Focus:
Moving the body gently and in new ways.
Repetition:
I am connected to all life around me, I am a part of earth, I am made of soil, the creatures and plants are sharing this journey with me, I am connected to the heavenly beings.
I belong to community. I am never alone.
I feel the life and love all around me.
Last Week of Soups Only
Congratulations!!! This is your last week of soups only! Next week, you will have begin adding in some new foods and I have a really fun recipe coming! Always remember to go slow when adding something new or something back in from the beginning phase. We are not looking for reactions, we are just being easy with our brand new gut lining. You will continue to try for 6 cups per meat stock per day and 3 at minimum. Be especially grateful for your soups this week as they have rebuilt your villi and lining and tightened junctions and will continue to strengthen all these. If you want to continue having only soups because that is what the body is asking for, please do so!
Amino Acids
Let’s learn about amino acids, what their purpose is in the body, their sources from this protocol and what deficiencies look like. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and play crucial roles in various biological processes. There are 20 standard amino acids that are used by cells to build proteins. Nine of these are considered essential amino acids, meaning they must be obtained through diet because the body cannot produce them. The remaining eleven are non-essential, as the body can synthesize them.
All of these amino acids are found in the meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products you’re already eating on this protocol, which is one of the reasons animal foods are so foundational to healing.
The Essential Amino Acids
The nine essential amino acids each have their own job.
Histidine is essential for the growth and repair of tissues and the production of red and white blood cells; deficiency is rare in adults but can cause anaemia, skin lesions, and impaired immune function in children.
Isoleucine is involved in muscle metabolism and the regulation of blood sugar and energy levels, and a deficiency shows up as weakness, fatigue, and muscle wasting.
Leucine plays a key role in protein synthesis and muscle repair, and a lack of it can cause muscle wasting, skin lesions, and impaired immune function.
Lysine is crucial for producing carnitine, which helps convert fatty acids into energy, and its deficiency brings fatigue, anaemia, and impaired immune function.
Methionine is necessary for producing cysteine and for making glutathione, our powerful antioxidant, and a shortage shows up as fatigue, liver damage, and impaired immune function.
Phenylalanine is a precursor to tyrosine, which is needed to make dopamine and norepinephrine, and deficiency can bring eczema, skin lesions, and impaired immune function.
Threonine is important for producing collagen and elastin, essential for skin and connective tissue health, and a lack of it causes fatigue, impaired immune function, and skin lesions.
Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin, the neurotransmitter that regulates mood, appetite, and sleep, so deficiency can bring depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
And Valine is involved in muscle metabolism, tissue repair, and maintaining nitrogen balance, with deficiency showing up as muscle wasting, fatigue, and impaired immune function.
The Non-Essential and Conditionally Essential Amino Acids
The non-essential and conditionally essential amino acids matter too, even though your body can make them on its own.
Alanine plays a role in glucose metabolism and energy production.
Arginine is important for wound healing, immune function, and making nitric oxide, which helps regulate blood flow — a deficiency can bring impaired immune function, hair loss, and skin lesions.
Asparagine is involved in amino acid metabolism and protein synthesis.
Aspartic acid plays a role in the citric acid cycle, essential for energy production.
Cysteine is a component of glutathione and important for the structure of many proteins, and a lack of it can cause hair loss, skin lesions, and impaired immune function.
Glutamic acid is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in brain function and metabolism.
Glutamine is important for intestinal health, immune function, and glutathione production — this one matters a great deal for us, since a deficiency brings fatigue, impaired immune function, and muscle wasting, all things we’re actively working to reverse.
Glycine is involved in protein synthesis, bile acid production, and blood sugar regulation.
Proline is essential for producing collagen, crucial for skin, tendon, and ligament health, and a shortage can bring joint pain and skin lesions.
Serine plays a role in protein synthesis, phospholipid production, and fat metabolism.
And tyrosine is a precursor to dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine, the neurotransmitters that regulate mood, appetite, and our response to stress, so a deficiency can bring depression, anxiety, and impaired immune function.
Why Animal Foods Matter
If you know someone who is mostly eating a standard American diet or a plant-based diet and they have anxiety, depression, poor muscle tone, poor digestion, fatigue, and so on, you can see why more animal products are crucial for their health. You can also see why this protocol is helping you become physically and mentally resilient! We will look at mineral and vitamin deficiencies in the future, but next week is new recipes and a big celebration!
Hint hint — make sure you have a muffin or cake pan ready!