Back in February, one of my clients expressed an interest in experimenting with a whole foods plant based diet (WFPB). A fancy way of saying vegan – without all the processed junk food. Because Oreo’s and Fruity Pebbles are technically vegan.
I’ve coached vegetarian clients (dairy + eggs are permitted), but never a vegan client (zero animal products). I had questions.
- What might we need to supplement?
- How will she get enough protein?
- What are good sources of information and recipes?
Ever the curious student, I dove in head first. In fact, I challenged myself to eat exclusively WFPB for two weeks – to fully understand what it’s like + what it takes to eat this way.
In the weeks leading up my own WFPD experiment, I was certain I’d starve, or feel terrible, or crave animal protein like crazy, or gain a bunch of weight from all the carbs.
None of that happened.
To my surprise, I felt great eating this way. My energy went through the roof and my plates were full of reds and greens and oranges.
While I’m eating animal protein again, it’s definitely less than before and I’ve swapped out some of it for plant based proteins like tofu + tempeh + chickpeas.
FYI, this Tofu Spring Roll recipe is SO GOOD! Been whipping up a big batch every Sunday all summer long.
Why is it important to get enough protein?
Since our bodies need proteins and amino acids to produce important molecules in our body – like enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, and antibodies – without an adequate protein intake, our bodies can’t function well at all.
Protein helps replace worn out cells, transports various substances throughout the body, and aids in growth and repair.
Consuming protein can also increase levels of the hormone glucagon, and glucagon can help to control body fat.
It can also help to liberate free fatty acids from adipose tissue – another way to get fuel for cells and make that body-fat do something useful with itself.
How much protein do you need?
How much protein you need depends on a few factors, but one of the most important is your activity level.
The basic recommendation for protein intake is 0.8 grams per kilogram (or around 0.36 g per pound) of body mass in untrained, generally healthy adults. For instance, a 150 lb (68 kg) person would consume around 54 grams a day.
However, this amount is only to prevent protein deficiency. It’s not necessarily optimal, particularly for people such as athletes who train regularly and hard.
For people doing high intensity training, protein needs might go up to about 1.4-2.0 g/kg (or around 0.64-0.9 g/lb) of body mass. Our hypothetical 150 lb (68 kg) person would need about 95-135 g of protein per day.
These suggested protein intakes are what’s necessary for basic protein synthesis (in other words, the creation of new proteins from individual building blocks). The most we need to consume throughout the day for protein synthesis probably isn’t more than 1.4 – 2.0 g/kg.
But wait – there’s more!
Beyond the basics of preventing deficiency and ensuring a baseline of protein synthesis, we may need even more protein in our diets for optimal functioning, including good immune function, metabolism, satiety, weight management and performance. In other words, we need a small amount of protein to survive, but we need a lot more to thrive.
Health + Happiness ~Robyn
Helpful Plant Based Resources for Inquiring Minds:
Books
- Plant-Based Nutrition, 2E (Idiot’s Guides)
- Proteinaholic: How Our Obsession with Meat Is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It
Podcasts
- DR. NEAL BARNARD, M.D. ON BREAKING THE DAIRY ADDICTION
- NEAL BARNARD, M.D. ON THE POWER OF NUTRITION TO PREVENT & REVERSE HEART DISEASE, DIABETES & ALZHEIMER’S
- CARDIOLOGIST KIM WILLIAMS, M.D. WANTS TO ERADICATE HEART DISEASE
- RACHEL CARLTON ABRAMS, MD: LISTENING TO YOUR BODY’S INTELLIGENCE
Recipe Inspiration
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