Natural Health for Life: Basic diet - part 2

Usually when someone says "proteins," most people think of meat. There are other sources of protein, however. Proteins are basically complexes that are made up of a variety of amino acids. Some amino acids can be manufactured by the body, while others cannot. The ones your body cannot produce on its own are referred to as "essential amino acids" because you must obtain them through food or your body simply won't have access to them.

Animal proteins contain all of the essential amino acids, which is why meat has come to be considered a primary protein source. There are several down-sides to consuming animal protein, however. Especially if you eat too much animal protein, the processing of it by your body will produce excess acid, leading to an acidic body condition. Acidic body conditions can lead to a whole host of problems, while simply keeping your body alkaline can help prevent many conditions. This is a rather complex issue which we will cover in more detail in future posts. Other problems linked with consuming animal protein are the high levels of saturated fats, and the high incidence of treating animals with hormones and antibiotics by the meat-producing industry, and the levels of pesticide that are often ingested through animal protein because of the treatment of feed crops.

Those who eat animal protein can help balance the pH of their body in several ways, but the most direct is to eat only as much meat as needed and balance that with alkaline-producing foods. Avoiding hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides is made easier by the availability of organic, grass-fed livestock. While the cost of organic meats is higher, if you consume only as much meat as needed, that will produce some dollar savings, and at the same time, you can avoid paying medical costs down the road and enjoy a healthier body. There are ways to save on organic foods as well.

Some plants provide protein as well. Different plants are made of different amino acids so that, when combining different types of plant protein (such as grains with beans), the amino acid complexes will complement one another and the body will have access to "complete" proteins. The body can store amino acids and use them later as needed to manufacture its proteins, so these foods do not need to be consumed at the same meal.

However, excess plant proteins can make the body over-acidic just as animal proteins can. For this reason, the same care should be taken to eat alkaline-producing foods to balance out plant proteins as well.

Good sources of animal protein include meats, fish, eggs, and dairy. Plant protein sources include beans and bean products, seeds, nuts, and whole grains.

Proteins are closely connected to the subject of our next post, which will cover fats and oils.

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