Protein on a Raw Food Diet and Protein Powders

Some exciting news for the coming week, i have booked an appraisal to develop my own weights routine next Wednesday morning!! The countdown is on but that doesn't stop me from still joining the Body Pump classes in the meantime :) In light of my new Rockin Raw body building challenge i have been investigating which raw foods have the highest content of protein, a guide to calculating macro-nutrient proportions in meals and the option of protein powders with the big question of whether they are needed or not??

Becoming a Raw foodist i have found many people get their calories from 2 main sources -

Fat or Fruit.

It isn’t very practical to try to get your calories from vegetables, to get 2000 calories, you would need to eat about 50 heads of lettuce, or over 75 raw carrots! Most raw veggies are too low in calories, and high-starch vegetables like potatoes aren’t very edible raw. It is tricky to eat a high protein raw diet since raw high protein means high fat such as eating lots of nuts and avocados. So if you want to get enough calories on a raw diet, the basic choice is: fruit or fat.

Many raw foodists go the high fat route, getting 50-70% of their calories from fat, with the remainder coming from fruits and vegetables and one could easily hit 200 grams of fat in a single day. Although some people lose fat this way and the foods are natural, but the overall diet seemed too unnatural.

In the other direction consuming high fruits can restrict fats to 5-15% of total calories and getting around 5% of calories from vegetables. So you’re getting 80-90% of your calories from fruit (excluding fatty fruits like avocadoes and coconuts). In practice this means eating a lot more food, since fruit has a lower caloric density than fat. Among the best foods to eat on this diet are bananas and mangoes, since they have a high caloric density. A single banana or mango is about 100-130 calories, depending on the size. When people do eat a high fruit diet, they tend to reach their optimal weight, get sick much less often, and feel fantastic.

It’s fairly well-established that a high-fat diet isn’t healthy in the long run, at least in its non-raw forms. Too much fat thickens the blood and reduces your energy. On a high-fat diet, insulin sensitivity is greatly reduced, meaning that simple sugars do not arrive to their destination (the cells) as rapidly. When a person on a high-fat diet eats a lot of fruit (sugar), they often get symptoms of hypoglycemia, candida, concentration problems and more.

Therefore a high-fat diet + fruit = disaster.

On a low-fat diet, however, we find that all those symptoms disappear, even though a lot of fruit is consumed. Insulin works efficiently to transport simple sugars to the cells. Concentration increases and blood sugar is stable.

People have reported outstanding results with a diet that maintains fruit as the foundation. Dr. Douglas Graham, who’s been eating raw for 27 years (according to his online bio), recommends the 80/10/10 diet, a 100% raw diet which involves getting 80% of your calories from carbs (mostly fruit), 10% from from protein, and 10% from fat.

Fruit is naturally high in vitamins, and vegetables are naturally high in minerals, so the two make a great combo. A diet of 100% fruit is considered by many to be suboptimal and unhealthy in the long run, partly because it’s deficient in minerals and partly because people don’t seem to thrive on such a diet. Just getting 5% of calories from veggies, especially green leafy veggies, seems to provide plenty of minerals.

Many people think “But where will you get your protein?” and have been struck by the great protein myth, that humans need a lot of protein.

According to the Max Planck Institute, 25g of protein per day is plenty; the human body recycles most of its protein and has little need for dietary protein. There are tribes of extremely healthy people who thrive on 10-20 grams of protein per day. Excess dietary protein does far more harm than good. Who benefits from the perpetuation of the protein myth? The meat, dairy, and protein supplement industries and their advocates benefit most from it.

But what about when you are more active than the average person or wanting to body build like me? 

Building lean muscle the main focus is to take in more calories than you consume as the body needs more energy to build lean muscle. Therefore you should aim to eat around 30 calories per kilogram of body weight a day. For example I am a small 51kg so should aim to eat and extra around 1500 calories extra a day (not including my exercise calories).

Calories should be divided between 5-6 meals per day which equals to around every 2-3 hours apart, therefore it helps to prepare food in advance. You have to work in the kitchen for the work in the gym to show!

A target ratio for your macr-onutrients is 40/40/20 of carbs/protein/fats (Versus 50%, 30% and 20% non body building).

With my amount of exercise I should aim for a 2000 calorie diet, based on 40% carbs, 40% protein, 20% healthy fats with 5-6 small meals every 2-3 hours apart. This equates as:

•  800 calories from carbs, 4 calories per gram = 800/4 = 200g per day 200/6 meals = 33.3g per meal
•  800 calories from protein, 4 calories per gram = 800/4 = 200g per day / 6 meals = 33.3g per meal
•  400 calories from healthy fats, 9 calories per gram = 44.4g per day / 6 meals = 7.4g per meal

Macronutrient Proportions	Body Building	Non-Body Building
Carbohydrate	40% = 33.3g per 6 meals	50% = 41.6g per 6 meals
Protein	40% = 33.3g per 6 meals	30% = 25g per 6 meals
Fats	20% = 7.4g per 6 meals	20% = 7.4g per 6 meals
Carbohydrate	40% = 66.6g per 3 meals	50% = 83.2g per 3 meals
Protein	40% = 66.6g per 3 meals	30% = 50g per 3 meals
Fats	20% = 14.8g per 3 meals	20% = 14.8g per 3 meals

Each meal should include a fist-sized portion of lean protein (the hardest part in a raw food diet!!!) this is here people usually eat chicken, turkey, eggs, white fish and whey protein powder. A fist sized portion of carbohydrates such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain such as oats, brown rice, wheat pasta and potatoes. Refines carbs should be avoided as they increase your blood sugar levels quickly when you don’t need it. Small amounts of fats should be included at every meal such as nuts, nut butter, olive and flax oils or salmon but are not indicated pre or post workout.

The right nutrients are crucial when eating around your workout. Pre and post workout are your most important meals as you want to focus on protein rich foods as well as fast digesting carbs.

Around 1-1.5 hours before you train you want to aim for 20-30 grams of protein and 30-40 grams of carbs (most people have a protein shake here!).

Immediately after another quick absorbing shake is indicated (with fruits or oats), don’t leave muscle hungry and you will get the most out of your workout and recover faster.

Cheat meals are usually indicated when you are trying to lose weight to boost the metabolic rate but are not indicated in muscle building. However we can have indulgent foods on special occasions. Adding small amounts of body fat while building muscle is normal, try to keep you calorie surplus to around 250 calories a day to prevent the fat gain.
If you are not building the muscle, eat a little more to eat meal instead of adding an additional meal. If you find you are putting on a little more fat reduce your carbs and increase your protein.

HIGH PROTEIN RAW FOODS

It is a rather long process to calculate the protein content of certain foods particularly those which are readily available and easy to prepare. So far i have looked at which raw foods contain the highest protein content to include in my diet, here is a list of a few high protein foods as well as everyday common raw foods for a basis to my meals...

• Vegetables 
• Corn – 5g per cup (13% protein) 
• Broccoli – 2g per cup (33% protein) 
• Peas – 8g per cup (26% protein) 
• Snow peas 2.8g protein per 98g cup, 148 calories – 37% protein, 57% carbohydrate, 6% fat 
• Mushrooms, dried shiitake – 38g per cup (31%) 
• Spinach – 0.9g per cup (39% protein) 
• Baby zucchini – 0.3g each (40% protein) 
• Spirulina dried – 68g per cup (58% protein) 
• Squash – 1g per cup (17%, low calories) 
• Pumpkin (raw 140g chopped cup) = 3.1g protein (20%), 66 calories vs. 17% cooked 
• Red cabbage (raw cup shredded 70g) = 1.5g protein (39%), 20 calories 
• Fruit 
• Avocado – 7g per medium (7%) 
• Nuts and seeds 

• Almonds – 29g per cup (13%) 
• 1 almond = 0.26g protein (14% )/0.24g carbs/0.61g fat, 7 calories 
• Cashew – 24g per cup (12%) 
• Chia seeds – 25g per cup (12%) 
• Flaxseeds ground – 27g per cup (14%) 
• Pumpkin seeds – 34g per cup (17%) 
• Sunflower seeds – 33g per cup (15%) 
• Walnuts – 18g per cup (9%) 
• Cacao powder – 4g per 15g serve (45%) 
• Hemp protein powder – 7.0g per 14.2g (2 tbsp serve) 
• LSA – 2.9g per tablespoon (12g), 66 calories - 17% protein, 64% fat and 19% carbohydrates 
• Lentils 
• Adzuki beans (dried) – 39g per cup (24%) 
• Lentils dried – 54g per cup (32%) 
• Lentils sprouted – 7g per cup (28%) 
• Mung beans (dried) – 44g per cup 
• Mung beans prouted – 3g per cup (32%) 
• Grains 
• Amaranth – 28g per cup (15%) 
• Buckwheat groats – 20g per cup (9%) 
• Oat groats – 21g per cup (13%) 
• Quinoa dry – 22g per cup (14%) 
• Wild rice dry – 24g per cup (16%) 
• Comparison to other non-raw 
• Salmon – 22g per 100g (22%) and vit B12!! (25g per 136g cup smoked) 
• Chicken breast – 29g per 100g (29%) 
• Tuna – 15g per 66g serve can 

NUTS AND SEEDS (Sourced from Livestrong)
Nuts and seeds provide your body with fiber, unsaturated fat, calcium and protein. Peanuts contain 7 g of protein per quarter-cup, Sunflower seeds contain 10 g of protein. You can increase your protein intake by adding nuts and seeds to your favorite salad or eating a handful of them for a snack.

SPROUTS
Sprouts provide the body with protein, fat-soluble vitamins, iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc and many other nutrients. Add spouts to your veggie burgers or salads. The International Sprout Growers Association show that soybean sprouts and wheat sprouts have the most protein containing 9 g and 8 g per cup, respectively.

LEGUMES
Legumes contain between 10 and 20 grams of protein. Soak legumes overnight to soften and sprout, then add them to salads and mix well with other types of raw foods. Lentils, pinto beans, garbanzo bean and others make tasty spreads.

VEGETABLES
Compared to other foods, vegetables provide you with only a small amount of protein. However, they do provide you with a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. The Food and Drug Association shows that a medium-sized ear of corn or stalk of broccoli contains 4 g of protein; a medium-sized potato or five mushrooms contain 3 g of protein; sweet potatoes, cauliflower and asparagus contain 2 g of protein and many other vegetables contain around 1 g of protein.

FRUITS
Fruits only contain a small amount of protein. When you include at least three servings of fruit in your diet, you will only get around 3 g of protein. However, like vegetables, fruits provide you with essential vitamins and minerals. The Food and Drug Association shows that fruits, including apples, bananas, grapefruit, avocados, oranges, peaches, strawberries and watermelon all contain around 1 g of protein.

ANIMAL SOURCES
Meats, raw milk, and eggs will provide you with the most protein of any raw food. However, these foods can cause various diseases and conditions when eaten raw. A large, raw egg contains 6 g of protein, while meats provide between 15 and 30 g of protein per serving.

But what about Protein Powders?? Are they really that bad?

The following is derived from the amazing Wellness Warrior...

The short answer to the question posed in today’s headline is “yes”. Most protein powders are rubbish for your body, particularly the ones you see lined up and being promoted at your local gym. They are often pushed onto fitness junkies and touted as a “necessary companion to your workout”, but in reality these synthetic processed protein isolates do more harm than crazy muscle definition will make up for.

Why they are so bad …

1. They are incredibly processed

There are two main reasons why this is a problem. First of all, when we consume something that is processed to the point of some of these protein powders, our bodies don’t actually recognise it as food. It will then get confused looking for all of the missing nutrients and start leeching them from your body’s own reserves (usually the bones). Secondly, the act of processing involves the inclusion of extra man-made ingredients that are usually synthetic, chemicalised, toxic and harmful to the body.

2. They wreak havoc on your system

Being so highly processed, your body has a hard time breaking down and absorbing protein powders. What we don’t absorb is excreted from the body via the kidneys, which means that if you consume a lot of protein powder, you will be excreting a lot of this crap stuff and putting a lot of pressure on your hard-working kidneys. Many protein powders are also made from whey protein (a dairy isolate), which is highly acidic, or soy, which comes with a whole host of added issues.

3. They are loaded with chemical sweeteners

Aspartame, saccharin, fructose, and artificial colours – these are some nasty words you will see listed on many protein powder ingredients labels. They are all toxic (aspartame in particular) and do your body no favours in the short or long term.

4. They can contain heavy metals

Many common brands of protein powders and protein drinks contain high levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury. Dr Mark Hyman has written a great article about the detrimental effect heavy metals have on our health.

The Wellness Warrior recommends adding things like spirulina, maca, bee pollen to daily green smoothies to feel 'energised and bulked up' (reported by her boyfriend!).

Top 8 acceptable protein powder replacements

If you do feel that you are in need of extra protein, there are some on the market that are made from natural, organic, plant-based ingredients. It just important to read the labels to make sure that what you’re buying suits whatever health agenda you have for yourself. Look for brands that are organic, natural and free of any synthetic, chemicalised, and artificial ingredients. Here are some that are recommended:

1. Spirulina
2. Bee pollen (not vegan)
3. Maca
4. Hemp
5. Vital Greens
6. Sun Warrior
7. Vega
8. Surthrival Elk Velvet Antler (not vegan, but this company works with free range, slaughter free Elk farms, where their strong animals live out healthy lives)

... So what did i learn from all of this? It may be hard to get adequate protein from a 100% raw food diet for body building, i do believe you can get enough with the right foods. But for now i will aim to have as much of a raw diet as possible while still adding eggs, chicken and salmon to my meals... BUT i will learn more about the powers of green smoothies and superfoods and how to slowly but surely replace the non-raw foods into raw foods whilst still having the correct proportions in my diet for my goals. 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%... no matter what the proportion of raw foods in my life will gradually grow just as i will in my body, my health, energy and my soul!

One thing is for sure though, i want to stay away from processed foods AND processed protein supplements, where there is a will there is a way and i will find my way.

I hope i have not overloaded you with too much info here... i think i need a night to absorb all this myself, but i am still excited all the same for my goals ahead and if anyone has some advice particularly raw food recipes with higher protein contents i would welcome them gladly! :)

Rockin Raw

Xox