Where do you get your Protein?

How do you keep down your cholesterol?

It's all about being intentional in what you put into your body.  If you never analyze what you are eating you are almost without doubt lacking some level of nutrition or getting way too much of something you shouldn't.  I've known strong and weak vegans, healthy and unhealthy vegetarians, strong and weak meat eaters... It's not the diet you choose, it's how you choose to fill your diet that will give you health, and for those who enjoy sports... recovery/performance.

So back to the title.  The 4 most common questions you hear as a vegetarian are:
1. Where do you get your Protein?
2. What about B12?
3. Where do you get your Iron?
4. Are you overly Effeminate?

Vegan sources of Complete Protein

- Amaranth
- Buckwheat

- Nutritional Yeast

- Quinoa
- Spirulina
- Hemp

- Soy Beans

- Chlorella



Vegetarian Sources of complete protein
- Eggs
- Milk



Vegan Sources of B12
- Chlorella

- Nutritional Yeast



Iron

- Chlorella
- Spirulina
- Spinich
- Flax

- Legumes
- Quinoa

Vegetarian Sources of Manliness
- Sports
- Cars
- My wife in a bikini
- Robots/Stereo equipment

Now, a bit in depth on Protein.  Proteins are made up of Amino Acids, depending on who you talk to there are between 8 and 10 essential amino acids.  Essential amino acids are what our bodies cannot produce and require for building muscle/sustaining strength.

Most health and fitness professionals subscribe to the idea that animal proteins as superior to vegetable proteins as they are closer in cell structure to what humans need for growth.  Therefore there is less work the body has to do to break down the protein and reorganize it into muscle.  I believe this is true, however, I don't believe that means animal proteins are superior.  It just means if you want faster results animal proteins, in particular meat, will get you there.  A combination of this along with the painfully obvious recognition of whole foods over processed foods is why Paleo gets awesome results so quickly.

However, FASTER is the key here. It's not that your body can't do the same thing with vegetable protein, it's just a longer process.  In my experience the longer it takes me to get to a new level of fitness the more natural it is for my body to sustain that level of fitness.  This, in my opinion is the strength of vegetable based proteins.  Slow and steady, if you will.

Yes, if you are a vegetarian you have to be more intentional about getting all of your essential amino acids (Protein) than someone who eats meat (unless your goal is to get beat up a lot and be weak).  But, as long as you're paying attention, it's easy to do.

Chlorella - ella - ella - ella - a - a - lovin' my - Chlorella - ella - ella - ella - oh - oh