Sometimes you don’t realize your own strength until you come face to face with your greatest weaknesses.
—Susan Gale
It’s time to power up your muscles! The best way to achieve this is to consume plenty of high-quality proteins every day. In Chapter 2, you learned how brown fat is the first of three key metabolically active tissues needed for a Radical Metabolism. Muscle is the second. Protein is to muscle tissue what dietary fat is to brown fat.
Muscle, like brown fat, is an innate ready-made energy burner. In fact, for every pound of muscle tissue, you will burn 50 calories per day, whereas each pound of body fat burns only a measly 2 calories! The greater your muscle mass, the more energy you will burn and the less fat you will store. It follows that the leaner you become, the easier it is to stay that way.
It’s true: thinner people (those with a higher muscle-to-fat ratio) have a higher metabolic rate than do people with more body fat, so they burn more calories each day, even at rest. This can be you!
Just as brown fat is nourished and activated by the omega-6 fats in your diet, muscle is fueled by protein—amino acids, to be more precise. Like biological LEGOS, amino acids are building blocks that can be disassembled and reassembled into all the important proteins your body needs. When you “feed” your muscles, they return the favor by keeping you radically lean and healthy. Protein triggers fat burning and muscle building. It also helps stabilize your insulin and blood sugar levels, maintain energy, melt off body fat, and stave off the crave.
Protein’s roles extend well beyond metabolism. The average body is about 20 percent protein by weight and contains an astounding 100,000 different proteins, all playing different roles. Proteins are used to make everything from muscles and vital organs to hormones and enzymes. Proteins also play an important role in detoxification—helping transport waste to your liver.
If your metabolism is on shaky ground, you might not be getting the right amount of protein in your meals each day, or not the right combination of proteins. Getting enough dietary protein spares lean body mass so that your body can burn fat for fuel. When you don’t get adequate protein, your body begins breaking down its lean body mass for energy, as well as harvesting the amino acids it needs for routine tissue repairs. Not only does it obtain these proteins from your skeletal muscles but also from your organs—including your heart muscle. Unfortunately, when people diet they often wind up with less muscle mass than they started with—and of course this is the last thing you want! Your muscle cells shed proteins every day that your body must replace.
Low-calorie diets tend to alter the hormonal signals that stimulate muscle building. When dieting, your body is less likely to use the free amino acids in your bloodstream for muscle growth and repair, particularly if protein intake is too low.
Loss of lean body mass can be minimized by eating protein at every meal and making sure you’re getting all the essential amino acids, which we’ll talk about in this chapter. In addition to dietary protein, strength training and weight-bearing exercises, especially high-intensity, are very beneficial for building and maintaining lean body mass.
When you eat a quality protein-rich meal instead of a carb-heavy one, you’re already ahead of the game in terms of energy expenditure. You actually burn more energy digesting protein than carbohydrates, even though they both contain the same calories (4 calories per gram). Twenty to thirty-five of every one hundred protein calories are burned up in the digestive process (this is known as the thermic effect).
Protein also benefits your blood sugar. Unlike when you eat carbohydrates, protein stimulates the release of glucagon, a hormone that helps you burn previously stored fat. Glucagon has the opposite effect of insulin and inhibits its release. It causes your body to release stored carbohydrates and fat, whereas insulin tells your body to store it. By eating protein throughout the day, you are keeping your body in glucagon-production mode.
All things considered, to optimize your metabolism you must consume enough high-quality protein. However, beware of overshooting the mark.
Protein is vital, but the truth is that problems can arise from consuming either too much or too little protein. Each of us has a sweet spot for protein intake.
Protein deficiency can manifest in a variety of conditions, such as sluggish metabolism, weight gain, loss of muscle mass, unstable blood sugars, insomnia and fatigue, mood swings, slow wound healing, and impaired immunity.
However, eating too much protein is hard on the kidneys. Protein is easy to overconsume on low-carb diets, such as Atkins and Ketogenic.
Myth: You can’t have too much protein in your diet.
The body can only utilize 4 to 6 ounces of protein at a time. Excess protein stresses the kidneys and liver, which must work hard to get rid of it. The excess is metabolized into glucose and stored as body fat. If protein excess is extreme, your body can build up ammonia, a toxic waste product that can cause dangerous brain swelling, if levels become high enough. Excess protein also stimulates something called the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, which accelerates aging and raises cancer risk. We’ll be talking a bit more about mTOR later in this chapter.
Keep in mind, too, that even if you’re overconsuming protein, it doesn’t mean you’re getting optimal protein. Americans get far too many low-quality proteins from processed foods and toxic factory-farmed animals. If your body can’t use it, it doesn’t count.
Given the risks associated with eating either too much or too little protein, what is the “Goldilocks zone”?
Each of us is unique in terms of our exact protein requirements due to such factors as age, gender, body weight, activity level, and overall health. The US government’s recommended daily minimum protein intake for adults is 56 grams for men and 46 grams for women.1 This translates to about 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight, which I and most contemporary experts believe is quite insufficient for optimal health. In the past, my gold standard has been 1.0 gram of protein per every 2.2 pounds of body weight, which equates to 0.45 grams of protein per pound.
I generally concur with the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council, which has the following protein guidelines. Keep in mind that these numbers represent bare minimums, not the amount for optimal health. Your requirements will be higher, even double, if you are very active, pregnant, ill, or recovering from a serious injury, and lower if you have a sedentary lifestyle. The best way to determine your ideal amount is by trial and error, with 1.5 grams per pound of body weight being the upper limit.
Adult men: 70 grams
Adult women: 58 grams
Pregnant women: 65 grams
Lactating women: 75 grams
Girls, aged 13–15: 62 grams
Girls, aged 16–20: 58 grams
Boys, aged 13–15: 75 grams
Boys, aged 16–20: 85 grams
We tend to lose more muscle mass with age (sarcopenia), so as we get older, our protein requirements may change. Declining muscle mass often begins earlier than you might think, typically in your thirties. With sarcopenia comes weight gain, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome that may progress to full-blown type 2 diabetes. There is also a strong relationship between muscle mass, strength, and overall function as we age—including falls. Brain injuries among adults age seventy-five and older have increased by 76 percent since 2007, and the primary cause is falling.2 Sarcopenia correlates strongly with disability, poor quality of life, and earlier death—in other words, lean body mass is crucial to your health and longevity.
As we move into our elder years, our appetite may dwindle due to diminished taste and smell. Many seniors also become less active, accelerating their rate of muscle loss. Many will benefit from a high-quality protein drink, such as whey. Amino acid supplementation has been shown to improve body composition in people with muscle wasting illnesses, especially liver disease.3
If you dream of getting back into those skinny jeans, then you must focus on consuming the right building blocks for muscle tissue. The best approach is to consume a clean, whole-food–based diet with a wide variety of foods. In terms of getting the highest-quality proteins, you’ll want to avoid animal products from confined animal feeding operations, where livestock are fed an unnatural diet of GMO grains instead of fresh grass from pasture. Source your meats from organic, local farms that raise their animals on pasture with minimal grain-based feed, hormones, and agricultural chemicals.
Other good protein sources include wild fish, such as Pacific salmon, sardines, and anchovies; pasture-raised poultry and raw dairy; and nuts and seeds. Legumes can provide you with good (but not complete) proteins, but their complex carbohydrates can spike your insulin, so they’re problematic for some. Hemp seeds boast more than 4 grams of protein per tablespoon, and pumpkin seeds have 8 grams per quarter-cup. Spirulina also provides 4 grams of protein per tablespoon, and don’t forget that wonderful tahini sporting 4 grams of protein in every tablespoon.
PROTEIN CONTENT OF FOODS
FOOD: Red meat, poultry, fish, seafood
PROTEIN CONTENT: 6–9 grams per ounce
FOOD: Hard cheeses
PROTEIN CONTENT: 7–8 grams per ounce
FOOD: Yogurt
PROTEIN CONTENT: 17 grams per 6 ounces
FOOD: Seeds and nuts
PROTEIN CONTENT: 4–8 grams per ¼ cup
FOOD: Hemp seeds
PROTEIN CONTENT: 4.4 grams per tablespoon
FOOD: Chia seeds
PROTEIN CONTENT: 2.4 grams per tablespoon
FOOD: Tahini
PROTEIN CONTENT: 4 grams per tablespoon
FOOD: Most cooked legumes
PROTEIN CONTENT: 7–8 grams per ½ cup
FOOD: Cooked lentils
PROTEIN CONTENT: 18 grams per cup
FOOD: Cooked soybeans
PROTEIN CONTENT: 28 grams per cup
FOOD: Most vegetables
PROTEIN CONTENT: 1–2 grams per ounce
FOOD: Amaranth
PROTEIN CONTENT: 7 grams per cup
FOOD: Buckwheat
PROTEIN CONTENT: 6 grams per cup
FOOD: Spirulina
PROTEIN CONTENT: 4 grams per tablespoon
Proteins are key to a radical metabolism due to the amino acids they provide. Just as with essential fatty acids, your body must have the correct balance of essential amino acids to keep your metabolism abuzz.
You’ve already seen how eating protein accelerates your metabolism and encourages fat burning. If we don’t consume enough protein, our body has no choice but to break down our muscles and organs to get the amino acids (and energy) it needs.
Roughly three hundred types of amino acids occur in nature, but only twenty-two are used by the body—which is amazing when you consider it manages to make 100,000 different proteins out of these mere twenty-two!
Because proteins have so many functions, they are constantly being “repurposed” by your body, broken down, and replaced. They are disassembled into their component parts—the amino acid building blocks—and then reassembled into new forms in a complex process called protein biosynthesis. Your amino acids are recycled three to four times a day—so that chicken breast you ate for lunch may do a little time on your biceps, then get morphed into dopamine and serotonin, before being transformed into fuel by your liver!
Unlike fat and starch, the body does not store excess amino acids for later use (at least, not long term), so you must get them from your foods every day. Symptoms of amino acid deficiency depend on which aminos are missing, so vary widely.
Not only do the aminos serve as building blocks for your muscles and vital organs, but they also compose an assortment of other molecules, such as neurotransmitters and compounds that regulate your immune system. Amino acids enable vitamins and minerals to perform their functions, and form the base structures of DNA—the “backbone” of your chromosomes. As a component of enzymes, aminos play important roles in nearly all life-sustaining biological processes. Because amino acids are sensitive to pH, enzymes don’t work properly unless your pH is correct.
Perhaps the most elemental function of amino acids is their use in cell membranes. Yes, my friends, we are back to those! Whereas phospholipids, those key fats we talked about in Chapter 2, provide the basic cell membrane structure, amino acids are used to build cellular substructures, such as transport channels and hormone receptors, as well as proteins that carry out biological tasks. Think of some as “runners” and “communicators.”4 For example, transporter proteins help usher other molecules, like glucose, in and out of the cell. Your body’s mitochondrial membranes are 75 percent amino acids. It’s estimated that a whopping 30 percent of our genes are devoted to encoding membrane proteins—which tells us just how important they are!
Most diseases, if not all, involve a breakdown in cellular communication. Cell-to-cell communication relies upon these protein elements, and if the right amino acids are not available to make them, then signals get scrambled.5 This is what happens with metabolic malfunction, weight-loss resistance, hormone imbalance, diabetes… and the list goes on. (Toxicity also plays a major role in corrupting cell-to-cell dialogue, which we’ll be covering in Chapter 6.) That’s why getting the right complement of amino acids in your diet is so important.
Now let’s look at a few specific amino acids and the highlights of what they can do for you, especially when it comes to reinvigorating a sluggish metabolism. (For information about the functions of all twenty-two and their food sources, please refer to the extensive table at the end of this chapter.)
Your body’s twenty-two amino acids can be divided into three types: essential amino acids (EAAs), nonessential amino acids, and conditionally essential (sometimes called semiessential) amino acids. Essential means your body does not make them, so it must get them from your diet. The nonessential aminos can be manufactured by your body, and the conditionally essential can be manufactured unless you are ill or stressed.
Foods that are “complete proteins” contain all ten essential amino acids. If you fail to get even one of the EAAs in your diet, then your body will need to break down muscle tissue to liberate it—which makes complete proteins a highly valuable part of your diet. Most complete proteins come from animal products. Although many plant foods are rich in multiple amino acids, the only complete proteins from the plant kingdom are soybeans, quinoa, buckwheat, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and spirulina.
Arginine
Isoleucine
Phenylalanine
Valine
Histadine
Lysine
Threonine
Leucine
Methionine
Tryptophan
Cysteine
Proline
Taurine
Glycine
Serine
Ornithine
Glutamine
Tyrosine
Alanine
Glutamate
Asparagine
Aspartate
Each amino acid has its own special functions in the body. For example, histidine is used in the making of histamines, a key part of your immune response. Threonine is necessary for making the pigment in red blood cells that binds iron. Valine helps bind proteins together. Lysine boosts collagen production and kills viruses, and tryptophan helps us sleep.
In terms of weight loss—specifically, fat loss and muscle building—a few aminos may be of particular value: glutamine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, ornithine, leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
Glutamine helps reduce fat deposition, improves insulin signaling, and helps reduce sugar and alcohol cravings.
The liver combines the two EAAs lysine and methionine into carnitine, a prime fat burner. Carnitine is stored in muscle tissue, where it helps shuttle fatty acids into the cells’ mitochondria for use in making adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is fuel. This process is especially active during exercise.
Phenylalanine is a natural appetite suppressant.
Ornithine can make you leaner because it stimulates human growth hormone (HGH), when taken before bed (2,500 milligrams on an empty stomach).
Leucine, isoleucine, and valine, which are branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), work together in the muscle tissue assembly line. Let’s talk a little more about these BCAAs.
Some call branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) the “missing link to weight loss.” Leucine, isoleucine, and valine were given this name for their branched molecular structure. Whereas most amino acids are broken down in your liver, BCAAs are broken down mostly in your muscles, where they play important roles in energy, endurance, and maintenance of lean body mass.
BCAAs perform the following biological functions:
• They improve your endurance and reduce fatigue due to improving energy production (particularly isoleucine and valine).6
• They reduce muscle loss and increase muscle building (particularly leucine).7
• They increase fat metabolism, and decrease fat deposition.8
• They speed exercise recovery, reducing muscle soreness and spasms.9
• They have positive effects on blood glucose, insulin, and triglyceride levels (particularly isoleucine and valine).10
BCAAs comprise about 35 percent of all muscle tissue. If you don’t have adequate BCAAs, your body will break down muscle tissue to obtain them, resulting in greater muscle loss. In other words, BCAAs help you preserve and build your lean body mass so that your body fuels itself with stored body fat instead of muscle. Although your liver can convert BCAAs into energy, the process is a little clunky, whereas our muscles are ready-made for the task! Estimates are that BCAAs provide 18 percent or more of your body’s “workout fuel.” Leucine is a particularly important BCAA for creating a lean body, due to its ability to stimulate muscle-building.
The latest science suggests the minimum daily requirements for BCAAs are 9 grams per day for women and 12 grams per day for men, ideally from food, not supplements. People who get plenty of high-quality protein in their diet are unlikely to need supplements. You can obtain BCAAs from protein-rich foods, such as organic grass-pastured beef and dairy, wild Alaskan salmon, nuts, and seeds. (For sources unique to each amino, see the table at the end of this chapter.)
If you happen to be an athlete or engaged in heavy resistance training, or if you are vegan or vegetarian, a daily supplement might be beneficial, in the dose of 10 to 20 grams of BCAAs. The best time to take these is before and/or after a workout. We need 8 to 16 grams of leucine daily for optimal muscle growth and repair.
Whey protein is an excellent source of all the EAAs, especially leucine—3 ounces of whey protein provide 8 grams of leucine compared to 1.6 grams in 3 ounces of salmon, for example. When it comes to muscle building, whey protein may outperform BCAA supplements.11 Besides being rich in leucine, whey protein has sixty-four different amino acids that perform a symphony of functions, including appetite suppression. Whey is a potent stimulator of cholecystokinin (CCK), the hormone that stimulates bile release! In one study, whey increased CCK more than 400 percent.12
As long as you are consuming the right kind, whey protein has a mountain of benefits, especially for your immune system, including fighting cancer. Whey also has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, blood pressure–lowering and stress-reducing properties. However, many people are consuming whey products containing inferior quality whey that not only lacks immune benefits but can actually trigger allergies and other problems.
There are two kinds of milk from which whey products are made: A1 and A2 beta-casein. The majority are made from A1 milk, which is mutated and associated with allergies, digestive problems, cardiovascular issues, and diabetes. You want your whey derived from A2 milk because it’s nonmutated and cold processed to preserve the delicate protein and amino acid structures. Unfortunately, most cow’s milk in North America is A1. Make sure your whey products are free of GMOs, hormones, gluten, excess sugar, chemical additives, and, of course, heavy metal contamination.
It’s been said that the initial 40 grams of protein you consume each day specifically target your immune system—so make them count! UNI KEY Health has an excellent whey protein supplement made from A2 milk: Fat Flush Whey Protein. The company also offers a vegan variety, Fat Flush Body Protein, made with rice and pea proteins. For many years I have been a nutritional consultant for UNI KEY, and I was personally involved in developing their protein supplements.
If you choose to supplement with amino acids, a cutting edge new product enjoys many advantages over the other amino acid supplements. MAP, short for “master amino pattern,” provides eight essential amino acids in a highly purified, free, crystalline form. This is as just about as close to “Star Trek nutrition” as you can get! MAP is digested very rapidly—within 23 minutes—because it doesn’t require the aid of stomach acid or pancreatic enzymes. MAP is also virtually acaloric and completely anabolic. Studies show 99 percent of MAP is utilized immediately by the body to make proteins, which beats dietary proteins that have only 16 to 48 percent utilization. MAPS are typically taken like BCAAs, shortly before or after a workout. They can also be used by vegans to increase daily protein, in three-times-a-day dosing.
BCAA supplements are not without some potential side effects, which is why I suggest getting your amino acids from your foods. Our body is the master when it comes to balancing the amino acids properly and in the right ratios. As you’ll recall, amino acids are used to make chemical messengers, and mucking around with neurotransmitters and hormones and such may have unintended consequences under certain conditions. The effects can vary, depending on your diet and other lifestyle factors.
For example, BCAAs may either decrease blood sugar levels or raise them, depending on the circumstances. Some studies have found using BCAA supplements while on a high-fat diet can lead to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.13 Both diabetes and cancer are characterized by dysfunctional cell signaling, so caution must be exercised with anything that alters how cells communicate.14
Another concern about amino acid supplementation is stimulation of the mTOR pathway. MTOR decides whether cells should replicate now or wait for a more opportune time. Amino acids are the most potent stimulators of mTOR. If you have excess aminos, then mTOR becomes upregulated (stimulated), which can accelerate aging. Virtually all cancers are associated with mTOR stimulation.15 What you want is for mTOR to be downregulated (suppressed) because this promotes maintenance and repair and increases longevity. The takeaway is, don’t overdo or underdo your protein!
AMINO ACID FUNCTIONS AND FOOD SOURCES
AMINO ACID: Arginine
FUNCTIONS: Nitrogen retention and nitric acid production for healthy blood flow, oxygenation, and blood pressure; stimulates HGH; muscle synthesis; necessary for creatine (energy source for muscles); collagen; essential for children up to age 5 and adults above age 60
FOOD SOURCES: Alfalfa sprouts, beets, carrots, celery, chicken breast, chickpeas, cucumbers, dairy, green vegetables, leeks, lentils, lettuce, nutritional yeast, parsnips, potatoes, pumpkin seeds, radishes, soybeans, turkey
AMINO ACID: Histidine
FUNCTIONS: Nerve transmission and myelin sheaths; synthesis of histamine; blood pressure support; essential for children up to age 5
FOOD SOURCES: Alfalfa sprouts, apples, beef, beets, bison, carrots, celery, chicken, cucumbers, dandelion greens, endive, fish, garlic, pomegranates, radish, spinach, turkey, turnip greens
AMINO ACID: Leucine
FUNCTIONS: (BCAA) Muscle energy; protein synthesis; strong potentiator of HGH; exercise recovery; tissue healing; insulin and glucose utilization; decreases visceral fat; healing after injury; muscle sparing
FOOD SOURCES: Avocado, beans, beef, cheese, chicken, coconut, fish, nuts, olives, papaya, seafood, seeds, soybeans, sunflower seeds
FUNCTIONS: (BCAA) Blood sugar regulation and energy stabilization; stimulates HCG release; muscle healing and repair; hemoglobin; clotting; primary defense against infection through open wounds
FOOD SOURCES: Alfalfa sprouts, avocado, cheese, chicken, coconut, crustaceans, fish, game meats, olives, bok choy, papaya, pheasant, seaweed, spinach, sunflower seeds, Swiss chard, turkey, watercress
AMINO ACID: Lysine
FUNCTIONS: Collagen and elastin; component of fat-burner, mitochondrial-booster carnitine; boosts calcium uptake for bone building
FOOD SOURCES: Alfalfa sprouts, apples, apricots, beans, beets, carrots, celery, cheese, chicken, cucumber, dandelion greens, fish, grapes, beef, lentils, nuts, papaya, parsley, pears, seeds, shellfish, soybeans, spinach, turkey, turnip greens
AMINO ACID: Methionine
FUNCTIONS: Sulphur for synthesis of hemoglobin and glutathione; component of fat-burner, mitochondrial-booster carnitine; cartilage, hair and nails
FOOD SOURCES: Apples, beans, beef, Brazil nuts, cabbage, cauliflower, cheese, chives, dairy, filberts (hazelnuts), fish, garlic, horseradish, kale, pineapple, shellfish, sorrel, soybeans, turkey, watercress
AMINO ACID: Phenylalanine
FUNCTIONS: Precursor to catecholamines (regulation of nervous system); stimulates cholecystokinin (CCK) for bile release and satiation; best avoided if you are pregnant or have hypertension, phenylketonuria, melanoma, anxiety attacks, or take MAO inhibitors
FOOD SOURCES: Almonds, apples, avocados, bananas, beets, carrots, cheese, fish, lima beans, nutritional yeast, parsley, pineapple, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, soybeans, spinach, tomatoes
AMINO ACID: Threonine
FUNCTIONS: Synthesis of porphyrin for binding iron; collagen and elastin; digestive enzymes; antibody production and thymus gland; liver function; increases bioavailability of other nutrients
FOOD SOURCES: Alfalfa sprouts, beans, carrots, celery, cheese, chicken, green leafy vegetables, beef, lentils, lettuce, liver, nori, nuts, papaya, seeds, shellfish, soy
AMINO ACID: Tryptophan
FUNCTIONS: Reduces stress, promotes sleep; growth and development; precursor to serotonin and melatonin; niacin
FOOD SOURCES: Alfalfa sprouts, beans, Brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, cheese, chicken, chives, dandelion greens, endive, fennel, fish, lentils, nutritional yeast, nuts, oats, red meat, seeds, snap beans, spinach, tofu, turkey, turnips
AMINO ACID: Valine
FUNCTIONS: (BCAA) Treatment of liver and gallbladder disorders; glycogen synthesis; insulin secretion; binds proteins together; regulates absorption of other amino acids; mental acuity
FOOD SOURCES: Almonds, apples, beans, beef, beet, celery, cheese, chicken, dandelion greens, fish, lettuce, mushrooms, nutritional yeast, nuts, okra, parsley, parsnips, pomegranates, seeds, soybeans, squash, tomatoes, turnips
AMINO ACID: Cysteine
FUNCTIONS: An unstable sulfur molecule (quickly coverts to cystine); required for glutathione synthesis so critical for detox; blood pressure and blood sugar stabilization
FOOD SOURCES: Beef, cheese, chicken, fish, legumes, oats, soybeans, sunflower seeds
AMINO ACID: Glycine
FUNCTIONS: Provides glucose for muscle; regulates blood sugar; bile production; energy production; collagen; hemoglobin; blood pressure; DNA building block; required for creatine synthesis; wound healing; calms central nervous system so may help panic attacks; hormone balance; epilepsy
FOOD SOURCES: Beef, chicken, mollusks, ostrich, sesame seeds, spinach, watercress
FUNCTIONS: Counters fat deposition; improves insulin signaling and glucose; reduces blood glucose and cravings (easily converts to glucose); reduces lactic acid; facilitates healing by building fibroblasts and epithelial cells; gut maintenance and repair; passes through blood-brain barrier; neurotransmitter for memory and focus; blood pressure; increases HGH; nitrogen detox and ammonia reduction; DNA building block; most abundant amino acid in the body (60 percent of pool)
FOOD SOURCES: Asparagus, bone broth, broccoli rabe, Chinese cabbage, cottage cheese, beef, spirulina, turkey, venison, fish
AMINO ACID: Proline
FUNCTIONS: Collagen; builds strong blood vessels to combat arteriosclerosis and stabilize blood pressure
FOOD SOURCES: Asparagus, beef, broccoli rabe, cabbage, cheese, chicken, chives, gelatin, watercress
AMINO ACID: Serine
FUNCTIONS: Brain and central nervous system; myelin sheaths; phospholipids; fatty acid metabolism; DNA and RNA function; helps produce immunoglobulins and antibodies; creatine absorption
FOOD SOURCES: Baby squash, bamboo shoots, bison, cottage cheese, cream cheese, cuttlefish, elk, kidney beans, pike, quail, seaweed, turkey breast, watercress
AMINO ACID: Tyrosine
FUNCTIONS: Synthesis of noradrenaline, dopamine, and thyroid hormones; improves memory under stress
FOOD SOURCES: Beans, beef, cheese, chicken, dairy, fish, kidney beans, mustard greens, nuts, seeds, soybeans, spinach, turnip greens, watercress
AMINO ACID: Taurine
FUNCTIONS: Promotes bile acids and thins the bile; detoxes heavy metals; boosts metabolism; decrease liver fat; heart and brain health; activates GABA
FOOD SOURCES: Chicken (dark meat), dairy, fish, krill, meat, nutritional yeast, organ meats, seaweed, shellfish
AMINO ACID: Ornithine
FUNCTIONS: Converts to arginine; helps ammonia convert to urea and clear from the bloodstream; stimulates HGH (human growth hormone); also see arginine
FOOD SOURCES: See arginine
AMINO ACID: Alanine
FUNCTIONS: Synthesized from lactic acid by muscle cells; very important for blood glucose regulation; reduces fatigue by boosting carnosine
FOOD SOURCES: Beef, fish, parsley, poultry, soybeans, sunflower seeds, white mushrooms
AMINO ACID: Asparagine
FUNCTIONS: Balance and equilibrium; nerve function; used in large number of proteins
FOOD SOURCES: Asparagus, dairy, fish, legumes, nuts, potatoes, poultry, red meat, soybeans
AMINO ACID: Aspartate
FUNCTIONS: (Aspartic acid) Metabolism; ATP; synthesis of other amino acids; mental sharpness; ammonia detox
FOOD SOURCES: Asparagus, bamboo shoots, cod, crab, lentils, mung beans, orange roughy, peppers, spinach, swamp cabbage, tuna, whitefish
AMINO ACID: Glutamate
FUNCTIONS: Most common neurotransmitter in brain and spinal cord; synthesis of GABA (natural calming agent); energy; blood pressure; immune and digestive support
FOOD SOURCES: Avocados, beans, chicken breast, dairy, fish, kelp, lentils, lobster, red meat, poultry, salmon, sunflower seeds, turkey breast, wakame, walnuts
1. Fred Pescatore, The A-List Diet: Lose up to 15 Pounds and Look And Feel Younger in Just 2 Weeks (Dallas, TX: BenBella Books, Inc., 2017).
Carnitine is an amino acid “cousin” found in nearly every cell in your body. Originally isolated from certain amino acids in meat, carnitine helps your mitochondria metabolize and eliminate fat. Studies also suggest that carnitine may improve thyroid function. Carnitine is the generic name for a number of compounds, including L-carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine.
Carnitine plays a critical role in energy production by transporting long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria so they can be oxidized (“burned”) for energy, then escorts toxic compounds out of the cell. Carnitine also protects your liver from noxious agents. As we age, carnitine stores often become depleted. Swiss scientists have shown that even early carnitine deficiencies may result in liver problems and loss of glycogen stores in muscle tissue.16
Given the fact that it is used by tissues that utilize fatty acids for fuel, carnitine is most concentrated in your skeletal and cardiac muscle, where it can facilitate energy metabolism and exercise endurance. That said, acetyl L-carnitine is also beneficial for memory by revving up energy-depleted brain cells.
We all know the importance of regular exercise, but the latest research has become laser focused on the dangers of prolonged sitting. Sitting is the new smoking. It used to be believed that going to the gym was enough to counter the effects of a sedentary job, but this has not proved true. Prolonged sitting is linked to heart disease, diabetes, and premature death—even among those who exercise up to an hour per day.17 Scientists aren’t sure exactly how sitting causes so many problems for your body, but some studies indicate it’s related to altered sugar and fat metabolism. This says to me that excessive sitting is a great way to snuff out a radical metabolism!
The key to minimizing the damage from sitting is to move intermittently throughout your day. Avoid sitting for more than thirty minutes at a time, even if you get up only briefly—one to three minutes at a time is all you need. We burn 30 percent more calories when standing than when sitting. This is why standing desks have become so popular. Make standing your first new habit!
In addition to getting up from your chair more often, there are many ways to increase your daily activity level. One of my favorites is simply taking a walk, especially in nature. It’s easy, you can do it pretty much anywhere, and the price is right. Rebounding is another fabulous exercise that also improves lymphatic flow, which helps detoxification.
Whether you’re going for forest walks or doing yoga, Tai Chi, aerobics classes, or whatever, the best approach is to vary your activity as much as possible and select activities you actually enjoy. If you’re not having fun, the odds of your sticking to it are pretty bleak. Ideally, your activities should include short bursts of high-intensity work, weight-bearing and resistance exercise, stretching, balance, and flexibility—and a little rest so that you don’t overdo it.
To recap, in this chapter you’ve learned how to harness the power of protein to flip on your fat-burning/muscle-building switches. Consuming a full range of amino acids, including those muscle-friendly BCAAs, along with increasing your daily activity, will go a long way toward returning you to the lean and lively person you remember! The next step is to radically improve your digestive tract.