In the present world, amongst all the damage that is being done to the environment, it’s hard to say that anything good at all is happening, isn’t it? But there is one thing—the realization of staying healthy to battle the pollutants which mankind himself has created. Everybody these days want to walk on the fitness road and stay healthy. There are gyms that have opened up in probably every street of your neighborhood, right? People want to eat right and look fit. Have you ever stopped and wondered if what we are doing is right? You must have got confused upon asking this question. Let us help you understand it a little clearer now.
When you decide to lose weight, what is it that you think of as your first step towards it? You must have probably thought about eating lower calories, restricting your fat intake every day, right? It’s an important and a very common conception among people that the most important thing to consider was what one took from their respective diets. People usually only look at eating less to lose those extra kilos. It is easier to look down at your weighing scale and watch your weight get lesser by the day. But, is your body score or your body composition score showing the right numbers? That is what is supposed to matter dear readers.
And in the world of diet, the carbohydrates are what people state as their enemy. To battle this, many kinds of diets have cropped up—keto diet, Atkins diet, etc. These diets are usually on the road of being protein-centric. There are diet programs like the Custom Keto Diet which will assist you to step by step to lead a healthy life. We’re sure most of you have already begun to follow them already. But have you done your research well? Are protein diets a good idea? Does it harm the body or benefit the body? If you are a beginner, such questions are very common. And we’re here to solve them for you. Read on.
Understanding Protein And Its Importance
So, together with carbs and fats, proteins is one of the three macronutrients that are essential for our body. Let’s take you through the roles that proteins play in our bodies:
- Hormones: Most part of the tissues in our body is made up of proteins. Even the chemicals constitute proteins. And it is these chemical messenger proteins that allow the organs and the cells of the body to establish a connection with each other.
- Maintenance And Repair: As mentioned earlier, it is proteins that form the main component of bones, muscles, hair, and skin. The tissues which hold all of these are repaired and replaced with new ones with the help of protein.
- Storage And Transportation: There are some proteins in the body that help in delivering important molecules throughout the body. For example, the hemoglobin is the protein that takes the onus of carrying oxygen to all the cells of the body.
- Enzymes: Most of the enzymes that exist in our body are all proteins. And they are responsible for all the chemical reactions that take place in our body.
Proteins when divided, they form into tiny units known as amino acids. There are 22 different amino acids present in the body, out of which 9 cannot be produced within the body. These 9 amino acids need to be eaten in the form of food. And this is the reason why it is important for us to eat foods that are more protein-packed. When it comes to animal products, they are packed with protein. But speaking about the vegetarian options, they don’t usually come packed with all of the essential amino acids. Therefore, it can be combined with other plant sources of proteins like legumes, beans, soy, grains, nuts, seeds, etc.
However, one must understand that yes, protein quality surely is vital, but the answer also lies in the amount of protein that needs to be consumed.
Understanding Body Composition And Weight Loss
For many, weight loss ideally means watching the weighing scale number decrease. And very few adopt the habit of calorie tracking and analyzing the overall weight. But that’s the only limit which people tend to go for when it comes to losing weight.
We need to understand that just making a note of calorie intake isn’t all that there is to body weight when you are looking for weight loss. One has to educate oneself about the body composition of his or her body as well. One needs to understand the relationship of metabolism with its body. These are essential to watch for healthy results in the long term.
For beginners, body composition is the understanding number of the relative amount of muscle and fats in the body. One should not just lay emphasis on the dropping fat mass aka FM, but should also lay emphasis on the lean body mass aka LBM as well. If you walk on the calorie deficit diet at the cost of lowering your LBM, your weight might decrease but then internally, you are making your body weaker and exposing it to the risks of contracting chronic ailments. This is where the need for a high-protein diet comes.
Effects Of Protein On Weight Loss
The greatest advantage of a high-protein diet is that this diet works well for everybody, regardless of genetic, gender, or even health conditions. Many researchers have spoken about the impressive effects of eating a high-protein diet for losing weight. Here are some:
- Fullness And Appetite
Eating a lot of protein will help suppress your hunger pangs, this will stop you from overeating. Consuming protein multiplies the production of GLP-1 and PYY—these are the hormones that make you feel satisfied and full after eating. Hence proved that high protein intake will naturally make one eat adequately and not eat more.
- Metabolic Rate
The higher protein intake you are invested in, the higher number of calories your body is burning as well. The digestion of protein is known to boost the metabolism rate of the body by a whopping 25-35%. Isn’t that crazy? Of course, it is!
- Muscle Mass
Protein helps in building up the muscle mass of your body which is very essential for a good overall body score. It not only helps you build those muscles, but it also helps in maintaining muscles’ good health too. Now, who doesn’t like a strong body? It helps you go about your everyday activities like a boss, the fat burns quicker, and you are looking a lot healthier.
- Strengthens Bones
If you have been eating good amounts of proteins every single day, your bones are bound to get stronger and healthier. You are at lower risks of contracting any kind of fractures as well. Healthy bones are all you need to keep your body postures correct.
- Wound Healing
Studies have shown how wounds have proven to heal faster with high protein diets and that there is absolutely no requirement to go under the knife for surgery.
Tips To Start A High-Protein Diet
Following this type of diet isn’t difficult. Look at these tips if you don’t believe us:
- Begin your day with proteins. Eat eggs or a smoothie loaded with protein powder.
- Plan your everyday meals in such a way that every single meal of the day has protein included in it.
- You need to skip processed forms of carbs like pasta, rice, bread, etc. Instead, you can opt for whole grains like quinoa, millets, etc.
- Hunger is bound to strike in between meals. Therefore, keeping a few snacks that are high in protein will help you snack on protein well.
What To Eat And What Not To Eat
Eat More Of:
- Vegetables—peppers, mushrooms, leafy veggies, cruciferous veggies
- Lean proteins—eggs, nuts, seeds, seafood, beans, lean meat
- Whole grains
- Fruits with low glycemic index—strawberries, blueberries, raspberries
Eat Less Of:
- Sugar—candy, chocolates, sweetened condiments
- Fried foods and saturated foods
- Refined carbohydrates—pasta, white rice, bread
If you think that all of the above-mentioned information is too much for you to handle, then we suggest that you try programs like the Custom Keto Diet that will assist well in your weight loss journey. Stay healthy peeps!
