No article about healthy
living would be complete without an understanding of protein metabolism because
the amount of protein you eat could be wearing down your body and leaving you
susceptible to disease.
Proteins are perhaps the
most complex of all known biological substances, and without a doubt, the most
important. From the simplest albumins to the genetic coding in DNA, proteins
constitute the building blocks of the body.
Many enzymes and most
hormones are primarily protein and, as such, protein becomes vital in the
functioning and regulation of the body. Your body cannot do without protein.
The importance of protein
cannot be overemphasized. Yet, too much dietary protein is probably our
most dangerous health problem, with animal protein consumption being the
greatest offender!
My studies have taken me
down a lot of paths, but perhaps the most interesting and rewarding has centered
on the ash of the foods and, just as exciting, the functions of the body as it
tries to deal with substances which it really was not designed to process.
Basically, how maintaining a healthy pH in the body is vital to health and
longevity.
I have found that a heavy
animal protein eater's body will be acid. In an attempt to eliminate this acid,
the body will first produce a very acid urine, then later, under exhaustive
conditions will produce a very alkaline urine. Whichever it produces, the body,
in its perfection, is doing the very best possible to get rid of the end
products of excessive protein consumption. To maintain homeostasis in the
presence of excess acid, the body uses built-in buffer systems to re-establish
the normal, slightly alkaline conditions of the body.
So, in essence, the problem
with excess protein lies in the body's various efforts to get rid of it. But if
it didn't make these efforts, the strong, caustic acid would burn and destroy
delicate tissues.
The critical thing to
remember is that each time sulfuric or nitric acid must be neutralized, some of
the body's vital sodium is lost in forming the buffering necessary for it to be
eliminated in the urine. The "lack of sodium" in the body might seem almost
ridiculous when you think about the amount of sodium the average American
consumes daily. But, please understand that table salt is bonded by an ionic,
strong bond, and the body cannot break the NaCl ionic bond in order to utilize
it for this purpose. Instead, the vital sodium needed is found covalently bonded
to protein and organic acids in fruits and vegetables.
So the more animal protein
you eat, the more sodium you lose from the body's alkaline reserve, and only
eating fruits and vegetables can replace this sodium. If all the sodium is used
up, two very undesirable things happen. One is that the body goes to the bones
for calcium as the next best mineral with which to neutralize acid. Also,
because it is unable to produce a bile with a pH of 7.6 to 8.6, the liver shuts
down a portion of its activity. Initially, this causes no apparent problems as
the liver has a tremendous reserve capacity. But as more and more of the liver
becomes inactive – you guessed it – you get sick.
Any one of the chronic
degenerative diseases (arthritis, AIDS, diabetes, emphysema, circulatory
disorders, cancer) then have a fertile field, an acid medium, in which to
proliferate. Researchers have found that cancer cells proliferate in an acid
medium.
So, the big question is:
Just how much protein do we really need? That only about 1.5% of our dietary
intake should be protein is quite a surprise to most people.
As an infant, the human
should live entirely on his mother's milk for at least six months. During this
time, he will double his weight. That means that during this time, he will make
more new cells proportionately than ever again at any other time in his entire
life. His mother's milk is 1.4% protein. Remember that number – 1.4%.
Consider green beans. They
contain about 2.4% protein and they also contain all the essential amino acids
found in mother's milk. Cabbage, broccoli, asparagus – most all of the
vegetables – contain at least 1.5% protein. There is twice as much protein in
kidney beans as in pork. The human body does not need animal protein to grow and
to function. Look at the buffalo. It achieves great size and weight eating only
grass – not even good quality grain!
You can be healthy
without giving up all animal protein; the ratio just has to be within a more
natural balance. Seventy-five percent of your diet should be fruits and
vegetables. This is something you definitely have to work up to! Improve your
diet by simply introducing more vegetables and fruits to what you already eat.
Then start decreasing the amount of animal protein, fat, sugar, salt and other
stimulants (coffee, tea, alcohol, and soft drinks).
The bottom line is that by
eating less animal protein, less acid is produced which means that less need be
neutralized. We need to eat more fruits and vegetables to restore the alkaline
reserve, making sodium available again for use by the buffer systems. Your body
does need dietary protein to survive. You need enough protein. You don't
need too much. That's a big switch from the usual thinking that more
protein is better. And, if you're serious about giving your body the best chance
for the best future possible, you won't overburden it with too much protein – or
give it too much of a good thing.
About the Author:
Dr.
M. T. Morter, Jr. is the founder of the revolutionary Morter HealthSystem, based
on his Bio Energetic Synchronization Technique (B.E.S.T.). Dr. Morter will be
sharing the stage with Janet Attwood at the BEST Life Intensive seminar
in Dallas in July. For information on BEST Life Intensive seminars
offered all over the country in 2007, call 800-874-1478 or visit their website
at
www.dynamiclifetraining.com.
