Protein for Healthy Living

by Dee Britton

Protein for Healthy Living.

Recent scientific reseach have created a new understanding of the role protein plays in a healthy diet and the importance it plays in weight loss.

According to the latest statistics, the obesity epidemic is continuing to grow through out the world and shows no signs of abating any time soon. An astonishing 59.6% of Australian and New Zealand adults are overweight or obese. And ever more disturbing, 30% of children from Australia and New Zealand are clinically overweight!

Those who have adequate protein in their diet, however, may find they've escaped being a part of this alarming trend.

The latest nutritional research indicates that protein has numerous dietary benefits that give a boost to weight loss and weight manangement efforts.

One of the principal advantages of protein is that it creates a feeling of fullness and satisfaction in the body that it makes over eating less likely.

Besides being filling, protein is a smart addition to any weight loss or weight manangement program because of the effect it has on carbohydrate cravings. As research has documented, carbohydrates trigger the brain

to crave more carbohydrates, leading to a cycle of carbohydrate eating that becomes hard to control. Protien can block that triggering effect in the brain. Eating carbs and protein together will reduce the cravings caused by eating the carbohydrate.

So, you can see why simply adding protein to a meal provides you with an incredible advantage in your quest to lose or maintain your weight. But protein provides more than just weight benefits - it provides an important necessity as well.

Adequate daily protein intake is essential for building and maintaining lean muscle mass. It may sound like a term used by atheletes, but in fact, everyone of us has a certain percentage of lean muscle in their body.

Besides determining how many calories a day you burn, your lean muscle mass also serves a vital function for those trying to lose or maintain their weight. If your diet doesn't contain enough protein to build and maintain lean muscle, your body will begin to lose weight from the heart, muscles and organs. This type of dieting is unsafe and can be fatal.

How much protein do we need on a daily basis? On average, women need 100g per day while men need 150g per

day. Remember though, as you incorporate protein into your diet, not all protein is equal when it comes to calories. For example - a serving of prime rib contains 1,500 calories!

Protein comes from a variety of sources, such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, nuts and soy products.

The USA Food & Drug Administration approved a dietary health claim for soy foods, recommending an average daily intake of 25g soy protein, in addition to a low-fat and low-cholestrol diet, to reduce the risk of heart disease. Increasingly, health conscious people are choosing to incorporate soy products, such as soymilk, soy protien shakes, tofu, soy protien snacks and soy burgers, into their daily diets.

Protein - it's nothing less than a nutrition revolution!









About the author:

Dee Britton is a Health & Wellness Coach specialising in weight management & nutrition. Personal support, recipes, hints & tips, newsletters + lots more to help you reach your goal weight. Online health profile & free weight loss consultation at http://www.weightloss-2day.net

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