Day 18
Amino Acids
Amino Acids are the building blocks to protein. They are responsible for strength, repair, and rebuilding inside the body. Your cells, tissues and your brain get nourishment and protection from amino acids.
Amino acids make up for nearly 75% of your body. Next to water, they make up the largest portion of our body weight. 80% of amino acids are manufactured in the liver. The others are obtained from diet.
These 9 are considered Essential Amino Acids.
- leucine
- isoleucine
- valine
- lysine
- threonine
- tryptophan
- methionine
- phenylalanine
- histidine.
Low Amino acid counts can result in:
- Allergies
- Ulcers
- Anemia
- Osteoarthritis
- Autoimmune
- Arthritis
- lupus
- cerebral palsy
- certain cancers
- depression
- cognitive issues
- insomnia
- anxiety
- panic attacks
- musculoskeletal pain
- ADD (attention deficit disorder) & ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder),
21 of the Essential Amino Acids are found in foods like red meat, poultry, eggs, seafood and dairy products. Plant foods will only supply some of the amino acids you need. For this reason, a vegetarian diet should be balanced to ensure that amino acids are derived from all parts of the diet. Vegetable sources of protein such as nuts, beans, and grains are incredibly healthy, because they not only provide amino acids, but additional nutrients such as fiber, vitamins A and C.
- Arginine – alfalfa, carrots, green leafy vegetables, beetroots, cucumber, celery, lettuce, radishes and potatoes.
- Alanine – Main source being alfalfa, but also found in: celery, carrot, lettuce, cucumber, turnips, green pepper, spinach, plums, apples, guavas, grapes, oranges, almonds and strawberries.
- Aspartic acid – carrots, celery, radishes, cucumber, mint, tomatoes, turnips, lemons, grapefruit, apples, plums, pineapples, melons and almonds.
- Cystine – alfalfa, beet roots, carrots, cabbages, cauliflower, onions, garlic, apples, pineapples, raspberries, raisins.
- Glutamic acid – found in carrots, turnips, cabbages, celery, beetroots, mint, lettuce, spinach and papaya.
- Glycine – carrots, turnips, celery, mint, alfalfa, spinach, garlic, potatoes, figs, oranges, raspberries, pomegranates, melons and almonds.
- Histidine – radishes, carrots, cucumber, beetroots, celery, garlic, onions, turnips, alfalfa, spinach, pineapples, apples, pomegranates and papaya.
- Hydroxy glutamic acid – carrots, mint, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, grapes, raspberries, plums
- Hydroxy praline – carrots, lettuce, beetroots, turnips, cucumber, plums, cherries, figs, radishes, grapes, olives, pineapples, almonds and coconut.
- Lodogorgoic acid – carrots, celery, spinach, tomatoes, lettuce and pineapple.
- Isoleucine – papaya, olives, coconuts, almonds, apricots, pistachios and walnuts.
- Leucine – coconuts, almonds, apricots, papaya, olives, pistachios and walnuts.
- Lysine – carrots, cucumber, beetroots, mint, celery, spinach, turnips, alfalfa, germinates soyabeans, plums, pears, papaya, apple and grapes.
- Methionine – cabbages, garlic, cauliflower, pineapples and apples.
- Phenylalanine – carrots, beetroots, spinach, mint, tomatoes, pineapples and apples.
- Proline –carrots, beetroots, lettuce, turnips, cucumber, plums, cherries, figs, grapes, olive, oranges, pineapples, coconuts and almonds.
- Serine –radishes, garlic, onion, carrots, beetroots, celery, cucumber, mint, spinach, cabbage, alfalfa, papaya, apples and pineapples.
- Threonine – carrots, green leafy vegetables, alfalfa and papaya.
- Thyroxine – carrots, celery, lettuce, turnips, spinach, tomatoes and pineapples.
- Tryptophane – beetroots, carrots, celery, spinach, alfalfa and turnips.
- Tyrosine – alfalfa, carrots, beetroots, cucumber, lettuce, mint, spinach,
Food based Amino Acid Supplements:
Braggs Liquid Aminos NON-GMO soy (contains 16 amino acids/8 essential.) This product is great to use in place of regular and potentially toxic soy sauce.
Coconut Aminos contains 17 naturally occurring amino acids. Nutrient-dense, certified organic, dairy free, gluten-free, soy-free and raw-vegan friendly.
By ensuring that you are eating foods that are high in amino acids, or that you are supplementing via a well balanced protein powder or free form amino acids, you are improving your chances for optimal health, greater energy, strength, recovery, improved muscle definition, beautiful skin, better mood, better memory and enhanced brain function.
Amino Acids are linked to mood. Your key neurotransmitters are made up of amino acids. Hundreds of research studies at Harvard, MIT, and elsewhere have confirmed the effectiveness of using just a few targeted amino acid precursors to increase the key neurotransmitters, thereby eliminating depression, anxiety, and cravings for food, alcohol, and drugs.
The Amino Acids You Might Need:
- 5HTP or/ Tryptophan to raise Serotonin levels
- GABA, Taurine, and/or Theanine to raise GABA levels
- Tyrosine or phenylalanine to raise levels of stimulating neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and dopamine
- DLPA or D-phenylalanine to increase the availability of Endorphin
- Glutamine to keep blood sugar levels stable and all neurotransmitters firing strongly and in concert
There are 4 mood groups that you might be able to relate to.
And there are ways to get out of feeling these ways by replacing
amino acids.
The Dark Cloud of Depression
- If you’re high in serotonin – you’re positive, confident, flexible, and easy-going.
- If you’re sinking in serotonin – you’ll tend to become negative, obsessive, worried, irritable, and sleepless.
The Blues
- If you’re high in catecholamines – you’re energized, upbeat, and alert
- If your catecholamines have crashed – you’ll sink into a flat apathetic funk.
Anxiety and Stress
- If you’re high in GABA – you’re relaxed and stress-free.
- If there’s a gap in your GABA – you’ll be wired, stressed, and overwhelmed.
Oversensitive Feelings
- If you’re high in endorphins – you’re full of cozy feelings of comfort, pleasure, and euphoria.
- If you’re near the end of your endorphins – you’ll be crying during commercials and overly sensitive to hurt.