A List Of High Protein Foods - Plus Which Animal Protein Is Healthiest For You? Part 2
For vegetarian protein choices search for my article: A vegetarian list of high protein foods - and how to stay healthy eating only vegetarian protein.
The list of high protein foods continues...
3) Seafood
Fish is healthy in many ways, especially as a source of omega oils, essential for healthy skin, joints and brain function. When choosing seafood care is needed, due to the increasing level of chemical toxins ending up in the oceans and the flesh of fish. Of particular concern are mercury and pesticide residue (including PCB's). Many of these chemicals mimic estrogen and even in miniscule amounts, they can play havoc with our hormones and reproductive capacity.
How can you limit the risk?
* Avoid larger fish like swordfish, shark and tuna. Because they are at the end of the food chain they contain larger chemical deposits.
* Rotate your protein choices. This reduces contamination by chemical residues from one type of protein, e.g. mercury in fish.
* When eating farmed fish make sure it's organic and fed on good quality products.
Seafood options include: Fish, shellfish, lobster, shrimps, crab
4) Eggs
Eggs are 'eggcellent' protein (about 6 grams/egg) and a source of quality monounsaturated dietary fat. Once again the only good egg is organic and free range, because eggs are only as good as the chicken that laid them.
5) Dairy
1 ΒΌ cups of milk contains 10 grams of protein. As a child I drank milk raw, (from our lovely house cow), which means unpasteurized and unhomogenized. If you can only get pasteurized milk buy organic. Plus here are suggestions to make treated milk more digestible: Eat yoghurt (it has been re-enlivened with living yoghurt cultures which help digestion) or warm milk with digestive spices like cardamom, cinnamon and ginger. Cottage cheese mixed with yoghurt makes it more digestible too.
Raw organic milk is much better for you than pasteurized and homogenized. Why? Homogenization breaks milk down into much smaller particles. These particles can flow into the blood stream and be absorbed intact, potentially causing lactose intolerance. Pasteurization kills all the enzymes in milk. How is this a problem? The enzymes in raw milk aid digestion, plus special lactic acid producing bacteria protect against pathogens in the milk. If you've ever kept raw milk in the fridge you'll know it keeps much longer than pasteurized milk.
There are many networks in the US supporting and providing legal raw milk. Ask around at you local health food stores, and do an online search in your area.
6) Protein powder Protein powders are a processed protein option. Protein powder smoothie is fine as an occasional snack or breakfast, or for after weight training. As always quality is the key for total health. We think whey protein is the best, rather than soy.
What should you look for in a whey protein powder:
* At least 'ultra-filtered'. If you have lactose intolerance choose the even finer 'micro-filtered' as this process removes lactose.
* No artificial flavours and sweeteners
* Ideally from grass fed cows
* About 70-80% protein
Here are a few of the better options: 'Whey Healthier', Solgar Vanilla flavour only, Metagenics Bio Pure, and Red 8 Ultrafiltered Whey Protein Isolate Don't max out on protein powder smoothies just because you are busy. Get your protein from a wide variety of sources.
By now you've gathered that more important than a list of high protein foods is the quality of the protein itself. Think fresh, unprocessed, and organic or wild when possible. Rotate your protein choices to minimize exposure to toxins. Always ask yourself: what did this animal eat and how was it raised? That protein on your plate is only as good as the place it came from. Your body deserves the best to be the best it can be!
Copyright Wild Health and Anna Wilde
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