Posts tagged ‘diet’
Can a High-Protein Diet Help You Lose Weight?
However, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 56 grams a day for men and 46 grams a day for women. Most Americans have no problem getting this much, but would struggle to take in enough protein to make up 35% of their calories.
That said, is it possible to eat too much protein?
“There are no dangers associated with higher intakes of protein — unless you have kidney disease,” says Layman.
To get the potential weight loss benefit, Layman advises aiming for around 120 grams of protein a day. “If you want to increase your protein intake, do it slowly over the course of a week,” he recommends.
To be on the safe side, check with your doctor before adding large amounts of protein to your diet.
Controlling Your Appetite
In theory, losing weight is quite simple — just eat less and exercise more — but of course, putting it into practice can be complicated. Finding a diet with the right combination of nutrients, that you enjoy, and works with your lifestyle is a very individual process.
“Some people fare better on a high-carbohydrate, diet whereas others are hungry all the time on the same diet,” Layman says.
And of course, if you’re hungry all the time, eating fewer calories will be challenging.
For better appetite control, Reeves recommends dividing your daily calories into smaller meals or snacks and enjoying as many of them as possible early in the day, with dinner being the last meal.
“People who eat four to five meals or snacks per day are better able to control their appetite and weight, according to the scientific literature,” says Reeves.
And as long as you stay within the recommended limits, Reeves says, you can try adding some protein to your diet.
“If the DRIs give us permission to push up the protein,” she asks, “what is the harm in adding some lean protein or low-fat dairy to your diet — unless you have a condition that would limit protein?”
The Best Protein Sources
Protein is important but so are carbohydrates, fats, and total calories, says Katherine Tallmadge, MA, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
“It is all about balance,” says Tallmadge, author of Diet Simple. While she recommends including lean and low-fat sources of protein at every meal, she says it should be part of a calorie-controlled diet that’s also rich in ‘smart carbs’ such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, along with healthy fats like nuts, seeds, olives, oils, fish, and avocado.
She also notes that not all protein is created equal. Be sure to look for protein sources that are nutrient-rich and lower in fat and calories, such as lean meats, beans, soy, and low-fat dairy, she says.
Here are some good sources of protein, as listed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture:
| Food | Protein grams |
| 1 ounce meat, fish, poultry | 7 |
| 1 large egg | 6 |
| 4 ounces milk | 4 |
| 4 ounces low-fat yogurt | 6 |
| 4 ounces soy milk | 5 |
| 3 ounces tofu, firm | 13 |
| 1 ounce cheese | 7 |
| 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese | 14 |
| 1/2 cup cooked kidney beans | 7 |
| 1/2 cup lentils | 9 |
| 1 ounce nuts | 7 |
| 2 tablespoons peanut butter | 8 |
| 1/2 cup vegetables | 2 |
| 1 slice bread | 2 |
| 1/2 cup of most grains/pastas | 2 |
What Studies Show
Participants in a study recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported greater satisfaction, less hunger, and weight loss when fat was reduced to 20% of the total calories in their diets, protein was increased to 30%, and carbs accounted for 50%. The study participants ate some 441 fewer calories a day when they followed this high-protein diet and regulated their own calorie intake.
Another study, reported in the Journal of Nutrition, showed that a high-protein diet combined with exercise enhanced weight and fat loss and improved blood fat (lipid) levels.
“Our research suggests that higher-protein diets help people better control their appetites and calorie intake,” says researcher Donald Layman, PhD, a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
“Diets higher in protein [and] moderate in carbs, along with a lifestyle of regular exercise ⦠have an excellent potential to reduce blood lipids [and] maintain lean tissue while burning fat for fuel without dieters being sidetracked with constant hunger.”
Researchers don’t understand exactly how protein works to turn down appetite. They surmise that it may be because a high-protein diet causes the brain to receive lower levels of appetite-stimulating hormones.
“We are not exactly sure of the mechanism for satiety, whether it is due to [eating] fewer carbs and/or the specific protein effect on hunger hormones and brain chemistry,” Layman says.
And more research is needed before experts can make sweeping recommendations that people boost the protein in their diets, says American Dietetic Association president Rebecca Reeves, DrPH, RD, an obesity researcher at the Baylor College of Medicine.
“I think it is fascinating and intriguing, yet we need the evidence that higher-protein diets are more effective over the long term,” Reeves says.
How Much Do You Need?
We need protein at all stages of life, for a variety of bodily functions. It’s the major component of all cells, including muscle and bone. It’s needed for growth, development, and immunity to fight off infections and protect the body.
The Institute of Health’s Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) recommendations allow for a wide range of protein intake — anywhere from 10% to 35% of total calories — for normal, healthy adults. For example, on an 1,800 calorie diet, you could safely consume anywhere from 45 grams (that’s 10% of calories) to 218 grams (35%) of protein per day.
8 Ways to Pump Up the Protein
If you’d like to start including more lean protein in your daily diet, Tallmadge offers these eight simple tips:
- Take yogurt with you to the gym and enjoy it as a post-workout booster.
- Make your breakfast oatmeal with milk instead of water.
- Snack on fat-free mozzarella cheese.
- Use a whole cup of milk on your cereal.
- Try smoked salmon or one of the new lean sausages for breakfast.
- Take along a hard-boiled egg for an easy snack.
- Munch on edamame beans at meals and snacks.
- Choose round or tenderloin cuts of meat
A very good diet tip
The instant you label any food or behavior “good” or “bad,” you’re practically guaranteeing you won’t reach your goals, warns Redbook’s Real-Life Healthy Life nutrition expert Lisa Young: A single falter (a clandestine donut or skipped workout) is interpreted by your brain as total failure. And since you’re “off your diet,” you’re free to enjoy another donut (or a dozen) until you’re ready to commit to another slim-down plan.
But as Young reminds us, it’s important to teach ourselves that one slipup doesn’t eradicate all prior success, and a truly healthy lifestyle doesn’t have any extremes-meaning a guilt-free donut here and there is not only better than a dozen, but it’s also better than no donuts at all! Here, how to short-circuit the good/bad mindset for good:
- Legalize all foods you consider forbidden; nothing should be off-limits. Once you’re allowed occasional treats, you won’t feel deprived or believe you’re cheating-which in the end just brings on binges.
- When you do slip up, silence negative thoughts (“I’ve been bad”) by instead focusing on the progress you’ve made that same day (“I’ve had six glasses of water”). This helps you stay grounded in reality, so you’re less likely to devise an excuse that facilitates more unhealthy choices (“I’m a screw-up, and screw-ups deserve to be fat…might as well have another piece of cake”).
- If you make an unhealthy choice, simply make it a trade-off with something healthy later in the day or first thing the next morning. For instance, stretch your walk an extra 20 minutes, or skip the cheese and mayo on your turkey burger.
Nutrient Guide: Eating a Nutrient Rich Diet
Food and beverages contain a wealth of nutrients, including carbohydrates, protein, fat, fluids, fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants, and more. All nutrients serve vital functions in the body, including growth, development, disease protection, repair, and good nutrition.
Good nutrition is no mystery yet the complex way in which nutrients work together to promote health is highly sophisticated. Eating a variety of foods is the best way to ensure a nutrient-rich diet. Colorful foods are often the ones with the richest sources of nutrients, especially disease-fighting antioxidants. Aim to select foods that are high in nutrients yet low in fat and calories at each meal.
Eat a nutrient-rich diet each day and supplement your eating plan with a once-daily multivitamin and mineral for nutritional insurance. If you have a health condition that requires additional supplementation, consult your doctor. A healthy diet along with a physically active lifestyle is the best formula for wellness, disease prevention, and good health.
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