now research has found that it helps stop artery-clogging plaque at its earliest stage (called nanoplaque). How? Garlic keeps individual cholesterol particles from sticking to artery walls.
Eat Some Today Next time you hit the supermarket, pick up a tub of freshly peeled garlic cloves, and challenge yourself to make sure it's gone before the "best by" date. Chop up and toss on pizza, in soups, or on side dishes.
Get This MuchTo reap benefits, try for 2 to 4 fresh cloves a day.

Spinach: The Heart Healthy Green Giant: Spinach contains lots of lutein, the sunshine-yellow pigment found in dark green leafy vegetables and egg yolks. Lutein already has a "golden" reputation for guarding against age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness. Now research suggests that just a 1/2 cup of a lutein-rich food daily also guards against heart attacks by helping artery walls "shrug off" cholesterol invaders that cause clogging.

Eat Some Today Look for 9-oz bags of baby spinach leaves that you can pop in the microwave (ready in 3 minutes). Top with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan and 1 tablespoon of toasted sunflower seeds. Add a roll, and you've got a heavenly low-cal dinner for one.
Get This Much: Spinach is the richest source of lutein. Shoot for a ½ cup a day.

Cholesterol-Cutting Margarines: Best Spreads for Your Breads: Two margarines are proven to help lower your cholesterol numbers: Take Control and Benecol. They do so by blocking the absorption of the cholesterol contained in your food and bile.
Take Control margarine is made with plant sterols that are proven to lower both total and LDL cholesterol by up to 14 percent. The plant stanols in Benecol margarine work the same way. Both the National Cholesterol Education Program and the American Heart Association recommend these margarines.

Eat Some Today Spread these margarines on your toast or bagel in the morning or for a mid-day snack. The only side effect is reduced beta-carotene absorption. To compensate, make sure you eat extra carrots, spinach, sweet red peppers, or sweet potatoes.
Get This MuchIn studies, three servings a day of Benecol helped drop total blood cholesterol by an average of 10 percent and LDL cholesterol by 14 percent. Take Control helped drop total cholesterol an average of 6 to 8 percent and LDL by 7 to 10% with one to two servings a day. Check labels for serving size.

Walnuts, Cashews, and Almonds Go (Mixed) Nuts!
A moderate-fat diet that's rich in the healthy monounsaturated fats found in nuts may actually be twice as good for your heart as a low-fat diet. Nuts also have vitamin E, magnesium, copper, and phytochemicals that have been linked to heart health. And walnuts are also rich in omega-3s. People who eat nuts regularly have less heart disease and other illnesses than people who don't. The heart-healthy monounsaturated fats they contain are also better for your joints than the polyunsaturated fats found in corn and safflower oils.

Eat Some Today The key is moderation: Nuts are high in calories. Keep a jar of chopped nuts in your fridge, and sprinkle 2 tablespoons a day on cereal, veggies, salads, or yogurt. Or add them to your diet by sprinkling chopped nuts on stir-fries. Almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts can be added to pilafs. Make a trail mix with your favorite nuts, seeds and dried fruit.
Get This Much Aim for 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts five times a week, or a small handful as a snack 3-4 times a week.

Tea: The Hot and Cool Superdrink: Tea, whether it's iced or hot, delivers a blast of antioxidant compounds. Studies prove that tea helps to keep blood vessels relaxed and prevent blood clots. Flavonoids, the major antioxidants in tea, have been shown to prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol that leads to plaque formation on artery walls. These powerful antioxidants may even reduce cholesterol and even lower blood pressure.

Drink Some Today Enjoy a cup of hot or iced tea. Although convenience iced teas still have high antioxidant levels, most homemade iced tea (both hot-brewed and fridge teas) have even more antioxidants . So, if you want the very max, make your own.
Get This Much A cup of hot tea actually contains more antioxidants than a serving of any fruit or vegetable. Both green and black teas have high antioxidant levels. Enjoy at least one cup of tea every day.

Chocolate: The Sweet Heart Bonus: Want to help your heart the next time you indulge in chocolate candy? Choose the dark or bittersweet kind. Compared to milk chocolate, it has more than three times as many antioxidants. These flavonoid antioxidants work to keep blood platelets from sticking together and may even help keep your arteries unclogged. Milk chocolate is good too, having as much antioxidant power as red wine. And what about white chocolate? Sorry, it has no flavonoids at all.

Eat Some Today The levels of flavonoids in chocolate vary, depending on where it is grown and handled and how it is processed. Researchers have been studying a variety of chocolate, developed by Mars, Inc., with guaranteed high-flavonoid levels. You can find it now in Mars Dove bars. To control the calories, buy Dove dark chocolate Promises. Indulge in one flavorful, high-flavonoid morsel daily, for just 42 calories and 2.6 g of fat.
Get This Much Research shows that about an ounce of chocolate a day increases good cholesterol and prevents bad cholesterol from oxidizing.

Drink Your Tea

Teas And Your Health - By Zach Thompson

There are many teas that have been drunk throughout the ages. They are basically infusions of plants, usually the leaves and sometimes the flowers, by boiling them with water. Teas can be drunk hot or cold and are used for a variety of ailments. Teas of different sorts are drunk worldwide.
The official tea that we drink is the second most popular beverage and grown in the mountainous regions of China, India, Sir Lanka, Vietnam, Nepal, Georgia, Japan, Kenya, Malawi and Taiwan. The tea we drink is taken from the top leaves and the buds of the Camellia Sinensis tree. These leaves are specially dried and then crushed for maximum flavor.

Tea is a mild stimulant, with small amounts of caffeine. It has far less than its counterpart coffee. It also has small amounts of vitamin A, B2, C, D, K, and P. there are also trace amounts of some minerals. Overall it is good for your health. It is recommended that about 3 cups of tea and more should be drunk a day to get the healthful qualities of this beverage.

There are 4 common forms of tea are:
Black tea
White tea
Oolong tea
Green tea

Black tea is the most common form of tea and is known as the famous “English tea” as this is drunk predominantly in Britain and the Western world. This tea is drunk hot but can also be used to brew the famous iced tea. It is made from the leaves of the tea plant and is completely fermented. This results in its darker color. It is more of a stimulant than the other teas and a more intense taste. Sometimes it is drunk with lemon but most commonly with milk.

White tea comes from the bud of the tea plant. It undergoes little or no processing (fermenting or oxidizing) this brings out the antioxidants but will reduce the stimulant quality of this tea. Because the buds can only be harvested in the spring season this tea is not so common and fairly expensive.

Oolong tea is fermented more than green tea but less than black. Research has shown that this tea helps the digestive system and is good for metabolism.

Green tea is also not fermented like white tea but is made from more mature leaves so is much more common and affordable. This tea was predominantly drunk in the Orient namely Japan and China, but is gaining new ground in the West as research is showing the beneficial properties of this form of tea. Again it has more antitoxins (flavonoids) and is less of a stimulant. Added to this it has vitamin C and fluoride.

Tea Houses are becoming very popular especially in fashionable areas of Europe like Paris. As more research comes to light we will hear more about the benefits of this popular drink. So the next time you relax with a good refreshing cup of tea you can rest assured that your favorite beverage is also good for your health.