Need lots of low calorie protien - help - Raw Food Chat

RawFoodGrl · 04-08-2008

This is a long post, but I really need help and want to give as much info to you to see if you can help me. This situation is causing EXTREME physiological distress:

I know generally there is protien in everything, and that our bodies can make use of far less protien than "they" say, as since we're eating raw we're making maximum use of it.

However, I'm recovering from an injury and my body is REALLY craving protien. The better I get, the more active I get, the more I need it. (I know that'll change in time as I get all the way better.)

So, I need to dramatically increase my protien and I'm really stuck. I seem to easily be getting between 30 and 40 grams of protien daily, but am having a heck of a time getting it up to even 50. I'm not sure if it's because I've been more active for several days now and haven't been getting enough the last few days (meaning perhaps if I stuck to something like 50 the last few days I'd be fine), but I've been eating over 70 today and only STARTING to sort of kind of feel somewhat balanced - and I can't wait for the extra 46 grams that are coming with dinner!

To get there right now, I'm going the meat, cheese and soy route, but obviously that's not something I prefer to do.

I've been experimenting with an online diet tracking program and it seems that the only way I can really get the right amount of protien is to really load up on nuts (after adding hemp, grains, beans, fruits and veggies). But then my calories are off the charts (well over 2200). And while I'm getting more active, I can't yet exercise, and really do NOT want to put on pounds I've worked awfully gosh darn hard to get off.

(I have been doing well with around 1500 calories lately, I'm comfortable with going up to 1700, but I am nervous about increasing that.)

So - how can I load up on protien in my diet and still keep my calories to a reasonable amount (and not stuff myself to bursting)?

jroo · 04-08-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by RawFoodGrl

So - how can I load up on protein in my diet and still keep my calories to a reasonable amount (and not stuff myself to bursting)?

According to Victoria Boutenko in Green For Life, 1 lb. of kale and lambsquarters both have greater than the RDA of complete protein. One lb of kale has about 223 calories.

Because of your fruit issues, and to keep calories down, I would try making a green smoothie, but go really heavy on the greens. Maybe 2 apples per quarter pound of greens. Eight apples and a lb. of kale would be right around 1000 calories. My guess is this would be 3 or 4 quarts of smoothie.

If you aren't used to so many greens in a smoothie, add some goji berries, coconut oil, cacao, lemon juice, lime juice, or cayenne pepper to help with taste or texture.

Double Helix · 04-09-2008

I have been seeing a few threads like these lately:

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=39903

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=39765

It's not really a "protein" craving, just a craving for animal foods that you used to eat. It may have to do with your detoxing them out of your system...thus the desire for them once again.

How do you know that you "need" more protein than you are already getting?

If you are truly concerned about your protein, why not get a simple protein and amino acid blood test? This would surely tell you if you are lacking, which I really doubt you are since you've been eating your greens.

It would be nearly impossible for you to lack protein if you are eating as you are. All plant foods contain protein. Fruit even has the same percentage of protein as mother's milk, the sole nutrition of a human growing in leaps and bounds.

Another thing, is if you are getting in too much protein, your bones won't like it, as your body will pull calium out of them to balance out the acid environment that the excess protein creates. Just something to think about.

RawFoodGrl · 04-09-2008

The truth is I'm guessing that it's protien as I'm healing from an injury and it's needed for tissue repair, and of all the things on my online tracker, protien is the ONLY thing that's out of range for my eating vs how I've been eating for the last two years.

Maybe it's carbs, maybe something else, I don't know.

I am not CRAVING meat at all, the idea completely repulses me. I just tried it to see if it would help me regain mental balance. I've tried eating more grains too. I've tried finding all the things that I could that are higher in protien like soy pasta and rice protien mix as they're higher than anything else I have on hand.

My mind feels as it does if I've gone too long without eating, yet no matter how much I eat, I don't feel good. I'm getting spots in my eyes like I'm having a low blood sugar reaction, but no amount of eating vegetables, fruit or fruit juice changes it.

As the day progresses I'm increasingly snappy, irritable, and I can't focus on or think about anything but eating. But no matter what I eat, I don't feel full, satisfied or good. In fact, I feel bloated, like throwing up from eating too much, and feel mentally crazed.

It doesn't matter if I'm doing my raw vegan thing (which I did for much of this week) or eating breads, soy pasta and meats (which I only did recently out of desperation.

The closest I got to feeling OK was at the end of the night last night, after consuming 2, 459 calories, 138 grams fat, 141 grams protien, and 164 grams of carbs. Normally I feel awesome on far less.

I don't know what to do. It's affecting every aspect of my life, and I feel truly awful.

Also, I eat large amounts of kale and spinach every day, mache when it's available. I eat about 10 cups of leafy greens every day.

dandelion · 04-10-2008

You won't like me saying it, but animal foods are NOT good for healing of bones or any related structures. You would be much better off with plant protein. Animal proteins weaken the bones, lots of studies have confirmed that.

This is obviously a difficult period for you. To pull through pretty fast you can use comfrey root in all ways you can get it, capsules, teas, fomentations, baths. Comfrey is an unbelievable healer. Young leaves can be used, you can add some to your green smoothies, but the older ones have lost their healing properties. Comfrey root has allantoin, a growth factor which will allow healing and regeneration of damaged tissue pretty fast.

Double Helix · 04-10-2008

Also fasting would be recommended for healing from any kind injury or trauma. The body needs rest from digestion so that it can work on rebuilding what's needed. In your case you may not be able to fast, so eating very lightly or liquids only would be helpful. And lots of rest.

Hope you feel better soon.

tanglewood · 04-17-2008

Hello - I'm new here and don't know much about raw food yet but when I'v done juice fasting in the past I've added pure organic hemp protein - this has not too much fat in it but the fat it does have is good fat & also has a good amount of protein & fibre.

it ttastes not so nice just mixed with water but in a juice its fine.

I can buy it from healthfood shops or online in the UK - I guess you should be able to get it most places? if you have trouble try looking at some online places where they sell the various protein powders that body builders use, they usually have it.

Hope this helps and if I'm really wrong about the hemp protein or theres some reason why it shouldn't be used then I'm sorry & someone please tell me as I'm about to start a juice fast and will probally add a little hemp protein to preserve muscle :-)

Double Helix · 04-18-2008

I started another thread with this but wanted to make sure you saw this too, Rawfoodgrl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae-dlHOmwk4

BTW, I hope you are feeling better!