I told you last week why you should eat carbs. Now I’m going to tell you why you should eat proteins and confuse you even more.

First of all, the body is considered a protein.

That’s why eating beef or poultry is considered as eating proteins.

Humans, just like cows or pigs, are made from proteins.

I don’t know if you knew it (I only found out this week) but apparently fried people (yes, I said fried) smell like bacon. GROSS!

As we grow and develop we need more of it.

When you’re trying to build muscles mass you develop your body, meaning your body needs more body. And what is the body made from? PROTEINS!

I told you what would happen to your body if you work out without carbs but what would happen to your body without proteins?

Well, in our amazing first world protein deficiencies happen to lazy people and the symptoms are: menstrual irregularities, severe weight loss, weight gain, weakness, headache, poor wound healing, stomach pain, nausea etc.

Your body needs proteins just like it needs oxygen. Literally!

There’s protein in our red blood cell, some cells that carry oxygen to our tissues.

There are also proteins in every other cell of our body and in our hormones (insulin and thyroid).

So we know what happens if we eat too much carbs. But what would happen if we eat too many proteins?

Well, a healthy body can deal with excess intake of protein (the amount we need varies  for every person of course) for a specific period of time. After a while you might suffer from one or more of those symptoms: severe weight gain, weakness, lower back pain and heart problem.

The key for eating protein? Just like everything else – balance.

But you knew that. J

This post not going to be as long as last week’s because if you read this blog you care about your food so you’re already eating proteins and of course you read last week’s post so you know to eat your carbs in the AM and early PM and your protein later in the day, right? PREFECT!

It makes me happy that you know all that.

What I want you to understand from this post its not that you need to eat protein - because you know it already; what I want you to understand is that YOU ARE PROTEIN.

That’s why you need it and that’s why you don’t need too much of it.

I’m sure you’re waiting for the part of the post when I’m telling you how eating proteins helps me to EAT THE CAKE AND NOT GET FAT so here we go:

·         I eat more of it after 2pm then before.

·         I eat a small portion of it after workout (emphasis on small).

·         I don’t eat too much of it (I balance it with my carbs and fat intake).

·         I eat a lot of plant-based protein (legumes and beans).

·         I sprout a big  variety of legumes and other plant-based proteins.

·         I know where my animal protein is from (this rule is so important that it is actually rule #17) 

·         I know that carbs are my fuel and proteins are my body.

That’s pretty simple. Now go and make yourself a falafel.

You need a recipe? Fair enough.

EAT THE CAKE AND NOT GET FAT BAKED FALAFEL:

Soak 1 cup of green lentil for a night (or use the lentil you sprouted for extra point)

Heat oven on 400F

In a large mixing bowl:

 2 cups of shredded carrots

1 cup chopped parsley (or cilantro if you prefer)

1 – 2 eggs

The lentil you soak/ sprouted

Mix it all together and make little balls

Put them in a large pan and bake for 35-45 minutes.

OK.

That’s it for now.

LOVE

Researched and Written by Dana Gat 2013 ©