GalaLiving

Nourishing Recipes and Wellness Guides for your Mind, Body and Soul

  • GalaKitchen
  • Beauty
  • Body
  • Health
  • Mind
  • Nutrition
  • Yoga
  • Kids Corner

How to Properly Balance Protein Intake

October 18, 2017 By Milen Gala

I’m sure you’ve heard the same questions over and over again… Are you getting enough protein? Are your children getting enough protein? How to you get enough protein on a vegan diet?

Well there are a couple of things I’m here to tell you. First, a huge amount of protein is not required for your children to grow at a healthy rate (assuming they are getting an adequate calorie intake). Second, consuming too much (animal or veggie) protein as an adult is a leading cause of weight gain (second only to junk food), as well as chronic diseases, from the obvious – like hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, to the more subtle – like constipation, poor mood, loss of mental concentration, as well as a whole host of others. 

Let me ask you a question I really want you to think about… When is the last time you heard that someone you know was protein deficient? …. think about it. Think about everyone you know who eats a sufficient diet. I think it’s safe to say no one is protein deficient.

So then why all the focus on consuming large amount of protein on a daily basis? I mean really where did that obsession even come from? We all grew up with the unchallenged belief in the nutritional supremacy of protein. It was stamped in during childhood, reinforced by culture, and echoed by physicians and weight loss experts everywhere. And the diets…Adkins, Low Carb, Palio, all followed suit. 

Well I’m here to tell you, seriously be careful of over consuming protein. Because you will just end up gaining weight, getting constipated, and feeling crappy. Protein in important. Its important for muscle repair and growth. We just don’t need as much of it as is normally “prescribed”.

The key is to eat a balanced diet. Protein is satiating so adding some whole food sources to you meal is a good thing. For the vegan, this would be like eating lots of leafy greens, adding chickpeas on salads, lentils in soups, and beans in quesadillas. But where you should seriously consider drawing the line would be adding protein powders to smoothies, eating large amounts of tofu or tempeh, and the like. 

For the non-vegan it’s important to consider that meat like beef, pork, poultry and fish are all zero-fiber foods. Milk, yogurt, all types of cheese and other dairy products don’t contain fiber either. Eating too much of the these animal based protiens lead to chronic constipation, brain fog, long term healthy problems, and the weight gain. 

So, think plant based and whole vs. refined when it comes to adding protein into your diet and you’ll be on the right rack to a healthy weight, a balanced gut, and a clearer mind.

More Great Stuff:

DIY Creamy Almond and Coconut Freezer Fudge
Ginger Honey Garlic Tofu and Veggies with Farro
The Skinny On Juice Cleansing and Weight Loss

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr

Filed Under: All Recipe Posts, Health and Wellness, Weight

« Real Simple Avocado Toast

Want more deliciousness straight to your inbox?

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Hi Everyone and welcome to GalaLiving! I am Milen Gala. I live, love, work and play in Seattle, Washington with my husband and our 2 kids (ages 11 and 9). We initially created GalaLiving in 2012 to share vegetarian and vegan recipes with our friends and family. In the past couple of years GalaLiving has transformed from a simple little food blog to a much loved space where several thousand people make and share our recipes and health and wellness inspirations. At GalaLiving, we like to eat wholesome, energizing dishes and incorporate lifestyle habits that keep us glowing and make us feel like a million bucks. We hope you enjoy discovering and tasting new things along with us!

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No connected account.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to connect an account.

Subscribe

Want more deliciousness straight to your inbox?

Pinterest

Follow Milen's board GalaLiving on Pinterest.

Let’s be Facebook Friends

Let’s be Facebook Friends

Most Popular:

  • Thai Style Sweet And Spicy Tofu With Red Cabbage
    Thai Style Sweet And Spicy Tofu With Red Cabbage
  • The Dangers of Ego and Asana
    The Dangers of Ego and Asana
GalaLiving, Powered by Wordpress