Here is an abstract of an article dealing with protein
requirements that gives an idea of another way in which protein
can fail to be recycled: irreversible oxidation.

Another point to consider is that protein, but not carbohydrate,
is a stimulator of the hormone glucagon.  Glucagon liberates
stored body fat and makes it available for energy.  Glucagon
furthermore helps to regulate the enymatic processes that control
eicosanoid production in a favorable way.  This is the basis of
the Zone and other low-carb diets.  The optimum glucagon/insulin
balance is achieved when calories from protein are nearly equal
to calories from carbohydrate.  Interestingly, the protein/carb
ratios in many nuts come very close to this ideal balance.  This
balance says nothing about absolute protein requirements, of
course, but it does suggest that a low-protein diet should also
be a low-carb diet.

A diet of mixed nuts and nothing else would qualify, with about
70% of calories from fat, and the rest from roughly equal amounts
of protein and carbs.  It's interesting that this is similar to
pemmican in percentage of energy from fat, although pemmican has
no carbs at all.  Nuts also typically have a low glycemic
index.

It's interesting to pursue the comparison of pemmican and mixed
nuts.  A pound of nuts yields about 2860 calories, of which
almost 74% is fat.  The protein yield is about 78g and the carb
yield, subtracting the 52g of fiber, is 26g.  Thus, if one ate
nothing but a pound of mixed nuts each day, one would be in
ketosis, and one would get a moderate (in my judgment) amount of
protein.  A calorically equivalent amount of pemmican would yield
about 127g of protein, no carbs and no fiber.  I assume the
amount of pemmican would weigh about as much, since both foods
contain little water.  Pemmican might be a bit denser.

Todd Moody
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