Protein Debate

Hey friends,

Glad to see everyone liked our pizza and key lime cookie sandwich! We both felt great after eating this pizza, which in the past was not always the case due to nuts found in most raw pizza recipes (Ian would understand your issue with too many nuts).  We are happy we were able to make our pizza nut free ; ) We had happy tummies.

Check us out on Crazy Sexy Life…we are so excited to share our story!! Let us know what you think.

Today we wanted to talk about a topic that is a bit controversial.

P-R-O-T-E-I-N

Some readers asked us about where we get our protein?  We have a lot we could say on this topic but going to try to keep it short.

When we first when vegan to be honest we never thought about protein. Actually we never thought about being deficient in anything. Our focus was to feel better, have energy, and most of all have happy tummies again.

We grew up with two older sisters that were into body building. They ate a very very high protein diet with little carbs and pretty much no fat. And they gained muscle, a lot of muscle. They looked great during their training, but Lori and I never wanted to look all muscular. We want to look lean and long….like a dancers body, even though we are not dancers ; ) (Note: our sisters do not eat this way…they are almost vegans now ; ) )

We eat for energy…we eat to thrive. Animal proteins and dairy cause acidity in the body, which can lead to gaining fat. Acid gets stored in fat cells. One of our favorite books is Eating for Energy by Yuri Elkaim, Yuri goes into this topic in great detail, check it out. Working out causes acid. Meat and dairy cause acid. Solution – eat raw alkaline foods….like greens to help the body use energy to restore muscles!!

Brendan Brazier has two great books about fitness and eating for optimal performance. (our review on Thrive fitness coming soon) And then our friend Tim talks a lot about fitness, food, and protein. Check out his video where he talks about protein myths.

When you eat to much animal products, whether they are high in fat or lean, you still make your stomach and digestive system work harder to break down these heavy proteins into their amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks to build muscle tissue. Plant based foods on the other hand are a lot easier for the body to digest due to being smaller chains and/or individual amino acids. Amino acids are a pure source of protein…this is what we are looking for!!

We do not eat beans or soy, and eat little nuts, so where do the twins get their protein?

Pure2raw Protein sources:

• hemp seeds/hemp protein powder  (full of amino acids)
• Vega Health Optimizer (hemp,pea, and rice protein)
• Tahini/sesame seeds (good source of calcium too which lost in workouts)
• Dark leafy greens  (the darker the better)
• Spirulina (contains all 22 amino acids that the body requires)
• Pumpkin seeds (also a great source of iron, which is lost when working out)
• Bee Pollen (we do not eat this all the time, I know not vegan, gasp, but it a complete protein)
• Chorella (great source of concentrated amino acids)

Greens have the highest amount of amino acid per oz than any other food….one reason we love our green smoothies!! We have noticed ever since we started eating a high raw diet, and following some of Brendan’s tips we have started to notice our bodies change. They are small changes, but positive ones, it is still a journey. Every thing takes hard work and time! We can work out hard for a shorter amount of time and are still getting results. We do not get sore, even after our marathon we were not sore. We can train less, which is great for us because with a busy schedule we can only get in short workouts.

Now to some people we may not be getting enough protein, but for us we feel we are getting the right amount.  Plant based proteins are easy to digest and are easier for the body to absorb the nutrients, so you get all the protein. Your body does not waste energy digesting them as your body would if digesting animal protein. If you still prefer to eat animal products, please get organic and local!!! They will be better quality than what you find in the stores.

But for those who do not believe you can gain muscle while being vegan please check out the amazing Kristen’s blog about protein.

Our friend Heather did a great post here. Check it out. Remember everyone ones is different and can handle different amounts of protein….fats….sugar….carbs….etc.  We have noticed the same results as Heather with eating more fats and less protein. You just find your own balance! Find what works for you  to get the results you want. Remember it is a journey!

We just know from our experience we do not need a lot of protein. Protein tends to slow us down. Our workouts lately have been mostly yoga and our newest obsession is Tracy Anderson’s Mat workout. We bought a few weeks ago and started it over the weekend.

Well speaking of fitness it is time for us to go work out!

Till next time,

Michelle

The Twins

L&M