Weight Loss Tips
Protein
Weight Loss Tips Protein can help you build lean muscle and lose fat
at the same time. Proteins are broken down by the body into multiple
forms of amino acids. Amino
acids in turn are combined to make up quite literally every cell in
your body. Since your body cannot store amino acids you must constantly
be consuming proteins in order to maintain body functions. There are 2
forms of proteins; Complete and Incomplete. Complete proteins
(Meat, Eggs, Milk, Cheese) contain all of the necessary amino acids
while Incomplete Proteins (Grains, Legumes, Vegetables) Do Not contain
all of the necessary amino acids.
The average person needs
about 8 grams of protein for every 20 pounds of body weight. While
this sounds like a lot, Cereal with milk, a peanut butter and jelly
sandwich and a small piece of meat and beans is plenty of protein for
one day. The question is not really how much protein but rather what
kind of protein should I eat.
Stay away from Red Meat
and Processed Meats. While there is a lot of protein in these
meats, they contain way too much fat (especially saturated fats). Just
so you know I still eat some red meat and I LOVE bacon and sausage but I
don't make a habit of it.
If you eat meat choose fish, seafood
and chicken. I try to include as much fish in my diet as possible
as it is low in fat and includes healthy oils as well.
Milk,
Cheese and Eggs are all good forms of complete protein.Avoid Whole
Milk and try Low-Fat Cheese to keep some of the fat out of your diet.
If
you are looking for healthier ways to get complete proteins into your
diet without some of the fat try the following combinations.
Salad w/beans and hard cooked egg
Yogurt
w/Granola
Bean and Cheese Burrito
Macaroni & Cheese
Oatmeal
w/Milk
Peanut Butter on Whole-Wheat Bread
Whole-wheat Bun
w/Sesame Seeds
Rice & Beans
Peanuts & Sunflower Seeds
Tofu-Vegetable
Stir-Fry w/Rice
Vegetarian Chili w/Bread
In
reality the verdict is still out on high protein diets but the only
thing that we are fairly certain of is eating red meat and processed
meat can lead to a higher risk of colon cancer.
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