Hello everybody,
While my nutritional program centers around lots of vegetables and fruits, mostly raw, i also enjoy having some meat, fish, eggs and perhaps chicken as a part of my meal plan.
But when i explore the facts, i am not happy to know that mainstream beef contains antibiotics (perhaps i detest this most of all), hormones and other undesirable "ingredients" and fish contains mercury and other poisons. More and more, i would actually like to get away from these foods for these reasons.
As inconvenient and expensive as it would be, if i was to continue eating beef, i would like it hereforth to be free range, grass fed... or perhaps wild game. Is there a way to buy healthy fish and are certain fish more contaminent-free than others? Do chicken and even eggs contain antibiotics or any of the other abominations we find in SAD beef?
If i really wanted to maintain some hard-core protein food in my diet, would eggs be the least contaminated alternative?
As another part of the question, each time we eat beef that contains antibiotics (for example 6 ounces), how much (what %) of our healthy intestinal flora are we extinguishing? I, for one, have put a lot of love into building mine up :).
Hi Steve,
I see your point that a vegetarian diet can survive without eggs :).
The myth is in the belief that the proteins need to be combined "in the same meal" to optimize the complete protein chains, not that they need to be combined at all, correct?
Seems it is widely accepted by the majority in the vegetarian community that plant proteins do need to be combined for optimal complete amino acid chains, just that it is not necessary that it be within the same meal.
Also community, i would still love to see feedback on the other questions as well :).
Thanks,
Mighty
Hi Chrisb1,
Much the way Dr. Fuhrman's nutrient density chart assigns the number 1000 to kale, in terms of "amino acids in correct proportions" "Egg is assigned a value of 100, and the "quality" [or completeness] of other food proteins is determined based on how their amino acid composition compares with egg."
While it is true that these foods you mentioned contain all 8 essential amino acids, the real issue is containing these essential amino acids in the right proportions, no? ie: a carrot contains every essential amino acid, but might have (i don't recall exactly) only 10% of the necessary proportion of one of them, so in itself and without pulling from the pool, (ie: just as an extreme example to demonstrate a point, in a "carrot only diet" of 10 grams of protein gleaned from carrots, only 1 gram would be able to form complete protein chains and thereby be usable as building blocks, is this correct?
While it is a myth that different plant foods need to be combined in each meal, it is no myth at all that they do need to be combined within a certain period of time, correct?
Even combining 20 different plant foods, do we come up with a pool that is as excellent in amino acid proportions to form as many complete chains as would egg whites alone given the same number of total grams of protein? I don't have the figure, perhaps somebody else does, but i would be surprised even in a diet that includes beans and nuts if it was above 60 or 70%. Not to say one couldn't work with this, but it seems to me something that has to be taken into consideration.
Is this pool everlasting, or do these amino acids need to be used within a certain period, like 24 hours?... or is this even known?
If the pool is empty in the morning when we wake up (is it?), would it be fair to assume that eating oatmeal would not allow our bodies to utilize a good % of the protein intake as complete chains and we would need to await the next meal of beans (for example) for this to take place?
After this said period (of amino acid pool availability) is expired, what then happens to the leftover aminos, are they either burned as fuel or stored as fat?
Also, i can believe that 56 grams of protein is enough for a 170 pound man that is not attempting to build muscle, but if that protein over a 24 hour period was only 60-70% complete, would we not now be talking about having only 34-39 grams of protein that is usable as protein and therefore need about 80-95 grams to get the needed 56? If this man was doing resistance training and needed proper nutritional support for building muscle, how much additional protein intake would be needed?
If i am going to consider making the transition especially if it was to veganism, these are the things i need to explore before doing so. I am actually feeling strangely ready for the first time in my life to make such a change - or to at least give it a trial - and vegetarianism for me would seemingly be a fairly easy transition.
Hi Chrisb1,
Thank you again for your answers.
I am not concerned about being protein deficient, i am quite sure that is not going to be an issue, just about being protein "optimal". If i am doing resistance training, i don't want something as simple as not having enough protein in my system to halve my results :). And there is a wide view in the world of building muscle that protein is an important key. But your information has been helpful. I had no idea (as you can tell by my questions) how long the aminos in the pool remained there, be it 12 hours or 24 or whatever. Seems from your answer that aside from fasting (and perhaps death) it is eternal.
haha, i like that quote about the 2000 pound bull that only eats grass. But in truth, if a human body builder only ate grass and his buddy only ate eggs, i would have to believe that the egg eater will enjoy better results :) As well, if the one guy ate 56 grams of protein per day and his buddy had double that (112 grams), from everything i have ever read about muscle building, i strongly believe that the guy with double the protein will enjoy better results. The guy with 56g will not be protein deficient, but nor, in my opinion, will he be protein optimal for what he is trying to accomplish.
In any case, i do believe that a wide variety of plant foods can provide enough protein and complete amino acid chains even for the guy who wants a double portion :).
Once again, a million thanks for your answers and for your help.
Mighty
Hi Stoneface,
In the US, the quality control for beef is extremely lax, likely because the powerful beef lobby is able to purchase this laxity for pennies on the dollar compared to the cost of doing it right.
Non organic produce probably has a lot of residual pesticides, perhaps bacteria too, but i wash it very well before i eat it. Here's to wishing there was such an easy solution to eliminate the poisons from the beef and the fish.