Hi all! I'm new, and need to rant a bit! sorry, but it would be nice if someone could help/educate?!
I am a vegan, who has recently been eating very raw (not 100%, cooked veggies get in there somehow haha).
I was just wondering if anyone has had any trouble with protein?
My mom keeps bugging me about it because I've been depressed lately and just other things have come up, and she seems to think that
MAYBE it mght be my diet. I understand where she is coming from, its a change, but I also know that you only need about 5% of your total caloric intake from protein (this knowledge comes from reading the China Study hehehe) just wanted to know if anyone else has felt like this, or if maybe I do have a deficiency of some sort? eeek I hope not! My mom is still dragging me to the doctor :( but just wanted others input.
thanks for listening!
Comments
One of the few vitamins that you can't get from food is B12. Long time vegans can develop a deficiency. There are simple urine tests that can determine if you do. Or just do what I do and take a B12 everyday. Vitamin Code makes a Raw B-12, but I prefer Solaray. If you're eating enough raw fruits and vegetables, protein shouldn't be a concern at all.
http://spaz.ca/cronometer/ You can download the Crono Meter, enter your criteria (mine is 80-10-10), all your foods for a day, and you can see exactly how many calories, vitamins, minerals, proteins, lipids, etc that you are actually eating. This will help you modify your diet if necessary. And..nothing wrong with a visit to the doctor every once in a while! : )
thank you for all the help/support!
Can't you get B12 from sea vegetables, especially Spirulina?
Like Joannabanana said, it's highly unlikely that you're experiencing a protein deficiency. Depression can come from a number of things like lack of sunlight, physiological components, and reactions to recent events. I wouldn't pin it on the raw food though. ;]
noooo! i wasnt trying too, haha raw food is suppose to help! i was just confused thats all, and my mom had me a bit worried
I would also recommend checking your level of Vitamin D. Evidently, lack of Vitamin D can cause someone to feel depressed. I definitely don't get enough sunshine to make up for not consuming Vitamin D fortified products (such as milk). I recently had a test run and all of my nutrient levels were GREAT except Vitamin D which was extremely low. I just started taking a supplement so I'm hoping it goes up soon!