The Superfood Protein You Never Knew You Were Missing!

 

 

 

Often, people come to me wanting to eat alkaline but concerned about protein. They fear they can’t get enough on a plant-based diet. 

No matter how many times I say it, this just isn’t true! 

Let’s look at mother nature’s examples. Babies need as much or more protein as any human. And get this, breast milk – considered nature’s perfect food for babies – only has about 5% protein. 

Compare that to your standard plate of food for older children and adults! It’s often 30 to 50% protein. That’s 10 times what mother nature tells us we need! 

It’s also DOUBLE to TRIPLE what the Centers for Disease Control tells us adults should eat. 

American’s on average are getting far too much protein, and here’s the problem with that. When your protein intake (mostly from animal-based proteins) exceeds 15% of your daily caloric intake, it turns to sugar in your body. 

Sugar spikes insulin, your ‘fat-storing’ hormone, which not only makes your body retain fat, but also creates INFLAMMATION! 

The there is a knock-on effect to all of your other hormones, such as ghrelin and leptin. When this becomes a chronic issue, you become insulin/ghrelin/leptin resistant, which means you’re ALWAYS HUNGRY and NEVER FULL! 

Let’s look at some of the largest and strongest mammals on earth that eat a plant-based, alkaline diet – cows, hippos, elephants, gorillas, and my favorite, rhinos. These are powerful animals and their bodies get all the protein that they could ever need. 

Granted they have a different digestive system, but nonetheless, these mammals become so big, powerful, and strong from eating grass and the healthy component of grass, chlorophyll. 

My point is that we are eating way too much protein, and from the wrong source!

Are you eating chicken and eggs? I hate be the bearer of bad news if you are, but did you know that these two sources of animal-based protein create the MOST inflammation in your body compared to ALL meat (yes, even more than red meat!)! 

That is because it has the highest level of arachidonic acid, also know as a PRO-inflammatory Omega-6 fatty acid (the bad kind), 40x more than other meats (so IF you are going to eat chicken or eggs, please make sure it is from a grass fed, organic source, not fed with corn and soy). 

All of that aside, there are really excellent plant-based proteins out there that you should be aware of if you’re trying to get off your acid. Proteins like: 

• Pacific, wild-caught salmon (34 grams per serving)
• Pea protein (20 grams per serving)
• Chia seeds (3 grams per serving)
• Almonds (15 grams per serving)
• Beans, especially adzuki (20 grams per serving)
• Quinoa (4 grams per serving)
• Sacha Inchi (9 grams per serving) 

And it’s that last one – Sacha Inchi, the protein you never knew your diet was missing – that we’re going to talk about today.

What is it? 

Sacha Inchi, an indigenous Peruvian super food, is a seed that boosts energy levels and your overall metabolism. With its distinctive 6-point star, the beautiful Sacha Inchi fruit contains seeds that yield an incredible 65% protein. 

Known as the Incan 'peanut’, it’s been eaten for thousands of years in Central and South America. However, it’s not a peanut. It’s just nicknamed this for its nice, nutty flavor. (Remember, peanuts are legumes that easily grow mold, so you’re much better off eating Sacha Inchi or other alkaline proteins!) 

Benefits 

The first and foremost benefit of Sacha Inchi is its plant-based protein power. Whether you eat it in powder form or as seeds, you’ll get about 9 grams of protein per ounce. This is more than almonds, cashews, and pistachios. 

Beyond being a great vegan source of protein, Sacha Inchi contains:

• Omega-3 fatty acids! The kind in Sacha Inchi is 48% Omega-3 Fatty Acid, which means eating this will lead to less inflammation, better heart health, and improved skin and hair (but remember, if you have read my other blogs, you still need to take an Omega-3 Fish Oil as plant-based Omega-3s don’t fully convert, however, we can still reap the benefits of its anti-inflammatory action).
• All 9 essential amino acids, making Sacha Inchi an excellent plant-based way to improve muscle tone, reduce fatigue, and burn fat.
• Magnesium, which will aid your sleep and mental health
• Naturally occurring fiber for healthy digestion and easier weight loss
• Free radical fighting antioxidants
• Anti-inflammatory agents that may reduce inflammation from arthritis and other joint pain
• As much calcium ounce per ounce as cow’s milk (which is not a good way to get calcium!)
• About as much iron as chicken or tuna, serving for serving
• Enough vitamin A and E to boost vision health and help prevent macular degeneration 

In addition, Sacha Inchi has been clinically proven to lower LDL (commonly known as the ‘bad’) cholesterol and increase HDL (good) cholesterol, as well as improve circulation and lower blood pressure. 

How Should I Eat Sacha Inchi? 

Sacha Inchi comes in a few forms. There’s Sacha Inchi oil, which is cold-pressed from the raw seeds and can be used in place of other cooking oils. It has a mild, nutty flavor and unlike most oils, will deliver a healthy dose of Omega-3’s. 

Then there are the whole seeds you can eat dried or lightly toasted as a snack. It’s hard to find them purely raw because straight out of the pod, they have a mildly fishy taste. 

Once lightly toasted (flash, as you don’t want to turn to a trans-fat) or dried, they taste similar to almonds and you can toss them on anything you’d want to include  almonds like salads or alkaline trail mix (combine with raw almonds, macadamia nuts, cacao nibs, unsweetened coconut flakes, goji berries, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, etc). 

You can also find Sacha Inchi tea sold at Whole Foods or your local organic market. 

Last but not least, you can buy Sachi Inchi in powder form to be used as you would any protein powder. On its own, it’s not going to be as high in protein as pea, but when combined with other plant-based proteins, it adds nutrition that just can’t be beat. 

That’s why when I set out to make our own protein powder, I knew Sacha Inchi had to be included. Alkamind Daily Protein is an organic powder with the best ingredients you can find and a great taste. 

Because I stand behind what’s included in it so strongly, here are all of the certified organic ingredients we use in addition to Sacha Inchi:

• Pea protein
• Raw and USDA Certified Organic!
• Our secret – coconut oil, which gives it a smooth, creamy texture (like whey minus all the ACID), and turns the protein into a slow burning fuel
• Raw cacao (in the chocolate blend)
• Seed and sprout blend of flax and chia seeds and quinoa, and our NEW blend, we added more sprouts to make this protein powder the MOST alkaline you will find (We added Pumpkin Seed Sprout, Sesame Seed Sprout, and Red Clover Sprout - Sprouts are 30 times more nutritious then their non-sprouted counterparts.)
• Natural vanilla, chocolate, and coconut flavors from the highest grade raw, essential extracts
• Certified organic guar gum, a healthy thickener that doesn’t cause the digestive upset the other gum products do – in fact, research studies show it can help with constipation, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), and even Type 2 Diabetes by lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels in studies
• Lo Han Berry (aka monk fruit), a traditional Chinese alkaline super berry that is a healing alternative to sugar, with a 0 glycemic index factor, which means NO insulin spikes! 

That’s it! A big difference compared to all of the protein powders with ingredient lists a mile long. 

Most of these products contain everything but the kitchen sink, and all that leads to is inflammation and your body not properly absorbing the beneficial ingredients. 

Our new and improved Organic Daily Protein Powder’s are BACK IN STOCK, and come in two delicious flavors, Creamy Chocolate and Vanilla Coconut. They are doctor formulated by Alkamind CEO and Founder, Dr. Daryl Gioffre, celebrity nutritionist and alkaline diet expert. 

Here is what separates us from the rest of the crowd:

Alkamind Daily Protein is also unique for its nutritional profile:

• ZERO grams of sugar
• only 120 (healthy) calories per serving
• 20 grams of protein, which is 38% of the recommended daily value 

Fitness Magazine called it “a superfood lover’s dream.” 

So try it today! You can buy one jar or subscribe & save 15%. Alkamind Daily Omega-3