Many people are loving high protein diets because protein digests slowly unlike refined carbohydrates, doesn’t trigger excess insulin production, and provides fuel for energy; however excess protein causes a host of other problems. As an example meat contains phosphorus and too much phosphorus depletes calcium, according to Paul Pitchford.

So how much protein is enough for you? How do you know what is enough?

I help my clients navigate that because we are all different sizes and have different metabolisms and constitutions. One way to check is to look at your valine markers via a blood test. Valine is an essential amino acid. According to My Food Data, valine is also used to treat metabolic and liver diseases. High valine foods include beef, chicken, pork, fish, tofu, yogurt, beans, podded peas, seeds, nuts, and whole grains like oatmeal. If your valine levels are too high you may be consuming too much meat. That’s what my functional medicine doctor told me when my levels were elevated. Paul Pitchford writes about meat and sugar cravings in his book Healing with Whole Foods.

What does Pitchford say is a good balance?

Adding mineral rich superfoods such as spirulina, blue green algae, and chlorella. I also usually go with no more than a fist size full which would be different depending on the size of the person. I always recommend pasture raised when possible. Feel free to comment and link this post if you found it valuable or have a question!

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