Getting Lean through Protein

Published by admin on Tagged Body, Beauty & Health diet lose fat nutrition protein

Do you remember when your mother used to nag you about “you are what you eat?” We all reluctantly put down that fourth piece of banana bread, that extra helping of mashed potatoes and that stick of butter we were planning to slather on our roll.

Well surprise, surprise, but Mom did know something about eating the right things. I’ve recently become indoctrinated into the world of the high protein diet. It was first brought to my attention by my kid’s swim coach who kept talking about getting leaner. That is turning fat into lean muscle mass by what you eat - and of course, exercising.

Here’s a little of what I learned about a high protein diet:

1. You always eat your protein first.

What’s a good source of protein, you ask? Chicken, Turkey, Seafood (especially tuna, salmon, swordfish), shellfish, red meat. So why eat it first? By eating the protein first it slows the absorption of carbohydrates, which are the bad foods that turn to sugar and attach themselves to your thighs and tummy.

2. Control Portion size.

There’s still no getting away from controlling how much you put into your mouth. A good rule of thumb is a fist size portion of protein, a fist size portion of a carb and a fist size portion of an unprocessed carb such as veggies. If you’re someone who does quite a bit of physical activity, then double up on the protein portion if you’re still hungry.

3. Along with protein your body needs some essential fatty oils.

These can be found in avocados, flax seed oil, raw nuts or seeds, sesame oil, and extra virgin olive oil. A good lunch in this program would be a whole wheat tortilla with some mashed avocado inside, some lean turkey and a dressing of either flax seed oil/olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, lemon juice and mustard.

Dinner could be salmon, a baked vegetable such as a sweet potato, zucchini, squash and a small portion of rice. Forget that yummy baguette you love; bread is a huge no-no. (OK, but I still indulge every once and awhile.)

One thing we’ve taken to doing is having a Protein Shake in the morning. We use Everlean, which you can find at health stores and it comes in chocolate and vanilla. We mix it with nonfat milk, a tablespoon of flax seed oil and fresh fruit such as bananas, strawberries, peaches, blueberries. You put it in the blender and voila, you’ve got a healthy, energy laden drink.

I find it fills you up and keeps your energy level more constant; I don’t have those mid day slumps. Also, by having a high protein diet, you’re transforming those fatty areas of your bod into lean muscle. And of course you can’t escape the need for exercise.The next time you sit down to eat, give what you’re about to put in your mouth some thought. A high protein diet is an easy way to look good and feel good.

May 20th, 2007