Why is Protein Deficiency so Common?
Interestingly, many traditional Asian cultures seem to do well eating a vegetarian diet. So why can’t we eat that same way and thrive? No doubt our genetics have something to do with it. Books like The Blood Type Diet and other body typing systems, including Ayurveda, have contributed many insights into this question.

By contrast, many of us here are too busy to cook and eating out has become the standard fallback. We race from one activity to the next, eating just to “fill the tank” for the next activity. Dining and enjoying a relaxed, home-cooked meal is becoming less and less common. As for the family cook, many parents have silently been elected the family superhero: holding down a job, driving and picking up kids, coordinating all of their activities and, oh yes, cooking for the entire tribe. Needless to say, this doesn’t leave much time for balanced meal preparation.

In trying to whip up our meals in minutes, we may be sacrificing our nutritional health.

I often say that to be a good vegetarian you need to cook at least two hours a day. That’s not to propose a strict numbers rule, simply to emphasize that being a healthy vegetarian takes extra work. And when we consider our current lifestyles, it’s not surprising that many of us don’t have the time for cooking, and our health may suffer for it.

Chronic Protein Deficiency Sign #1: Constant Craving

Carbs, sweets, caffeine, chocolate, pop, candy, pastries, or chips; constant cravings for these non-nutritional foods point to unstable blood sugar. Not everyone with cravings is protein deficient (otherwise we would really be looking at a country-wide epidemic!), but protein deficiency and unstable blood sugar are intimately linked.

    ~Blood Sugar Stability/ Protein Deficiency Home Assessment~

This short assessment may help discover a blood sugar imbalance that a blood test might not pick up.

1.    If you are a vegetarian or rarely eat meat and have a craving for carbs and just don’t feel satisfied until you are filled up on breads, pastas or sweets, you may have unstable blood sugar that may be due to a deficiency of protein.

2.    If you are a vegetarian and have a secret stash of candy, jelly beans or dark chocolate, you may have unstable blood sugar that may be due to a deficiency of protein.

3.    Try eating 3 meals a day without snacks. If you find you need to nibble or graze on anything other than water, you may have unstable blood sugar that may be due to a deficiency of protein.

Options for Treating Protein Deficiency

Have 3 whey, pea, rice, or hemp protein powder shakes a day; one with each meal.
Eat off the winter grocery list (see the winter grocery list from The 3-Season Diet in the library at LifeSpa.com) and emphasize the vegetarian proteins and fats listed.

Protein Sources:

Non-Vegetarian

•         Meat
•         Poultry
•         Fish
•         Dairy
•         Eggs

   Vegetarian

•         Seeds, sprouted
•         Nuts
•         Beans
•         Lentils
•         Whole grains (in order from highest to lowest protein content): Wheat, amaranth, oats, rye, triticale, teff, spelt, wild rice, barley, buckwheat, quinoa, millet, sorghum, corn, rice.
•         Soy
•         Peas
•         Peanuts
•         Spinach
•         Potato
•         Sweet potato
•         Algae
•         Seaweed

Symptoms of Severe Protein Deficiency:

•     Edema (swelling)
•     Thinning brittle hair and/or hair loss
•     Ridges in finger and toe nails
•     Skin rashes; dry skin
•    Weak and tired
•     Muscle soreness and cramps
•     Slow healing
•     Skin ulcers
•     Sleep issues
•     Headache
•     Nausea
•     Fainting
•     Depression/anxiety

As you can see, your protein levels can really make a difference in how you feel, especially throughout the winter. Whatever your diet of choice, I hope you continue to stay balanced and use these tips to help find what works for you.