| The number one question most vegetarians | | | | eating enough protein, primarily from |
| are asked is "How do you get enough | | | | animal sources, is drilled into us daily |
| protein?", and the first question from | | | | from childhood. |
| people considering a vegetarian diet is | | | | It's been estimated that the average |
| "How will I get enough protein?" | | | | person in this country eats two - six |
| The Myth of Protein is so widely | | | | times more protein, usually from |
| accepted as fact that even vegetarians | | | | animals, than is needed for good |
| believe it! It goes like this: | | | | nutrition. At it's most extreme, our |
| Protein is the most important nutrient | | | | protein fixation has led to the |
| in our diet, and protein from meat, | | | | popularity of high-protein low-carb |
| fish, poultry, milk and eggs is superior | | | | weight loss diets, condemned by doctors |
| to the incomplete protein from plant | | | | and nutritionists from coast to coast. |
| sources. | | | | The development of factory farms and |
| Meat is the best protein source, and | | | | modern meat processing plants, aided by |
| grains have little or no protein. | | | | refrigeration, along with economic rail |
| A vegetarian diet doesn't have enough | | | | and truck shipping, made meat and dairy |
| protein, and is therefore unhealthy. | | | | products widely available and |
| Vegetarian Protein Reality | | | | affordable. The results, for our health, |
| Over the last few decades, wide spread | | | | the environment, and world hunger, have |
| practical experience of vegetarian diet, | | | | been disastrous. Before the late 1800's |
| knowledge of traditional cultures, and | | | | most of the world didn't eat a lot of |
| hundreds of health/diet studies, all | | | | meat, or dairy, as there just wasn't |
| tell a different story. | | | | that much available for ordinary people. |
| Too much protein is as harmful as too | | | | |
| little, and is linked with shorter life | | | | Except in myths of the Wild West, the |
| expectancy, increased cancer and heart | | | | average person didn't have a horse and |
| disease risk, widespread obesity and | | | | gun to run around shooting things to |
| diabetes, osteoporosis, kidney stress, | | | | eat, or a herd of cows to kill. Mostly |
| and bad digestion | | | | they worked pretty hard, for not much |
| High protein-diets bring about temporary | | | | money, and didn't have that much time. |
| weight-loss, at the expense of overall | | | | Since the early 20th century, a meat and |
| health, and people quickly regain weight | | | | dairy centered diet has been heavily |
| once they return to a normal diet | | | | promoted as the answer to dietary |
| A varied vegetarian diet with a balance | | | | deficiencies, the flawed logic being |
| of protein, fats & carbohydrates, and | | | | that since we're mammals, and our bodies |
| adequate calorie intake provides more | | | | are made with protein, then we need to |
| than enough protein | | | | eat mammals in order to get enough |
| Complete animal protein is not superior | | | | protein and maintain our bodies. That |
| to complete protein from more than one | | | | cannibalistic logic doesn't hold up |
| plant source – they give the same | | | | under the most casual examination. |
| result in different ways | | | | Unfortunately most of recent human |
| Protein from plant sources doesn't | | | | history is based on flawed logic. And we |
| include excess calories from fat, toxic | | | | tend to rewrite history about every |
| residues, or an overabundance of | | | | fifty years to harmonize with the |
| protein, which stresses the kidneys | | | | current world view. |
| The Gospel According to Industrial | | | | The world would be a much kinder, |
| Agriculture | | | | healthier place today if people had gone |
| Nothing in our modern human diet has | | | | with greens, grains and beans instead of |
| been as misunderstood, and as | | | | milk and meat as the solution to dietary |
| misrepresented, as protein. It's | | | | deficiencies. A few people did – they |
| considered by most people as the | | | | adopted a vegetarian diet, and their |
| foundation of nutrition --- and | | | | dietary protein comes mainly from |
| essential to life. The importance of | | | | plants. |