Every day there is discussion about the best way to have good health and the best diet to eat. High protein diets were the rage a few years ago, and people were told to eat tons of protein, including fatty bacon and red meats but no carbohydrates at all. While people did lose weight on these diets, the long-term effect on their overall health is just now starting to be seen.
During those high-fat, high-protein diets, people were noting how grumpy they were, how sluggish they felt and how much they felt as if their head was in some kind of a fog. Well, of course they felt that way-the carbohydrates that they were not eating at all are actually needed by the body for a number of reasons:
- The brain only accepts and uses energy derived from carbohydrates to function properly
- Carbs are one of the easiest energy sources on the entire body
- Carbs may influence the production of many of the feel good hormones in the body
Getting a Better Amount of Protein in the Healthy Diet
Fad diets are a bad idea not only for your weight but for your overall health as well. The debate over whether or not yo-yo dieting harms your physical well being is an ongoing one with some doctors saying that losing and gaining weight over and over can lead to problems with your heart, lungs and other organs while other doctors say there is no permanent damage done. Of course, you do not need to have a medical expert tell you the damage that rapid weight loss, especially when it is large amounts, can do to your skin- stretch marks are more common during rapid weight changes because the skin is damaged in the process. For the most part, fad diets do not work, at least not permanently and in many cases, not safely. Sticking to a healthy and well balanced diet is a much better, much safer idea.
For most people, the right amount of calories can be determined by looking at their height, weight and amount of activity, but there are always some exceptions to these rules. Anyone who has serious health concerns such as heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, or pregnant women should never start a new diet without discussing its safety with their doctor.
Before you can tell how much protein you need in your diet, you will need to figure out how many calories that you need overall. The problem with people who are trying to lose weight is that they will automatically eliminate some of the foods that they actually need and will try to lower their daily caloric intake far too low. Once the human body starts getting more than a few days of really low calories, it will panic and start thinking that it is starving to death and will shut the metabolism down completely. Because you are no longer burning food for energy, you are not going to lose weight, even with the low amount of calories that are going in. For some people, this will become a cue to simply stop the diet completely while for others, it will simply mean that they are not working hard enough, and they will lower the amount of food that they are eating even further. The problem is not the amount of work they are doing. It is not about how much food they are eating at this point, it is purely about the metabolism.
The right amount of calories for the healthy diet is the balanced number that allows for the body to function at its peak, to metabolize calories correctly and still be healthy. If the body's metabolism is not working correctly it will not matter how much or how little you are eating, it will not be processed in the right way. All foods will be sent directly to storage in the fat cells and your body will once again need energy because it is not burning what is already on hand. It is like overfilling your car's gas tank, the tank is full but the gauge is claiming that it is empty so you keep putting more and more gas in, leaking gas all over and possibly damaging the car's paint finish in the process.
Why Protein Really Matters
Protein is an important part of the diet because it plays such a wide role in a number of body functions. It is a crucial part of the immune system. It is important in healing after injury or illness. It is important as part of the digestion, ovulation and sleep. It plays a role in blood pressure and all the other functions in the human body.
The American Heart Association recommends that the overall amount of protein in the diet go no higher than 35% of the total calories in the diet. It is thought that with the exception of some very extreme cases, most people are getting enough protein in their regular diets. For those who are concerned that they are not getting quite enough protein though, there are a wide variety of protein supplements that can be used, including Profect, a very small protein supplement from Protica. It takes seconds to consume and packs a major amount of protein (25 grams) despite its small size.
Alison's Healthy Diet Change: A Case Study
Alison has been overweight all of her adult life. In addition, she has always been easily swayed by an advertisement, no matter where it comes from. Infomercials, banner ads, television ads, radio ads, Alison falls for all of them. Her bookshelf is like the weight loss/self help section of the bookstore, her medicine cabinet is a testament to every weight loss pill she has ever been seduced by. She has tried high protein diets, low carb, no carb, and everything in between. She has tried the all grapefruit diet and the cottage cheese diet. You name it; Alison has tried it and failed.
While talking to a nice woman on the train to work one day, Alison discovers the secret to her weight loss need-she needs to visit a nutritionist who can teach her what her body needs not only to be healthy but to lose weight as well. After she does so, she has a set number of calories to shoot for every day. To make sure that she is getting enough food, and keeping her metabolism revved up and running, Alison switches over to eating several small meals every day. For two of her snacks between her two main meals, Alison drinks Profect, making sure she gets enough protein every day and keeping her fuller for longer. She does not feel hungry all of the time, she does not feel deprived at all, and she has more energy to work out as well.
More Information:
Protica Research (Protica, Inc.) specializes in the development of Capsulized Foods. Protica manufactures
Profect, IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia and over 100 other brands, including Medicare-approved, whey protein drinks for bariatric patients. You can learn more at
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