High Protein Diet

Useful Info About High Protein Diet

high protein diets

High protein diet is often recommended by nutritionists and bodybuilders for building skeletal muscle and lose fat. People believe that protein could satisfy hunger better than either fats or carbohydrates. Protein rich diet will prompt weight lost and increase energy.

There are numerous variations of the high protein diets. Most recommend 30 to 40 percent of calories from protein. Foods that are high in carbohydrates, especially sugars, pasta, breads, cereals and potatoes, are limited. This type of diet is sometimes referred to as a high protein low carb diet.

High Protein Diet Weight Loss

Most high-protein/low-carb diets are based on the theory that, if you drastically reduce the amount of carbohydrates you consume, your body will be forced to burn fat for energy. So you can loose weight fast.

Protein can be found in both animal and vegetable foods. Different proteins are made up of various combinations and amounts of amino acids. Proteins from plants and grains only have amount of the essential amino acids and you need to eat a selection of them to get all the amino acids you need. Proteins from animals, fish, poultry, soy and Amaranth contain all of the essential amino acids and are they are easily digestible.

Protein is a source of energy for your body and the amino acids are used to make things like adrenaline and antibodies to fight disease. Many diseases – including obesity – indicate an amino acid deficiency. Protein is an important part of muscle fibre, cell walls, skin, nails and hair. People who are growing, pregnant or breast-feeding, or when wounds are healing, needs more protein.

Recommend Daily intake Protein

Health authorities in the U.S.A., Canada and Australia recommend a daily intake of 0.75 – 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. High protein (or low carbohydrate) diets will recommend more. Various sources advise people to consume anywhere from 0.6 to 1.5g of protein per pound of body weight per day.

Your body can not store protein. You need to eat the protein your body needs every day. The excess of protein is converted into urea and passed as urine. Some symptoms of protein deficiency are poor growth, weight loss, muscle wasting, iron deficiency, swollen feet and ankles.

Taking high protein diet for a long time may affect the function of your kidneys, particularly if you have diabetes. It is possible for calcium to be lost from your body. If animal products are your main source of protein, you should avoid saturated fats and cholesterol because they will increase the risk of a number of diseases including heart disease.

Some example of high protein and / or low carb diet program:

1. Protein Power

Protein Power is essentially a diet that is low in carbohydrates, and high in proteins and fats. It was first published in 1996 by Michael and Mary Eades. The Protein Power plan has more protein than the average Western diet. It also has fairly restricted levels of carbohydrate. It claimed the diet will reduce insulin levels, and general health will improve due to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

2. Atkins Diet

High protein diets should not be confused with low-carb diets such as the Atkins Diet. This diet is strictly focused on limiting carbohydrate consumption and emphasizes more protein and fat and less reliance on carbohydrates to stimulate weight loss.

Atkins diet and other low-carb diets are based on the theory that certain carbohydrates have a greater impact on blood sugar levels than others. When you cut out carbs, your body are forced into burning fat that your body has stored to give it energy. Your body burns more calories when burning fat than when it is burning carbohydrates and you can lose weight quickly. You can eat as much as you want of certain foods especially protein and fat. Your blood sugars stabilize which prevents overeating.

Because Atkins diet eliminates some nutrients, it is not for long term use and it could cause deficiencies and other health risk problems in the future like heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer, and premature aging and high cholesterol.

3. South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet is a diet plan designed by cardiologist Arthur Agatston and dietician Marie Almon as an alternative to low-fat approaches. Although the original purpose of the diet was to prevent heart disease in Dr. Agatston’s own patients, in the early 2000s, word of the diet spread and quickly gained popularity as a means to lose weight.

South Beach Diet introducing carbohydrates after the 14 days initial phase. To figure out the net carb count of a food item, you need to identify the carbs that don’t have a high impact — those from fiber and sugar alcohol, and subtract that total from the overall carb count.