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Determining optimal protein intak

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wendyaderjones

06 May, 2014 01:39 PM

Dr. Rosedale- I listened in on your insightful presentation yesterday on the Reversing Diabetes Summit. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom.

Question for you: What was the equation you identified in determining a healthy amount of protein intake?

I've been eating close to Paleo for over a year now, (self choice- had no 'known' health issues other than ongoing digestion challenges). But I just think I've been consuming far too much protein for me ( I am 130 lbs, blood type AB+, 62 year old fairly sedate female). I eat eggs most mornings for breakfast, veges and protein for lunch, veges and protein for supper. Have had sugar craving all my life, and my fasting blood sugar level was just identified last week at a 6.3. Have now cut out all dark chocolate and red wine (my two vices) and am testing at home with a glucometer (ranging now in the mornings between 5.1 and 5.4)

Appreciate any suggestions.
Wendy Jones

1. Support Staff 1 Posted by Ken on 06 May, 2014 02:42 PM

   

   Greetings Wendy,

   Pardon me for interrupting your question to Dr. Ron but would you state your height.

   Thanx,

   Ken

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2. 2 Posted by Wendy Jones on 06 May, 2014 03:03 PM

   

   Sure- I’m 5’5.

   Thanks

   Wendy Jones

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3. Support Staff 3 Posted by Ken on 06 May, 2014 03:53 PM

   

   Wendy perhaps this info will be of help until Dr. Ron can address your question - he has been pretty busy lately with out of town speaking engagements..

   Here is a handy online tool I find useful — How much should I weigh?

   From Dr. Ron's website — Protein Element

   Protein is broken down by digestion into amino acids, which provide the building blocks for structure and repair in the body. It can be used for energy if we are starving, as we often do on low calorie diets, but this process is very inefficient and generates toxic by-products.

   The amount of protein in one's diet is determined on an individual basis by factoring in weight, metabolism, activity level and gender. This is the only thing we ask you to count in our program. It is necessary to understand this is not a high protein diet, but actually an adequate protein, higher quality fat diet. Your body needs some protein to survive, but not so much that it views it as a liability and tries to burn it off as sugar. This is a very unhealthy way to live and can be easily avoided by keeping a within normal range of protein intake.

   On average, you want to have approximately one gram of protein for every kilogram of lean body mass (that is, the weight of your body minus the fat - we all have some fat). The easiest way to calculate your daily protein requirement is to take your ideal weight in kilograms (that is, what you would like to weigh if you could weigh anything) and have roughly one gram of protein per kilogram, minus 10%.

   For example, if you were a woman who is 5.4 ft (165 centimeters) tall, your ‘ideal’ weight would likely be in the neighborhood of 110 lbs (50 kilograms). Thus, your protein intake per day should be somewhere around the 50g - 10% = 45 grams of protein, split approximately evenly between meals.

   If you have an especially active lifestyle, you can add 5-10 grams or so. An egg is roughly 6-8g of protein and a piece of meat the size of a deck of cards is around 15. Remember this is 15 grams of protein; the meat will weigh much more as it also has water and fat, so we are not talking about the 'weight' of the meat, but the protein grams. This doesn’t have to be exact, but it’s a good ballpark figure to keep in mind when you’re eating. Males will have a little more, if you are pregnant you would add about 5 grams as well.

   Remember, fat and protein often come together in nature (eggs, fish, seeds, nuts, etc.) The avoidance of fat in your diet is typically an avoidance of protein as well, and the absence of these leads to many of the chronic degenerative diseases of life.

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   According to the above info it appears that your approx protein intake would be in the neighborhood of 45g to 54g daily

   Wishing you the best

   Ken

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