Protein: Animal-Based vs. Plant-Based
Protein: Animal-Based vs. Plant-Based
Maintaining Motivation
Fat: The Good vs. The Bad
+ PART 5: Why THe Source of Your Food Matters (Part 2)
Protein is one of the three macronutrients meaning we cannot survive without it. The human body is about 10-20% protein. Many people think we need protein mainly to help build and maintain muscle but protein has many different, important functions in our body. Protein provides energy, makes up hormones and enzymes, acts as messengers, antibodies, and neurotransmitters, and helps to maintain acid-base and fluid balance in our body. So tons of different functions!
How much protein do we need?
There’s protein in almost everything we eat including all animal products and many plant products like grains, beans, nuts and seeds, and vegetables. The recommended amount of protein needed for humans is about 0.8 g/kg of body weight. So what does that mean? Let’s do an example so you can figure out how much protein you need in a day. If you were a 150 lb person, you divide your weight number by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms. 150 / 2.2 = 68 kg. You then multiply your weight in kg (68) by 0.8. 68 kg x 0.8 = 54g of protein.
Effects of Animal-Based Protein
High animal protein diets are typically also high in saturated fat and cholesterol.These include poultry, beef, fish, pork, eggs, and dairy. Even though they contain fats as well, most people refer to them as “proteins” and tend to forget that they also are a main contributor of saturated fat and cholesterol in our diet—even in “lean” meats. When we eat too much of these foods, it increases our risk for heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer. It also places more burden on our kidneys. Animal proteins tend to be more acid-inducing foods, our kidneys have to deal with neutralizing that acidity overtime this can lead to toxic effects and can cause kidney damage.
In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that Processed and Red Meat Causes colorectal and pancreatic cancer. The WHO estimates that 50g (1.75oz) of processed meat or 100g (3.5oz) of red meat increase the risk of colorectal cancer by 18% and 17%, respectively. Which is pretty shocking!
Animal protein including red and processed meat also contains heme iron. Heme iron is a type of iron that is more easily absorbed by the body than non-heme iron which is found in plant foods. Higher heme iron (animal iron) intake is significantly associated with greater risk for type 2 diabetes (and other diseases). High protein diets are also typically low in fiber,, some vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals.
Effects of Plant-Based Protein
Now let’s switch our focus on plant-based proteins. All proteins (animal and plants) are made up of amino acids. There are some called nonessential amino acids meaning the body can make them in sufficient quantities. And then there are essential amino acids which means we must get them through food. All plant proteins have all essential amino acids. But plant-based foods contain varying amounts of these essential amino acids (beans contain high amounts of tryptophan, while brown rice contains more of the amino acid phenylalanine.
It was once believed that we needed to eat different plant based proteins together (the rice AND beans) to make up for the shortfalls of amino acids. However, this was refuted decades ago. “The myths that plant proteins are incomplete, aren’t as good as animal proteins, or need to be combined with other proteins at meals have all been dismissed by the nutrition community decades ago”. We do need to consciously combine complementary proteins. Eating a balanced whole food, plants diet is sufficient. It turns out our body has a pool of free amino acids that can complement other amino acids for us. Our body recycles about 90 grams of protein internally that are broken down and reassembled so that our body can mix and match amino acids as it needs. You don’t not need to be concerned about amino acid imbalances from plant proteins.
Unlike animal based protein, plant-based proteins are high in fiber, high in phytonutrients, and low in fat, making one feel full sooner, and result in less caloric intake. Eating more protein from bean protein from beans, nuts, seeds, and the like—while cutting back on refined carbohydrates like white flour—reduces the risk of disease. In fact, vegetarian and vegan diets are linked to:
Switching to plant based proteins will not only help you reverse your diabetes but it can also help with so many other diseases you have been suffering. Plant-based proteins will not only help you lower your A1C and resolve your insulin resistance, but it will also help you lower your cholesterol, lower your inflammation, lower your blood pressure and lower your weight. It’s a no-brainer!
How much protein do we need?
There’s protein in almost everything we eat including all animal products and many plant products like grains, beans, nuts and seeds, and vegetables. The recommended amount of protein needed for humans is about 0.8 g/kg of body weight. So what does that mean? Let’s do an example so you can figure out how much protein you need in a day. If you were a 150 lb person, you divide your weight number by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms. 150 / 2.2 = 68 kg. You then multiply your weight in kg (68) by 0.8. 68 kg x 0.8 = 54g of protein.
Effects of Animal-Based Protein
High animal protein diets are typically also high in saturated fat and cholesterol.These include poultry, beef, fish, pork, eggs, and dairy. Even though they contain fats as well, most people refer to them as “proteins” and tend to forget that they also are a main contributor of saturated fat and cholesterol in our diet—even in “lean” meats. When we eat too much of these foods, it increases our risk for heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer. It also places more burden on our kidneys. Animal proteins tend to be more acid-inducing foods, our kidneys have to deal with neutralizing that acidity overtime this can lead to toxic effects and can cause kidney damage.
In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that Processed and Red Meat Causes colorectal and pancreatic cancer. The WHO estimates that 50g (1.75oz) of processed meat or 100g (3.5oz) of red meat increase the risk of colorectal cancer by 18% and 17%, respectively. Which is pretty shocking!
Animal protein including red and processed meat also contains heme iron. Heme iron is a type of iron that is more easily absorbed by the body than non-heme iron which is found in plant foods. Higher heme iron (animal iron) intake is significantly associated with greater risk for type 2 diabetes (and other diseases). High protein diets are also typically low in fiber,, some vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals.
Effects of Plant-Based Protein
Now let’s switch our focus on plant-based proteins. All proteins (animal and plants) are made up of amino acids. There are some called nonessential amino acids meaning the body can make them in sufficient quantities. And then there are essential amino acids which means we must get them through food. All plant proteins have all essential amino acids. But plant-based foods contain varying amounts of these essential amino acids (beans contain high amounts of tryptophan, while brown rice contains more of the amino acid phenylalanine.
It was once believed that we needed to eat different plant based proteins together (the rice AND beans) to make up for the shortfalls of amino acids. However, this was refuted decades ago. “The myths that plant proteins are incomplete, aren’t as good as animal proteins, or need to be combined with other proteins at meals have all been dismissed by the nutrition community decades ago”. We do need to consciously combine complementary proteins. Eating a balanced whole food, plants diet is sufficient. It turns out our body has a pool of free amino acids that can complement other amino acids for us. Our body recycles about 90 grams of protein internally that are broken down and reassembled so that our body can mix and match amino acids as it needs. You don’t not need to be concerned about amino acid imbalances from plant proteins.
Unlike animal based protein, plant-based proteins are high in fiber, high in phytonutrients, and low in fat, making one feel full sooner, and result in less caloric intake. Eating more protein from bean protein from beans, nuts, seeds, and the like—while cutting back on refined carbohydrates like white flour—reduces the risk of disease. In fact, vegetarian and vegan diets are linked to:
- Reduced obesity risk
- Reduced type 2 diabetes risk
- Reduced cancer risk
- Better colon health
- Reduced heart disease risk
- Reduced hypertension risk
Switching to plant based proteins will not only help you reverse your diabetes but it can also help with so many other diseases you have been suffering. Plant-based proteins will not only help you lower your A1C and resolve your insulin resistance, but it will also help you lower your cholesterol, lower your inflammation, lower your blood pressure and lower your weight. It’s a no-brainer!
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Fat: The Good vs. The Bad
There are two main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated fats. There is another type of fat called trans fat which is technically “unsaturated” due to their molecular structure but for simplicity purposes we will separate it on its own category. Let’s start with the worst possible kind of fat for you: trans fats.
Trans Fats
There are two main sources of trans fat. Naturally occurring ones in beef, pork, lamb, butter, and milk, and artificial trans fats which originate from a process called hydrogenation. The main purpose of hydrogenation is to turn liquid fats into solid fats so they have a longer shelf life. The majority of trans fat in people’s diet is the artificial kind. These fats are hidden in most processed foods and can be found in products containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils including cakes, pies, cookies, biscuits, margarine, crackers, microwavable popcorn, doughnuts, coffee creamers, and others. Trans fat adversely affects insulin resistance, and is also associated with many other conditions such as heart disease, stroke, atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Additionally, even small amounts of trans fats can elevate your LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduce HDL (good) cholesterol.
Saturated Fats
Next, we have saturated fats. Saturated fats are mainly found in animal foods but a few plant foods are also high in saturated fats. Animal products such as meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, butter, cheese, milk, sour cream, and eggs all contain saturated fats. Plant foods such as olives, coconuts, avocado, vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds also contain some saturated fats, but to a lesser degree. The overwhelming majority of evidence based research points out that a diet high in saturated fats coming mostly from animal sources are triggers for insulin resistance and systemic inflammation.
As you learned in the “Diet Wars” lecture, diets that revolve around eating small amounts of carbohydrates, tend to be high-fat diets (like Paleo, Keto, and Low-Carb diets). These diets might be effective in the short term to lose weight and bring blood glucose down, but they are really contributing to higher levels of insulin resistance in the long run, which increases your overall risk for many other chronic conditions.
When you eat foods high in saturated fat from animal products, both insulin and glucose get trapped in your blood simultaneously. In addition to the direct negative impact on your muscle, liver, and adipose tissue, excess saturated fat also directly impairs the ability of the pancreatic beta cells to manufacture and secrete insulin. They promote fatty liver disease, increase the amount of glucose your liver produces, increase your triglyceride levels, and increase your LDL cholesterol.
Unsaturated Fats
Within the unsaturated family you’ll find: monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs). Unsaturated fats are considered the least harmful of the fat types and offer protection against the development of insulin resistance when eaten in small quantities. Additionally, all fats, including the healthy ones, are high in calories. To control your calorie intake, consume unsaturated fats instead of other types of fat, not in addition to them.
While it may be tempting to start replacing foods high in saturated fat such as animal products with foods high in unsaturated fat, please understand that all whole foods contain unsaturated fat, without exception. There is no single whole food that does not contain some fat. Yes, even bananas, carrots, lettuce, potatoes, and beans. If you base your diet around plant-based whole foods, then you will intake small amounts of fat from each whole food you eat, resulting in a larger total fat intake than you may suspect. Many people are surprised to learn that foods like fruits and vegetables contain any fat at all. Luckily, most of it is unsaturated fat and if you follow a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, you will easily meet your daily fat requirements.
Nuts and seeds are considered high-fat plant foods and some examples include walnuts, almonds, cashews, hemp seeds, chia seeds and flaxseeds. They contain great amounts of unsaturated fats, as well as, nutrients and protective phytochemical compounds. Even though nuts and seeds are considered “plant-based” and are a much better alternative to get your fat than meat and dairy products, we encourage you to eat small amounts of them so you can maintain your fat intake below 15-20% of your total caloric intake.
Dairy products have the most saturated fat with more than 50% coming this type of fat. Nuts, on the other hand, are low in saturated fat but high in unsaturated fat. Meats all hover around 50% saturated fat with lower amounts of the unsaturated fats. Remember, all foods will contain all forms of fat, but all in different ratios.
Key Takeaways
Trans Fats
There are two main sources of trans fat. Naturally occurring ones in beef, pork, lamb, butter, and milk, and artificial trans fats which originate from a process called hydrogenation. The main purpose of hydrogenation is to turn liquid fats into solid fats so they have a longer shelf life. The majority of trans fat in people’s diet is the artificial kind. These fats are hidden in most processed foods and can be found in products containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils including cakes, pies, cookies, biscuits, margarine, crackers, microwavable popcorn, doughnuts, coffee creamers, and others. Trans fat adversely affects insulin resistance, and is also associated with many other conditions such as heart disease, stroke, atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Additionally, even small amounts of trans fats can elevate your LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduce HDL (good) cholesterol.
Saturated Fats
Next, we have saturated fats. Saturated fats are mainly found in animal foods but a few plant foods are also high in saturated fats. Animal products such as meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, butter, cheese, milk, sour cream, and eggs all contain saturated fats. Plant foods such as olives, coconuts, avocado, vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds also contain some saturated fats, but to a lesser degree. The overwhelming majority of evidence based research points out that a diet high in saturated fats coming mostly from animal sources are triggers for insulin resistance and systemic inflammation.
As you learned in the “Diet Wars” lecture, diets that revolve around eating small amounts of carbohydrates, tend to be high-fat diets (like Paleo, Keto, and Low-Carb diets). These diets might be effective in the short term to lose weight and bring blood glucose down, but they are really contributing to higher levels of insulin resistance in the long run, which increases your overall risk for many other chronic conditions.
When you eat foods high in saturated fat from animal products, both insulin and glucose get trapped in your blood simultaneously. In addition to the direct negative impact on your muscle, liver, and adipose tissue, excess saturated fat also directly impairs the ability of the pancreatic beta cells to manufacture and secrete insulin. They promote fatty liver disease, increase the amount of glucose your liver produces, increase your triglyceride levels, and increase your LDL cholesterol.
Unsaturated Fats
Within the unsaturated family you’ll find: monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs). Unsaturated fats are considered the least harmful of the fat types and offer protection against the development of insulin resistance when eaten in small quantities. Additionally, all fats, including the healthy ones, are high in calories. To control your calorie intake, consume unsaturated fats instead of other types of fat, not in addition to them.
While it may be tempting to start replacing foods high in saturated fat such as animal products with foods high in unsaturated fat, please understand that all whole foods contain unsaturated fat, without exception. There is no single whole food that does not contain some fat. Yes, even bananas, carrots, lettuce, potatoes, and beans. If you base your diet around plant-based whole foods, then you will intake small amounts of fat from each whole food you eat, resulting in a larger total fat intake than you may suspect. Many people are surprised to learn that foods like fruits and vegetables contain any fat at all. Luckily, most of it is unsaturated fat and if you follow a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, you will easily meet your daily fat requirements.
Nuts and seeds are considered high-fat plant foods and some examples include walnuts, almonds, cashews, hemp seeds, chia seeds and flaxseeds. They contain great amounts of unsaturated fats, as well as, nutrients and protective phytochemical compounds. Even though nuts and seeds are considered “plant-based” and are a much better alternative to get your fat than meat and dairy products, we encourage you to eat small amounts of them so you can maintain your fat intake below 15-20% of your total caloric intake.
Dairy products have the most saturated fat with more than 50% coming this type of fat. Nuts, on the other hand, are low in saturated fat but high in unsaturated fat. Meats all hover around 50% saturated fat with lower amounts of the unsaturated fats. Remember, all foods will contain all forms of fat, but all in different ratios.
Key Takeaways
- The main idea you need to understand is that ALL FAT IS NOT CREATED EQUAL. There are different types of fat and most importantly different SOURCES.
- All foods contain fat. Our goal is to maintain our fat intake between 15 and 20% of our total calorie consumption. And this is only achievable by replacing foods that are rich in saturated fat and trans fat (including meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, oils, and processed foods) with carbohydrate-rich whole foods that are low in saturated fat and trans fat.
- Even foods such as nuts, seeds, and avocados which are rich in “good fats” need to be kept to a minimal to help you reverse insulin resistance.
Next Lesson
Previous Lesson
Protein: Animal-Based vs. Plant-Based
Maintaining Motivation
Fat: The Good vs. The Bad
+ PART 5: Why THe Source of Your Food Matters (Part 2)
Maintaining Motivation
It's normal to experience a dip in motivation at this point in the program. In this lesson, we go over 13 tips to keep you on track and keep you motivated.
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