Vegan Nutrition with Marty Davey

I am a vegetarian trying to be vegan. I started working out with a non vegetarian personal trainer. He doesn't pressure me to eat animal products but he does want me to meet these goals: 40% of protein from my 1300-1500 calories (35% carbs, 20% fat). Even with soy protein powder it seems impossible to meet the protein goal. I've had 86 g today but it's only 22% of my calories. Are his goals realistic? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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YAY! for becoming vegan. I know you say you are only trying, but many athletes are finding their best seasons are when they become vegan.

Are you a bodybuilder? If you are not a bodybuilder then this amount of protein is absurd. The average schmoe-nose walking down the street needs about 0.8g of protein/kg. Your caloric intake is 1300-1500. Let's make it 1400 for ease of calculation. Protein should be about 5-10% of intake. That means you should have 140kcal from concentrated protein sources such as quinoa or black beans per day.

140kcal /4 [calories/gram] = 35g/d.

1 Cup quinoa = 8.14g

If you had 2.5 cups of quinoa, some nuts, cup of beans, 9 servings of veggies and fruits a day you would more than max out that protein need. Every vegan food has protein in it, except oils like olive oil. Yes, fruit has protein. Romaine lettuce has 2g/4 Cups. If they didn't they wouldn't grow. All plants need proteins to grow. On the other hand, you would be getting carbs and some fats with those foods. Yes, even fruit has fats. The advice from the trainer is impossible to follow.

BUT WAIT-- I'm not the average schmoe-nose. I'm working with a trainer. I'm building muscle.

Well, you can't be building yourself up on 1400kcal/d unless you are under 5 feet tall. So, perhaps you are slimming down. And you are a vegan.

This is what I am trying to understand:

* Why do you want 40% of your calories from a concentrated protein source?

* Since every vegan food source has fat, carbs and protein how can you figure out this ratio system without overloading your brain with millions of food nutrient facts?¹

In the Journal of the American Dietetics Association, July 2009,2 there is a case study by a friend of mine, Ted Barnett, MD. The guy in the case study has normal blood and lipid levels, hits the Haagen-Daz a little to hard, ends up needing to lose about 5kg or 10-13 lbs. He begins eating a high protein diet. In less than 3 years, he loses the weight, ta-da! But, his lipids [triglycerides] go through the roof, his cholesterol shoots up, he has chest pains, has to have by-pass surgery and has erectile disfunction. Two months after stopping the diet, his blood and lipid work go back to normal. Mr. Happy goes back to his normal function.

Hang on. A single case doth not make for proof. How about studies that show a high protein diet used during military actions was so deleterious that it was tossed out after four days. Troops were listless, bulging eyes, muscle cramps and cognitive impairments so acute as to weaken combat readiness or even KP duty.3

BUT they were omnivores needing carbs. Your foods will have carbs in them unless they are jars of oil.

If you were recovering from minor surgery in the hospital, you would receive 35g of protein for your 1400kcal diet, not 86g. Even if you were recovering from major surgery, you would only receive 70g of protein per day. This high amount of protein would only be sustained during the early days of recovery due to health issues related to kidney stress, including kidney stones and osteoporosis, with high protein intake.

I sincerely doubt this trainer understands the long term effect of this amount of protein on the kidneys.

BUT has there been any research on high protein/low carb vegan diets? Yes, a vegetarian high protein/low carb diet has been shown to help you lose weight.4 Of course, this was 31% protein sources [gluten, soy, nuts, fruits and vegetables] not 40%, 26% carbohydrate [type not stated in abstract], and 43% vegetable oils. In fact, if your fat comes from whole foods it will decrease and the protein/carb ratio will increase. Again, because vegan foods have all of the macronutrients [carbs, fats, proteins] contained within them other than concentrated oils. Meat has no carbs. Just protein and fats, and saturated fats mainly.

The take-home message: Forget this trainer's nutrition advise. They do not understand the way you eat. Shoot for 35-40g of protein/day, if you really want to track the protein thing. Otherwise, focus on eating about 6 ounces of protein sources a day [oatmeal for breakfast with an ounce of walnuts, ounce of nuts or a cup of grains [quinoa, rice, millet, etc.] + 1/2 cup of beans for lunch, and a cup of beans or 2 ounces of tofu or tempeh for dinner in a great big salad.

My DVD, Million $$$ Nutrition on a Food Stamp Budget, can give you a lot of low-calorie, no cholesterol choices for your week. The proteins on the DVD plus an increase of an ounce of walnuts a day should get you through any workout.

[1] http://blog.nutritiondata.com/ndblog/2008/05/meet-troy-a-bod.html

[2] Barnett, T, Barnard, N, Radak, TL. 2009. Development of Symptomatic cardiovascular disease after self-reported adherence to the Atkins diet, Journal of the American Dietetics Association, Vol. 109 Num. 7; pgs 1263-1266.

[3] Atkins Exposed. NA. ND. More to lose than weight. Retrieved from http://www.atkinsexposed.org/atkins/27/More_to_Lose_Than_Weight.htm on Sunday, July 26, 2009.

[4] Jenkins DJ, Wong JM, Kendall CW, Esfahani A, Ng VW, Leong TC, Faulkner DA, Vidgen E, Greaves KA, Paul G, Singer W. 2009. The effect of a plant-based low-carbohydrate ("Eco-Atkins") diet on body weight and blood lipid concentrations in hyperlipidemic subjects, Archives of Internal Medicine; Jun 8;169(11):1027. Abstract.

Marty Davey is a Registered Dietitian and has a Masters degree in Food and Nutrition from Marywood University. She became a vegetarian in 1980 when she discovered that the chemicals in American meat made them unsellable to Europeans. She and her husband have raised their son as a vegan. She teaches nutrition and has a private practice specializing in assisting clients transitioning to a plant-based regime step by step. Her website is martydavey.com

Get your own personal nutrition consultation with Marty here.

Disclaimer: The advice given here is for eductional purposes only. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.

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