It provides an immediate satiety factor and because it keeps you
full for longer periods.
It also balances out carbs by preventing insulin spikes that
lead to a drain of energy and cravings for sugar.
Protein helps maintain muscle mass which is a very important
part in the fat burning process.
Lose weight and feel healthier
A diet based on increased, levels of protein has been shown in a
number of studies to give an added boost to dieters. By helping
them increase weight loss, increase loss of body fat, and reduce
the loss of muscle tissue.
Most experts recommend a diet containing 25 - 35 percent protein
for weight loss and between 20 - 25 percent protein for weight
maintenance.
In the above cases, the protein consumed should be high quality
protein.
Evidence as to why protein curbs hunger
An experiment found that feeding rats a high protein diet
increased the activity of genes involved in glucose production
in the animal's small intestine.
The consequence of this led to increased glucose production,
which was detected by the liver, and relayed to the brain,
causing the rats to cut their food intake.
So lets look at some great quality proteins, that if eaten will
make you healthier, more energetic and help you lose weight.
Chicken and turkey
These are excellent their low in fat (without the skins) and you
can roast, broil, grill, or sauté them
One word of caution: If you're buying ground turkey or chicken
make sure its breast meat. Most ground turkey or chicken
contains dark meat and skins and other stuff as filler, which is
certainly not quality meat!
Fish and shellfish
You have a huge variety to choose from here.
In fish you have salmon, tuna, cod, haddock, halibut, sea bass,
snapper, herring, mackerel, sardines and swordfish.
In shellfish crab and lobster are good choices.
You can't go wrong with these foods, just be careful on the
sauce and don't fry them.
Red meat
Yes you can eat red meat!
Contrary to belief it's not all full of cholesterol. You can
have lean meat which is only about 7% fat.
Choose the round cut, top sirloin, shank, round flank or chuck
for meat low in saturated fat.
Low fat cottage cheese
Of all the protein foods this is one of the best and you don't
even have to cook it, it's a tasty quick snack whenever you feel
hungry.
Egg whites
Packed with protein, low in calories and containing no
cholesterol another great quality protein choice.
Just make sure the egg is well cooked to kill salmonella
bacteria.
A word of warning
Yes quality protein is good for you, but don't go over the
recommended proportion in your diet i.e. 35% maximum.
You still need fat and carbohydrates for a balanced diet!
Diet at the end of the day is all about balance and it's the
balance of the food and the quality you eat, which is reflected
in your weight and overall health.
About the author:
For more sensible diet advice
For more sensible advice on quality protein, diets, supplements
and general health advice visit:
http://www.net-planet.org/health.html
