I have been off and on a raw vegan since October. It is going very well so far. I have noticed vast improvements in my energy, weight, and skin quality. However, I continue to be concerned that I don't have good sources of protein. My main sources of protein are sprouted beans and nuts.

I have been on vacation for 2 weeks, and have only found nuts and hummus (not exactly raw) as sources of protein. I am quite sure that i have gained weight as a result. I am now thinking that maybe I should have eaten eggs and fish during this vacation so that I wouldn't have overloaded on fatty sources of protein. Advice?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/2008 01:33PM by optimist4life.

I hear you optimist. In my experience/opinion, there is certainly adequate levels of protein in fruits & vegetables...for health...and for muscle gain. Throw in nuts and sprouts, and you are probably getting far more protein than you need to maintain health. In my experience, as an amateur weight-lifter and runner, excess proteins are broken down by the body as rapidly as possible....and/or turned to fat. Ever see an avid weight-lifter that stops lifting?

-I believe that a person will never look as 'bulky' as traditional weight-lifters on a healthier diet of fresh, raw plants. On the other hand, I think a person will be pleased with the appearance and strength/endurance levels of their physique having made that change....if they are not fixated on a certain 'look'.

-Do you have stringy muscles...no energy? Ever see those commercials for severely malnutrishioned folks in foreign countries? I find that, barring some pre-existing medical condition....or deletrious personal habits (poor diet / exercise / lifestyle), the hunt for the mythical protein-deficient American continues.....heh..heh. (Note: My apologies and support go out to those that genuinely feel they are protein deficient).

Of course, you can always look up the exact protein contents of the raw foods you are eating here:

[www.nal.usda.gov]

Here's another quick link:

[www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au]

-Hope this is helpful.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/2008 03:38PM by davidzanemason.

Great points David - as usual.

Optimist, if you can, get a copy of "The China Study." I am about halfway through reading it and learned about it on this forum. It will completely change your attitude/understanding of our dietary protein "needs."

As a quick side note: I used to be a very avid bodybuilder. For a female, I was rather muscular and strong. I was eating upwards of (gulp dare I admit) 100-120 grams of animal and supplemented (whey, etc) protein a day. I currently do not lift but I still carry decent muscle given that I don't.

My point being that I would have never thought you could fulfill your amino acid needs from plants. Something that probably most people don't know or don't remember is that we eat protein to get the animo acid building blocks for our body to make the stuff it needs from which amino acids are the ingredients. When you eat protein your body has to break it down to get the amino acids and then assimilate those into tissues like muscle, and hormones, enzymes, etc. When you consume say greens (kale, spinach) your body is getting the raw amino acids. All it needs to do is assimilate those without the extra work of breaking it down.

I tried to write this short and simple and I hope it makes sense. When I started going raw, I kept thinking I needed to eat all sorts of nuts and beans or a supplement to get protein. Now, I turn to greens, sprouts, and seeds for my primary protein needs.

Good luck!

Patty

Right Sewraw. What's the joke? Where do Bulls & Oxen get their muscle from? Ha! ha!

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

Hi,

When I feel a craving for protein, I eat alot of seaweed's. Hijiki and arame, as well as laver (wild nori) and dulse are all good ones. Among nuts, pine nuts are among the highest in protein. Avocados while not among the highest in quantity, contain a very good and easily digestable quality of protein.

Other good sources are Romain lettuce.

If you use supplements, things like spirulina, chlorella and E3live are loaded with protein. The first two could easily be carried while travelling and sprinkled on salads in restaurants.

Nataraj

This info should be helpful to you optimist4life;


[www.drmcdougall.com]

and this

[www.rawfoodexplained.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/2008 06:43PM by Dulset.

Hey, nice links ^^above^^

Just wanted to ask if kale is a complete protein ?

And does anyone have a list of all the RAW complete proteins ?

paulieGB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just wanted to ask if kale is a complete protein
> ?

It's pretty good. You can find out for any food by looking it up at nutritiondata.com - [www.nutritiondata.com]

You will see if you scroll down a little there is a Protein Quality chart, and a score out of 100, which for kale is 92.

Rob

--
Rob Hull - Funky Raw
My blog: [www.rawrob.com]

do you think it is possible to get too much protein from fruits and veggies even if you are not eating nuts or overt fats?

While not raw, I find tempeh to really satisfy my protein cravings, It's fermented, so still contains many health benefits. Have you tried hemp protein powder? It's low in fat yet is a highly concentrated source of complete protein.