The Protein Myth

Recently, I was looking through a fitness magazine at my local news stand. I was amazed about the advertisements in the magazine. I actually saw an ad that stated "Gain 25lbs of muscle in 12 weeks." I was appalled, to say the lease. Not only is this misleading, it is an outright lie. This type of muscle gain is physiologically impossible.

Despite the claims in the ads, it is not protein intake that controls muscle growth. It is only the demand for growth caused by the trauma of intense exercise that will result in growth. The protein we eat is processed by the liver. The liver controls the amount of nitrogen used to build muscle in the body based on the demand. the excess protein we eat is broken down into carbohydrates and urea waste. Nobody has ever gained muscle by overeating protein. If you are not putting in the effort, your body will only use the amount of protein it needs.

Most athletes hitting heavy weights and using the best nutrition possible gain only about 10 lbs of solid muscle a year. If you remember a few blog entries back, I discussed that the every cell in the body renews itself every 6 months. This is the limiting factor in your muscle growth.

Lets give you an example of a 180lb man with 11% body fat. This gives him 160 lbs of lean mass of which about 80lbs is muscle. With the help of some serious weight training, this individual could gain a true 10% of muscle (about 8lbs). He will also gain another third in other tissue such as blood vessels, lean connective tissue, bone mass, nerves, and organ growth, This brings the total gain in 6 months to be about 10.7 lbs. That is a gain of 171 ounces in 180 days. A far cry from the 25 lbs in 12 weeks that the ad claimed.

OK, so just revisit the amount protein needed. Remember that only 21% of that mass you gained is actually protein. Doing some simple math reveals that 0.2 ounces (5.7g or 1 tsp) of protein is incorporated into lean mass every day. in order to get that amount of protein to become lean tissue, you need 8 times that amount. That works out to be 1.6 ounces (45g). OK, this does not seem like much, but when take into consideration that this individual would need about 108g of protein just to maintain his current existing lean mass, you come out with a daily protein requirement of 153 grams of first class protein required each day to gain optimal muscle growth. Now that is a lot of munchies.

What can we conclude from this. Gaining 25lbs of muscle in 12 weeks as advertised is an impossibility. On the other hand, in order to get the protein required to gain the optimal amount of muscle, supplementation is needed. The question is what type of supplement. This will be the topic of my next entry. I will discuss the types of supplement, discuss my favorite, and I may even touch on the subject of Branch Chain Amino Acids.

Until next time, remember that daily movement and exercise is essential to good health.

The Dark Side of Protein

In the past weeks, I have discussed the benefits of protein, and explained why it is of the utmost importance to get your daily intake of protein. But there is a dark side. Proteins can be harmful if over consumed or by consuming denatured proteins.

Protein is damaged by heat. If it is heated too long or exposed to very high heat, it becomes carcinogenic (so does creatine). Most people eat damaged, denatured protein, such as hamburger. Frying or cooking animal protein in an open container or oven tends to dry it out and ruin the protein.

It is easy to know if you are not getting enough protein. Your performance will decline, your recovery rate will decline, and you will loose muscle mass. What many people do not realize is that it can be dangerous to get too much protein. It is definitely not a case of "if a little is good, a lot must be better." There is a fine line between too much and not enough. Especially when you are consuming too much of the denatured protein.

Excess amino acids in the body not used in the structure are converted to non-toxic carbon-dioxide and water. It is also, however, converted into ammonia which is highly toxic to the body. The body will protect itself from the ammonia by converting it into urea. Urea is normally excreted by the kidneys. However, if you eat too much, the kidneys will not be able to keep up, and the toxins will poison the blood.

Chronic elevated urea will cause inflamed kidneys. This can cause low back pain and general feeling of malaise. Unfortunately, unless the levels are really high your doctor will not be able to detect this with normal tests. The best way to detect it is with a BUN (blood urea nitrogen) test. According to Dr. Richard Passwater, a BUN score of 10-14 mg/dl is a measure of good health. a BUN of over 21 may indicate poor health. High BUN may also be caused by dehydration. However, if your hydration is good, you are feeling off, and your BUN is over 21 mg/dl, try reducing your protein intake.

Remember, that if we over cook and denature our protein, we also dehydrate the protein. This dehydration of the meat is cause of almost all the dangers of ammonia production from the nitrogen in the amino acids. Sashimi (raw fish), is one of the safest and biologically efficient ways to consume protein "naturally" because it preserves the water content. Water is the medium used to excrete urea, which ammonia is converted into, but without sufficient water in the body, it is retained and causes damage.

Eating dry overcooked animal flesh, or for that matter, dry bread or any food robbed of its natural inherent water, will cause problems, especially if you are dehydrated to begin with, which most of us are. Smoking, alcohol, coffee and many prescription & OTC medications only add insult to injury, because they encourage dehydration. This is why I focus on hydration principles even before getting into food, especially for athletes.

Next week, I will cover protein supplementation and the use of whey protein isolates.

So, how should I get my protein?

We have been discussing protein, and learned that it is the most important macronutrient that we should get everyday. We learned that proteins play an important role in even our most basic bodily functions. We even discussed that athletes need to anywhere from 1.5 to 3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.

Since protein is so important, we can not just eat garbage proteins. We need quality sources from whole natural foods. The usability of the proteins we eat is best measured by Biological Value (BV). BV is the measurement on how much protein is retained in the body. Whole eggs are the benchmark standard and are given a score of 100. Here are some standard scores of common foods:



Do not fall for the myth that vegetable proteins are not complete. This is just ludicrous. The problem with vegetable proteins is their low BV score. As you can see these proteins have a score that is half those of eggs and meat. this means that you would have to eat a mountain of beans to get the same benefit has some higer protein sources. Although vegetable proteins have a lot of other health benefits, they should not be an athletes main source.

I would not recomend a vegetarian diet to an athlete. I prefere a more hunter gatherer (Paleo Diet). I will speak more about this in the future. Nonetheless, vegetarian with the best diet for an athlete are the so called "ovo-lacto" vegetarians. They have realized the importance of eggs and Whey peptides as a protien source.

Remember to get your proteins from the higher sources if possible. In the upcoming entries we will discuss Protein supplementation, The negative sides of protein, and the dangers of soy. In the meantime, I would like to share this protein quality chart from My studies with Cory Holly.

But how much should I take?

Last week I began my discussion on protein. We discussed that protein was the basic building block of our bodies. This week, I want to discuss how much protein to eat per day.

Following the daily recommended allowance (RDA) for protein is not sufficient for athletes. The information about the needs for protein have been accumulating since 1974. Dr. I. Gontzea from the Institute of Medicine Bucharest. He showed that exercise causes the body to use protein at a much faster rate. He did studies with athletes by regulating their exercise and protein intake then measuring the nitrogen balance in the blood.

Remember that one of the features of protein that separates it from a carbohydrate or fat is the presence of nitrogen. A positive Nitrogen balance would indicate that the protein intake was adequate. I negative balance indicates that the protein intake is insufficient.

These studies have shown that athletes with the daily intake of protein at 1.5g/Kg/day kept the athletes in positive nitrogen balance when resting, but once the did their 2 hour exercise session, they went into negative nitrogen balance. This is nearly twice the RDA.

Since then, several other studies have been performed with similar results. Now for athletes, it is important to consume protein based on your fitness needs and your current body weight.

Class 1 or Sedentary = 1 g/kg/day
Class 2 or Endurance = 1.5 g/kg/day
Class 3 or Speed = 2 g/kg/day
Class 4 or Strength = 2.5 to 3 g/kg/day

We will continue this discussion next week with sources of protein and protein supplements.

Protein

 A while back, I planned on doing a segment on the three macronutrients: Protein, Fats, and Carbohydrates. This segment will be the focus of the next six or so installments.

First, we will discuss protein. This is the most appropriate to start with, because its name it self means to "come first" or "of the first rank." this is why its presence and position at each meal should be the first consideration, not the last. Did you know that next to water, protein is the most prevalent substance in the body? Remove all the water from the body, and over 50% of the dry weight is protein. In order to emphasize this, check out what is made of protein.

• Hemoglobin that carries oxygen in your blood is made of protein;
• The structure of your genes;
• Your brain cells;
• All enzymes are protein. These control every bodily function from a blink of an eye to the creation of new muscle.

Enzymes are very important in how your body works. All enzymes are protein, so it is very important to get your protein nutrition right. As I mentioned, your genes are mode of proteins. Your nutrition directly affect how the genes work in your body. Researches have shown that nearly 98% of the molecules in your body is replaced every six months. Bits and pieces of your body are constantly being replaced by new proteins. In six months your biceps, your blood, your enzymes, and even the structures of your genes will be made entirely from what you have eaten in the last six months.

The bottom line is that if you eat poor quality proteins then all the structures of your body; muscles, bones, teeth, blood, ect.. will be poor quality. To quote one of my mentors Dr. Michael Colgan:

"The human system is super ingenious at making do with inadequate building materials, patching, and pinch-hitting, but it can't build premium tissue from garbage. A Twinkies and coffee diet produces a Twinkies and coffee body. For optimum performance you have to eat optimum protein to build optimum structure--period."

In my next installment, I will discuss how much protein we should eat.

Why Sports Nutrition?

It seems that more and more, people are beginning to ask questions. The one I get the most is " You are a Naturopath. Why do you focus on sports nutrition? Shouldn't you be helping the sick?" It does not surprise me that many potential clients ask this. What surprises me is that a lot of my colleagues in the industry ask me the same thing. It appears that many people, including many natural health professionals, do not truly understand the benefits of exercise.

The knowledge of the benefits of exercise has been known for a long time. I would like to open here with a few quotes from some very well known individuals.

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save and preserve it.
Plato - 350 BC

Positive health requires a knowledge of man's primary constitution and of the powers of various foods, both those natural and those resulting from human skill. But eating alone is not enough for health. There must be exercise of which the effects must likewise be known. If there is any deficiency in food or exercise, the body will fall sick.
Hippocrates - 5th Century BC

The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, in the cause and prevention of disease.
Thomas Edison

The benefits of exercise are numerous. Below is a list of some highlights.

1. Resistance training has the potential to improve muscle strength and endurance, enhance flexibility and body composition, decrease risk factors for cardiovascular disease and improve glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity;
2. There is a strong inverse relationship between physical fitness and mortality due to all causes;
   
3. Incidence of all forms of cancer is closely related to the lack of fitness. Unfit men and women are nearly 300% more likely to develop cancer;
4. A moving body maintains and improves insulin function;
5. Exercise increases overall white cell counts in the blood. This includes lymphocytes, interleukin, and neutriphils;
6. Exercise strengthens immunity and improves resistance to all kinds of damage including bacteria, viruses, toxins, and radiation.
7. Exercise prevents fat build up in the coronary arteries of the heart;
8. Weight training does not only increase the metabolism, but it builds muscle and preserves bone mass. A 21-year study from the University of Helsinki, Finland, involving more than 3,200 men, showed that those who exercised vigorously in their 40s and 50s were much less likely to sustain hip fractures than men who were sedentary. Even moderate exercise offered some protection.
9. Exercise helps relieve the symptoms of depression.
   

The list goes on. Study after study confirms this. The right exercise should be the cornerstone of any health building program. As I have shown, it helps regulate hormones, increase metabolism, increase bone mass, lower cholesterol levels, increase the immune system. Even the most moderate of exercise programs can achieve this.

To me the answer is clear. Exercise and physical training is not an option. It is a must. It is time to build a healthy body.

Don't miss any racing due to a cold this year.

My wife and I have been into natural health for nearly 20 years. During my studies as a Naturopath, I have come to subscribe to teh biological terrain theories. One of my mentors,Steven Horne, as well as other great Naturpaths including J.H. Tilden, have been teaching this methodology for nearly a century. So, it is not a new idea. Steven Horne is confident that we can shorten the time it takes to recover from a cold or a flu to 24 hours or less. He states that you can even be over an acute ailment in just a few hours. I have to agree with him. My family and I have been using this methodology for a long time now, and even though we have 3 school aged children, none of us has had a cold or flu fully develop in years?


First of all you can only catch a cold when the system is weakened so it is better to create a body that is immune than it is to rage war against microbes that have already dug in and are waiting for the attack. It is important to keep the internal environment clean to help prevent yourself from catching a cold, flu or something else. Think of this to be like flies around a garbage pile. the flies are there because of the garbage. They did not bring the garbage with them. It is the same with germs. Doing a cleanse twice a year is recommended since toxins weaken the body.


Curing a cold is like A-C-B: Activate, Cleanse, Build.

First, it is important to understand that sneezing, coughing, watery eyes and other cold symptoms are created by the immune system trying to get rid off all the toxins and microbes. They are the body trying to gain normality or homeostasis. These symptoms are good. Trying to suppress them only works against the bodies natural healing process. If you suppress this symptoms wit O-T-C or even with natural remedies you are working against the what the body is trying to do.


Lets get back to A+C+B. A+C+B stands for Activate, Cleanse and Build.
First you want to give the body an energy boost to help it push the irritants out of the system. This is A for Activation. You also want to assist the body in getting rid of the irritants by opening all the different elimination channels in the body. This is C for Cleansing. As you start to feel better you want to replenish the nutrients in the body that were used up in fighting the disease.


Activation
The Chinese have an energy system they call wei qi which protects the body from disease. The energy pushes outward on the surfaces of the mucus membranes lining our lungs, digestive tract and our skin.


Herbs with a pungent taste, such as capsicum, horseradish, ginger etc help generate this wei qi energy. When you eat spicy food your eyes water, your mucus clear from your throat and lung, your nose runs and you start to perspire. Pungent herbs activate the energy that helps the body discharge whatever it is irritating it. These herbs are your best friends during a cold.

As soon as you feel a cold coming on, stop eating, start drinking lots of fluid and start taking some of these pungent herbs. I use herbal compositions powders and extracts from NSP. Feel free to contact me if you want more information about them. Activating herbs can be found in HCP-X or CC-A with Yerba Santa.


Cleanse
Activating the wei qi is normally enough to speed recovery. We can also cleanse in order to support the body's effort to flush what is irritating it.


Clearing the colon will often break a fever and dramatically reduce congestion. Some people prefer to do an enema which is the fastest way, but it is not necessary. Digestive enzymes taken together with activating herbs every hour will help break down material in the intestines. They will clear the colon within 2-6 hours. Proactazyme Plus or Food Enzymes are excellent choices if you need enzymes


If fever is involved, it is often recommended to use bitter herbs to help clear the digestive tract and cool the system down. Golden Seal/Echinacea or Oregon Grape are good choices. Small frequent doses are the key. Lobelia and LB extract are other choices mentioned by Steve Horne to clear the colon.


I hesitate to say this given the news lately, but other ways of cleansing is to break a sweat with the use of a sweat lodges or like the Finns with their saunas. Most people don't have a sweat lodge or a sauna at home so you can improvise by drinking herbal composition powder mixed with yarrow and chamomile made into a tea while sitting in a hot bath. I always add essential oils to the bath, open some capsules of ginger and add to the bath. Make the bath as hot as you can tolerate. Once out of the bath keep drinking liquid until you perspire.


Flush the kidneys and Lymphatics
Your tissues such as lymph nodes in your neck or chest, are often swollen when you are sick. In this case you want to add products that are supporting the kidneys and lymphatics. I add 1 teaspoon Kidney Drainage Formula and 1 teaspoon Lymphatic Drainage Formula into a quart of water.


Congested?
As mentioned before, when you are coughing and sneezing the body is trying to expel irritating substances from the lungs and sinuses. It is counterproductive to suppress the cough or drying up the sinuses. A remedy that will help break up the mucus and help the body to expel it is needed in this case. It is called a decongestant. One of the most effective herbal decongestant is ALJ, which comes in liquid, capsules and tablets. ALJ will assist the body's cleansing of the respiratory system so don't expect it to dry up your nose or suppress your cough. You may cough and sneeze a little bit more at first since the body is clearing out the irritants.
If the infection reach the lungs I would add Garlic Oil to the ALJ. You can poke a hole in the capsule and give it to the children orally. For adults taking 1 tablet of High Potency Garlic every four hours can be beneficial. I would also add garlic to the food I am eating.


Build

When you are assisting the body to clear out the disease it is wise to cut back on the food since the body needs to concentrate its energy on fighting off the illness. It is especially important to avoid food that impair the immune system. White sugar, white flour, processed food, sodas etc all tax the immune system and may delay recovery. However, once your energy has returned you can start eating again as long as you don't add any heavy food to the diet. Fruit, vegetables and soup are great to start with and then you work your way up to regular food again.


A must have at home
During flu season I always keep certain supplements at home. It is very useful when the colds and flu are going around so I can boost the immune system. Elderberry Defense or Ultimate Echinacea are useful addition to the natural medicine cabinet during flu season. For children there are chewable Elderberry Plus available and Ultimate Echinacea can be taken by children also.

I believe that it is best to practice prevention rather than lucking for a cure. You foods have traditionally been, and always will be your best medicines. With this said, eating whole, organic, locally grown food and exercising regularly is a great way to build health and a strong biological terrain. In other words, practice healthy living and building a strong biological terrain is the best way to survive this flu season

What is Optimum Health

It is not possible to achieve optimum health without knowing what it is. Optimum means of the greatest degree. It is the highest level that can be obtained or achieved. When applied to health, it means, on the surface, the healthiest we can be. It is more than that.

Many people believe that health is nothing but the absence of disease. If the medical establishment has not pinned a disease on you, then you must be healthy. This cannot be further from the truth. Health exists on many levels. It is physical, mental, and spiritual. All must be at their best for optimum health to be achieved.

But what does it mean to have achieved optimum health? In achieving maximum health, you have maximized your ability to move, work, and think while minimizing you potential for injury and fatigue. You are able to handle all the challenges that life has to offer.

To me Optimum Health is more of a process and a way of life than a destination. I liken it to Nirvana. The steps and tasks that are required to reach it are as, or even more, important than the achievement of the goal itself. In order to achieve optimum health, you will need to have optimum nutrition, optimum exercise, optimum physical activity, and optimum rest. It is also required to maximize ourselves mentally and spiritually. Our physical health is greatly influenced by the way we think.

The two most important things in achieving optimum health is nutrition and exercise. Without either, it would be impossible to do so. The foods we eat today are void of micronutrients, and are in fact artificial by all sense of the word. “At best, this conflict between genetic design and modern food reduces physical performance and longevity. Some researchers also contend it is a major factor in the decline mental performance after age 40 that is now apparent in America. At worst, numerous experts believe, it likely responsible for most of the chronic degenerative diseases of western life”. (Colgan, Nutrition For Champions, 2007) But it is more than our food that is killing us. Researchers have found that the sedentary lifestyle we have adopted over the past 50 to 60 years causes widespread body damage that occurs independently to other factors such as smoking, alcohol, age, and others. (Colgan, The New Nutrition: Medicine for the Millennium, 1996)

It is clear that in order to obtain the nirvana of optimum health, you must begin by eating whole live foods and exercising. It is not rocket science, but many people seem just not to get this simple fact.

The Art and Science of Sports Nutrition

Just mentioning the term “Sports Nutrition” conjures up images of muscle bound body builders in a gym. This image has partially been created by the marketing industry that has portrayed products for weight loss and bulking in this manner. However, the truth of the matter is that sports nutrition is not just for the body builders. It is in fact for anyone who breaths, moves, eats, or lives. It is a lifestyle that leads to optimum health. Sports Nutrition involves what and how we eat, what nutritional supplements we take, and how we exercise. This has lead some individuals to refer to sports Nutrition as a Art and a science.

According to Cory Holly, the art “consists of nourishing an active body with high quality food and natural health products in a skillful, safe, and consistent manner. (Holly).” This does not only apply to what we eat, but includes how, when, and where as well. What natural health products (NHPS) we use is driven by many variables. Some of these include metabolic status and state, athletic goals, training volume and intensity, body composition, injury status, lifestyle, ethnic origin, blood type, and acid alkaline balance. The new science of nutrigenomics (Holly, Sports Nutrition Update Volume 8N5C: Interview with Michael Colgan, 2009) further suggests that the foods we eat and NHPs we consume is decided by our genetic makeup. The art of sports nutrition is the ability to balance all of these variables to achieve your health, fitness, and nutritional goals

Understanding the ART of Sports nutrition is not even possible without understanding the science of sports nutrition. The science tells us the how and why. Through observation and experimentation, we have found out how the use of NHPs affects the health, recovery, and performance in athletes when combined with controlled exercise.

The precise application of the art and science of sports nutrition can give athletes the foundation to meet their fitness and athletic goals and at the same time remain injury free. The art and the science go hand in hand. Both are needed to be applied.

The Big Three

You can't talk about any type of nutrition without talking about the big three macro-nutrients: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. A lot of focus has been on the carbohydrates. Nearly every athlete can tell you that they need carbs; lot of carbs, but how much is enough? What Type is the best? When should I eat them? The same questions could be asked about proteins and fats as well.

Over the next weeks I will begin to answer these questions. Since protein by definition means of the first order, I will begin with Proteins. Until then, remember, "We must train to eat, so that we may eat to train."

How Time Flies

OK, I need to apologize to everyone. I have not been the best at keeping up to date here. I am working on completing my Doctor of Naturopathy studies. the next series of articles will be part of my dissertation. Please be patient and check back often.