Mon, May-28-01, 07:07
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Forum Founder
Posts: 37,428
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Plan: LC, GF
Stats: 241/190/140
BF:
Progress: 50%
Location: Eastern ON, Canada
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short answer: NO
In the absence of consumed carbohydrates, the liver will convert a small portion of protein to glucose, to meet the body's requirement. However, even the 20 gram carb level of Atkins' Induction should provide sufficient minimal carbs to meet this need. Protein is NOT automatically converted to glucose. It's broken down into the individual amino acid components, and used for tissue, enzyme, hormone and cell building, nourishment and repair. The waste products are nitrogen-based (urea) and are excreted via the kidneys.
Can you eat too much protein? I suppose if you ate huge 16 oz. portions of meat, half a dozen eggs and 3 or 4 high-protein sports drinks every single day ... that could prove to be quite taxing on one's system, and wallet too ..
In Protein Power, the Drs. Eades recommend that you consume 0.6 gm protein for every lb. of your lean body mass ... and an absolute minimum of 60 grams per day. The need for protein goes up if you're athletic, very large, or young & growing still. I highly recommend that you borrow a copy of either Protein Power (1996) or Protein Power Lifeplan (2000) and read the chapters on protein requirement. You should be able to find these books at your library. For a WebMD interview with the Eades, where they discuss protein requirement, click here.
Hope this helps. By the way, welcome aboard .. .. What lowcarb plan are you following?
Doreen
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