Thursday, January 26, 2012

Slim Down Secrets

By Kevin DiDonato MS, CSCS, CES


People have known for years about the power of protein.  It may help you lose weight, provide essential amino acids for strong muscles, and provide you with plenty of vitamins and minerals, which are essential for your health.  But over the years, the fad of high-protein diets has lost momentum.

Why?  There are hundreds of different diet options to choose from.  The everyday consumer may be completely CONFUSED by what they hear.  Is a high-protein diet good for you?  Or is high-carb and low protein a better option?  All the options can be quite confusing.  Gone are the days where a healthy diet was three square meals with meat and potatoes.

Now the guidelines have changed to include more fruits and vegetables, essential fats, and lean meats.  But what if I was to tell you that a high-protein diet MAY be beneficial to your health.  In fact, there is supporting research showing a high-protein, high-fiber diet may increase your feeling of fullness which may lead to weight loss.

High-Protein, High-Fiber Diets - Incorporating more protein and fiber into your diet may be a key to losing weight.  Not only do you burn extra calories by eating protein, but it takes longer for food to be absorbed by your body by increasing your fiber intake.  High protein may help aid weight loss by sparing lean mass, enabling you to burn more sugar and fat.  This may decrease your fat stores, especially your subcutaneous and visceral fat.

And I forgot to mention that you may even BURN more calories DIGESTING protein.  Your body tries very hard to not use protein for energy.  But during times of fasting or calorie restriction, your body may burn protein to use for energy.  Your body is so complex and unique that it saves your fat stores for future use.

Your fat holds TONS of stored energy which
your body uses in times of need
So it then uses your protein (muscles) to supply your body with the energy it needs to survive.
Less muscle mass = SLOWER METABOLISM

So when you increase protein in your diet, what happens?  Your body BURNs more energy to break down the protein.  You BURN more calories by DIGESTING protein than you would DIGESTING carbohydrates or fat.  And fiber is also pretty amazing.  Increased fiber intake may help fill you up leaving you satisfied for hours.  

There are two different types of fiber, insoluble and soluble.

  1. Soluble fiber dissolves easily in water, which allows it to pass through your system easier.  
  2. Insoluble fiber travels through your system undigested.
Fiber may be linked to weight loss and improvements in total cholesterol and your bad cholesterol, or LDLs.
But there is something else about a high-protein, high- fiber diet that you need to know about.

Fiber, Protein, And Satiety - Satiety is the feeling of fullness after you eat.  High protein and high fiber may help you stay full in between meals.  Why?  Protein may be the MOST important nutrient in meal satisfaction.  This full and satisfied feeling may help you LOSE WEIGHT.  You may notice a decrease in energy intake, therefore reducing the amount of calories your are EATING.


Research shows people on a high-protein diet are less
hungry in between meals and at mealtime


This means that when you do sit down to eat, you probably won’t eat as much.  They also found people who enjoyed a high-carbohydrate meal with less protein were hungrier by the time they sat down for lunch or dinner.  They found a high-carbohydrate diet was less satisfying.  This may lead to overeating at mealtime after a high-carbohydrate meal.  They were HUNGRIER and ATE MORE.

The Best Answer

High-fiber and high-protein diets may increase weight loss, fat loss, and provide positive benefits to your cholesterol levels.  A high-protein diet may increase satiety after a meal and in between meals.


A HIGH-PROTEIN and HIGH-FIBER snack
may be perfect for WEIGHT LOSS


This may reduce your energy intake, possibly resulting in MORE weight loss.  Fat loss accounted for most of the weight loss, possibly because of the sparing of lean tissue and the utilization of fat as your major energy source.  Interestingly enough, a liquid meal incorporating whey protein, water, and fiber showed increased satiety.  


The benefit of a liquid meal is that it is available at ANYTIME and ANYWHERE you want.  All you need is water, Prograde Fusion, and a glass to mix it anywhere and at anytime.  And it may keep you from  overeating at lunch and dinner.  A product, such as Prograde Fusion, may provide you with the right protein and fiber mixture, possibly helping you stay satisfied until your next meal.


To balance out your healthier eating habits, you must include a well rounded exercise program also.

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