Up until now, I merely thought I was weird (no comments, please!) Anyway, rather than weird, I'm actually a “flexitarian.” According to Wikipedia, "Flexitarianism is a semi-vegetarian diet focusing on vegetarian food with occasional meat consumption. A self-described flexitarian seeks to decrease meat consumption without eliminating it entirely from his or her diet."
I was always a huge meat eater; as an avid fitness buff with weight lifting as my primary focus, protein was an essential part of my diet. However, as I began to follow my intuitive spiritual path, I became unable to eat meat. I’m literally nauseated at the thought of consuming animal flesh; it bogs down my system, causing me to feel sluggish and off-kilter. Beef was the first to go, then pork, then poultry. The only animal protein I can consume wholeheartedly is seafood (go figure). Once in a great while I’ll have a piece of lean chicken or turkey, but only when my body is screaming at me in loud, insistent tones: give me some animal protein already! When I’m on a particularly intense strength training rotation, this type of complete protein becomes necessary.
That’s not such a big deal, right? Vegetarism is gaining popularity in the mainstream; people veto meat all the time. No biggie, there are a wealth of adequate substitutes.
But here’s the kicker: I’m lactose intolerant and have a wheat allergy. Ug. Okay, so that makes eating difficult. My choices are vegetables, fruit, soy, more vegetables … and chocolate cake. Wait! Never mind. The flour will send my stomach into emergency-room spasms, so forget the cake. Oy vey, what’s a gal to do?
Complete proteins (also called “high quality” or “whole proteins”) contain the correct amount of all 22 of the amino acids necessary in our diets, including the nine essential amino acids which our bodies aren’t able to produce on their own (tryptophan, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, valine, isoleucine, and histidine). The primary source of complete proteins are animal-derived (meats, dairy products, fish, eggs). Since I’m lactose intolerant, I have to rely on fish and eggs as my main source of complete protein. It’s necessary to incorporate the nine essential amino acids into a daily diet in order to achieve maximum nutrition and body functioning (particularly for someone such as myself, who’s quite addicted to her barbell). So, I have to be diligent to be sure I’m giving my body exactly what it needs. I can only eat so much seafood and eggs, though, before I really get sick of the stuff. That’s when my creativity must step aboard and take over, like a gruff and insistent pirate commandeering one of the Queen’s ships.
I’ve always been a fan of protein combining, which is the art of mixing incomplete proteins (such as found in vegetables, grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts) with other incomplete proteins to form … yep, you got it. Complete proteins! However, as I said before, my challenge is not only lactose intolerance but also a wheat allergy, so I’m always on the lookout for wheat-free food alternatives that provide a source of protein easily combinable with other sources. A few dietary staples in my cupboard are amaranth, buckwheat, and soy, although I try not to lean too heavily on soy due to the theory that too much of it may effect the thyroid.
Amaranth seed has a decent amount of lysine and methionine, which are two of the essential amino acids not usually found in grains. One-fourth of a cup of amaranth flour contains eight grams of protein (I buy Bob’s Red Mill Organic Amaranth), versus one-fourth of regular whole wheat flour, which contains only four grams of protein. Additionally, amaranth grain has seven grams of fiber per quarter cup and contains a decent amount of calcium (80 mg), iron (five times more than wheat), phosphorus, potassium (170 mg), vitamin A and vitamin C. I’ll often use amaranth with corn or brown rice, because by combining these food items I get a high-quality, complete protein.
Buckwheat, contrary to popular belief, isn’t a cereal grain—it’s actually a versatile fruit seed that’s often a perfect substitute for wheat. It’s high in flavonoids, particularly rutin; according to The World’s Healthiest Foods, “Flavonoids are phytonutrients that protect against disease by extending the action of vitamin C and acting as antioxidants.” (1) Buckwheat is fairly high in the essential amino acid tryptophan, so it makes an excellent source for protein combining.
Other tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years to get adequate protein without wheat and diary include corn tortillas and black beans, peanut butter on Food for Life’s Wheat & Gluten Free Raisin Pecan Bread, and humus dipped in Carb Counter’s Wheat Free Pita Chips. A favorite snack is Lundberg’s Tamari with Seaweed Organic Rice Cakes with sesame seeds or peanut butter. The immense health benefits of seaweed is another added bonus.
Complete proteins are an essential part of a healthy diet in order to maintain proper muscle structure (they’re particularly crucial to help aid in recovery and growth after weight training), along with supporting the normal biological functions of the body. Even in special circumstances such as mine, it’s not difficult to incorporate enough complete proteins in the diet—with a dash of creativity thrown in for good measure.
(1) George Mateljan, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://whfoods.org/
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