by THOMAS on Mar 12, 2014 • 4:00 pm
The consensus of opinion in the natural medicine community, and in some ares of the medical community, is that the general population is not consuming enough protein and that this threatens to create a new epidemic of health concerns. Who would have ever thought that the population of the United States would ever suffer from protein deficiency? If one looks across the landscape, it appears that there is plenty enough protein to be had and yet the stark reality is that not enough of the tuff is being consumed. Protein has been largely replaced with meals high in carbohydrates and protein powder has become the go to source for many folks and this is not the same as eating whole food. The destabilizing effect of carbohydrates on the blood sugar has left many folks with a general lack of energy and increasing sugar handling problems, not to mention diabetes and other degenerative conditions.
Protein is the stuff that our bodies use to build and repair worn and damaged tissue. Protein is also the precursor for the neurotransmitter substances that are required for the various lobes of our brain to function normally. Another benefit of ingesting protein is that it can be used as fuel and due to the complex nature of this substance has the ability to stabilize our blood sugar. Protein takes time to break down in the body and so it is able to provide energy for long periods of time. It is for this reason that it has a stabilizing effect on the blood sugar level.
Many of the jobs being performed these days involve highly repetitive activities and this tends to cause wear and tear on muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Even tasks such as data entry and other types of computer activities cause wear on muscles of the hand, elbow, and shoulder. A lack of protein in the diet can result in insufficient raw materials to provide for maintenance and repair of these tissues. This will often result in a gradual break down and atrophy of muscle fibers and weakening of the tendons and ligaments that attach them to the bones. This will cause muscle fibers to become more prone to injury and the resulting damage to joints and other structures of the skeletal system.
One of the biggest challenges in getting more protein in to our bodies comes with breakfast. Due to heavy handed conditioning of the public by the grain and dairy industry, breakfast has become some what of a carbohydrate nightmare. When you look at the total carbohydrates consumed in a typical American breakfast of milk, cereal, toast, and juice it is truly staggering. Without exception, every one of these foods contains sugar. So you end up with a very high spike in your blood sugar which ultimately results in a reactive hypoglycemic plunge. This wreaks havoc on the blood sugar handling system and leaves the individual drained of energy and heading to the vending machines for the mid morning snack.
Getting more protein into our bodies, especially at breakfast involves a change in the way we think of food. It doesn’t help any when you have the medical community warning the public about the dangers of cholesterol in eggs, the only potential source of protein and other important nutrients in most peoples breakfast menu. We need to remove the shackles on our brains from the food industry and come to the realization that all sources of protein can be and should be consumed at any time of the day. The sooner we change our behaviors in favor of more protein consumption, especially at the beginning of the day, the less we will suffer from degenerative disease processes.