For many years, in people's minds, protein has almost been synonymous with high calories. Moreover, a high-protein diet may burden the kidneys, harm bones, and the high fat that often comes with animal protein makes people want to avoid it at all costs. Especially for dieters, the mere mention of protein is enough to make them fearful, and in weight-loss diets, protein has become an unwelcome character. If a meal of big fish and meat appears on the table, it is enough to make these beauties lose their composure.
Indeed, anyone who has experienced weight loss knows that controlling calorie intake is a must, and reducing fat and protein while increasing grains and vegetables is only natural. The days of dieting can be truly bittersweet; while dreaming of beauty, one has to give in to the temptation of delicious food, which is especially tormenting for meat-eaters. At lunchtime, one has no choice but to pull out cucumbers and tomatoes and chew on them vigorously. Being able to drink a glass of milk a day is a luxury, and all this while, they have to be extremely careful about gaining weight. However, recent research from nutritionists has brought good news for dieters—increasing protein in the diet not only aids in weight loss but is also beneficial for physical and mental health. Protein is truly a master of weight loss.
When did protein become a hero in weight loss? If you think about it carefully, the reason becomes clear. If you reduce your carbohydrate intake, you are only losing water. As carbohydrate intake decreases, your basal metabolic rate drops, and the calories you burn decrease accordingly. What can you expect to burn then? Instead, it might be better to add more poultry, fish, and meat to your plate, as it can more effectively promote the rapid burning of your fat. In a classic weight-loss diet, protein accounts for only 15% of total food calories. In fact, women on a high-protein diet, where protein makes up 30% of their calories, lost significantly more fat than those who consumed the same amount of calories but only 15% protein. A plausible explanation is that high-protein foods are more conducive to fat burning than high-carbohydrate foods. Women on a high-protein diet burned 4% more calories daily than those on a high-carbohydrate diet. Over a year, this accumulates to a weight loss of about 6.5 kg—a significant amount! Danish scientists conducted a six-month study where participants did not intentionally restrict their calorie intake; the only standard was to eat until full. After six months, the high-protein group lost an average of 5.5 kg, of which 5 kg was fat. The reason is that protein produces a much greater feeling of fullness than carbohydrates and fats. This prolonged satiety naturally leads to a reduction in calorie intake without even realizing it. Although another study by Australian scientists did not show that a high-protein diet leads to more weight loss, the high-protein group can be delighted that among the weight they lost, they shed more fat, especially abdominal fat. Eating meat without gaining weight, and instead losing it—isn't that wonderful? Protein, give you a happy heart.
Beauty is precious, but health is more valuable. Even in the face of beauty, I'm afraid no one would adopt a diet that is harmful to the heart. Since many protein foods contain a large amount of saturated fat, imagining this yellow fat depositing in every corner of your blood vessels and heart is simply chilling, and thus protein also became an ominous thing, inevitably making people throw out the baby with the bathwater. In fact, this is truly a case of protein being accused of a crime it did not commit. Recent research shows that compared to a low-fat, low-protein diet, a low-fat, high-protein diet is the safest plan, making your cardiovascular system much more secure. Maintaining a high protein intake can improve hyperlipidemia; if protein intake is too low, a woman's risk of cardiovascular disease increases by 15% to 20%. For your heart to beat happily, why not get closer to protein? Protein, you are the source of strong bones.
For bones, protein seems to be a double-edged sword. Protein can increase the secretion of bone growth factors in the body, but excessive protein intake can indeed lead to calcium loss from bones. So, which is it, right or wrong? It seems like a difficult choice. In fact, the solution is very simple—borrowing a popular phrase: "increase revenue and reduce expenditure." Protein is essential; otherwise, where would the bone growth factors come from? As for the calcium loss, you can supplement it. Scientists at Harvard University in the United States pointed out that if you increase the protein content in your diet, you must ensure an intake of 1000 mg of calcium per day. Wouldn't that be the perfect solution? What's more, dairy products are rich in not only protein but also sufficient calcium, so there is no need to search elsewhere. To have a straight back and a flexible waist even in your golden years, "high protein + high calcium" is your wisest choice. The healthy rules of high protein.
In any case, low-fat is always your top priority for being healthy and slim. A high-protein diet does not mean "eating meat as much as you want"; indulging in rich, fatty foods is always a bad habit. A high-protein diet emphasizes healthy protein. You might as well remember these simplest principles:
One. What flies in the sky and swims in the water is far superior to what runs on the ground.
Two. Skim dairy products are your safest choice.
Three. The two most reasonable ratios: Protein should account for 20% of total daily calories, and fat should be less than 30%. If you stick to this for a long time, how can beauty be far away?