The role of proteins in weight loss
Many people are confused about the use of protein in weight loss. What is the role of protein in losing weight? What are proteins, why they are important and how they can affect our weight loss efforts?In one of our previous articles we talked about carbohydrates and weight loss and provided 4 diet tips for the role of carbs in any diet. In this article we will focus more on protein and try to explain why protein is necessary for a healthy weight loss.
What are proteins?
Proteins are usually known to be found in animal products such as meat, fish, cheese, eggs, yogurt etc. They are also found in tofu and soya products, and in smaller amounts in legumes. Proteins can be divided into essentials (can only get them from food) and non-essentials (can make them in our body). The quality of the protein we eat is very important as regardless of the amount of protein we consume if it lacks of essential proteins it could have negative effects to health.Why are proteins important?
Proteins are essential for our body in all levels. We need them to build muscle, hormones, and enzymes, used for the immune system, bone tissue, organs and the list goes on and on. Protein is the last resort the body will use as fuel as it is very important for the body and will try to preserve it as much as it can. Protein is not stored as such as all protein in the body is active and in working component.Protein and diet
Protein and weight loss
Protein has the effect to make you feel fuller for longer, which in effect can help curb the snacks and have one more benefit in weight loss.
4 Essential Diet Tips
1. Quality can be vital. Quality of protein is determined by how easy can it be digested and how many of the essential amino acids (they make proteins up) they have. Some plant proteins are hard to digest and are incomplete. Combinations of foods provide the best solution. Diet should include a large variety of foods both from animal and plant sources.2. Balance nutrients. Very high protein diets are usually recommended for athletes but not for everybody. Balanced diets in which protein, carbohydrates and fat are in equal or near equal amounts are usually the most recommended.
3. If you have any health problems, especially related to kidney dysfunctions and high cholesterol consult a medical professional before taking on any diet.
4. Increase water intake. Increasing the protein intake can lead to dehydration. Increasing water intake will help both the kidneys and avoid dehydration.
Diet Tips: Carbohydrates and Weight loss
Carbohydrates (carbs) have been the subject in a number of debates in the world of healthy nutrition and weight loss. A lot of people may have heard or read on food labels about ‘low/high glycemic index’ (GI) or ‘glycemic load (GL)’ or may have read about ‘refined carbs’. What do all these terms mean and how do you find your way when making healthy nutrition choices?This article will look into carbohydrates and how they are processed in the body. It will provide tips and suggestions on how to optimise what to eat in achieving weight loss and optimizing health.
What are carbohydrates?
As with fats and protein, carbohydrates belong in the category of the macronutrients. In their chemical structure (in simple terms) they are sugars, some more complex and some simple (based on their chemical structure). So when people refer to carbohydrates they refer to foods such as bread, pasta, vegetables, potatoes, cereal and grains and obviously sweets and sugar. Some carbohydrate based foods such as bread, chocolate and potatoes are high energy density foods (contain a lot of calories) and others such as vegetable are low density foods, but also contain a smaller amount of carbohydrates.How do they work in the body?
Carbohydrates and Weight loss
Glycemic Index: Is a measure of the blood glucose response to the carbohydrate.
Glycemic Load: Is a measure which includes both the amount of the portion and the GI of the carbohydrates. It combines both quantity and quality of the carbohydrates.
Carbs and health
With diets high in carbs the insulin levels increase accordingly. When the cells are chronically stimulated by high levels of insulin they can become less sensitive to the effects of insulin. This can lead to what is known as insulin resistance and has been linked the onset of diabetes (explained in simple terms).It must be said though that carbs as with everything else are needed for the body. Again the word to say here is in moderation. Some studies suggest that women may need them more than men. Women who are in very low carbohydrate diet appear to be more susceptible to developing mental health problems such as depression. Men are quite the opposite, and they seem to do better in very low carbohydrate diets.
Carbs and exercise
Carbohydrates are quite essential for exercise especially for aerobic exercise. Things like running, swimming, cycling are examples of aerobic exercise. The body does need some crabs as fuel during this type of exercise so it is important if you are following exercise regimes to make sure you are consuming an appropriate amount. What consists of an appropriate amount will depend on the kind, the duration and the intensity of exercise.A few diet tips to keep in mind for carbohydrates and weight loss:
1. The body will use sugars as its preferred fuel for energy, because it is easy to use. Therefore, in diets high in carbs the body will use the carbs over the fat.
2. Some of the excess calories consumed in the form of carbs, will be stored as fat.
3. Carbohydrates can make you feel hungry. How does this work? Well as mentioned above when eating carbs the blood sugar levels increase and so the insulin levels. Once the blood sugar levels fall after they have been stored in the body for later, and insulin decreases again, the body picks that up and signals that it needs more sugar. If we do not eat, the system will slowly mobilise its reserves for use. However, in the process we feel hungry again as our body tells us that we need more energy.
4. The yo-yo style sugar and insulin levels can affect mood and make you feel irritable. A lot of people will say that ‘if I don’t eat I feel I will drop’. Such an effect is not very good for wellbeing but also it will make it hard to stick to a diet regime at it can make you feel desperate for food. A common trend in dieting is that we should eat a lot of small meals. That does make sense when the diet is high in carbs for the reasons mentioned above. However, some researchers have argued that we need periods of fasting and periods of eating.
The ultimate list of fat burning foods
Everyone’s wondering which are the best fat burning foods for weight loss. Well guess what, we have prepared a list of these foods which will greatly satisfy your needs. Take a good look at it and don’t forget to mark your favorites! You also view the handy table of the best fat burning foods at the end of the article for easy reference.Peppers and Garlic
Peppers (Jalapeno, habaneros, and cayenne) are said to help increase metabolism, and help burn more calories. You can add them as your regular spice and flavorings and they can help you reduce fat at the same time. You can also add garlic in your meals as it is good in reducing fatty deposits in the body as well.
Almonds
Almonds help you burn off calories and assist in stabilizing your blood sugar level, which may take hunger away. Some of them carry a lot of calories so you may need just a couple of them a day (see the tablet at the end of the article for more information on the calorie value of nuts)
Low fat milk
Drinking low fat milk may help you burn fat. A glass of milk in the morning will help you strengthen your bones and also burn fat faster. Milk or calcium rich products which include yogurt and some types of cheese, helps break down fat cells so overall fat is reduced. Calcium is also found in some veggies like broccoli and cabbage as well.
Fish
Fish meat from salmons or tunas are rich in omega 3 fatty acids which aid in regulating blood sugar levels and also it contains high level of leptin, a hormone that controls appetite and promotes fat loss.
Eggs
Eggs are rich in protein, amino acid, and vitamins that include vitamin b12, which plays an important role in burning fat. If you worry on the egg yolk then you can safely remove it from your meal and have fewer calories and still receive vitamin B12
Green Tea and Coffee
Green tea will boost metabolism and speedup the fat burning rate. Also it is a good source of antioxidants which helps prevent certain types of cancer. Caffeine from coffee can speed up your heart rate, which means you can also burn calories faster.
Olive oil
Olive oil is one of the main components of Mediterranean diet and is good for your cholesterol. This means that it can keep a good cholesterol level in the body by taking away fat or bad cholesterol, which is why it is considered a good fat burning food.
Soybeans
Soybeans are rich in lecithin. A chemical which protects the cell from accumulating too much fat and it also helps in the break down of fatty deposits in the body.
Oats
Oats and other similar food items are rich in fiber. Fiber is a main component of weight loss foods that allows more calories burned just by the digestion process, while it offers very few calories for the body. It is a perfect negative calorie food.
Lean Meat
Lean meats such as beef or turkey are rich in protein and good for muscle building. Protein is also hard to digest and your body burns calories just by the process of digesting it. When you are currently doing strength training exercises, protein will help boost metabolism and burn more calories. The reason behind is the fact that by having more muscle mass there is a greater need for energy thus the body will burn more calories to get it.
Honey
Honey unlike refined sugar, contains vitamins and minerals, which plays a role in dissolving fat and cholesterol.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C or fruits rich in citrus burn fats by liquefying fat and easily allow it to flush out of the system. Foods that are high in vitamin c are: apples, berries, broccoli, cabbage etc.
Apples and Berries
Apples and berries contain pectin, which restricts the amount of fat the body cells can absorb. This allows a discharge of fatty deposits so it leads to natural weight loss. Also the detoxing effect of some fruits like raspberries, strawberries and red currants help boost metabolism.
Fat Burning Foods – Fruits
Generally of course, fruits and vegetables are a good source for nutrients and vitamins and are generally considered fat burning foods. Here is a concrete list of fruits and vegetables that are quite effective in fat burning.
The top of the line fat burners are blackberry, melon cantaloupe, raspberry, guava, lemon, rhubarb. These are the best fat burning fruits but other fruits which are also effective include: apricot, blackcurrant, clementines, damsons, grapefruit, honeydew Melon, peaches, mandarin orange, plums, strawberry, tangerine, watermelon, apples, cherries, cranberries, honeydrew, lemon, limes, mangoes, nectarines, pears, pineapple, prunes.
Fat Burning Foods – Vegetables
The top of the line fat burners from the vegetables family are: aubergine, cabbage, celery, chicory, cress, cucumber, fennel, gourd, lettuce, marrow, radish, tomato while the other good fat burners are asparagus, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, leek, peppers, spinach, turnip, beets, Brussels sprouts, corn, chives, cod, eggplant, green beans, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onions, papaya, parsley, peas, pumpkin, sauerkraut, scallions, squash, tangerines, tomatoes, turnips
Fat Burning Foods by Type
Here is a quick list of the major fat burning foods with additional info about the calories they contain and fat percentage.| Food Types | Specific Food items | Fat percentage (estimate) | Calories (average) |
| Fruits | Apples, banana, apricots, berries (black, boysen, rasp), cherries, citric fruit (oranges, grapefruit, lemons), currants (black, red, white) damsons, figs, grapes, greengages, tropical fruit (kiwi, pineapple, guava, papaya), pears, peaches, satsumas, star fruit | 1% to 3% with some exceptions | Apple 95 Apricot 30 Avocado 150 Banana 107 Blackberry 1 Cherry 2.4 Clementine 24 Grape 3 Grapefruit 100 Kiwi 34 Lemon 20 Mango 40 Honeydew Melon (wedge) 36 Cantaloupe (wedge) 25 Nectarine 25 Olive 6.8 Orange 35 Peach 35 Pear 45 Pineapple 50 Plum 25 Prunes 9 Raisin 5 Raspberry 1.1 Strawberry 2.7 Tangerine 26 Tomato 9 Cherry Tomato 2 |
| Vegetables | Asparagus, aubergine (egg plant), beetroot, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chicory, Chinese cabage, endive, artichokes, green beans, leafy vegetables (lettuce, fresh herbs, watercress), leeks, mangetouts, onions, seaweed, sprouting vegetables (alfalfa, cress, raddish), squash, swede, tomatoes, turnips | 1% to 3% with some exceptions | Asparagus 26 Aubergine 15 Beetroot 38 Broccoli (100g) 32 Brussels Sprouts 40 Cabbage 24 Carrot 32 Cauliflower 32 Celery 8 Chicory 10 Courgette 20 Cucumber 10 Leek 22 Lettuce 13 Marrow 10 Mushroom 15 Okra 30 Onion 35 Pumpkin 12 Radish 13 Spinach 23 Sprouts 43 Corn 24 Tomatoes 18 Turnip 21 Watercress 21 |
| Unsalted and unroasted Nuts | Almonds, Barcelona nuts, chestnuts, coconuts, filberts, hazelnuts, macadamia, peanuts, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts | 30% to 40% may reach 75% if you take salted or roasted | Almond 610 Brazils nuts 679 Cashew nuts 615 Chestnuts 175 Coconut 626 Hazelnut 659 Peanuts 570 Peanut Butter 630 Pine nuts 694 Pistachio nuts (with shells) 340 Walnuts 690 |
| Lean meat | Beef, pork, lamb, veal, venison, hare, offal | 4% to 15% (lean with no fat area) average is 20% to 30% reaching to 85% depending on preparation and parts | Pork Chops (grilled) 340 Pork Leg (roast) 290 Veal fillet (roast) 240 Hare 155 Rabbit 187 Venison 200 |
| Poultry | Chicken, turkey, grouse, guinea fowl, pheasant | 20% to 35% may reach to 100% if fried or with skin | Lamb Chops (grilled) 368 Chicken Calories (average) 140 Duck (roast) 330 Goose (roast) 350 Partridge (roast) 250 Pheasant (roast) 250 Pigeon (roast) 24 Turkey (roast) 165 |
| Fish | Cod, haddock, plaice, sole, coley, whiting, mackerel, trout, red salmon, tuna | 4% to 10% lean fish meat, higher with fish oil and fat | Tuna 90 to 156 Salmon 100 to 180 Cod, steamed 9 Trout, baked 100 |
| Sea food | Scallops, shrimp, prawns, lobster, crab, scampi, cockles, mussels, winkles, whelks, abalone | 10% to 20% | Scallops 95 Shrimp 90 Lobster 80 Mussels 80 Cockles 50 Abalone 9 |
| Low fat dairy products | Skim milk, low fat cottage cheese and fromage frais, cheddar, yogurt, calcium rich milk | 10% to 20% might reach to 5% for skim milk | Cheese 110 cals (25g) Cheddar reduced fat 130 Cottage cheese 49 Cream cheese 200 Fromage frais 125 Milk skimmed 95 Milk whole 175 Yogurt natural 90 Yogurt reduced fat 70 |
| Eggs | Barn eggs | 5% for egg white, may reach as high as 85% for egg yolk | Eggs ( 1 average size) 90 Eggs fried 120 |
| Soya products | Protein rich from meat, beans, milk and dairy products | 10% to 20% | Milk Soya 90 |
| Chilies | Jalapeno, habanero, cayenne | 1% to 3% | Peppers red 18 |
| Tea | Green tea | 0 to 5% | 0 |
| Whole grain | Oats, bread, cereals, wheat bread | 10% to 20% | 108 cal/ oz |
| Honey | Plain honey, unprocessed honey | 1 tsp 22 | |
| Coffee | Plain coffee, black coffee | Fat free if without sweeteners/ add-ons | Instant coffee 1 to 4 |
| Oils | Olive oil, peanut oil, garlic oil, canola oil | May reach to 100% | Olive oil 1900 |
| Soup | Preferably common soup with low fat | 20% to 25% | Average soup 60 to 90 |
