What

the Protein,
Fitness, andFood
Industries
Dont Want You
toKnow
BY YURI ELKAIM

Elkaim Group International, Inc.

*1* The Protein Lie
 Copyright 2016 and beyond
by Elkaim Group International, Inc.

All rights Reserved

No portion of this book may be used, reproduced, or

transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including fax, photocopy, recording, or any
information storage and retrieval system by anyone but
the purchaser for their own personal use. This manual
may not be reproduced in any form without the express
written permission of Elkaim Group International, Inc,
except in the case of areviewer who wishes to quote brief
passages for the sake of areview written for inclusion in
amagazine, newspaper, or journal, and all of these situ-
ations require the written approval from Elkaim Group
International, Inc. prior to publication.

The information in this book

is for educational purposes only.
The information in this book is based on personal expe-
rience, years of research, and my subjective interpreta-
tion of available research. It is not medical advice and
not meant to replace consulting with amedical doctor.

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*2* The Protein Lie
Contents

Have You Been Duped ByProtein Propaganda? 4

PART 1 6 PART 2 35
Protein Foundation 6 Protein Supplements: theGood,
Protein 101 6 the Bad andtheUgly 35
Are Vegans Doomed? 8 Plant Protein Supplements 36

How Much Protein Do You Really Need? 9 The Ugly Truth About Protein Supplements 37

Does Protein Timing Matter? 11 My Top 4 Recommended

Protein Supplements 39
Is Too Much Protein Dangerous? 12
The Truth About Eggs 14 Conclusion 40
The Low-Down on Dairy 16
References 41
Whey vs CaseinWhats the Difference? 18
An Important Message for Carnivores 19 About the Author 43
Best High Protein Foods
(and The 12 Best Vegan Proteins) 20
Not All Protein is Created EqualHeres Why 22
The Stomach Acid TestDo This
for Better Protein Absorption 23
How Cooking Impacts Protein Quality 24
Soaking and Sprouting
for Maximizing Raw Plant Proteins 25
How Much Protein Can Your Body Handle
in One Sitting and How to Get More Bang
for Your Protein Buck? 27
Is Protein Helpful for Losing Weight? 29
Does Eating More Protein Build More Muscle? 31
Can Vegans Build Muscle? 33
Does Protein Timing Really Matter? 34

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*3* The Protein Lie
Have You Been Duped
ByProtein Propaganda?

Whether youre aprofessional athlete or simply ahealth conscious consumer, you have proba-
bly been told that in order to be healthy, build muscle, and lose weight you have to eat protein
and lots of it. While it is true that protein is critical for an array of important bodily functions,
according to countless studies, the notion that you need to consume copious amounts of pro-
tein might not be all its cracked up to be. In this special report, youll see exactly why.

After working in the fitness and nutrition industry The eat lots of protein message isnt shocking
for close to 2 decades, its clear that most people when you consider the nutritional supplement in-
are confused about how much protein they should dustrys sales hit 11.5 billion in 2012, and is forecast-
eat on daily basis, and rightfully so ed to hit 15.5 billion by 2017, which protein powders
being alarge component of those sales.1 Needless
The media is full of muscle bound fitness pro-
to say, they have agood reason to tell you that you
fessionals pushing their extremely high protein
should eat much more protein than you really need.
products so that you can look like afitness model
too. And even if youre not aregular gym go-er,
these protein lies have likely infected you as well.

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*4* The Protein Lie
But its not just the supplement industry that IF YOU WANT TO KNOW
stands to gain from misrepresenting how much THE TRUTH ABOUT:
protein you need on adaily basis. The billion dollar
beef, poultry, pork, and dairy industries do too.2 How your body uses protein
After all, the more protein you think you need, the
If it matters whether your protein
more of their animal products you consume.
comes from plants or animals

If too much protein is harmful

How much protein your body

actually needs, and

Pretty much anything else

about protein, then

You're in luck.
My goal with this report is to provide you with the
clarity you need to feel confident not only about
what youre eating but also what you spend your
money on. By end of this report you will have
a crystal clear understanding of your protein
needs and how to meet them so you can finally
do away with all the confusing protein myths for
good. Ihave afeeling you will be shocked by some
of the truths that will be uncovered in this report
so buckle up and lets dig in.

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*5* The Protein Lie
 PART 1

Protein Foundation

Protein 101
Before we get into the specifics of how much protein you need, which types of protein are
best, and when you should consume them, you must first understand what protein does
in your body and why its imperative for good health.

After you eat a protein rich food, your digestive

system breaks down that protein into amino acids.
These protein building blocks are then absorbed
into the blood through the gastrointestinal tract.
Once absorbed, your body configures these amino
acids into amultitude of different proteins in order
to accomplish their specific tasks. For instance,
they can become the base of a hormone, an im-
portant component of your muscle tissue, etc...

To give you abetter idea of the import roles amino

acids play in the body see the list below:3

They help break down food

They help grow and repair body tissue

They help transport various substances

throughout the body

They become the base of enzymes, hormones,

neurotransmitters, and antibodies

As you can see, if your body doesnt have enough

protein coming in on aregular basis, acascade of
problems can occur.

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*6* The Protein Lie
There are 22 different amino acids found in the THE NINE ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS:2
body. Most of these amino acids are labeled as
non-essential, which means your body can create Phenylalanine
them on its own. In other words, it is not essential Isoleucine
that these particular amino acids are found in the
diet. There are, however, 9 essential amino acids Leucine
which the body cannot produce; therefore, they
Lysine
must come in via the food that you eat.
Threonine

Methionine

Tryptophan

Valine

Histidine

Animal proteins contain all 9 of these amino acids

while plant proteins generally only contain some
of them. If these 9 building blocks are not pro-
vided to the body in sufficient amounts on areg-
ular basis your body could become deficient in
some of the amino acids it needs to perform the
important functions mentioned above. This is why
its important that you consume enough protein
on a regular basis. The question is, How much
protein is enough? and will you be ok if you dont
meet the minimum requirements on adaily basis?

Well get to those questions in a second, but let

me soothe any anxiety some of our vegan friends
may have about protein

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*7* The Protein Lie
Are Vegans Doomed?
As you just learned there are two kinds of amino acids: those that are complete (they con-
tain all of the essential amino acids) and those that are incomplete (they only contain
some of the essential amino acids).

Since animal proteins contain all 9 essential ami-
no acids and most plant protein sources do not,
vegans have been told for decades that they need
to combine certain foods together (for example
beans and rice) in order to make acomplete pro-
tein. However, this has been shown not to be true.4
This means that, since they are held in these reser-
voirs, you dont need to eat every essential amino
acid in one meal or even in one day. Your body will
be just fine if you arent eating complete proteins
at any given meal. With abalanced diet, youll get
everything you need and your body will do the rest.

The truth is that our bodies have the amazing ability
to store amino acids in what are called amino acid
pools found in our muscles and liver. This means
that as long as you eat awide variety of vegan pro-
tein sources on aregular basis, your body will be
able to draw up these amino acid pools to fill in the
gaps to make the proteins your body needs.
Now that weve covered some protein basics
and proven the case that plant-based proteins
are totally sufficient for any human, lets get to
the nitty gritty details and answer some of the
big protein questions.

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*8* The Protein Lie
How Much Protein Do You Really Need?
This is easily the most common question people have asked me since Istarted as ahealth
and fitness coach almost 2 decades ago. And its agreat question because theres so much
confusion around it, isnt there?
You might be surprised to hear that protein con-
sumption in the United States is considered ex-
cessive.5 Although this is the case, the protein
pushers in the media continue to force feed us
the notion we do not get enough protein and that
we should be eating much much more.
The current recommended daily allowance (RDA)
for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight
(1 pound = 2.2 kilograms) to prevent deficiency in
untrained, generally healthy adults.6 This is the rec-
ommendation I give to most people that ask me,
unless youre aheavy duty athlete or bodybuilder.
Beyond the basics of preventing deficiency and en-
suring abaseline of protein for good health, those
who work out at ahigh intensity on aregular basis,
may need abit more for optimal function, muscle
maintenance/growth, and good immune health.
According to the American College of Sports Med-
icine (ACSM) and the Academy of Dietetics and
Nutrition, endurance athletes should consume
1.21.4 grams per kilogram of bodyweight.7 The
same is true for heavy duty weight-lifters and
bodybuilders, even though theyve been told to
consume FAR more. Ill show you why that doing
so is nothing more than awaste of money.
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*9*
TO FIGURE OUT
HOW MUCH PROTEIN YOU NEED,
FOLLOW THESE SIMPLE STEPS:
Step 1:
Divide your body weight in pounds
by 2.2 kilograms.
Step 2:
Multiply your kg bodyweight
by 0.8 g protein/kg bodyweight
(or 1.2g if youre ahigh level athlete).
To give you an example, at 0.8 grams protein per
kilogram of bodyweight, a 150 lb (68 kg) person
would require about 54 grams of protein per day.
However, bear in mind that if you dont hit this
specific amount every single day of your life, then
youll be just fine.
What matters is your average protein consumption
over time. After all, during a1-day fast you would
have zero protein intake whereas on another day
you might have double the amount. So dont freak
out about hitting your target number every day.
Youll go crazy just trying to figure it all out.
The Protein Lie
And just in case youre wondering what 54 grams
of protein looks like, here are afew common foods
and the protein they provide (Ive kept them con-
sistent at 20g protein for easy comparison):
Filet of salmon (200g) = 20 grams protein
4 eggs = 20 grams protein
Beef (100g) = 20 grams protein
Kidney beans (1 cup) = 20 grams protein
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*10*
Ill show you some more high protein foods in
a moment but for now, I want you to remember
that you most likely dont need anywhere near the
amount of protein seen in magazines ads or com-
ing from the mouths of bodybuilders. As youll
soon learn, this is absolutely unnecessary, very
expensive, and sometimes even dangerous.
The Protein Lie
Does Protein Timing Matter?
When you eat your protein can just as important as how muchin some cases. This is es-
pecially true if losing excess body fat is your goal. For instance, the science shows that start-
ing your day with ahealthy dose of protein is crucial for maintaining ahealthy lean body.
Research presented at the Obesity Societys an-
nual scientific meeting on Nov. 13, 2013 found that
eating abreakfast rich in protein significantly im-
proves appetite control and may help women to
avoid overeating later in the day.8
In this study women from the ages of 1855 con-
sumed either a protein-rich breakfast (3039g of
protein) or alow-protein breakfast (pancakes and
syrup) each containing 300 calories and similar
amounts of fat and fiber. They were then asked to
consume a standard lunch meal until they were
comfortably full. Results of the study showed that
participants had improved appetite ratings (lower
hunger, more fullness, less desire to eat) throughout
the morning and also consumed fewer calories at
lunch after eating the protein-rich breakfast, com-
pared to those eating the low-protein breakfast.
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*11*
What this means is that, for lasting health and
leanness, you should start your day with at least
2030 grams of protein. Because protein keeps
you full for a longer period of time, it decreases
cravings and your desire to eat. Plus, its the most
thermogenic of all foods, which means it increas-
es your metabolic rate (far more than carbs or fat),
helping you burn more calories.
Breakfast protein consumption is very important
and commonly overlooked. Other than eggs and
bacon, traditional breakfast meals are very heavy
on carbs, which is NOT agood way to start your day.
The National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey (NHANES) found that adults in the United
States skew protein (and calorie) consumption
toward their evening meal.9 For example, protein
consumption for adults is usually about 3 times
greater at dinner (38 g protein) than it is at break-
fast (13 g protein).9
THERES NOTHING WRONG
WITHHAVING MEAT OR OTHER
PROTEIN AT DINNER BUT YOULL
DO YOUR METABOLISM
ABIG FAVOR BY GETTING
MORE OF YOUR PROTEIN
EARLIER IN THE DAY.
The Protein Lie
Is Too Much Protein Dangerous?
Every fluid in your body must remain within aspecific pH level (pH is ameasure of the
acidity or alkalinity in the body) in order to function properly. If your blood becomes too
acidic it can damage your vital organs and your health. This is why it is so important that
your bloods pH levels are tightly regulated and kept slightly alkaline (around 7.4).

Research has shown that the acid load in your

body can be manipulated by the foods you eat.10
In fact, Iwas on Dr. Oz discussing this very subject
and you can watch our conversation here.

Just understand that the foods you eat can have

a huge impact on the acidity or alkalinity of your
blood. Unfortunately, the modern Western lifestyle
and diet has led most people into astate of met-
abolic acidosisbasically, too much acid in their
body. Since excess acidity is known to cause unfa-
vorable cellular mutations and increase unwanted
inflammation inside the body, you need to do what
you can to keep your acid-alkaline in check. Other-
wise, serious health problems can occur.
Ok, so whats this got to with protein? Doing worry,
were getting there
Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL) calculates the
acid or alkaline load of a specific food once me-
tabolized in your body.11 If you add up the PRAL
values for all the foods you eat, you will get the net
acid or alkaline load for that day. Obviously, Im
not suggesting you do that otherwise youd drive
yourself crazy. So, let me make it easy for you.
Whether a food is considered acidic or alkaline
is dependent on how much protein, phosphorus,
potassium, magnesium, and calcium it contains.
If a food has more protein and phosphorus (the
acidic components), than it does calcium, magne-
sium, and potassium (which are alkaline minerals)
its considered an acidic food.
For example, meats and dairy are very high in pro-
tein and phosphorus and low in the calcium, mag-
nesium, and potassium, which makes them acid
forming.
Fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, are very
high in alkalizing minerals and lower in protein and
phosphorus, making them alkaline forming. There-
fore, eating plenty of vegetable and fruit is import-
ant for keeping your blood pH in check, especially
if youre more than needed amounts of protein.
If you look at the following chart youll see that
meat has aPRAL of 9.5 and cheese has aPRAL of
23.6, meaning both have amassive impact on the
acidity of your blood.
Vegetables and fruit are the only foods that will
leave an alkaline ash in the blood. Grains are fairly
acidic while legumes are more neutral as are fats
and oils. All of this matters because high acidity in
the blood has been correlated to problems such
as: osteoporosis,12 kidney disease,13 cardiovascu-
lar disease,14 high levels of cortisol,13 type II diabe-
tes,15 and cancer16 just to name afew.

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*12* The Protein Lie
 PRAL VALUE OF FOODS

FOOD PRAL
(per 100g)

Low Fat Cheddar 26.4

Sunflower Seeds 12.1
Lean Beef 9.5
Amaranth 7.3
Almonds 2.2
Quinoa 0.2
Bananas 6.9
Strawberries 2.5
Dates, medjool 3.7
Soybeans, raw 4.7
Sweet Potato 5.6
Mung Beans 7.6
Swiss Chard, raw 8.1
Spinach, raw 11.8
Beet greens, raw 16.7

PRAL is just one reason you should consider

the health consequences of whether or not
you eat copious amounts of protein.
However, as long as youre within the 0.8g range
and eating your 510servings of veggies
and fruit per day, then youll be fine.

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*13* The Protein Lie
The Truth About Eggs
Like most people, youve probably been brainwashed into believing that eggs are bad for
you. At least, the yolk. Thats because they contain cholesterol. Yikes!

The truth is that eggs are not the villain they have
been portrayed to be. For decades it has been
widely believed that cholesterol increases the risk
for heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. But
what if Itold you that cholesterol really isnt the
bad guy at all? Its actually avital nutrient neces-
sary for many important processes in the body.
Before we talk about eggs I want to first explain
how this cholesterol myth got started. Back in
1951 an article called, Lipid Hypothesis by George
Duff and Gardner McMillan was published in the
American Journal of Medicine.17 This paper was
simply Duff and Gardners theory on how blood
lipid levels might be associated with cardiovascular
disease and stroke. After the article was published
aman named Ancel Keys decided to design astudy
specifically to prove the Lipid Hypothesis right.18

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*14* The Protein Lie
The problem is that studies should never be pro- Either way, there is little evidence that the choles-
duced in order to prove something right. This au- terol in our food impacts our blood cholesterol lev-
tomatically creates bias in a study which, by de- els.20 Cholesterol is produced and secreted by our
sign, are meant to be unbiased. liver and simply acts a Band-Aid, repairing dam-
age inside our blood vessels caused by inflamma-
Keyes collected data from 22 different countries
tion and free radicals. So its really inflammation
for his study but only published the data from 7 be-
and free radicals you should fear, not cholester-
cause the data from the other 15 countries did not
ol. Thats why its agood idea to limit sugar and
back up what he was trying to prove. Even though
alcohol consumption, avoid smoking, and steer
Keyes chose to exclude over half of the data col-
clear of highly inflammatory omega-6 vegetable
lected, the American Heart Association endorsed
oils like soy and corn oils. These are all big-time
his Seven Countries study, which claimed to
inflammation and free-radical creating machines.
prove heart disease and strokes are caused by fat
consumption and cholesterol. Once this theory hit The truth is that eggs are one of the most nutri-
the market, it became the golden rule for heart ent-dense foods on the planet. They are an ex-
health even though it is based on flawed science cellent source of B vitamins, vitaminA, vitaminE,
and one of the biggest victims to this flaw was eggs. vitamin D, iodine, phosphorus, zeaxanthin, EPA,
DHA, and of course, protein with about 5 grams
Eggs are not the enemy. As a matter of fact, ac-
per egg. With nutritional stats like these you
cording to a review of the literature published in
would think eggs would be considered one of
Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Meta-
natures superfoods instead of a pariah. While it
bolic Care, eating eggs has no discernible impact
isnt important to limit your consumption of eggs
on blood cholesterol levels in more than 70% of
for heart heath it is important that that you buy
the population.19 In other words, only about 30%
high quality organic, pasture-raised eggs. Studies
of the population (termed hyperresponders),
show that commercially-raised eggs are up to 19
should limit their egg. Are you one of them? Possi-
times higher in pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty
bly, if you have the ApoE gene, which is responsible
acids than the organic, pasture-raised variety.21
for raising cholesterol levels higher than normal.

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*15* The Protein Lie
The Low-Down on Dairy
If you like to get your protein and calcium intake from dairy products like cheese and milk
you probably are not going to like what Iam about to tell you. As you learned in the PRAL
section of this report, dairy is among the most acid forming of all foods. This is due to the
large amount of protein and phosphorus it contains.

For instance, when you compare cows milk to hu-

man breast milk, cows milk contains four times
more protein and about 1,018mg of calcium per
100g, while human breast milk only has 33mg of
calcium per 100grams. Seeing this might automat-
ically make you think that milk is not only great for
your bones but also agreat way to get more pro-
tein in your diet, however, this isnt the case.

In the body, the relationship between miner-

als is much more important than the quantity of
any single one. The ideal calcium-to-phosphorus
ratio is 2.5 to 1. However, cows milk has a calci-
um-to-phosphorus ratio of 1.27 to 1. Human breast
has an almost perfect ratio of 2.35 to 1.

Cows milk has a lot more protein and calcium

because its intended to feed and nourish baby
cows, not humans. Cows grow to about one ton
in a year; therefore, they need far more protein
and calcium than we do. We dont need anywhere
near that amount of protein or calcium. Further-
more, since phosphorus directly inhibits calci-
um absorption in the digestive tract, getting too
much of it can have a negative impact on your
bones. Thats right, dairy can actually be bad for
your bones largely because of its acidifying ef-
fects, which can leach calcium from your bones
to neutralize the excess acid in the blood.
Today, the average person consumes about 740
mg of calcium per day. Ironically, the calcium in-
take of our Paleolithic ancestors has been theo-
rized to be between 1,500 and 2,000 mg per day.
Yet, they never drank milk. It wasnt even available
to them. These were hunters and gatherers who
ate large of amounts of vegetables, tubers, ber-
ries, and wild game. Not surprisingly, its these
foods, not milk, that are the alkalizing and nutri-
ent-rich ingredients for strong and healthy bones.

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*16* The Protein Lie
Cows milk, depending on the source, can also Even though this is a report about protein I still
contain a substantial amount of hormones such want to give you an idea of all the non-dairy op-
as gonadotropins, thyroid releasing hormones, tions you have to get more calcium into your
ovarian steroids and insulin like growth factor.22 diet.23 Here are some of the best:
Dairy actually accounts for 6080% of estrogens
FOOD CALCIUM
consumed in the diet.
Sesame Seeds (1 cup) 1,404 mg
One study compared diet and cancer rates in 42 Collard Greens (1 cup cooked) 357 mg
countries. It showed that milk and cheese con- Spinach (1 cup cooked) 291 mg
sumption are strongly correlated to the incidence Turnip Greens (1 cup cooked) 249 mg
of testicular cancer among men ages 20 to 39.
Kale (1 cup cooked) 179 mg
Rates were highest in places like Switzerland and
Denmark, where cheese is a national food, and As you can see, you can get more than enough calci-
lowest in Algeria and other countries where dairy um without milk. Better yet, green veggies are one
is not widely consumed.22 of the best foods you can eat to buffer the blood.

In the past 50 years in Japan, rising rates of dairy

consumption have been linked to rising death
rates from prostate cancerfrom near zero per
100,000 five decades ago to 7 per 100,000 today.
Breast cancer in particular has been linked to the
consumption of milk and cheese.

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*17* The Protein Lie
Whey vs CaseinWhats the Difference?
Were not quite done with dairy yet. There are two types of protein found in dairy products:
80 percent is casein and 20 percent is whey.24 The difference between whey and casein is
how theyre digested and how they react in the body.
Whey protein is digested quickly and absorbed
rapidly into the bloodstream, which can cause
a spike in insulin. This process stimulates IGF-1
(insulin growth factor) which has been found to
increase cancer cell growth.25 While casein breaks
down more slowly than whey it can also wreak
havoc on your health. Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author
of The China Study, described casein as one of the
most relevant cancer promoters ever discovered.26
If that werent bad enough casein also contains
natural morphine-like substances called caso-
morphins.27 When casomorphins enter the blood-
stream they act like opiates in the body by at-
taching to the opiate receptors in the brain. This
means they can cause severe addictions to dairy
products. Casomorphins trigger such an addictive
response that theyve been compared to heroine!
On top of that, caseins alarge protein molecule
that takes agood amount of time to digest. This
can add unneeded strain to an already weak-
ened the digestive system. And we havent even
discussed the digestive repercussions of lactose
the sugar in milkto which most humans dont
have the enzyme to digest. When you add up
these scary facts, iti no wonder that most of the
of the worlds adult population exhibits partial or
complete lactose maldigestion.28
And if you think drinking non-fat skim milk is bet-
ter guess again. While Ido not condone drinking
cows milk, if you choose to drink it you should at
least make sure it is the full fat version, and ideally
unpasteurized (which is almost impossible to get).
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*18*
A study published in the European Journal of Nu-
trition found that those who consumed full-fat
dairy were no more likely to develop heart disease
or type 2 diabetes than those who consumed low-
fat dairy. Plus, the full-fat dairy group was less
likely to be obese.29
Another study found that alow intake of dairy fat
was associated with a higher risk of developing
abdominal obesity while ahigh intake of dairy fat
(butter, high-fat milk and whipping cream) was
associated with a lower risk of central obesity.30
I think the most important thing to take away
from these studies is that not that full-fat dairy is
good for you but rather WHOLE foods, in any situ-
ation, will always be better for your body, even if
they are fattier.
If you want to reduce or stop dairy altogether here
are some healthy options you can try instead:
Unsweetened coconut milk,
almond milk, hemp milk, or rice milk
Coconut butter, avocados,
or coconut oil in place of butter
Coconut or water kefir in place of dairy kefir
Coconut or almond milk yogurt
Nutritional yeast in place of dairy cheese
Plant-based protein powder
instead of whey protein powder
The Protein Lie
An Important Message for Carnivores
Eating more of aplant-based diet is one of the best things you can do for your health. How-
ever, you dont have to be vegan if you dont want to be. Im not. Ieat meat and eggs several
times per week. However, Ialso get agood bulk of my protein for vegetarian sources. And
you can too without worrying about deficiencies.

As weve seen, eating too much animal protein

can have adetrimental impact on your bloods pH
level which can lead to amyriad of problems and
diseases. Yet, most people still believe its impera-
tive to have meat or dairy at every meal to ensure
they get enough protein. You now know that this
simply isnt necessary. Research shows that ani-
mal protein may significantly increase the risk of
premature mortality from all causes, among them
cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type 2 diabe-
tes.31 Furthermore, heavy consumption of saturat-
ed fat and trans fats found in animal proteins dou-
bles the risk of developing Alzheimers disease.32 Remember, you are what you eat, so if you eat an-
Studies like these make agreat case for consuming imal products, what they ate truly matters. In oth-
amore plant-based proteins. er words, the animals you choose to eat should
have access to sunshine and the diet they were in-
I want to be clear; I am not telling you that you
tended to eat not the one that is cheapest for the
should become avegetarian or avegan. What Iam
farmers to provide them.
suggesting is that you limit your consumption and
that you pass on conventionally raised meats. You Lastly, if you do choose to eat meat, then please re-
should stick to good quality fish and organic/free- member that you really only need aserving as big
run/grass-fed meats and eggs because commer- as the palm of your hand. Those massive 16-ounce
cially raised animal products are loaded with hor- steaks they serve at restaurants is going over-
mones, antibiotics, and other additives that can board. The good news is that when you use your
disrupt your bodys physiology.33 palm to measure your meat it is relative to you. If
you are a bigger person you have a bigger palm
For instance, if you eat salmon, choose wild, not
and asmaller person will have asmaller palm. If
farmed, when choosing beef, go with grass-fed
you use the Palm Principle you will get more than
instead of commercially-raised. When choosing
enough protein in your diet. For example, asmall
eggs, those that come from free-range and organ-
6-ounce sirloin steak (about the size of apalm) will
ically-fed chickens, instead of chickens that have
give you around 32 grams of protein which is more
been cooped up and fed genetically modified corn.
than enough, especially at one sitting.

Elkaim Group International, Inc.

*19* The Protein Lie
Best High Protein Foods
(and The 12 Best Vegan Proteins)
Below you will find achart of some of the highest protein foods in our food supply. Ibet
you are surprised to see foods like kale, spinach, and apples on the list. However, bear in
mind that these are based on 100g servings, which means youd need to aLOT more kale
to get any significant protein compared small amounts of more dense protein foods near
the top of the list.

Even though spirulina tops that chart at 60% pro- FOODS HIGHEST IN PROTEIN
tein, youd have to eat aconsiderable amount to
FOOD PROTEIN
reap its benefits. 1 cup is simply not realistic for (per 100g serving)

most sane individuals. I personally might use Spirulina (1 cup) 60g

12 tbsp of spirulina per day. So its important Cheese 2842g
to consider not only the percentage of protein in Soybeans (edamame) 40g
afood but how much of that food youd have to Beef 34g
eat to reap its protein benefits. Make sense? Pumpkin Seeds 33g
Lean Meats (chicken, lamb, pork) 3033g
Also bear in mind that there is more to food than
Yellowfin Tuna 30g
just protein; there are carbs, fat, minerals, vita-
Lentils, raw 26g (9g cooked)
mins, and vital nutrients as well. Animal proteins
Peanuts 24g
and grains have ahigher acid load than fruits and
Egg (whole) 6g
vegetables. And animal products generally have
Kale, cooked 2.5g
more protein per equivalent weighted serving
than plants, but plant foods are more nutrient Parsley / Spinach, raw 3g
dense and better for your health. Alfalfa Sprouts 4g
Banana (one) 1.3g
Apple 0.3g

If youd like to eat mostly vegan with alittle bit of

meat and animal products thrown in youll get more
than enough protein. Since meat and dairy are so
acidic in the body you can minimize their affect by
pairing them with leafy green veggies. Green leafy
vegetables not only contain protein but they also
provide a tremendous array of alkaline minerals
and vital nutrients that you dont get anywhere else.

Elkaim Group International, Inc.

*20* The Protein Lie
 As mentioned in the Protein 101 section, anyone, even vegans, can get all the amino acids you
need as long as you eat enough and from varied sources on aregular basis. Below you will find
alist of the 12 best vegan proteins along with amenu showing you just how easy getting afull
days worth of protein is without animal products:

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*21* The Protein Lie
Not All Protein is Created EqualHeres Why
You might think that if you eat asteak with 30 grams of protein in it, 30 grams of protein
is what your body will absorb but this is not always the case. Having good digestion is the
first step necessary for the proper absorption of the protein you eat.

In order for protein to be digested into amino acids,
your stomach must secrete adequate amounts of
hydrochloric acid (HCl) and the enzyme pepsin.34
If your stomach does not produce enough acid or
if it is overloaded with too much food from over-
eating, it will not be able to digest protein properly.
In other words, the amino acids will remain par-
tially digested. These partially digested protein
molecules can then pass into the small intestine,
which can cause aslew of health problems such
as irritation and inflammation of the gut lining.
Overtime, this can lead to problems like leaky gut
whereby these these larger, undigested proteins,
are able to slip into the bloodstream and cause all
sorts of problems.

Since these undigested food proteins are not sup-

posed to be in the blood your body identifies them
as foreign invaders similar to a bacteria or virus.
This prompts the immune system to fight them.
This is one of the ways food sensitivities, allergies,
and autoimmune disorders develop.35

Insufficient stomach acid also means that you

wont absorb all the vitamins and minerals in your
meals properly. In other words, you can eat all the
nutritious, organic, grass-fed food you want but
not absorb all of its nutrients.

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*22* The Protein Lie
The Stomach Acid TestDo This
for Better Protein Absorption
If you suffer from indigestion, gas, bloating, or constipation there is agood chance it stems
from an underactive stomach. This is why Irecommend taking the HCl test. This simple
test can help you determine whether you have the appropriate level of hydrochloric acid
in your stomach for optimal digestion. You should not complete this test, however, if you
have ulcers or are currently taking antacid medications.

Start by taking one capsule of betaine hydrochlo-
ride (HCl) before your largest meal of the day. You
should feel aburning or warming sensation in your
stomach or upper abdomen. Dont worry, thats
what we want. You may also feel slightly acidic,
or as though you have indigestion. Any reaction of
this nature indicates you should stop taking the
pills and that your stomach acid is sufficient.
In my experience, however, one pill is rarely suffi-
cient for most people. So, if no reaction is felt after
taking the HCl pill, repeat the process the following
day with two pills before your largest meal. If you
still do not feel anything, continue to increase by
one pill per day until you feel any change in your di-
gestive system or you reach the maximum of 14 pills.
Once you reach the point at which you feel the
warming or burning sensation simply take one
less pill the next day and remain at this number
of pills daily until the warming sensation returns.
Continue to decrease in this manner by one pill
each time you feel the warming sensation. This
weaning down process helps to restore your
stomach acid levels so you can properly digest
your food without the pills.

Elkaim Group International, Inc.

*23* The Protein Lie
How Cooking Impacts Protein Quality
Enzymes are another key element for proper digestion, which you now understand is im-
perative for absorbing the protein and other nutrients from the foods you eat. Sadly, cook-
ing not only denatures proteins, it also denatures important enzymes too. Enzymes dena-
ture at only 118 degrees Fahrenheit making them particularly sensitive to heat.

Cooking also creates aggregated proteins, which

not only reduce digestibility but can also increase
your risk for various diseases, such as Alzhei-
mers.36 Heating food causes chemical and molecu-
lar changes to specific amino acids. Lysine, trypto-
phan, methionine, cysteine, histidine, and arginine
in particular are sensitive to the heat of cooking.

Heating also causes the Maillard or browning re-

action, which decreases the biological value of
proteins so the body cannot absorb them.37 The
charred brown/black areas of barbequed meats are
an example of the Maillard reaction. This reaction
has also been linked to cancer which is yet another
reason why you should not overcook your food.38

Im not saying this to never eat cooked food again

but it is helpful to understand what happens
when you heat aprotein. Just think of what hap-
pens when you crack araw egg into aheated fry-
ing pan. Within afew minutes, the easier to digest
raw protein in the egg quickly coagulates to form
amore solid fried or scrambled egg. The result is
aslightly tougher protein for your stomach to di-
gest and absorb.
Again, Im not recommending that you become
araw foodist but Iam suggesting that you consid-
er adding more raw foods into your diet because
eating food in its raw state leaves all of its nutri-
ents intact, especially the protein.
The truth is that griling, baking and even steaming
destroys many of the vitamins, minerals, enzymes
and phytonutrients that are found in your food. In
many cases, like with cruciferous veggies, it makes
alot more sense to cook them since theyre very
tough to eat in the raw. Nonetheless, your best is
to get in several servings of raw veggies and fruit
throughout the day. A big green salad or smoothie
is asimple way to do so.
And obviously, if youre eating animal products
then youll want to cook them. Just dont crazy
and char them black. And to help you digest, con-
sider taking a few HCl capsules before your pro-
tein-rich meals (as mentioned earlier).

Elkaim Group International, Inc.

*24* The Protein Lie
Soaking and Sprouting
for Maximizing Raw Plant Proteins
Soaking and sprouting is agreat alternative to cooking foods like legumes and seeds. And
even if you dont want to, this section will give you astronger understanding for why fer-
mented or sprouted protein supplements are the best bang for your buck.

Soaking and sprouting enhances protein (and

most other nutrients) availability within a given
seed or legume by disarming enzyme inhibitors
and lectins that naturally keep many of the seed/
legumes nutrients locked up.

These anti-nutrients help the plant defend itself

against microorganisms like fungi and insects.
You can think of them like asuit of armor for the
plant and just like armor they are very tough. Be-
ing tough is great for providing the plant protec-
tion but they make it tough for the human diges-
tive system to break them down.

This can cause you anumber of problems, digestive

and other wise. Much like gluten, these anti-nu-
trients can damage the lining of your intestines,
causing inflammation. When your intestines are
inflamed their ability to absorb nutrients decreas-
es. Soaking and sprouting reduces these anti-nu-
trients much more than cooking does.39 For certain
foods, mostly seeds and select legumes, soaking/
sprouting is agreat alternative to cooking because
you can get more protein as well as other vital nu-
trients with less stress your digestive system.

Elkaim Group International, Inc.

*25* The Protein Lie
 How to Soak
andSprout
Step 1:
SPROUTING/HARVESTING
Soak the seeds/grains/legumes TIMECHART
in abowl of water for 1824 hours.
NUT, SEED, LEGUME, SPROUTING
OR GRAIN TIME
Step 2:
Adzuki beans 35 days
Drain and rinse.
Alfalfa 46 days
Step 3: Buckwheat, hulled 13 days
Clover sprouts 46 days
Using asprouting jar, sprouting tray,
Green lentils 13 days
or even acommon strainer, place your soaked
grain/legume/seed inside and make sure that Red lentils 1 day
there is enough ventilation. Mung beans 13 days
Tilt the jar at a45-degree angle and place it Peas 24 days
in your dish rack so that water from your seeds Oat Groats 23 days
can drain properly and to ensure Quinoa 12 days
the jar has good ventilation. Chick Peas 34 days
Amaranth 12 days
Note: You can easily make your own sprout jars Millet 12 days
bytaking awide-mouth glass jar and covering it with
some cheesecloth (secured with an elastic band).

Step 4:
During this process, be sure to rinse your
soon-to-be-sprouts once or twice aday
to maintain adequate moisture.

Elkaim Group International, Inc.

*26* The Protein Lie
How Much Protein Can Your Body Handle
in One Sitting and How to Get More Bang
for Your Protein Buck?
Is there adifference between eating 50 grams of protein at once or broken up throughout
the day? Is your body able to handle it all at once?

In anutshell, there is alimit to how fast your body
can absorb protein. Generally, 810 grams of protein
per hour is what the human body can absorb. But,
if you consume more than it can handle, some (em-
phasis on some) of the excess protein can also hang
out in your gut or liverin those amino acid pools
we talked about earlieruntil it needs to be used.
But happens if you drink aprotein shake? Can your
body handle all that liquid protein at once?
increase the rate of protein absorption, youll be
spending your hard earned cash on pooping away
more protein than your body is actually using.
Turns out that it takes 1.5 hours for viscous liquids
like protein shake to pass through the small intes-
tine, where amino acids are mainly absorbed. But
since the maximum rate that of protein absorp-
tion is about 810 grams per hour, it would take
5hours to fully absorb a50g protein shake!

Well, theres been some very interesting re- But remember, you have only 1.5 hours to ab-
search on this and the results confirm that the sorb a liquid shake. Therefore, youll likely ab-
days of slamming a 50g protein shake are gone. sorb only 15 grams. And the other 35 grams? Well,
If you dont find ways to slow transit time and/or theyre mostly wasted.

Elkaim Group International, Inc.

*27* The Protein Lie
Remember, no matter how good your digestion
is, you can only digest so much protein in one sit-
ting, the rest mostly goes down the toilet. Unless,
you know how to increase their absorption. And
thats exactly what one group of researchers set
out to discover.
In this study, the researchers looked at what hap-
pens when subjects drank a50g serving of whey
protein alone.
It turns out that when participants drank whey
alone, it took 4 hours to reach maximum total
serum amino acids levels (fancy of way of saying
amino acids in the blood), which only increased
about 30% from baseline. So, in this case, only
30% of the straight up whey protein was absorbed
after 4 hours. Thats not looking for promising for
big time protein pushers.
The researchers then wanted to see whether pro-
teolytic enzymes (that help digest protein) could
help increase protein absorption. Here, one group
drank whey along with 2.5 grams of enzymes; the
second group drank the same amount of whey,
but with 5 grams of enzymes.
As with drinking whey on its own, both groups
had peak serum amino acid levels 4 hours after-
wards. And the results were unbelievable to say
the least
WITH 2.5 GRAMS OF ENZYMES,
AMINO ACID LEVELS WERE
110% HIGHER AFTER 4 HOURS.
WITH 5 GRAMS OF ENZYMES,
EVEN BETTER: 127% HIGHER!
Elkaim Group International, Inc.
*28*
Remember, that 110% and 127% versus 30% in the
same time frame just by taking afew digestive en-
zymes with their protein shakethats impressive!40
What does mean toyou?
First, its pretty clear that you probably arent ab-
sorbing all the protein in your protein shakes if youre
drinking it plain and in viscous (liquid) form. From
this study (and others), it seems that under normal
conditions, liquids rush through the digestive tract
too quickly and that only asmall amount of protein
can be absorbed during normal transit time.
As such, youre better off sipping your protein
shakes, or drinking small amounts every 15 min-
utes or so, to improve absorption.
Youll probably also want to slow down transit
time, by making a more complex shake that
includes some fiber and healthy carbs so that it
takes a little more time to work its way through
your digestive tract. Thus, allowing more time for
your body to extract those amino acids.
Another big takeaway from this study is that high-
er doses of protein are better absorbed if you take
digestive enzymes at the same time. When you
do this, you get higher amino acid levels in your
blood, so that you have more available to your
muscles and other tissues, which is pretty much
the whole point of taking extra protein, right?
So, if youre looking for increased absorption,
youre best to slow down transit time AND sup-
plement with proteolytic enzymes. Very few pro-
tein contain the latter and thats why choosing
a sprouted or fermented protein supplement is
often best since the sprouting/fermentation pro-
cess increases and preserves the enzyme activity
in the finished product.
The Protein Lie
Is Protein Helpful for Losing Weight?
When it comes to weight loss its clear that protein is king. There are countless studies
promoting the positive effects it has on fat loss. Among other beneficial effects, protein
consumption increases blood concentrations of the hormone glucagon, which has been
shown to reduce the effects of insulin in fat tissue, leading to greater fat breakdown.41 In
addition, glucagon decreases the fat and activities of the enzymes responsible for making
and storing fat in fat and liver cells.

A review article published in 2013, from the Depart-
ment of Medicine in Sweden looked at 20 weight loss
strategies (drugs, exercise, low calorie diets, etc.)
among overweight and obese individuals. Their
findings revealed that successful weight manage-
ment was associated with consuming more protein
and even using high quality protein shakes. In 2008
the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found
that even modestly increasing the proportion of
protein in the diet improves satiety (so you eat less),
body composition, facilitated fat loss, and improve
body weight maintenance after weight loss.42 One
interesting study published in the Journal of the
American Medical Association followed subjects for
12 weeks. During this 12 week period subjects were
made to overeat about 1,000 calories aday. The only
difference was where the calories came from. One
group was made to overeat protein while the other
was made to overeat carbs. The low protein group
lost 1.5 pounds of muscle, and gained 7.5 pounds of
fat while the high protein group gained 6.3 pounds
of metabolically active muscle. They also gained fat
because they were being force fed but even though
they gained more total weight they had a lower
body fat percentage than the high carb group.43

Elkaim Group International, Inc.

*29* The Protein Lie
With all this talk about the importance of protein
and weight loss it might sound like Iam promot-
ing alow carb, high protein diet, but Iam not. You
know Im abig believer in eating the right carbs at
the right times to keep your metabolism healthy.
A topic Idiscuss in great detail in my book, The All-
Day Fat Burning Diet.
Elkaim Group International, Inc.
*30*
In 2012 the British Journal of Nutrition found that
consuming 1.2 g protein per kg of bodyweight is
beneficial to body composition and too little di-
etary protein contributes to weight regain. How-
ever, the researchers were quick to point out that,
The success of the so-called low carb diet that is
usually high in protein can be attributed to the rela-
tively high-protein content per se and not to the rel-
atively lower carbohydrate content.44 Again, 1.2g/
kg is higher than what most of us need but if youre
between 0.81.2g/kg bodyweight youll be in the
protein sweet spot no matter your activity level.
The Protein Lie
Does Eating More Protein Build More Muscle?
We know that protein is important for muscles, right? After all, protein and amino-acid
supplementation has also been shown to do have favorable effects on muscle growth such
as by increasing IGF-1, an anabolic hormone thats related to muscle growth.45 However,
does eating more protein help us build bigger muscles? Not quite.

We know that protein is important for healthy,
strong muscles. But how much is enough? If it
were amatter of simple math, then we would be
get bigger muscles in relation to eating tons of
protein. If this were true it would mean that most
Americans should be thin and muscular, since
most of the U.S. over consumes protein as was
mentioned at the beginning of this report.
Clearly, thats not the case. You see, the body can
up-regulate and down-regulate the amount of
protein that is absorbed from the intestinal tract
after ameal. Also when you start eating alot more
protein your body can actually start using more
of it for fuel.46 This is commonly seen when adiet
is unnaturally high in aparticular macronutrient
carb, protein, or fat. Whatever you eat alot of, your
body will favor as apredominant fuel source.

BUT DOES LOTS OF PROTEIN

FAVOR MORE MUSCLE GROWTH?

Well, one study published in International Jour-

nal of Sports Nutrition and Metabolism looked at
42 men between the ages of 18 and 31aprime
time for building muscle. They were divided into
3 groups. The first group supplemented their diet
wit an additional 0.54 grams of protein per pound
of body weight (about 0.25g/kg extra).

To put this into perspective, for a180-pound (82 kg)

man thats approximately 100 EXTRA grams of pro-
tein per day from protein powder. This is the equiva-
lent of taking about 5 extra scoops of protein powder
every day in addition to your normal protein intake!

The second group took the same amount of ex-

tra protein plus an additional 0.045 grams of cre-
atine per pound body weight (about 10 grams of
creatine per day for a 180 pound man). Creatine
is well known to increase muscle size and volume.

Elkaim Group International, Inc.

*31* The Protein Lie
The third group acted as the placebo group and
only received 0.54 grams of maltodextrin (a sim-
ple carbohydrate) per pound of body weight as
their supplement. Thus, no protein or creatine.
The results showed that group 1the whey protein
groupgained about 5 pounds in six weeks, while
the placebo (no protein) group somehow managed
to gain 2 pounds. Impressively, the group taking
creatine gained 8.8 pounds of lean tissue mass!47
These findings agree with the findings of the oth-
er studies that have shown that resistance train-
ing in conjunction with protein intakes above
120grams of protein per day DOES NOT increase
muscle mass above the 25 pounds, which seems
to be upper threshold from resistance training,
unless it is accompanied by the use of creatine.
Thus, more protein does NOT lead to bigger mus-
cles. Theres an upper threshold above which youre
simply peeing (or pooping) away all that extra pro-
tein, while imposing alarge acid load on your body.
Elkaim Group International, Inc.
*32*
However, theres something else from this study
thats interesting to note. The subjects in group 1
had an average increase of about 5 pounds of lean
body mass and they did it in only 6 weeks. This
suggests that extra protein, although it may not
be holy grail for building more muscle, may help
you grow the same amount of muscle faster than
you would without the extra protein.
So remember, most of us only need 0.8 grams of
protein per kilogram of body weight to stay lean
and healthy. And for most people, depending on
bodyweight, that will range from 70 to 120 grams
of protein. Any more than that and youre getting
little to no benefit and wasting your money.
Whether that protein comes from food or protein
supplements is up to you. In my mind, protein pow-
ders are simply another form of protein that are
much convenient than cooking up asteak or sprout-
ing acup of lentils. Its not that one is better or worse.
Each have their own place in various situations. The
problem arises when we think we need to consume
far more than we actually need, whether the goal is
good health, weight loss, or more muscle.
The Protein Lie
Can Vegans Build Muscle?
In 2003, the Journal of Sport and Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism looked at vegetar-
ians versus meat eaters performing the same training protocol over eight weeks.47 The
vegetarian group ate 450 fewer calories and less protein with only 79 grams versus 138.5
grams for the meat eaters. Thats almost twice as much protein in the meat eater group.

This study found that 79 grams of protein, regard-
less of the source (from plants or animals) is ade-
quate to build muscle. The meat eater group had
138.5 grams of protein per day but had no greater
increase in muscle mass. When you consider this
study along with the fact that it is quite simple for
vegans to get enough protein in their diets and the
body has amino acid pools to pull from, its clearly
not aproblem for vegans or vegetarians to build
muscle mass, assuming their following the right
type of training program.

Elkaim Group International, Inc.

*33* The Protein Lie
Does Protein Timing Really Matter?
Allow me to introduce my workout nutrition hourglass. As you can tell from the image
below, the further away from your workout, the more complex your meals should be. The
closer you get to your workout, the simpler your fuel intake should be (if at all).

and athletes before agame. For almost everyone

else, this quick sugar surge isnt necessary, espe-
cially if your goal is to burn fat, in which case exer-
cising in afasted or semi-fasted state is asmarter
idea since your insulin levels will be lower which
will favor fat loss instead of fat storage.

According to many, 15 to 30 minutes after your

workout is often considered the most critical part
of nutrient timing. However, unless youre a pro
athlete who requires as fast recovery as possible,
3 to 4 hours before your workout your meals consuming a carb or even protein based snack
should be predominantly carbohydrate based but this soon after aworkout isnt totally necessary.
paired with some protein and healthy fats. The
Studies have shown that even in the event of
carbs in this meal serve to stock up your muscle
complete glycogen depletion (which is very very
and liver glycogen stores and to keep your blood
unlikely), replenishment to pre-workout levels oc-
sugar ready for your upcoming workout.
curs as long as you eat ameal within 24 hours of
This is important for delaying exercise-induced fa- working out, even if you delay your post workout
tigue, especially from intense workouts since mus- carbohydrate intake by several hours.50, 51
cle glycogen becomes amajor fuel source for them.
Simiarly, 3 to 4 hours post-workout you dont have
Research has also shown that glycogen availabili-
to be too fanatical either. As long as youre getting
ty influences muscle protein breakdown.48 One
a well-balanced meal at some point after your
study showed muscle protein breakdown more
workout, then youll be giving your body what it
than doubled following about of exercise in agly-
needs to recover fully and bounce back stronger.
cogen-depleted versus glycogen-loaded state.49
So here, carbs are good. So, the days of fussing about guzzling a protein
shake right after your workout, obsessing over
30 to 60 minutes before your workout simple car-
branched chain amino acid supplement before
bohydrates like bananas, grapes, peaches, plums,
your workout, or other minute details are really
watermelon, or dates are your best bet. This sim-
unimportant in the long run. Just eat real food
ple carb intake is meant to get your blood sugar
when youre hungry and stop when youre and
to alevel that will sustain your workout. Iwould
youll be fine.
recommend this option for intense glycogen-de-
pleting exercisers like CrossFitters, triathletes,

Elkaim Group International, Inc.

*34* The Protein Lie
 PART 2

Protein Supplements:
theGood, the Bad
andtheUgly

Theres no shortage of protein powders and supplements on the market. The sheer number can
leave even the smartest consumers perplexed. In this section, Im going to provide some much
needed clarity to help you understand the difference between them and which ones are best.

Elkaim Group International, Inc.

*35* The Protein Lie
Plant Protein Supplements
Protein powders can be helpful if you arent getting in enough protein, you dont enjoy
eating breakfast, or you are on the go. They are portable and dont need to be refrigerated,
which makes them aperfect go to protein when you are in apinch. In my mind, theyre
simply another protein food that is super convenient. Ilike that.

THE MOST COMMON Protein hydrolysate: Hydrolyzed protein is cre-

PLANT-BASED PROTEINS INCLUDE:
Brown rice
Pea
Hemp
Soy
Ill go into more detail about the first 3 since they
are most commonly sought-after plant protein
supplements. Soy should be avoided since its
heavily processed and one of the most allergenic
foods in our food supply.
Before Iget into the details of each of these proteins,
lets look at how ANY protein powder is created.
Protein powders are created by extracting the pro-
tein from the raw ingredient (ie. pea, hemp, whey,
etc) using any of the following processing meth-
ods. On the supplement, youll find one of the fol-
lowing descriptions:
Protein concentrate: Concentration uses aheat dry-
ing process and acid extraction to lessen the whole
food source into aconcentrated protein powder.
Protein isolate: This process separates most of
the protein from the original food. This is accom-
plished through an alcohol wash, water wash, or
ionization technique. This will yield ahigher quali-
ty, more absorbable protein than concentrate.
ated by adding water to protein polymers and
breaking them down into peptides.
Ion-exchange protein: Ions are atoms or mole-
cules containing charge-bearing groups.
Ion exchanging separates protein molecules from
other fractions in the food by taking advantage of
electrical charges.
Fermented protein: In my opinion, this is the best
type of protein you can get because fermentation
is a natural process that uses no chemical sol-
vents making the protein more clean and protein
easier to digest and absorb.
Again, most of these methods, except fermenta-
tion, use chemical processes to liberate the pro-
tein from the food its in. Chemicals are never good
for the body which is why I really only promote
buying fermented or sprouted protein sources.
Even more shocking is that regardless of the type
that you choose, even if its the most expensive
or made by the biggest named brand you are not
guaranteed aquality product. As amatter of fact,
you arent even guaranteed that what is on adver-
tised on the label is actually what is in the contain-
er as you will see in the next section.

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*36* The Protein Lie
The Ugly Truth About Protein Supplements
You might be surprised to hear that agrowing number of well-known companies have
been accused of selling workout supplements with protein levels that fall far below whats
written on their label.52

MusclePharm for example was sued in January of
2015 for lying to their customers about how much
protein their products contain, and they are not the
only ones. Many different products have been found
to contain cheaper amino acid fillers that are
counted as grams of protein. These fillers allow sup-
plement companies to increase their profits since
they come at acheaper price than the real stuff.
Testing of MusclePharms Arnold Scharzenegger
Series Iron Mass revealed that less than half of
the 40 grams of protein listed on the label were
actually present in the powder. Tests of Inner Ar-
mour Mass Peak, Nitro Peak, Casein Peak,
Whey Protein, and Super Quad Protein found
that all 5 products were short in protein when
compared to their labels.

Just afew of the companies that have been tested
are: Giant Sports, MusclePharm, CVS Health, 4 Di-
mension Nutrition, NBTY and Inner Armour.53 Test-
ing revealed that Giant Delicious Protein Blend
only contained 12 grams of the 27 grams of protein
listed on the label. Even worse, it was also found to
contain filler ingredients that were not listed at all.
As you can see, many protein supplement compa-
nies are blatantly lying to consumers. Most of the
time (unless you buy from aqualified, reputable
company that you know you can trust) you wont
get what you paid for. Clearly the protein supple-
ment industry is taking advantage of consumers
who believe that more protein is better. As soon
as demand for protein powder went up they came
out with an array of different types with no regard
to the quality of their products or your health.

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*37* The Protein Lie
 NOW THAT YOU KNOW SOME OF THE NONSENSE THATS TAKING PLACE,
HERE ARE THE 3 PLANT PROTEINS IINTRODUCED AMOMENT AGO:
BROWN RICE PROTEIN
Brown rice protein can be made in a number of
ways; however, the vast majority of the brands on
the market are made using chemical processes.
If abrown rice protein has been processed using
water and enzymes or if it is sprouted it is ahigher
quality, but again these are hard to find.
Since brown rice is considered hypoallergenic the
end result is a hypoallergenic protein which, for
most people is pretty easy to digest. Approximately
80% of the calories found in brown rice comes from
its protein,54 making it avery high source of protein.
One negative is that its low in the amino acid lysine.
This amino acid is often low in vegan and vegetari-
an diets since it is most commonly found in meat.
Thus, if you want a complete vegetarian protein,
brown rice would not be your best bet.
HEMP PROTEIN
Hemp seeds themselves are great because they
have a balanced omega-6 to omega-3 profile of
3 to 1. Most North American foods have more
omega-6 to omega-3 which is problematic since
omega-6 is pro-inflammatory in the body. A pro
of hemp protein is that its mostly comprised of
a type of protein called edestin, which aids in
digestion and immune function. Its also low in
phosphorus which means it has less of an acid-
ic affect in the body than animal-based proteins.
Approximately 45% of hemps calories comes
from its protein making it less protein-rich than
brown rice protein.53 Another downside is that
hemp is not acomplete protein because it is low
in lysine and leucine.
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*38*
PEA PROTEIN
Like the other two, pea protein is hypo-allergenic yet
often processed with chemicals, although aselect
few use the more ideal fermentation process. Pea
protein is natures most complete plant protein with
an amino acid profile that rivals whey protein only
without all the negative side effects. Pea protein,
often called yellow pea protein, is one of the better
tasting proteins since it has abit of asweet flavor.
Unlike rice or hemp protein it is very high in lysine.
Also, approximately 93% of pea proteins calories
come from its protein making it abetter choice than
both rice and hemp.53 Leucine, isoleucine and valine
are the 3 coveted BCAAs and together they make up
40% of the daily requirement for essential amino ac-
ids in humans. This means they are needed in great-
er quantities than other essential amino acids.
Pea protein is one of the only plant proteins that
is asignificant source of these important BCAAs
and thats important because these branched-
chain amino acids (particularly leucine) stimulate
protein synthesis (building), and might do so to
agreater extent than anormal protein on its own.
Not only that, but they also work in your favor by
reducing the rate of protein breakdown.
WHEY
Whey protein is the most popular non-vegan
protein supplement. Along with pea protein, its
the richest and most complete protein. However,
Idont personally recommend it since most brands
use less than desirable sources (think cooped up
cows) that ultimately trickle into your body upon
ingestion. Whey can also present some allergenic
issues in some people.
The Protein Lie
My Top 4 Recommended
Protein Supplements
After all of the information you have received in this report, using protein powder might be
the last thing you want to do. Fear not! As long as youre using agood quality brand, with-
out going over board, using aprotein powder is asuper convenient to meet your protein
needs and curb cravings.

HERE, ILL OUTLINE 4 HIGH QUALITY BRANDS

THAT IVE PERSONALLY USED OVER THE YEARS.

1. The first brand is Sunwarrior, which carries
a number of 100% vegan and non-chemical-
ly processed protein powders. They also use
sprouted brown rice protein, which contains
all the essential amino acids. Remember, in
the sprouting section we looked at the power
of sprouting for reducing anti-nutrients and
increasing the protein availability of foods.
You can learn more about Sunwarrior protein
powder at Sunwarrior.com.
2. The second brand is Progressive Nutritionals
who make many high quality supplements.
Their harmonized vegan protein is 100% veg-
an and has 25 grams of protein per scoop.
They use acombination of yellow pea protein
isolate, organic sprouted brown rice powder
protein concentrate, sulfur containing ami-
no acids, organic hemp protein concentrate,
cranberry seed protein and chia protein. This
is available at Progressivenutritionals.com
and many local retailers.
3. The third brand is Manitoba Harvest, how-
ever, what I recommend from them is not
asupplement, but rather awhole food. Their
hulled hemp seeds are great addition to any
smoothie and can even be used to make high
protein bars like these. They are 100% vegan
and have 11 grams of protein per 30 grams.
4. The fourth and final brand is my own Pure
Plant Protein. This protein is unique because
it is afermented pea protein which you now
know is very hard to find. It is produced with
anatural fermentation process which uses no
chemical solvents. This fermentation process
is not only cleaner and better for your health,
but it makes the protein more bio-available
and easier to digest and absorb. With 20
grams of protein per scoop it is a significant
source of branched-chain amino acids which
stimulate protein synthesis. The best thing
about it is that is that it tastes like achocolate
milkshakeone thats actually good for you!
Learn more here.

Elkaim Group International, Inc.

*39* The Protein Lie
Conclusion

In this report youve learned that eating tons of protein isnt what its cracked
up to be. You certainly do not need as much protein as supplement compa-
nies and the meat and dairy industries have led you to believe.

While getting enough protein in your diet is important important for good health, weight
loss, and muscle maintenance, downing a50-gram protein shake 3 times aday is not
necessary, nor is it healthy for your body.

Remember, that there is more to the food you choose than just the amount of protein
it contains. There are many other important nutrients that you need to consider too. By
simply adding in more plant based sources of protein you can kill two birds with one
stone and ensure you get great protein and plenty of vital nutrients often absent in most
animal proteins.

When it comes to protein powders buyers beware. Its important that you stick ahigh
quality protein powder (Im biased toward plant based options) by awell-respected and
trusted brand.

I hope this report has given you the clarity and confidence to help you become asmart-
er health conscious consumer and that all your future protein choices are made from
aplace of knowledge, rather than hype and false promises.

Your friend andcoach,

Yuri Elkaim

NYT bestselling author, The All-Day Energy Diet

and The All-Day Fat Burning Diet

Head Honcho, YuriElkaim.com

Elkaim Group International, Inc.

*40* The Protein Lie
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The Protein Lie
 About the Author

Yuri Elkaim is anutrition, fitness, and fat loss expert

and the New York Times bestselling author
of The All-Day Energy Diet and The All-Day Fat Burning Diet.

He holds adegree in Kinesiology and Health Sciences from the

University of Toronto and is also aRegistered Holisic Nutritionist.

A former professional soccer player turned health crusader whos

been on Dr. Oz and the Doctors, Yuris most famous for helping
people whove tried everything to lose weight, have more ener-
gy, and get in great shapewith little successfinally achieve
breakthrough results.

Yuri is on a mission to empower 10 million people to greater

health by 2018 by making fit and healthy simple again.

If you too are tired of confusing health advice, then get the no-BS,
science-backed clarity you deserve at YuriElkaim.com

Elkaim Group International, Inc.

*43* The Protein Lie
 Elkaim Group International, Inc.

Elkaim Group International, Inc.

*44* The Protein Lie