For anyone trying to lose weight and get in better shape, consuming adequate protein is one of the best diet decisions you can make. Here are a couple of the benefits protein can have for anyone interested in fitness and health.
1. Protein helps fuel your muscles and more muscle mass helps burn calories even when you are at rest.
It has been proven that increasing your muscle mass will help you burn calories and lose more weight. However, your muscles require protein to grow. Your protein intake should be spread out throughout the day so that there is always adequate protein in the blood stream for your muscles to use. To ensure that there is always protein in your blood stream you should consume protein every 3 hours. Not only will this help your muscles recover, but you won't be as hungry throughout the day and will likely make better eating choices.
2. Protein fills you up and is less likely to be converted to fat and stored.
By now, if you are reading or watching anything relating to diet or weight loss, you have heard of the negative effects of simple carbohydrates and sugar. When simple carbs and sugar enter the body they are quickly and easily broken down and released into the blood stream. Unless you are just finishing a workout and your muscles energy stores are depleted, this sudden influx of carbohydrate into the blood will result in a spike of insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is used by the body to reduce the blood sugar back to normal levels by storing excess sugar as fat. This process repeated over time will lead to a noticeable increase in body fat, which nobody wants.
Protein doesn't have the same effect on the body. When it enters the blood stream there is little or no effect on Insulin release. Even excess amounts don't trigger fat accumulation as quickly as simple carbs and sugar.
Eating regular, protein rich meals throughout the day will help fuel your weight loss and keep you full enough to stay away from the sweets and other snack food.
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