Why Are My Cronometer Protein Stats In The Red?
The Protein Myth!
Most of us grew up with the notion that, in order to get enough protein, we need to eat a steak, or some KFC, or some salmon. In other words, you had to get your protein from the animal kingdom!
This is such a big myth… The Protein Myth, as it is now called.
If you look at my protein intake from yesterday, my protein intake was in the red for my body weight and activity levels. But in addition, my amino acid intake was all green, which is excellent.
My goal is to have everything perfectly in the green for my Cronometer Stats. Other than that, my chart shows that I CAN get enough protein and amino acids on a totally Vegan Diet! In fact, you’d be surprised just how easy it is to get enough protein on a Vegan Diet. Since all foods have protein in varying degrees, especially plant foods!
Amino Acids Are Protein’s Building Blocks!
Okay, about amino acids.
If you studied Biology and Physiology, you know that the human body needs amino acids in order to build protein that the human body can use.
The thing about consuming protein-rich foods is that your body will need to break down these protein foods anyway, into amino acids that will then be re-created into protein that the body can use. This process essentially causes the body to worker much harder in order for you to have adequate protein, that is, if you diet is heavy into animal protein-rich foods.
Plant foods contain an abundant supply of amino acids, and together with the human body, produces all the essential amino acids it needs to create its own protein. Eating plant foods for protein is more efficient because you are getting the amino acids directly and eliminate that extra step of breaking down protein-rich foods.
In other words, all foods from the plant kingdom contain potential protein, plus amino acids to build protein.
How I Got My Protein…
Basically, I put a scoop of Trader Joe’s Pea Protein Powder into my morning smoothies. And yesterday, I had a Brat Original Sausage by Beyond Meat, which tips the protein intake into the red.
And I had a lot of plant foods which gave me most, if not all, of my amino acids.
Having my protein intake in the red isn’t necessarily good, since extra protein can stress the kidneys, and actually cause weight gain since the excess protein is converted into fat in the body. That is why high-protein diets are tricky at best, since you might initially lose weight but the long-term effect is that you’ll gain weight.
