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Raw Food Protein Sources - Where Do I Get My Protein on a Raw Food Diet?
Photo courtesy of Arthur Chapman
When I started on my raw foods journey in 2005 one of the most frequently asked questions from family and friends was “where do you get your protein?” Now I hardly ever get this question; however, recently my sister expressed that she still has concern about my protein needs. It was then I realized how important this question really is and, as a health advocate, it is my responsibility to fully explain this topic to those who are interested or concerned. Here is my report…
First, let’s talk about what protein is…
Our body consists primarily of water. The second most abundant building block of our body is protein. Our hair, skin, nails, organs, muscles, bones, and every single cell is made up of protein molecules. All protein molecules consist of a chain of amino acids. You may have heard the term “essential amino acids” - these are amino acids that cannot be synthesized by our human body. To date we know of 9 essential amino acids humans must include in their diet to receive their full protein requirement. When you get down to it, all plants have at least some protein because all plants have at least one or more amino acids - the building blocks of protein.
The difference between complex proteins found in meat, dairy, and fish and the individual amino acids found in plant food is explained very well by Victoria Boutenko in her book “Green for Life:”
“It is clear that the body has to work a lot less when creating protein from the assortment of individual amino acids from greens, rather than the already combined, long molecules from protein, assembled according to the foreign patterns of a totally different creature such as a cow or a chicken. . .“Imagine that you have to make a wedding dress for your daughter. Consuming the complex proteins that we get from cows or other creatures is like going to the second hand store, and buying many other people’s used dresses, coming home and spending several hours ripping apart pieces of the dresses that you like and combining them into a new dress for your daughter. This alternative will take a lot of time and energy and will leave a great deal of garbage. you could never make a perfect dress this way.
“Consuming individual amino acids is like taking your daughter to a fabric store to buy beautiful new fabric, lace, buttons, ribbons, threads, and pearls. With these essential elements you can make a beautiful dress that fits her unique body perfectly.
“Similarly, when you eat greens, you ‘purchase’ new amino acids, freshly made by sunshine and chlorophyll, which the body will use to rebuild its parts according to your own unique DNA.
“Contrary to this, your body would have a hard time trying ...
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