If you were to base your answer from common belief, you would choose steak. However, do you know
that broccoli has almost twice as much protein as steak? Consider this: broccoli has 11.2 grams of
protein, and steak has only 5.4 grams.
You also know that calories should come from carbohydrates, protein, and fats. The difference between
the two is that animal-based food earns its calories from fats, while calories from plant-based food are
mostly protein.
Lesson from Popeye
Popeye gets his strength from spinach, and he was right. Indeed, the greens can deliver power punches.
Notice how all the big animals eat greens as their main food source.
What this means in the context of healthy weight loss is that by increasing your intake of plant-based
food and decreasing animal-based food, you can satisfy the protein requirement of your body to
maintain and promote optimum health while losing excess weight.
Yes, Popeye made the right choice in spinach, as green vegetables are the hands-down winner when it
comes to nutrient-density. If this were a scoring competition, it would hit the perfect score, 100%.
Learn from Popeye, if you wish to lose weight and be strong like him, your main dish should be green
salad. You can mix and match green leafy vegetables and devour it with peace in your mind knowing
that you are doing your body a favor- weight wise and health wise.
Why Weighing Food and Eating Smaller Portions Are Ineffective
It is an exercise in futility to weigh your food and eat smaller servings. This is because the
digestive system does not mind the weight of the food when sending signals to the brain
receptors. It is the bulk or volume, the calories, and the nutrients present in the food that
matter.
Therefore, you can eat the same weight or servings of junk food and high nutrient-density
food and get your weight loss results from the latter. You have come to know that your green
leafy vegetables have the highest nutrient-density among all food types.
Page 21 of 30
Animal Protein May Have Negative Effect On Weight Loss
The book suggests going easy on animal protein, as it may have negative effects on the weight loss
process. It lists several studies that confirm the following:
• The connection between animal protein and formation of cancer cells in the body
• How animal protein can encourage heart diseases which normally people will attribute to fats
and cholesterol
From the above, it is easy to conclude to skip or avoid eating animal-based food. However, this is not
what the book means.
Strictly Plant-Based Diet Does Not Guarantee Healthy Weight Loss
Avoiding animal-based food and shifting to a strict plant-based food diet is not a guarantee for healthy
weight loss results. There is a big difference between eating an exclusively vegetarian diet and a diet
rich in fresh fruits and vegetables.
You can become a vegetarian and still fail to get healthy weight loss results. On the other hand, you can
still eat animal-based food; consume fruits and vegetables in large amount, and enjoy healthy weight
loss benefits.
It all boils down to food choices. While statistics corroborate that vegetarians have longer lifespan, it is
important to note that these vegetarians choose natural plant-based food over refined and processed
plant-based food.
Demystifying the Animal Protein Myth
Perhaps until now, you still believe that you can only get your protein from animal-based food, and that
you need this protein for faster growth and development. This is a myth that you should learn to
debunk.
If you continue to believe this myth, you will still equate healthy nutrition with having a larger built and
experiencing early maturity, and that faster growth means excellent health. According to Dr. Fuhrman,
the reverse is true and several studies support this.