Eat your protein

Adequate high protein diets support neurotransmitter production and heavy metal removal and maintenance of blood sugar for high metabolic rate organs such as the brain.

This article includes high protein main meal and snack ideas. Adequate protein intake is a key component of mental health maintenance and it is endorsed in nutritional orthomolecular therapy.

I see so many people with less than 30% protein in their diet. This high carbohydrate trend is rampant in North America.  The gluten free diet  that I endorse is a high protein diet and a good template to follow in general. We aim to have one-third to almost one-half of the meal plate as a high protein source.

High protein sources are again meat or eggs as our database shows lower wasted protein blood measures in people who have adequate high protein (meat or egg) diets.

 If you prefer to have nuts or nut spreads or cheese (if you are intolerant) as part of your snack regimen, just remember to include meat or egg based snacks as well at that time.  Include 3-4 high quality protein snacks between meals and if indicated also at bedtime. Everyone has a palate for one or more of the following snack choices. We encourage expanding on these snack ideas to tailor fit this regimen to meet your specific food preference.

Here is how its done …

High Quality Protein Snacks:

i) Nitrite-free deli-fresh lunch meat (chicken, ham, turkey) rolls [alternately, oven roast meat on the weekend and thin slice it for use during the week];

ii) Hard boiled eggs (make a batch at the beginning of the week for easy access);

iii) Left-over lunch/dinner meal meat entree;

iv) Egg salad (eggs with olive-oil mayonaise) with whole-grain rice crackers;

v) Fish salad (fish with olive-oil mayonaise) in a lettuce boat (romaine heart leaf);

vi) Slice of thin crust pizza (use brown rice ‘Food for life’ tortilla’s) with gluten-free pepperoni or other meat and vege toppings [this can be made as a main meal and left overs eaten over the next day];

vii) Shrimp (cooked) with cocktail suace.

Protein-Rich Main Meal Ideas

Of course you can include recipes that contain substantial fish, poultry, beef or pork (occasional use is OK in general). There are an unlimited number of options because any meal that includes meat or egg is a high quality protein-rich meal. Here again is the 7 day approach that is hearty and simple enough for those with limited culinary skills or time restricted busy schedules.