Sweet Potato Soup With Cannellini Beans and Rainbow Chard

I’m reading an excellent book. I highly recommend it.

Proteinaholic

by Garth Davis

My name is Garth Davis, and I was a proteinaholic. For many years, I obeyed what I’d been taught by the medical establishment, by my colleagues, and by the media: that each and every meal and snack had to contain a huge serving of my beloved protein. I would gulp down protein drinks whenever possible, and dive into big, thick steaks practically daily. Protein was my drug and, worse yet, it was my prescription. I actually pushed protein on my patients, encouraging them to do as I did. I am happy to say that I have overcome this obsession with protein. This book is a detailed guide to my recovery. As you read through my journey you may think that I actually hate protein. In reality, how can you hate a macronutrient? Obviously we need protein. My concern is more with the fact that we no longer talk about food as food. Rather we are obsessed with breaking food down to its component parts and, in so doing, have developed an unhealthy obsession for one particular macronutrient. I am disturbed by the fact that protein has become a veritable nutritional rock star, omnipresent in our food and advertising like never before. We seemingly cannot get enough of protein, and this reality is leading us down a very dangerous road. In fact, “eat more protein” may be the worst advice that “experts” give to the public.

Whether you are seeing your doctor, nutritionist, or your trainer, protein is strongly advised. Should you happen upon a vitamin store you will be inundated with pills and concoctions boasting higher and higher protein contents. Even our grocery stores are pushing new and interesting food-type substances that are loaded with protein, while the produce aisles get smaller and less inviting. Why buy an apple when you can get high-protein cereal bars, high-protein drinks, even protein in your vodka. Do people really think vodka laced with protein is healthy? The answer is most certainly yes. As a recent Wall Street Journal article puts it, “Protein on a label has what researchers call a ‘health halo effect.’ People assume the product will give them energy or make them full.” The article was appropriately entitled, “When the Box Says Protein, Shoppers Say I’ll Take It.” Most recently, a survey done by the International Food Information Council Foundation found that 63 percent of Americans are looking for protein foods when deciding what to eat, and a whopping 57 percent said they are trying to eat as much protein as possible!

Protein is everywhere. Big deal. So what is the problem? In a word: confusion. Some of us eat protein to lose weight, while others eat protein to gain weight. Ponder that paradox for a second. The same product sold to people to lose weight is relabeled and sold to others to gain weight! There are many who believe eating protein will make them healthier and help them live longer. And everybody seems to think protein will give them energy. Meanwhile, anyone who knows the basics of biochemistry or physiology will tell you that energy comes from carbs or fat, not protein. Possibly even more frightening is the fact that protein is one of the few food items that everyone seems to agree on. “Experts” argue about good fats and bad fats, or good carbs and bad carbs. This is very much part of the reason we are so confused about what to eat. But in protein we all seem to feel safe. No one would dare to argue that protein is bad for you.

Believe me, I am not writing this book because I dare to be different and buck the norm. I am not looking to be sensational, and I certainly hate to further confuse the public. However, given my experience, I am in a unique position to see that we have missed the forest for the trees. The fact is, our protein obsession is killing us and nobody seems to notice. This is not my opinion alone. I have done a tremendous amount of research to come to this controversial conclusion, and I will share with you what I have learned along the way. By the end of this book, you will see that the science shows that our protein obsession may be one of the main causes for the rise we are seeing in obesity, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. The United States is arguably the sickest first world country with the lowest life expectancy, and we eat more protein than any other country. Protein very well may be to blame for our poor health!

Davis, Garth, M.D.; Jacobson, Howard (2015-10-06). Proteinaholic: How Our Obsession with Meat Is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It (Kindle Locations 214-221). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

Read Proteinaholic: How Our Obsession with Meat Is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It