Most everyone knows that eating the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables in a day can help you live a longer, healthier life. The phytonutrients, minerals and fiber that you get from both fruits and vegetables are essential to keeping your body healthy, strong and free of diseases and potential cancers. In fact, if any of you watched 60 minutes last Sunday night, you would have heard of a new drug that may be produced called "reversatrol". This drug apparently claims to increase lifespan and reduce risk for heart disease and even cancer. Reversatrol is found in the skin of red grapes (also of course in red wine).
What if I take a vitamin, do I still need fruits and vegetables?
Many, many studies show lots and lots of benefits to eating a variety of both fruits and vegetables. However, not many (if any) studies show the same level of health benefits to consuming vitamins over your veggies and fruits. Reduced risk for colon cancer comes from consuming cruciferous vegetables, not just a b-complex vitamin. Heart disease risk is lowered substantially if you eat 1 mixed green salad each day (light on the dressing, no extra cheese or croutons, sorry :). However, a "fruit and vegetable concentrate" has not been shown to produce the same effects. There is no secret here, the best source is from what God produces, not man.
I hear that I shouldn't eat fruit because it makes me fat!
I love black and white statements! :) If that were true, I wouldn't have been able to lose 20lbs of bodyfat in 2 months eating 2 bananas each day! The reality is, fruits are a very essential part of your diet. Yes, fruits do contain more sugar (fructose) than many other types of whole foods. However, these fruits are so jam-packed with phytonutrients that your body will make good use of the nutrients. As long as you keep your diet balanced with lean proteins, quality carbohydrates, dairy and vegetable sources in addition to the fruits, your body will greatly appreciate you!
How much fruit should I have in a day?
The "how much" question always produces a "it depends" response. This depends on your gender, weight, activity level, and most importantly your goals (weight loss, weight gain, stay the same, etc). However, general guidelines recommend 3-5 servings each day. A serving for fruit is typically 1. Like an orange, an apple, a banana, etc. However, if you were to consume berries, a typical serving size for berries is 1/2 cup. Dried fruit also counts, but again be aware of your portion size here: 1/4 cup (the size of the small kid-sized raisin boxes). Dried fruit can add calories to your diet quickly because it is so concentrated, so try to use it as a topping/garnish instead of a stand-alone snack.
Also, variety is key when it comes to your fruit servings. Each fruit has a mega-punch of a certain spectrum of vitamins and minerals and if all you eat each day is one type of fruit, your body will only absorb a small amount of all the vitamins and minerals it really needs. So, instead of eating 3 apples each day, try 1 apple, 1 peach, and 1 orange.
One of the best ways to get all of your fruits in each day is to have a fruit smoothie (try breakfast-time). Try mixing 3 different types of fruits (example: orange, pear, strawberries) in a blender with some vanilla yogurt, milk (or water depending on calorie demands) and vanilla protein powder (Nutrilite vanilla whey works great! :-). This will give you all your fruit for the day, 1/3-2/3 (depending on milk use) of your dairy for the day and give you some good protein. It's a great way to get the nutrients your body needs quickly and it's also a quick breakfast for you folks who can't seem to make time for breakfast!
Okay, so how about vegetables?
The vegetables you consume should be non-starchy. I generally categorize starchy vegetables (like potatoes and corn) in with "carbohydrates" since that is basically what they are. However, non-starchy vegetables have very little carbohydrates at all, leaving these types of foods with hardly any calories at all. This means you can virtually eat til your heart's (or stomach's) content of the non-starchy vegetables and you won't be threatening yourself with weight gain (now, don't try to go prove me wrong by buying 10 bags of carrots and eating them all in one sitting, yuck!:)
Non-starchy vegetables include: Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, also all green leafy vegetables and just about anything you would put into a salad: tomatoes, carrots, onions, peppers, cucumbers (but not the dressing, croutons or cheese). Most fresh and frozen vegetables apply except potatoes, corn and sweet peas (however, peas are not as starchy as corn and potatoes).
Recommendation for amounts are 3-4 cups. The best way to make sure you get enough vegetables is to have at least 1 mixed green salad each day (try lunch-time). A salad will usually be 2 or more cups. If you also have some more vegetables for dinner, you will be easily meeting your recommended amount of vegetables each day.
By having a fruit smoothie for breakfast and a salad for lunch, you can take care of the majority of your fruit and vegetable concerns for the whole day! The task of eating 3-5 servings of fruits and 3-4 cups of vegetables doesn't seem nearly as daunting when you can get all of it within 2 meals! You can finally live up to your mom's expectations! :-)
"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:9-11 (New International Version)
Monday, May 25, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Drink Water Whenever You Can!
Many people think I am ridiculous when I talk to them about how much water they should drink in a day! Water is a very essential part of your diet, and not drinking enough of it can be the reason why you are not meeting your weight loss goals!
I generally don’t believe in “miracle pills” or potions. However, water is definitely the closest thing to one! People often complain about feeling fatigued, having headaches and feeling run-down. Although, once they start to drink more water, all of these conditions seem to disappear.
Our bodies are about 60% water and our muscles are almost 75% water. The more water you consume, the easier it is for your body to function properly. In addition to that, there are many weight-loss benefits to drinking water. Here are just a few:
- Water contains zero calories
- It fills you up
- As you increase your water consumption over time, your body begins to crave water more than other sugary/salty drinks
- By replacing two 16oz bottles of coke each day with two 16oz bottles of water, you save over 400 calories! Over the course of a month, that amounts to a little more than 3lbs that you could potentially lose, just by replacing your soft drinks with water!
- This is the best part…IT’S FREE!!
Keep yourself Alive!
In addition to the weight loss benefits, there are many heart healthy benefits to just drinking plain water over other drinks. Since water is a natural diuretic, it helps you excrete toxins and keeps your blood naturally diluted. This can be very helpful for individuals looking to reduce their risk for heart disease. In fact, a recent study that was conducted and published in the American Journal of Medicine found that people who regularly consume 8 glasses of water daily reduced their risk for heart disease by 50% compared to a group of people who did not drink 8 glasses regularly, with all other variables controlled for.
But I’m not thirsty!
Hydration is another key aspect to your health. Although I often don’t think about how hydrated I am, my body reminds me when I start to get a headache or notice more muscle soreness than I am used to. By the time I notice I am thirsty, my body is already 2-3% dehydrated (this may be even more for the elderly, since they don’t notice thirst sensation as much) . If I get to 9%, I need to go to the hospital! That’s why I find it important to drink water even when I am not thirsty.
So, how much should I have?
There is no exact answer to this question for everyone. The standard recommendation is 8, 8oz cups or 2 liters, however there is no exact scientific backing for this recommendation. Another standard to follow is the 1ml/kcal rule. So, if you eat approximately 2000 calories, you should consume 2000ml of water (which is approximately 8 cups, that is where it may have come from!:). However, your activity level, climate, weight and diet play a role in how much you should have as well. My standard recommendations are:
For someone who is planning on being sedentary, drink 8 cups of water each day
For someone who is planning to be active most days of the week, drink 12 cups
For someone who is planning to be active and planning to eat a “high protein” diet (approximately 25% or more of your diet is protein) then drink 16 cups
For someone who weighs 250lbs or more, drink 20 cups
In general, the more you drink, the better!
Can you over-consume water?
Yes, absolutely! I am sure all of you have heard on the news about people who drank way too much water and then they died of “water intoxication”. However, in order to obtain this state, one has to really try hard. The most common hydration issue is dehydration, over-hydration is very rare, and that’s why it makes the news!
Since water helps to dilute your blood, if you drink too much of it in one sitting (like a gallon) your body will lose the nutrients it needs to continue to function (sodium and potassium primarily). This is also why it’s very important for marathon runners to drink something other than water while they run. As these athletes run for such a long period of time, because they sweat so much, they may sweat out all of their cells nutrients (sodium and potassium again) and if they do not replenish this and just give their body water, then their body will have a very difficult time doing it’s job. This is a great place for Gatorade!
But I hate regular water, what about flavored water?
The jury is still out about the long-term effects of regular consumption of flavored water. However, there are a few things to keep in mind about your sweetened drink:
- Flavored water usually contains calories and if not then it may contain a lot of artificial sweeteners
- An increased chance for cavities may occur with flavored drinks
- Whenever there is anything added to water, the kidneys have to take longer to process it thus delaying complete hydration as compared to regular water.
- Several studies have discovered that artificially sweetened drinks may actually lead to weight gain. It is believed that it increases the desire to consume something else (increased serotonin output in the brain) sweet, salty or fattening.
If you really don’t like regular water, try diluting your flavored drink with ½ flavored water, and ½ regular water until you become comfortable with that taste and then dilute it in ½ again. Do this until drinking regular water is doable for you.
Plain regular water is the best option for the body and the pocketbook!
"Jesus replied, 'I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.'" John 3:5 (New Living Translation)
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Eating Carbs and Losing Weight
Many people today think they need to cut "carbs" in order to lose weight. Unfortunately, this is usually not the best route for people looking to lose bodyfat, gain strength, have energy and feel their best! Carbohydrates are the body's primary energy source. Without them, many functions slow down, like...hmm....oh yah... THINKING (which is hard enough for me as it is! :)
It is really the type of carbohydrate that determines how your body makes use of it. There are 3 primary types of carbohydrates: sugar ("simple" carbohydrates), fiber and starches ("complex carbohydrates"). These three types when consumed properly can give your body the energy it needs when it needs it. However, when eaten in excess and at the wrong times, you can increase your body's potential to store bodyfat.
Sugar
Sugar is known as a "simple" carbohydrate because it is made up of 1 saccharide (a monosaccharide) as opposed to a complex or polysaccharide. This type of carbohydrate is very quickly absorbed. Most people tend to overconsume this type of carbohydrate when their body doesn't have much of a use for it. It's main purpose is to give you quick energy. The best time to make use of this type of energy is when you are currently being active. If you are out on a long run and want to keep running, if you are currently lifting weights and you feel you need a little more energy to help you do a few more sets, if you are hiking a mountain and are only half-way done and you are starting to feel a bit fatigued, then this can be a very effective way to get your energy that you need. Unfortunately, because of the taste and how it makes you feel, many people way overconsume this type of carbohydrate.
Consuming simple carbs can give you a happy feeling because it is such a fast acting carbohydrate. Our brains make use of sugar (glucose) for all of its activity. Certain hormones are released in our brains that make us feel good when we overconsume sugar (serotonin). This feeling tends to make us want to eat more of it. Unfortunately, unless if we are currently active, our body has nothing else to do with the sugar except try to store it into muscle tissue and our liver (which is where it is supposed to go) and if there is an overabundance of this stored already, our body will store this sugar as bodyfat.
In addition to it being stored as bodyfat, we typically get an energy crash about 15-30minutes after we consume something very sugary because our body sends out the blood-sugar-killer-hormone insulin, and because sugar hits our brain so fast, a lot of insulin is produced, typically more than what our body needs. With the overabundance of insulin, our body is left with less blood sugar than before we actually ate the sugary food and we feel even more tired and possibly even more hungry.
Fiber
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that gives our body very little energy. Depending on the type, we can't break down fiber and our body does not typically use it for energy. However, even though we don't get energy, there are tons of amazing benefits to consuming a high fiber diet (high means over 25grams of fiber/day).
Fiber has 2 types: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber binds bile acids (which are made from cholesterol) in our intestine and gets rid of it. This forces the liver to pull more cholesterol out of the blood. These foods include: Oats, legumes and nuts, some fruits and vegetables as well.
Insoluble fiber is the type of fiber that can't be broken down at all. This helps to move all food out of our intestine. Having bowels that move faster are actually a good thing (as disgusting as that sounds! :). Colon cancer is prevented by consuming more insoluble fiber. Having stool that lingers around for awhile, actually creates potential cancers. When stool moves faster, the body doesn't have the ability to create more cancerous agents. Most cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, etc) apply here.
Starches
These are the foods that give your body lots of energy. These are the "polysaccharides". These types of carbohydrate include: pasta, bread, potato, corn, oatmeal and most beans (not green beans). These are the foods that when eaten often, you can give your body the energy that it needs to train harder and get the results you are looking for.
However, eating the wrong type of these carbohydrates will end up acting a lot like sugar. It is really the fiber that makes all the difference. Fiber will help to delay absorption of these foods. Just like with sugar, when a starchy carb is absorbed quickly, you will end up with a similar energy crash. Although if the starch has about 3 grams of fiber per serving, this will help to delay the absorption and give you more prolonged energy. Fiber slows stomach digestion.
In order to make sure you are eating the right type of carbohydrate, check the label. If you see at least 3 grams of fiber/serving than you will probably be getting the right type. You can also check the ingredient list. If the first ingredient is "whole wheat" than you are doing well. However if the first ingredient is "enriched flour" than you know the product is stripped of fiber and its like eating sugar.
So, the right types of starches include:
bread (100% whole wheat)
pasta (100% whole wheat)
rice (brown)
potato (with the skin)
oatmeal (not variety pack instant)
corn (lightly buttered, if at all)
These types of starches will give your body plenty of prolonged energy. This is what can really help your workouts get to the next level!
Cutting Carbs
Carbohydrates give your body the immediate energy that it needs during exercise. If you start to cut carbs dramatically, you may not have the ability to push yourself nearly as hard. However, this does not mean that you won't lose weight, because more than likely you will. Many people lose plenty of weight following low-carb diets. The main reason is because you cut out what typically makes up at least 50% of what your diet would normally be. By cutting that much out of your diet, you are going to dramatically reduce your total caloric intake and your body has no other choice but to lose weight. Now in addition to that, when you are not consuming that many starchy carbs, you may not feel that hungry either. Since the only other types of food to consume are primarily fat, protein and fiber, all of these sources of food don't cause fast energy surges. That's why your energy levels won't change that much and you may not be as hungry. However, realize that your body's stored energy will be very low, your brains ability to function at its peak will be diminished and you may be lacking essential vitamins and minerals when you are following these low-carb diets.
It is really the type of carbohydrate that determines how your body makes use of it. There are 3 primary types of carbohydrates: sugar ("simple" carbohydrates), fiber and starches ("complex carbohydrates"). These three types when consumed properly can give your body the energy it needs when it needs it. However, when eaten in excess and at the wrong times, you can increase your body's potential to store bodyfat.
Sugar
Sugar is known as a "simple" carbohydrate because it is made up of 1 saccharide (a monosaccharide) as opposed to a complex or polysaccharide. This type of carbohydrate is very quickly absorbed. Most people tend to overconsume this type of carbohydrate when their body doesn't have much of a use for it. It's main purpose is to give you quick energy. The best time to make use of this type of energy is when you are currently being active. If you are out on a long run and want to keep running, if you are currently lifting weights and you feel you need a little more energy to help you do a few more sets, if you are hiking a mountain and are only half-way done and you are starting to feel a bit fatigued, then this can be a very effective way to get your energy that you need. Unfortunately, because of the taste and how it makes you feel, many people way overconsume this type of carbohydrate.
Consuming simple carbs can give you a happy feeling because it is such a fast acting carbohydrate. Our brains make use of sugar (glucose) for all of its activity. Certain hormones are released in our brains that make us feel good when we overconsume sugar (serotonin). This feeling tends to make us want to eat more of it. Unfortunately, unless if we are currently active, our body has nothing else to do with the sugar except try to store it into muscle tissue and our liver (which is where it is supposed to go) and if there is an overabundance of this stored already, our body will store this sugar as bodyfat.
In addition to it being stored as bodyfat, we typically get an energy crash about 15-30minutes after we consume something very sugary because our body sends out the blood-sugar-killer-hormone insulin, and because sugar hits our brain so fast, a lot of insulin is produced, typically more than what our body needs. With the overabundance of insulin, our body is left with less blood sugar than before we actually ate the sugary food and we feel even more tired and possibly even more hungry.
Fiber
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that gives our body very little energy. Depending on the type, we can't break down fiber and our body does not typically use it for energy. However, even though we don't get energy, there are tons of amazing benefits to consuming a high fiber diet (high means over 25grams of fiber/day).
Fiber has 2 types: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber binds bile acids (which are made from cholesterol) in our intestine and gets rid of it. This forces the liver to pull more cholesterol out of the blood. These foods include: Oats, legumes and nuts, some fruits and vegetables as well.
Insoluble fiber is the type of fiber that can't be broken down at all. This helps to move all food out of our intestine. Having bowels that move faster are actually a good thing (as disgusting as that sounds! :). Colon cancer is prevented by consuming more insoluble fiber. Having stool that lingers around for awhile, actually creates potential cancers. When stool moves faster, the body doesn't have the ability to create more cancerous agents. Most cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, etc) apply here.
Starches
These are the foods that give your body lots of energy. These are the "polysaccharides". These types of carbohydrate include: pasta, bread, potato, corn, oatmeal and most beans (not green beans). These are the foods that when eaten often, you can give your body the energy that it needs to train harder and get the results you are looking for.
However, eating the wrong type of these carbohydrates will end up acting a lot like sugar. It is really the fiber that makes all the difference. Fiber will help to delay absorption of these foods. Just like with sugar, when a starchy carb is absorbed quickly, you will end up with a similar energy crash. Although if the starch has about 3 grams of fiber per serving, this will help to delay the absorption and give you more prolonged energy. Fiber slows stomach digestion.
In order to make sure you are eating the right type of carbohydrate, check the label. If you see at least 3 grams of fiber/serving than you will probably be getting the right type. You can also check the ingredient list. If the first ingredient is "whole wheat" than you are doing well. However if the first ingredient is "enriched flour" than you know the product is stripped of fiber and its like eating sugar.
So, the right types of starches include:
bread (100% whole wheat)
pasta (100% whole wheat)
rice (brown)
potato (with the skin)
oatmeal (not variety pack instant)
corn (lightly buttered, if at all)
These types of starches will give your body plenty of prolonged energy. This is what can really help your workouts get to the next level!
Cutting Carbs
Carbohydrates give your body the immediate energy that it needs during exercise. If you start to cut carbs dramatically, you may not have the ability to push yourself nearly as hard. However, this does not mean that you won't lose weight, because more than likely you will. Many people lose plenty of weight following low-carb diets. The main reason is because you cut out what typically makes up at least 50% of what your diet would normally be. By cutting that much out of your diet, you are going to dramatically reduce your total caloric intake and your body has no other choice but to lose weight. Now in addition to that, when you are not consuming that many starchy carbs, you may not feel that hungry either. Since the only other types of food to consume are primarily fat, protein and fiber, all of these sources of food don't cause fast energy surges. That's why your energy levels won't change that much and you may not be as hungry. However, realize that your body's stored energy will be very low, your brains ability to function at its peak will be diminished and you may be lacking essential vitamins and minerals when you are following these low-carb diets.
Remember these key points about carbs:
- It's best to eat quality carbs throughout the day, to give you lots of energy.
- Focus on decreasing sugar content and increasing quality starches.
- Fiber is the key to carbs.
- Remember your calorie targets to help you lose weight.
- It's total calories, not carbs that determine weight loss.
Doing this will help you have the energy and body you desire and also give your body the proper nutrients it needs long-term!
"We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me." Colossians 1:28-30 (New International Version)
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The Truth about Protein
If your goal is weight loss, protein can be a very helpful tool! Protein is the macronutrient that takes the longest to digest and break down in your stomach compared to fat and carbohydrate. Due to the length of time it takes to break down, your body actually expends more calories digesting this type of food compared to foods that are rich in either carbohydrates or fat.
Also, because this type of food takes so long to break down, this creates a greater sensation of fullness. So, if you find there are certain times during the day that you are more hungry than other times, having a high protein snack can really help you feel satisfied.
Your body's requirement for protein is actually pretty small. In order for your body to keep itself running smoothly without creating protein deficiencies, it requires a small amount of protein each day. Generally, it's about 0.6 to 0.8 grams/kg of bodyweight. For someone who weighs 150lbs, their protein requirement would be 40-55g each day. You could easily meet this need with one 6oz piece of meat.
However, there are many other reasons to increase the amount of protein in your diet. Here is just a few examples of why you might want to:
- To help you lose weight, through the craving reduction and metabolism enhancing qualities
- To help you build muscle, protein is the building block of muscle
- To help combat infection and help recover from surgery
Protein has many functions in our bodies. It helps transport nutrients and helps repair damaged tissues. Protein can also take the place of carbohydrate when carbohydrate intake is too low(However, this is not the best method of using energy, your body will become quite taxed).
For people who are looking to either gain weight or lose weight, consuming more lean protein in your diet can be very helpful to meeting your goals. However, because most protein sources are meat products, these sources of protein can also be high sources of fat and saturated fat. If this is the case, these types of foods can increase your risk for heart disease.
So, the best approach is to look for leaner cuts of meat. Leaner cuts include: the meat furthest away from bone:
breast (for chicken and turkey)
loin (for beef and pork).
Other sources of protein:
Egg whites (the yolk contains the cholesterol and fat)
Non-fat cottage cheese
Low-fat cheese sticks
Most fish
Protein substitutes (like a protein drink or bar)
These types of protein sources are considered "Primary Protein Sources". This is because the primary macronutrient in the above list is protein. There are other foods that have protein in them but are not "primary" protein sources.
These non-primary sources include:
Peanut butter
Nuts
Most Beans (not green beans)
Dairy products
These foods will give you some protein, but there is another macronutrient that is more dominant. For example, black beans have protein (about 8g/svg), but it's primary macronutrient is carbohydrate (about 20-30g/svg).
If your goals is weight loss and/or muscle gain, it's best to try to stick with primary protein sources for your meals to help increase satiety, metabolism and decrease cravings. The non-primary protein sources can give your body other essential nutrients like healthy fats if you were to consume nuts. However, be aware that nuts have a lot of calories because they are very high in fat. These extra calories may be contributing to either weight gain or preventing you from achieving weight loss if that is your goal. Making use of the non-primary proteins often might derail your efforts to achieve the results you are looking for.
For someone looking to lose weight, I might recommend consuming 3-6 primary protein sources each day to help with the weight loss efforts. A good goal to shoot for would be to try to have a primary protein source in each meal. If you do this, you will notice how much longer that meal will keep you satisfied and help keep cravings down.
Something also to be aware of, you will want to make sure you are drinking plenty of water if you consume more protein in your diet. Protein is broken down into ammonia in your blood and in order to excrete this, consuming plenty of water will be needed to help take care of it. If you have healthy functioning kidneys, there is no problem with this whatsoever. By consuming more protein, you will probably notice that you will become more thirsty. This is your body's natural response for the need to excrete the ammonia in your blood, it's very normal. Just continue to drink plenty of water. However, if you do have kidney damage/disease, then I would not consider increasing protein at all and talk with your doctor about any dietary changes.
The recommendations that I have for protein consumption is about 25-30% of your total caloric intake. Carbohydrates should be about 50-55% and Fat should be 15-20% of your diet. This macronutrient breakdown is what I have found to be very successful with both myself and my clients in helping them to lose bodyfat and gain lean muscle.
If you have any questions about getting more protein in your diet, please don't hesitate to ask. :)
"I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” Ezekiel 37:6 (New Living Translation)
Also, because this type of food takes so long to break down, this creates a greater sensation of fullness. So, if you find there are certain times during the day that you are more hungry than other times, having a high protein snack can really help you feel satisfied.
Your body's requirement for protein is actually pretty small. In order for your body to keep itself running smoothly without creating protein deficiencies, it requires a small amount of protein each day. Generally, it's about 0.6 to 0.8 grams/kg of bodyweight. For someone who weighs 150lbs, their protein requirement would be 40-55g each day. You could easily meet this need with one 6oz piece of meat.
However, there are many other reasons to increase the amount of protein in your diet. Here is just a few examples of why you might want to:
- To help you lose weight, through the craving reduction and metabolism enhancing qualities
- To help you build muscle, protein is the building block of muscle
- To help combat infection and help recover from surgery
Protein has many functions in our bodies. It helps transport nutrients and helps repair damaged tissues. Protein can also take the place of carbohydrate when carbohydrate intake is too low(However, this is not the best method of using energy, your body will become quite taxed).
For people who are looking to either gain weight or lose weight, consuming more lean protein in your diet can be very helpful to meeting your goals. However, because most protein sources are meat products, these sources of protein can also be high sources of fat and saturated fat. If this is the case, these types of foods can increase your risk for heart disease.
So, the best approach is to look for leaner cuts of meat. Leaner cuts include: the meat furthest away from bone:
breast (for chicken and turkey)
loin (for beef and pork).
Other sources of protein:
Egg whites (the yolk contains the cholesterol and fat)
Non-fat cottage cheese
Low-fat cheese sticks
Most fish
Protein substitutes (like a protein drink or bar)
These types of protein sources are considered "Primary Protein Sources". This is because the primary macronutrient in the above list is protein. There are other foods that have protein in them but are not "primary" protein sources.
These non-primary sources include:
Peanut butter
Nuts
Most Beans (not green beans)
Dairy products
These foods will give you some protein, but there is another macronutrient that is more dominant. For example, black beans have protein (about 8g/svg), but it's primary macronutrient is carbohydrate (about 20-30g/svg).
If your goals is weight loss and/or muscle gain, it's best to try to stick with primary protein sources for your meals to help increase satiety, metabolism and decrease cravings. The non-primary protein sources can give your body other essential nutrients like healthy fats if you were to consume nuts. However, be aware that nuts have a lot of calories because they are very high in fat. These extra calories may be contributing to either weight gain or preventing you from achieving weight loss if that is your goal. Making use of the non-primary proteins often might derail your efforts to achieve the results you are looking for.
For someone looking to lose weight, I might recommend consuming 3-6 primary protein sources each day to help with the weight loss efforts. A good goal to shoot for would be to try to have a primary protein source in each meal. If you do this, you will notice how much longer that meal will keep you satisfied and help keep cravings down.
Something also to be aware of, you will want to make sure you are drinking plenty of water if you consume more protein in your diet. Protein is broken down into ammonia in your blood and in order to excrete this, consuming plenty of water will be needed to help take care of it. If you have healthy functioning kidneys, there is no problem with this whatsoever. By consuming more protein, you will probably notice that you will become more thirsty. This is your body's natural response for the need to excrete the ammonia in your blood, it's very normal. Just continue to drink plenty of water. However, if you do have kidney damage/disease, then I would not consider increasing protein at all and talk with your doctor about any dietary changes.
The recommendations that I have for protein consumption is about 25-30% of your total caloric intake. Carbohydrates should be about 50-55% and Fat should be 15-20% of your diet. This macronutrient breakdown is what I have found to be very successful with both myself and my clients in helping them to lose bodyfat and gain lean muscle.
If you have any questions about getting more protein in your diet, please don't hesitate to ask. :)
"I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” Ezekiel 37:6 (New Living Translation)
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