A Brief History of Protein by John McDougall, M.D.

John McDougall, MD

Dr. John McDougall’s Brief History of Protein is this weeks featured article in the Hypnosis Health Info Article Library. If you want to have a heated and emotional discussion, start talking about protein. For some. protein ranks right up there with politics and religion. At almost every Slender For Life™ consult people talk about eating protein, and vegetables and avoiding carbs. The meat and dairy councils have done an amazing sales job on the American public.  Solid scientific research has clearly supported the wisdom of a diet low in protein — favoring vegetable sources. So far, however, the scientific facts have fought a losing battle against popular opinion  — which values high-protein diets based on animal foods. Using weight loss hypnosis, clients quickly discover that their desires for fats (animal and dairy proteins) diminishes and they have an increased desire for vegetables and whole grains.

A Brief History of Protein:

Passion, Social Bigotry, Rats, and Enlightenment by John McDougall M.D.

So How Do You Know the Truth about Your Protein Needs?

Read the scientific literature (www.nlm.nih.gov) and look at the world picture. Notice that 60 percent of people alive today and most of the people who have lived in the past have obtained their protein from plant foods. They have lived successfully; avoiding all the diseases common in our society. Even today plant sources provide 65% of the world supply of the protein we eat.

What about the starving children in Africa? The picture one often sees of “protein deficient” children in famine areas of Asia or Africa is actually one of starvation and is more accurately described as “calorie deficiency.” When these children come under medical supervision, they are nourished back to health with their local diets of corn, wheat, rice, and/or beans. Children recovering from starvation grow up to l8 times faster than usual and require a higher protein content to provide for their catch-up in development — and plant foods easily provide this extra amount of protein. Even very-low protein starchy root crops, such as casava root, are sufficient enough in nutrients, including protein, to keep people healthy.

The World Health Organization knows the truth. Since 1974 it has recommended that adults consume a diet with 5% of the calories from protein — this would mean 38 grams of protein for a man burning 3000 calories a day and 29 grams for a woman using 2300 calories a day. These minimum requirements provide for a large margin of safety that easily covers people who theoretically could have greater protein needs — such as accident victims or people with infections. This quantity of protein is almost impossible to avoid if enough whole plant food is consumed to meet daily calorie needs. For example, rice alone would provide 71 grams of highly useable protein and white potatoes would provide 64 grams of protein for a working man. For a pregnant woman the WHO recommends 6% of the calories come from protein — again an amount of protein easily provided by a diet based on starches, vegetables, and fruits.

Read A Brief History of Protein

If I had a dollar for every time I was asked “Where do you get your protein?”  I would be on a beach in Fiji. Who do you know that has a protein deficiency? (Unless you or someone you know have had gastric surgery or have some other medical condition, the answer is no one. Oatmeal is 11% – 15% protein. It is impossible to develop a protein deficient diet based on vegetables and whole grains.  Don’t believe me? Then read A Brief History of Protein.

Seattle weight loss and Bainbridge Island weight loss clients discover that with weight loss hypnosis their tastes, desires and habits with food change very quickly. With the obesity epidemic destroying lives and economies, hypnosis for weight loss can help you make your own long lasting health care reform.

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