become a vegitarian !! LOL lots of good protein available.

Christri-
Ive heard the opposite...that vegetarians need to be careful and try to get different sources of protein from their diet and that the vegetatian diet usually relies on only the legumes for protein....besides the milk and egg products. im curious...i love veggies but dont think I will ever give up meat.

can i ask a personal ? why do you choose the vegetarion diet? Again....just curious

trithis-

I agree one hundred percent. But now that you brought to light the amino acid problem, and i guess that is what i meant to say to christri is that there are some essential, and non-essential AA (amino-acids) and you get all of them from meat, but you dont get all of them from vegetables...am I right on this????? Not that you cant get then from vegetables(???) but you have to eat a wide variety of them?

so does anyone buy the Whey Protein from GNC...currently i dont take any supplements..i thnk i get enough protein from what i eat and i thnk i am geting what i am suppose to be geting along the lines of nutrients by the food i eat...is there anythng that i am probably missing that is usually only taken in by a supplement that i should look into?

I use the GNC whey protein - also mostly for recovery drinks. I used some other proteins (ON) but this seems to mix much easier than the others. Seems like an okay deal - usually there is free shipping or the second is 50% off etc... Typical internet deals.

I've gone to GNC to ask about the whey products before and two different people (at two different GNC stores) told me that the American Whey was the best they carried (most refined and most protein per pound of powder). I bought my first three 3-pound plastic jars from GNC and went online and found a few stores that sold them a good bit cheaper. I just bought two more jars online and saved $15.00/jar including the shipping for online and the tax for buying locally. I ended up paying $42 for both jars plus $5.95 shipping. It should get here today or tomorrow. Check online.

I use the GNC protein as well (and I've tried the Vitamin World stuff, I'll stick with GNC thanks) mostly for recovery drinks and have been happy with the results.

While I agree that there is nothing better about the protein in supplements over the protein from food....you'll be intaking other stuff with food that you don't necessarily need/want. The supplement is there to help your meals by focusing on what you need...hence the name "supplement".

In answer to the above, it has been my experience with my clients that protein (especially in recovery drinks) is assimilated by the body quicker than the protein in solid foods. After a hard workout / race (or in my case, tournament) I use JogMate Protein (a pudding gel type supplement that actually tastes good) for quick recovery and a soy protein isolate powder with fiber for added recovery plus meal replacement during the week. I would not use these drinks or gels as a muscle builder per se, just as an added supplement for recovery

There is absolutely no substituting a good high protein diet (Omega 3 rich also) but not everyone can get the benefits from just that. Plus right after a workout/race most people are not looking to sit and have a meal.

Jose and Paul -

Now I understand. You guys are talking bodybuilding/weight-lifting talk. I've lifted weights since the 1970s, and been on more than one high-protein diet. Been there. Done that. Bad idea. Just my opinion.

Want extra protein after a work-out, have a chocolate milkshake. Lots of protein and carbs.

thehitman

Paul -

Are we talking good carb-bad carb now? And a 40-30-30 diet, too?

And if we're talking about good protein, I'll return to my recommendation that the poster drink 3 glasses of milk a day.

thehitman

I recommend milk I knock out 3 gallons a week. My bone structure is practically steel like superman beacuse of it. Milk it does a body good.

Since I don't think you ever got your answer to this I thought I would answer it as well as try to stop some of the misinformation about vegetarian protein.

First, you can get get more than enough complete protein from a vegetarian diet. However, usually your body needs to process incomplete proteins into complete proteins from a vegetarian diet (exceptions listed below). All you need to do is eat a wide variaty of vegetables, grains, and legumes (I don't have my veg. cookbook to remember the specific combinations that your body can synthesize) each day which becomes rather easy when you aren't filling up on meat or processed foods.

You can also directly intake complete proteins from soy products and fresh sprouts (I have a jar ready to harvest for lunch today). Sprouts are the perfect food. :)

If you are vegetarian and not vegan (no animal products whatsoever), you can get complete protein from milk products (milk, yogurt, cheese, etc.) and eggs. I love cheese and eat it regularly.

I eat about 90% vegetarian meals and 10% meals that include some form of meat. When I do eat meat I try to eat small portions and usually fish or chicken if possible. I would eat all vegetarian, but I enjoy hanging out for meals with friends and family that don't share my convictions.

There are many reasons for becoming vegetarian:

1) Eating nutrient dense foods. Vegetables and whole grains are packed with vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other nutrients compared to their caloric density. That means you are getting many more nutrients eating a 2,000 calorie vegetarian diet than you would a 2,000 calorie diet including meat. (And although I still supplement, they aren't the total answer to nutritional deficiency either) Eating more nutriously helps your body work optimally.
2) I forget the specific statistic, but it takes an immense amount of food to raise animals to be sold as meat. That means expensive.
3) In order to make meat less expensive, feed lot practices are horrible. So the meat you get is much less quality and nutrious than it was 50 or even 20 years ago. (When I do buy meat, I buy from Ranch Foods Direct, a company that buys local, non-hormonalized, free-range meat).
4) There are lots of environmental ramifications of raising all of the cattle, chickens, etc. to support a meat diet for everyone.

That's just for starters, but enough for this post. I eat vegetarian because I work too hard to be healthy and at peak performance. Some will argue with me about this, but I believe you won't be performing at your peak when eating standard American diet amounts of meat. Studies show (again I don't have the statistic in front of me) that most Americans eat at leat 4 times the amount of protein they need in a day.

I used to think I could NEVER give up meat (I was born and bred a meat 'n potatoes boy). Over the past year and half I've gradually given it up. I think most of our attachment to meat is psychological instead of physiological. Now, that I don't eat it (very much), I don't miss it and when I do eat it, my body doesn't like it (usually fish is OK in my system though). I also feel much better, stronger and healthier than ever by far and my training times prove it. I'll never go back to eating meat regularly.

Don't knock it until you try it...but I would try gradual transitions like I did (6 months to a year of eating less and less meat). If you drop it cold turkey (no pun intended), you'll have lots of cravings and most likely not succeed in the transition. Another way to help break the cravings more quickly is to do a juice fast. This helps your body reset itself (of course you usually have to go through 3-5 days of INTENSE cravings for food in general) and help minimize cravings.

Anyway, I'm starting to go off on tangents so that's enough for now.

kddubb