Certain foods can be more helpful for weight loss than others. Despite the myths that suggest otherwise, you do not have to live on bowls and bowls of salad to start and maintain weight loss. You do not have to give up all of the foods that you enjoy. In some cases, you only need to make some small adjustments in the way that you cook them or the portion size that you are eating. Do not fall for the myths that surround food and nutrition, especially the myths that are a major part of a number of fad diets. Increasing protein is a good choice, but it does not need to be done in an extreme way. In fact, adding too much protein, even the right kinds of protein foods, can be dangerous for a number of health conditions including kidney and heart disease.

The Right Protein Foods

Protein foods can be either animal or plant based. Even within certain types of protein foods, there are a number of choices that are better than others. For instance, while poultry is an excellent source of protein, turkey breast is the best of these protein foods followed by other poultry types. Dark meat turkey and chicken are both higher in calories than white meat, and all pieces should be served without the skin to reduce the calorie count and the fat grams. How you cook these protein foods also affects their nutritional values, with roasting being one of the best cooking methods you can use and frying the worst.

Any type of cooking that allows the food’s fat to drip out and be disbursed like grilling or that does not add a lot of extra fat like baking is a better choice to make, no matter what type of protein foods you are eating. You can also learn recipes that allow you to increase the flavor of these protein foods without adding additional calories or increasing the fat content at all. For instance, a pungent marinade can bring depth of flavor to the average salmon recipe and dishes made with roasted turkey can be made better with the addition of fresh herbs and spices. As a bonus, many of the most popular herbs and spices also have healing qualities.

In addition to protein foods that are animal based, there are a number of other protein choices that are from the plant world. Grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and other plant foods have protein in them.

Proteins from plant sources are incomplete in that they do not have all of the amino acids that are needed; however, there is one exception to this rule: soy. Soy foods, which can include soy milk, all forms of tofu, miso, and tempeh are complete because they have all of the necessary amino acids in them. These foods can be used in place of meats in many dishes and can be a low fat alternative to meats. Soy and soy foods also have a number of valuable benefits related to breast and other types of cancer, as well as helpful benefits for the heart and the blood pressure.

Protein Foods, Portion Control and Cravings

Because protein foods are the last to be digested, they keep you feeling full for longer. In addition, they increase calorie consumption when being digested—an increase which remains several hours after the food has been eaten. As an example, imagine turning on a furnace for the first night on a very cold night. It takes more energy to get the house warmed up for that first time and the furnace will run harder and for a longer period of time. But, once the furnace kicks off, the house doesn’t automatically return to being very cold all at once. It remains warm for a period of time. It is the same with the digestion of protein: The body warms up while it is digesting and then remains warm afterward.

Many people think that having a food labeled as “good” gives them free reign to eat as much as they want. Six ounces of turkey breast or salmon is a good source of protein and a healthy food choice; however, eating twice as much at a time does not make it a better food choice. You can gain weight by overeating turkey just as you can by eating candy and cakes.

In addition, the body can only digest so much protein at one time, so eating more than a small portion will leave you feeling bloated and sluggish and may lead to painful indigestion and other problems.

For other people, cravings can be the downfall that keeps them losing weight. If they are feeling hungry and they see others snacking on candies, cookies, and cake, it is likely that they will, too. Some people may find themselves mindlessly snacking simply because it is a certain time of the day. Still others may snack because they are bored or because they are stressed. It is shocking, but not getting enough sleep during the night may also be enough to keep some people from losing weight and may even make them gain weight. Sleep deprivation may increase the hormone ghrelin which triggers hunger in the body as well as decreasing leptin, a second hormone which decreases hunger. The imbalance of these two hormones causes the body to feel as if it is starving and may trigger cravings for high fat and high calorie foods.

Eating protein foods can keep you from having the hunger/starving spikes that can lead to eating the wrong foods and gaining weight. There are a number of ways to include more protein foods into your diet, including using protein supplements as a between-meal snack or as a meal replacement. Good choices for this purpose include Profect, Proasis, Isometric, and Fruitasia, all available from Protica. Each has high levels of protein with low calorie counts and delicious flavors that are all fruit based but include no added sugars.

About Protica Research

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm specializing in the development of capsulized foods (dense nutrition in compact liquid and food forms). Protica manufactures Profect, IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia and more than 100 other brands in its GMP-certified, 250,000 square foot facility. One area of specialty is the manufacturing of Medicare-approved, whey protein drinks for diabetic patients.

You can learn more about Protica at http://www.protica.com

Become a Protica affiliate.

Copyright – Protica Research – http://www.protica.com/terms.htm

Related Articles & Posts

• Holiday recipe: Barbecued Baked Salmon | The Internet Chef
• Protein, Calories And How We Use Foods | Nutrition Tips
• Nutritional Therapy (Useful Tips) | Food and Nutrition
• Chepet blog » Blog Archive » Dog Food and Nutrition (2)
• Sauteed turkey breast with cranberry-cherry sauce | The World Recipes