Protein is an essential requirement for the body to survive. Proteins are used to make bone, skin, hair, cells and play a role in the production of enzymes, which are involved in almost every function of the body. Simply put your body cannot survive without protein.
Eating protein causes your body to build muscle tone by triggering protein synthesis. Eating it in the right amounts will improve body composition, keep you feeling fuller for longer and also help you burn body fat. Protein can help you to reduce blood pressure and help prevent disease.
The body is in a constantly changing state between muscle building and muscle destruction. This can be affected by the amount of protein that you are getting in your diet and also the quality of the protein sources you are consuming.
BCAA (branch chain amino acids) quantity is a great way to check protein quality. Animal products have the highest levels of BCAAs. The foods that contain the most BCAA are, wild atlantic salmon, organic free range chicken, grass fed beef, free range organic eggs and whey protein.
Having a diet that is high in protein will help with fat loss. Eating a higher proportion of your diet from protein will help you lose fat and has been shown in many studies to keep you feeling fuller for longer. Not only will it help you to keep hunger under control it also has the effect of burning more calories as your body digests it - during this period it uses nearly twice the amount of calories as carbs do to digest. By eating a higher amount of protein your body will build more lean muscle and burn more calories.
When people loose weight on a high carb low protein diet they loose both muscle tone as well as body fat causing the amount of energy your body burns overall to decrease. Calorie intake rarely goes down at the same time to compensate, which is a common reason why fat loss comes to a hault and fat regain occurs. We have all probably been there.
Increasing your protein will help you to maintain muscle mass and burn fat. Resistance training enhances this effect.
Aim to eat a good range of whole foods to make sure that you meet your protein needs by using some or all of the following: fish, eggs, beef, poultry, other animal products, dairy, beans and nuts.
Eat plenty of vegetables and plants that are high in antioxidants to alkalise the body. Eating a lot of protein can have an acidic effect on the body. Aim for leafy green vegetables and plenty of them to keep your body in an alkaline state. The more meat you eat the more veg you need.
