High Protein Diet

The high protein diet have attracted a lot of attention in recent years. The rationale behind the high protein diet is that carbohydrates cause swings in blood sugar that can encourage your body to create body fat. The high protein emphasis of this diet focuses on the consumption of protein and attempts to minimize carbohydrate intake.

The protein diet have become a popular way to lose weight because emerging research has hinted that protein may be able to satisfy hunger better than either fats or carbohydrates. Research showed that a high protein diet combined with exercise enhanced weight and fat loss and improved blood fat levels. High protein diets help people better control their appetites and calorie intake.

Diets higher in protein and moderate in carbs, along with a lifestyle of regular exercise are often purported by experts to reduce blood fats and maintain lean tissue while burning fat for fuel without dieters being sidetracked with constant hunger.

We need protein at all stages of life, for a variety of bodily functions. Proteins are the major component of all cells, including muscle and bone. Proteins are needed for growth, development, and immunity to fight off infections and protect the body.

Who Needs A High-Protein Diet?

Protein is an essential component in anyone’s diet since it is from protein that we gain the amino-acids that are important in making many cells in our bodies; this includes muscles, hair, nails, etc. In general, a healthy person will not lose significant protein other than through hair and nails, so the protein and amino-acids you eat in your diet stay in your body. However, if you have an illness or an infection, you may need to consider a high-protein diet to replace the protein that is lost.

Young children also require high-protein diets and more protein per pound of body weight due to the growth of their bodies. In extreme cases, a protein deficiency accompanied by an energy deficiency can result in a form of protein-energy malnutrition called marasmus, noticeable by loss of body fat and wasting of muscle tissues.

Protein should comprise 10 to 15 percent of a healthy diet. If you eat 1,500 calories per day, you should be eating about 56 grams of protein.

Is The Protein Diet Safe?

For most healthy people, a short-term high-protein diet generally isn't harmful. However, if followed long term, high-protein diets may limit other healthy foods, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables. In addition, many high-protein foods — such as meat, milk, cheese and eggs — are also high in fat and cholesterol, which can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and other health problems. So choose your protein sources wisely. Good choices include fish, beans, lentils and low-fat dairy products.

High-protein diets are generally well tolerated by healthy adults. But a dramatic increase in protein-rich foods may be dangerous for people with liver or kidney disease because they lack the ability to get rid of the waste products of protein metabolism.

Some protein is essential to human life. Protein is found in your bones, muscles, skin, organs, blood, hormones and enzymes.

The "Green" Protein Diet

Vegetable sources of protein, such as beans, nuts, and whole grains, are excellent choices for your protein diet, and they offer healthy fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Eat soy in moderation. Tofu and other soy foods are an excellent red meat alternative. But don't go overboard; 2 to 4 servings a week is a good target. And stay away from supplements that contain concentrated soy protein or extracts, such as isoflavones, as we just don't know the long term effects.

High Protein Diet: What To Eat?

A typical protein diet breakfast involves bacon and eggs. You are not allowed to have toast or juice. For lunch you could have a double cheeseburger (no bun) and a small salad. At dinner, simply eat as much of the meat of your choice as it takes to fill you up. You may compliment this meal with more salad if you wish. Basically any foods with sugar, starchy vegetables, and grains and fruits are not allowed.

Why The High Protein Diet?

A relatively high-protein diet improves body composition, enhances weight loss, and improves glucose and insulin homeostasis.

Increasing the proportion of protein to carbohydrate in the diet of adult women has positive effects on body composition, blood lipids, glucose homeostasis and satiety during weight loss. Although it is unlikely that any one diet will be ideal for all individuals, these results indicate that changes in the ratio of protein to carbohydrate toward a higher protein diet can be effective in the control of body weight with parallel improvements in blood lipids.

What Is Protein?

Protein is found throughout the body—in muscle, bone, skin, hair, and virtually every other body part or tissue. It makes up the enzymes that power many chemical reactions and the hemoglobin that carries oxygen in your blood. At least 10,000 different proteins make you what you are and keep you that way.

Twenty or so basic building blocks, called amino acids, provide the raw material for all proteins. Following genetic instructions, the body strings together amino acids. Some genes call for short chains of amino acids, others are blueprints for long chains that fold, origami-like, into intricate, three-dimensional structures.

Because the body doesn't store amino acids, as it does fats or carbohydrates, it needs a daily supply of amino acids to make new protein.