Benefits of Following a High Protein Low Carb Diet

These days it seems as if you can’t read a fitness magazine, or browse the internet, without having some Z-list celebrity trying to endorse their latest fad diet or so-called “miracle weight loss supplement”. Needless to say that nine times out of ten, these fad diets and supplements are relatively useless, and if they do offer some levels of success, they are often very dangerous and/or end up making your life miserable in the process. One type of diet plan however, that has been tried and tested for a number of decades now, is a high protein, low carbohydrate diet. Perhaps made the most famous by a certain Dr Atkins, these diets have been found to be hugely successful, not only for losing fat, but also for building and maintaining lean muscle mass in the process. Here’s a look at a few of the main benefits of following a high protein, low carbohydrate diet.

Fat loss – first and foremost, arguably the biggest selling point associated with these diet plans, is the fact that they have been found to be so incredibly effective when it comes to burning fat. The reason for this is that, by restricting your body of sugars and carbohydrates, the body, which uses these as primary energy sources, begins to panic and thinks that it is starving. Ketones are then released into the blood via the liver, placing your body into a ketogenic state. This generally takes around 3 days of very low/no carbohydrates. When in a ketogenic state, the body actually burns body fat as an energy source, so you get your energy from your body fat reserves instead of from glucose sugars from carbohydrates. During the first few weeks, it isn’t uncommon to lose as much as 7 pounds of fat each week.

Muscle growth – Protein is arguably the most vital macronutrient when it comes to muscle growth, so obviously, when following a high protein diet, providing you’re doing some form of resistance exercise, you will see some pretty impressive muscle growth results in a matter of weeks. Protein plays a key role in protein synthesis, which is when the body synthesizes new muscle proteins to replace damaged ones. Bodybuilders follow high protein diets and drink protein shakes to feed and fuel their muscles and to help them recover after they workout. If you’re looking to burn fat and build muscle, a high protein, low carb diet is ideal.

Never get hungry – Most diets that are designed to help you lose weight basically require you to follow incredibly low calorie diet plans and place your body in a constant calorie deficit. They require you to severely limit your food consumption and as a result, you feel constantly tired and hungry, because you are literally starving. Not only do you feel awful, but you also lose muscle mass as well. With high protein, low carb diets however, there is no set amount of food you should eat, you simply eat when you’re hungry, and eat as much as you like, as long as it is low in carbohydrates and high in protein. You can also enjoy healthy fats that help fill you up quicker as well.

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OBESITY - What You Need To Know About The Dangers

When it comes to our weight, it’s pretty safe to say that, for the most part, people often find themselves struggling. That isn’t just a generalisation either, it is a fact, backed up by scientific evidence. Losing weight is sadly far harder than actually gaining weight, which again, is one of the reasons why worldwide obesity levels are currently at record breaking highs. This means that, since records began, there are more obese people living in the world than ever before and, to make matters worse, life expectancies are also decreasing instead of increasing. Currently more than 2 in 3 adults are now classed as being overweight, with 1 out of those 3 being classed as obese or morbidly obese. Every single year, governments and healthcare officials are forced to spend literally billions upon billions on obesity-related healthcare, and things sadly don’t look set to change anytime soon. To make matters worse, more than 33% of children and adolescents are now also classed as being overweight or obese. To help emphasize just how dangerous it can be to be overweight, here’s an in-depth look at some of the main dangers and health risks associated with obesity.

Hypertension – Also known as high blood pressure, hypertension is one of the most common side effects associated with increased levels of body fat. The main reasons why obesity tends to cause high blood pressure include the fact that, first off, individuals with increased body fat levels often have increased levels of high LDL cholesterol, which can block the arteries and slow down circulation. To counter the poor circulation, the heart attempts to beat faster and tries to pump more blood around the body. Hypertension can therefore, lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, and much more besides.

Diabetes – Diabetes is currently one the world’s biggest causes for concern in regards to health and well-being, due to the fact that sadly, so many people are now being diagnosed as diabetic, especially type 2 diabetic. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) out of all of diabetes patients in the world, more than 90% of them have type 2 Diabetes. Obesity causes our cells to become resistant to insulin, a hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels. As the body becomes insulin resistant, the insulin becomes less and less effective, until the body is no longer able to regulate its blood sugar levels.

Heart disease – Being obese leads to increased LDL cholesterol levels, as we previously mentioned. This in turn can lead to coronary heart disease and an increased risk of suffering a heart attack. Being diagnosed with higher than average LDL cholesterol levels can increase your chances of suffering from heart disease by more than 20%. Looking after your heart is absolutely essential, and by simply losing weight, you are able to do just that.

Poor self-esteem – Finally, another very serious side effect associated with being obese and/or overweight, is the fact that it can lead to such low levels of self esteem and self confidence. Obesity can lead to eating disorders and body image disorders, as well as contributing to other underlying factors such as stress, anxiety, and depression.

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4 of the Best High Protein Foods for Building Lean Muscle

When it comes to health, fitness, and general well-being, one thing that many people are guilty of, is consuming large quantities of unhealthy foods, which in turn lead to weight gain and numerous other health conditions in the process. When it comes to foods which can be detrimental to our health, a number of studies have now revealed that carbohydrates can actually be pretty harmful, which is one of the main reasons why so many people are now following high protein, low carbohydrate diets and are choosing to virtually cut all carbs out of their diets entirely. Carbohydrates can be classed as complex, and simple, both of which are quickly broken down by the body, and converted into glucose (sugar) to be used as energy. The problem with carbohydrates, is that they can lead to unstable blood sugar levels, which can then cause spikes in insulin and other hormones, which contribute towards weight gain, and in some instances, can lead to insulin resistance, or diabetes. Rather than carbohydrates, more and more people are consuming high protein foods instead, which also happen to be ideal for building lean muscle mass. Here’s a look at four of the best foods.

Eggs – Eggs are actually incredibly healthy high protein foods, that a lot of people tend to avoid, or at least only consume half of, as they often remove the yolk. Whilst it’s true that the yolk does contain fat and cholesterol, the fats and cholesterol that are found in the yolk are both very healthy and good for you, and providing you don’t consume too many each day, will do you no harm in the slightest. Eggs are rich in protein, containing around 5 – 6 grams of protein per egg, as well as countless amino acids. In fact, eggs are the only whole food available which can boast a complete essential, and non-essential, amino acid profile. Eggs also contain vitamins and minerals and as you’re probably aware, are incredibly versatile. Always opt for free-range/organic eggs, never eggs from caged hens as they are far less nutritional, and they taste appalling as well.

Wild salmon – If possible, always go for wild salmon rather than farmed salmon, because it is more nutritional, and it tastes so much better as well. For anybody following a high protein, low carb diet, wild salmon is absolutely fantastic for so many reasons. To begin with it is naturally high in protein and amino acids, but as well as that, it also contains minerals such as zinc and iron. The main selling point of wild salmon however, is its high omega 3 fatty acid profile. Omega 3 fatty acids promote heart and cardiovascular health, they improve organ function, they boost the metabolism, they strengthen and lubricate bones and joints, they promote eye health and healthy vision, and they improve brain health and function as well.

Cottage cheese – If you’re after the ultimate snack food which is ready to eat, tastes great, and is packed full of muscle-building goodness, look no further than cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is very low in fat, it is free from carbohydrates, and it is packed full of protein and essential minerals. As it is a dairy product for example, it is especially rich in calcium, which strengthens teeth and bones. The protein it contains is largely made up of casein protein, which is a slow-digesting protein that takes several hours to fully digest. For this reason, cottage cheese is ideal when consumed late at night right before bed, as it will provide your body with a steady stream of protein and nutrients whilst you sleep, preventing you from entering a catabolic (muscle wasting) state.

Red meat – Red meat, beef for example, is another high protein food which is fantastic for people trying to increase lean muscle mass levels. Red meat is not only rich in protein and amino acids, it also contains minerals including zinc and iron, which promote haemoglobin formation, which in turn increases oxygen and nutrient transportation throughout the body via the bloodstream. As more oxygen and nutrients can therefore be transported around the body, the muscles will be able to absorb more of them, and will therefore have more energy and will become more efficient, especially in the gym.http://www.highproteinlowcarbdiet.org 

4 Proven Benefits of High Protein Diets

If you really want to spark up a heated online debate, head on over to a health and fitness forum, and ask people about high protein, low carb diets. Some people will warn you off them, talking about potential risks (which, by the way, aren’t true) whereas others will swear that they’re the best thing since slice bread, which is pretty ironic because sliced bread is a definite no-no on a low carbohydrate diet. In order to get to the bottom of exactly whether or not these diets are beneficial or not, a large number of studies have been carried out, all of which pointed to the fact that not only are they safe, they are also highly beneficial in the process. Here’s a look at just four of the many proven benefits associated with high protein, low carb diets and why you may wish to follow a similar one sooner rather than later.

Appetite suppression – When most people go on diets, the one thing that really tends to get them down, and make them feel pretty miserable and deflated, is the fact that they’re constantly hungry, because they’re consuming such a low amount of calories. the great thing about high protein low carb diets however, is that they actually suppress your appetite, thus keeping you feeling full for longer, and preventing cravings in the process. The main reason for this is because protein takes so much longer to digest than carbohydrates, which means that it sits in the stomach for longer, keeping you feeling full for longer. This not only suppresses your appetite it also helps to prevent cravings for unhealthy junk food as well.

Fat loss – Another fantastic benefit of these diets, is the fact that they have been proven to yield absolutely astonishing results when it comes to fat loss. The main reason for this is the fact that, when we take carbohydrates away, which are the body’s chosen source of energy, the body panics and begins to look elsewhere for energy. Overtime, ketones will be produced via the liver, which help the body to utilize body fat as its preferred energy source. This is called ketosis, and it takes around 3 days of very low/zero carbs to enter ketosis. This basically means that by restricting carbohydrates, your body will instead use body fat for energy, so you’ll have more energy than before, and will lose huge amounts of fat, especially in the initial stages of the diet.

Muscle growth – Protein is a vital macronutrient which plays an essential role in the growth, repair, and recovery of muscle tissue. This is why bodybuilders require such large amounts of protein – because the protein helps their bodies to synthesize new muscle tissue via protein synthesis, after they work out. In order to build muscle, experts recommend around 1.5g of protein per pound of bodyweight, so if you weigh 200lbs, you would need 300g of protein per day. As you’re following a high protein diet, meeting your daily protein macro requirements will not be an issue.

Reduction in triglycerides – People often say that following low carb, high protein, moderate fat diets lead to an increase in triglyceride levels in the body, but that is not the case at all. Study after study, have actually revealed that blood triglyceride levels actually decrease when following a low carb, high protein diet. As you have less triglycerides in your blood, you will therefore be far less likely to suffer from heart disease, heart attacks, hypertension, or strokes.http://www.highproteinlowcarbdiet.org