Article 32 - Cutting out the chemicals: Green Protein (Jits Magazine)

Are protein shakes needed to build a great fighter? It seems to be what everyone is saying. Protein builds muscle so more protein equals more muscle right? And what better way to get protein then by indulging on pre and post workout protein shakes right? This artificially created source of protein has taken over the fitness community by storm, leaving many athletes believing that it’s the only way to get all of that necessary protein we need for our high intensity jiu-jitsu classes and fitness workouts. But what about before protein powder existed? What about all the way back to our hunter/gatherer past where we had to work a lot harder everyday just to get food than in the toughest bjj class? Were they protein deficient and weak? The truth of the matter is that they were pound-for-pound much stronger than us.

Our bodies are part of nature whether we’d like to believe it or not. And as such, are designed to be built from naturally occurring substances, not super iso-flex protein powder supplements – which is basically a very fancy way of saying “the excess waste scraped off of the flours of dairy factories in a highly processed form”. It is actually very damaging to your body. Sure it may (or may not) help you get big muscles, but over time your organs (especially your liver and kidneys) will be intoxicated from it. They are simply not designed to process a synthetically processed low grade of protein such as that found in protein powder. The taxation of these organs could result in hair loss and decay at a premature age as well as many other problems leaving you weak and injured.

So where should we get that protein to build incredibly strong muscles and give us that competitive edge to toss around your opponents and yet still stay in a decent weight class? Well let’s take a look at our closest genetic relative, the ape. Apes are very similar to us in body structure and build, yet they are pound-for-pound ten times stronger than us. So why are they so much stronger than us and what are they feeding their muscles? The answer is leafy greens. Leafy green vegetables are the natural staple diet of all primates, including humans. That’s right; plants are our natural source of protein, not meat and most definitely not protein powder.

Each time we go lower on the food chain and move away from processing we get a much higher grade of protein. All protein starts as amino acids produced by plants where it is in its purest form. It is then eaten by a cow whose body builds the amino acids into proteins designed for the cow. Now let’s say you eat this cow – your body now has to try and break down these proteins and find any amino acids still intact to try and build protein cells for you. This lengthy process takes a lot of energy when it would save your body a lot of time to just get the pure amino acids from the plants. It’s easier to build a structure out of new bricks instead of demolishing a few old buildings and trying to build from the pieces you salvage. Plus, it will build a much stronger building.

There is in fact a lot of protein in leafy greens, the only problem is it is mostly hidden in the cell wall which through time our soft processed food has made us unable to break. So what is the answer? The protein shake! Except instead of protein powder put some lettuce, kale or spinach. Make sure it’s well blended with water before you put in anything else. Then add some fruit and give your taste buds a real treat. If you’re still worried you won’t get enough protein from it, add some algae such as spirulina or chlorella which are the highest sources of protein on the planet and 100% pure and natural. A cooked piece of meat is only 15% protein where as spirulina, for example, is 70% protein.

If you want to have incredibly powerful muscles, strong healthy organs and even be the next UFC champ, forget the protein powder and have a green smoothie! After all, it’s not the quantity of protein but the quality that makes the difference.

Jamie Lippiatt