Vegan and the 9 Essential Amino Acids

Food of the day- super delicious raw tacos!  All the veggies you want with a cabbage wrap and nut-based "meat".

Today I want to go over some basics on the topic of complete proteins for vegans.

I want to mention that a lot of my data on vitamins and nutrition comes from a very helpful website and that if you are curious to find out more, you should check them out!  Also, for general health-related questions eatright.org is great.

Marc and I have been trying to see how we can best get our required 9 amino acids that we must consume from our diets.  It isn't a question of protein it's a question of amino acids- which make up a protein.  It is also important to have enough vitamin C for iron absorption and vitamin B-12 (nutritional yeast is a good source).

Of the amino acids that our body doesn't make, lysine is the most difficult to find and right now we have supplements and soy-rice shakes that we are enhancing our diet with in order to get the nutrition we need.  A lot of people may ask how we get our protein from plant sources but really I think our diet is much healthier than the average American omnivore.  We never eat fast food, we bike, do yoga and go on walks, we pay attention to nutrition labels, we keep away from added preservatives and we cook from scratch 90% of the time.  So I would ask, if you are a meat eater, are you getting your daily 5 colors of vegetables, eating raw enough, consuming whole grain foods and plenty of fruits? I don't care what you eat and I am happy to talk about vegan or vegetarian nutrition, but there is no need for negativity if someone goes meat-free. 

It is tough though, and it isn't impossible as a vegan but it is easier if you are vegetarian.  In fact, after cooking vegan for over a year, I think about how easy being a vegetarian seems now!  The good old days ;)
Here is a list of the essential amino acids that our bodies need from our diet as found on

1. Leucine-BCAA Branched chain amino, tissue repair after surgery, muscle mass, blood sugar (diabetics), stress, HGH Human growth hormone, protein synthesis, bone, skin, weight loss and blood hemoglobin. 
2. Isoleucine-BCAA branched chain amino, mental disorders, tissue rebuild after surgery, energy, muscle, endurance and blood hemoglobin.
3. Valine-BCAA branched chain amino, mental, emotional disorders, glycogen production, alcohol and drug recovery.
4. Lysine- Absorbes+conserves calcium, bones, concentration, fertility, Herpes (HSV), cholesterol, hormones, enzymes, Triglycerides, immune system, skin, collagen and migraines.
5. Methionine-Schizophrenia, Parkinsons, heavy metals, collagen, antioxidant, pancreatitus, endometriosis, liver fat, estrogen, Arthritis, hair, skin, nails and depression. 
6. Phenylalanine-Chronic pain, endorphins, alcohol and drug recovery, menstral cramps, migraines, Parkinsons, melanoma, Vitiligo and tumors.
7. Threonine-Tooth enamel, protein balance, immune system, collagen, skin, blood sugar (diabetics), thymus gland, nervous system, stress, bones, wound healing, Parkinsons, and Multiple Schlerosis.
8. Tryptophan-Nerves, anxiety, mental depression, sleep, insomnia, migraines, fibromyalgia, niacin (B3) production and nicotine withdrawl.
9. Histidine-Repair tissue, stomach gastric juices, digestion, nerves, ulcers, heavy metals, red + white blood cells, blood pressure and sexual functioning.

Here is another great site to look at while we are on the topic of amino acids: 

Go to the bottom of the page and enter your weight into the chart to see what food you would need to meet your daily intake of protein.