Living Vegan For Dummies - Alexandra Jamieson [33]
The acidic nature of animal foods causes your alkaline-loving body to try to balance itself. The quickest way for the human body to get more alkaline is to draw calcium out of the bones (calcium is an alkaline substance). So diets rich in animal foods lead to constant losses of calcium through the kidneys, leaching the bones of that essential mineral. It now makes sense that the countries with high meat and dairy consumption also have high osteoporosis rates.
Excessive intake of protein leads to other concerns besides brittle bones, however. Other damaging effects are high cholesterol, kidney stones and renal failure, overstressed liver and kidneys, and a risk of gout, which is also known as “the disease of kings.” Gout is described as painful, recurring attacks of joint inflammation that are brought on by high levels of uric acid in the body. Gout is often a hereditary disease, but this acidic condition also can be brought on by a diet that includes excessive amounts of animal foods. About 200 years ago, gout was associated with the upper classes because they could afford to eat more meat and assume a more leisurely life.
Not enough protein? Symptoms to look out for
The scourge of too much protein is a concern in developed, Western cultures, but health concerns also (though rarely) arise from diets lacking adequate protein. Some of these health concerns should be of special interest to vegans, because when left unchecked, these problems can lead to serious damage over time.
Here are some indications that you may need to focus your diet on more high-quality proteins:
Feeling constantly lightheaded, unmotivated, and overtired
Constant sugar and carbohydrate cravings (when your body is lacking sufficient protein and nutrients to power itself, it craves sugar to get the quick energy it so desperately needs)
Hair loss
Growth retardation in babies and toddlers
Increased susceptibility to infection
Weight loss
Muscle wasting
Weakness and fatigue
While these deficiencies are seen more often in underdeveloped nations, especially during times of famine, vegans who eat a variety of whole, unprocessed foods will easily meet their protein requirements. Just be sure to consume a healthy variety of vegan protein ingredients throughout your day.
Thinking about high-protein diets
Once a decade a “new” diet fad gets dusted off and presented as the best way to lose weight and control blood sugar issues. The high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet has had many names, including the Atkins diet, Scarsdale diet, Carbohydrate Addict’s diet, and the Endocrine Control Diet. These diets are all variations on the theme of eating foods that are high in protein and low in carbs; and they all have well-known side effects: the risk of bone loss, kidney failure, kidney stones, digestive problems, constipation and sluggish elimination, gas, and bad breath.
The proponents who endorse a high-protein diet believe that eating carbohydrates leads to blood sugar issues and diabetes as well as weight gain and obesity. By eliminating most carbohydrates from their diet, high-protein advocates are successful, usually in the short term, in losing weight and ending their out-of-control carbohydrate cravings.
Ultimately, these diets are unsuccessful for many people. Focusing on a diet mostly devoid of fruit, sweet vegetables, and whole grains, these followers are forced to use fiber supplements to ensure regular bowel movements. Even with daily doses of fiber, the huge amount of meat and dairy consumed leads to digestive problems and constipation since animal proteins take longer to eliminate due to their utter lack of natural fiber. Because most animal proteins are cooked, except for sushi (which