The word "Protein" is probably one of the most commonly banded around and misunderstood within gyms and fitness circles. Questions arise such as "How much protein do I need?", "Will protein shakes make me look like fatima whitbread?" or "My best friends neighbours boyfriend drank a protein shake once and he woke up the next day massive!". OK so that last one was an exaggeration, but the point is that proteins are the basis of all life. In our bodies they are the most abundant substance except for water. Up to 50% of your dry body weight (including most of your muscle, skin, hair, eyes and nails) is made up of protein.
Anyway, I think I've got the gist across. Following are 3 great fat loss reasons why you need to be getting your protein down at every meal and snack.
1. Protein satisfies your appetite
Of the three macronutrient food groups (protein, carbohydrates and fats) protein is the most effective at satisfying hunger. Protein's capacity to satisfy hunger also influences the amount you eat at your next meal and for the rest of the day. So basically if you start the day with some good quality protein (as opposed to breakfast cereals) you are likely to have more stable hunger levels throughout the day. A good start I'd say.
2. Protein improves your insulin sensitivity
Controlling your insulin levels has a huge impact on your weight and waistline. This is due to the fact that poor carbs (such as white bread, pasta, sweets, cakes etc) really mess with your insulin levels by spiking blood sugar which in turn spikes insulin and causes the body to store fat (remember insulin is essentially a storage hormone) Most people who are overweight have insulin resistance, which basically means the pancreas has to make excess amounts of the stuff to clear bloodsugar (glucose) from the bloodstream. The problem here is that excess insulin brings your bloodsugar right down below where it was before you ate, triggering hunger signals to encourage you to eat more to bring them back up again. And so a cycle of overeating begins.
So in a nutshell eating good quality protein can help reduce this effect by increasing your bodies ability to do the same job with less insulin.
3. Protein helps burn calories
We all know of two ways to burn up more calories: the good old "eat less grub" or "get moving more!" But there is also another way to get your burn on and it's called the "thermic effect of food". In simple terms, this refers to how much energy your body has to expend to break a food down and extract the energy from it. Now the great thing about protein folks is that for your body to extract energy from protein it take 2.5 - 3 times more energy than to do so from carbohydrates or fats, thus increasing your metabolic rate. How about that, you can boost your metabolism without even getting off your cushion!!
Obviously that's not to recommend hours of eating steaks whilst sitting watching sex and the city dvd box-sets as an effective weight-loss strategy. (mainly because it's soooo boring now!!)
To conclude, if weight loss is your goal make sure you are eating plenty of good quality protein such as fresh fish (please guys, nothing out of a tin) lean meats and eggs. Also pulses and grains combined are protein sources as well as dairy and soya, but I find my body feels better when these sources are avoided. You can also get your protein from shakes if convenience is important to you, but make sure you pick one that is low in sugar (always read the label kids!)
So as a general rule of thumb, why not try and base every meal/snack around protein and then simply add good quality carbs (fruits & veg) and quality fats around it. Job done.
Website - http://blastthefat.co.uk
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