The Power of Protein

Posted by Kathie Brown on February 16th, 2015 in Health & Fitness Blog

MONDAY MOTIVATION:
Try adding some of these high-protein foods into your diet

PROTEIN IS GREAT FOR WEIGHT LOSS:

PROTEIN SATISFIES – Protein is helps you feel fuller longer. It slows down digestion making you feel more satisfied, so you’ll be less likely to go back for seconds.
IT CURBS CARB HIGHS & LOWS – Pairing protein with carbohydrates helps slow down the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream, which may help keep your blood sugar from skyrocketing and ward off future cravings.
BURNS MORE CALORIES – The “thermic effect of food” (TEF) is the energy we use to digest food into small, absorbable components. Protein has a higher TEF compared to carbs and fat meaning you’re actually burning more calories to process protein than to process the other two.
FUELS FAT BURNING – Your body cannot effectively burn and use fat as energy if it doesn’t have help from either carbohydrate or protein. Having adequate protein intake from your food fuels fat burning while preserving calorie-burning lean muscle.
PROMOTES MUSCLE REPAIR & GROWTH – Your protein needs increase after bouts of intense exercise, so increasing your protein intake on days that you exercise is beneficial. Additionally, when you strength train consider having a high protein snack right after a training session when the muscle is sensitive to nutrients that it can use to repair and grow.

*BONUS TIP* Simply increasing your protein intake won’t necessarily help you lose weight in a healthy way. When consumed in excessive amounts, protein can still lead to weight gain, much like eating excess carbs or fat would. It could also put unnecessary strain on the kidneys over a long period of time. Aim for your protein intake to account for about 20% of your total calories each day.

(sources: image, ideas)

Kathie Brown

Certified NASM and AFAA Personal Trainer. Over 20 years experience. Specializes in weight loss, athletes and women body building and leaning out. Crossfit athlete, trains and competes in Crossfit competitions. Took the L1 Crossfit course and completed the judges course. Enjoys working with all levels and body types and loves seeing her clients get stronger and feel confident.

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