Fitness & Strength
Q & A. Protein for a raw foodie/vegetarian. 05/30/2010
Dear Jessica, I am wondering about protein for a raw foodie or vegetarian? I do eat eggs, fish and cheese occasionally, so I am not completely veggie, but wondering if my workout program will ever really work when I only eat those things maybe 3 times a week. I know some work out enthusiasts eat animal protein 3 times a day rather than three times a week! Nice question!! This was recently an area of inquiry of mine as well! I wrote up a report and gave a presentation on this. Here's what I found. There is a whole community of people out there that are convinced that animal protein is in no way necessary for building a strong physique. All foods have some protein! Animal products have the highest amounts of protein per gram but with vegetables being so calorically low you could eat probably 4 or 5 times the amount of vegetables for the same caloric value. I often hear that when going vegan or vegetarian people start to lose weight. why? Because again, it is the TOTAL calorie count that matters in weight loss and this usually drops as people exclude certain foods from their diet. Don't think that you NEED to eat animal protein. It is certainly possible to be strong and fully nourished without it. An egg has about 6 grams of protein but two tablespoons of pumpkin seeds has 7 grams. half cup of edammame has 8 grams. See what I mean? the protein is there, we have just been programed to think that: animal=protein=good. Unprogram yourself. Food should be seen for what it is, rather than it's nutrient parts. Do some research on Vegetarian dieting. See what has worked for others and then make an educated decision on what will work for you. "wondering if my workout program will ever really work"--I just need to make a comment here: Believe in it!!! If you are focused in your workout program and you enter each exercise with determination and purpose then of course it will work! no doubt. But don't just pass the time by sloppily "getting it over with". It breaks my heart when I see people at the gym every day for years and years fiddling with equipment and going through the motions and their bodies don't change at all. Be effective when you exercise and eat! Be focused. Make change. CommentsLeave a Reply |    JessicaFitness competitor in training ArchivesOctober 2011 CategoriesAll  |
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