| |
| |
|
Weight Loss Information |
|
|
|
Low-Carb Diets: Are You Losing More than Weight?
The average American eats about twice as much protein than what they require. Some people, in the pursuit of thinness, are going on low-carb diets and are eating up to four times the protein their body needs. Protein deficiency is certainly not a problem in America. So exactly how much protein do you really need? Much less than you think. Protein is a vital nutrient, essential to your health. In its purest form, protein consists of chains of amino acids. There are 22 amino acids that combine to form different proteins, and 8 to 9 of these must come from the foods we eat. Our body uses these amino acids to create muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails and internal organs. Proteins help replace and form new tissue, transports oxygen and nutrients in our blood and cells, regulates the balance of water and acids, and is essential for making antibodies. However, too much of a good thing may not be so good for you. Many people are putting their health at risk by eating to much protein. Excessive protein consumption, particularly animal protein, can result in heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, and kidney stones. As important as protein is for our body, there are many misconceptions about how much we really need in our diet, and the best way to obtain it. According to the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health, as little as 50-60 grams of protein is enough for most adults. This breaks down to about 10-12% of total calories. Your body only needs 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight. To calculate the exact amount you need, multiply your weight in pounds by 0.36 (if using kilograms, multiply your weight in kilograms by 0.8). This will give you your optimum daily protein requirement in grams. Infants, children, pregnant and nursing women require more protein. People on low-carb diets are consuming up to 34% of their total calories in the form of protein and up to 53% of total calories from fat. Most of these people are unaware of the amount of protein and fat that is contained in the foods they eat. For instance, a typical 3-ounce beef hamburger, which is small by American standards, contains about 22 grams of protein and 20 grams of fat. You achieve quick weight loss on these diets because of this high fat content. High fat foods give you the sensation of feeling full, faster, so you end up eating fewer total calories. However, this type of protein and fat combination is not the healthiest. Animal proteins are loaded with cholesterol and saturated fat. Many people on these diets also experience an elevation in their LDL (the bad) cholesterol when they remain on this diet for long periods. High levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood, clog arteries and is the chief culprit in heart disease, particularly heart attack and stroke. So while you may lose weight in the short-run, you are putting your cardiovascular health in jeopardy in the long-run. Another reason weight loss is achieved on these low-carb diets, at least temporarily, is due to water loss. The increase in the amount of protein consumed, especially from meat and dairy products, raises the levels of uric acid and urea in the blood. These are toxic by-products of protein breakdown and metabolism. The body eliminates this uric acid and urea by pumping lots of water into the kidneys and urinary tract to help flush it out. However, a detrimental side effect of this diuretic response is the loss of essential minerals from the body, including calcium. The high intake of protein leaches calcium from the bones, which leads to osteoporosis. Medical evidence shows that for every 1 gram increase in animal protein ingested the body loses an average of 1.75 milligrams of calcium in the urine. Additionally, as calcium and other minerals are leached from our bones, they are deposited in the kidneys, which can form into painful kidney stones. If a kidney stone becomes large enough to cause a blockage, it stops the flow of urine from the kidney and must be removed by surgery or other methods. Plant-based proteins, like beans, legumes and soyfoods, also provide fiber, which helps lowers LDL cholesterol and raises HDL (the good) cholesterol. This prevents the build up of arterial plaque, which leads to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and heart disease, thus reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. The amount and type of protein in your diet also has an important impact on calcium absorption and excretion. Vegetable-protein diets enhance calcium retention in the body, and causes less calcium excretion in the urine. This reduces the risk of osteoporosis and kidney problems. Interestingly, kidney disease is far less common in people who eat a vegetable-based diet than it is in people who eat an animal-based diet. By replacing animal protein with vegetable protein, and replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat (like olive and canola oils), you can avoid the pitfalls of the typical high-protein low-carb diet. You will improve your health and regulate your weight while enjoying a vast array of delicious, nutritionally dense, high fiber foods. Remember, eat everything in moderation and nothing in excess. Also, the healthy way to lose weight and keep it off is to eat nutritiously and make permanent lifestyle changes that allow you burn more calories than you take in. Copyright © 2005 Monique N. Gilbert. All rights reserved. Monique N. Gilbert, B.Sc. is a Health, Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach, Certified Personal Trainer/Fitness Counselor, Recipe Developer, Freelance Writer and Author of Virtues of Soy: A Practical Health Guide and Cookbook. To learn more about Monique's personal coaching program, go to http://www.MoniqueNGilbert.com ***** Author Bio . . . Monique N. Gilbert, B.Sc. has offered guidance in natural health, nutrition, fitness, weight-loss and stress management since 1989. Through her coaching and writings, Monique motivates and teaches how to improve your well-being, vitality and longevity with balanced nutrition, physical activity and healthy stress-free living. For more information, visit http://www.MoniqueNGilbert.com *****
MORE RESOURCES:
Weight-Loss - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Malnutrition Causes Obesity Axiom Number One - Nourish your body.Probably the most important and least understood axiom ofsuccessful weight loss is that you have to nourish your body. On A Diet? Ensure You Get Enough Nutritional Supplements For Your Good Health There is never any absolute certainty about what the nutritional requirements are for the human body of a certain age, size and gender. Scientific research on the subject takes a long time, and results are often not that clear. 2 Ways to Start Burning fat Quickly 1. Start Exercising first thing in the morning. Weight Loss, Exercise, and New Years Resolutions - Why They Dont Work? We have all set them, and we will revisit them again around January 1st. For some reason each year we feel it will be different this time around - only to forget the new gym membership, new clothes and new found inspiration about six weeks into the year. 4 Tips for Fast Fat Loss Part III Fat Loss Tip #3) Proper Meal FrequencyMeal Frequency (i.e. Some Straight Talk About Low-Carbohydrates and Your Health There have been many diets and weight loss plans that have come and gone over the years. Low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets were popular decades ago. Why Did Your Diet Fail You? Or Did You Fail Your Diet? Are you someone who has, in the past, been on a diet, only to find at the end of it you had lost no weight? Despite putting your best efforts into the diet much of the time, and keeping quite close to recommendations when it came to calories and so on, for some reason things did not quite work out. Eventually, with the pounds drifting off too slowly and back on again too quickly, you just gave up, and went back to "normal". Weight Loss - Its in Your Head When you truly consider the weight-loss process, the battle waged is mostly in your mind. "Should I eat the corn muffin with butter or would it be better for me to have margarine or better yet, have jelly? What am I doing eating this muffin anyway? It's so caloric and filled with saturated fat. Push a Button to Lose Weight Trash Your TV! is pleased to announce the easiest weight loss program in the world. It is as easy as pushing a button-the "Power" button on your TV. Three Easy Ways To Prevent and Suppress Cravings on a Low Carb Diet If you've been on a low carb diet for any amount of time, you have undoubtedlyfelt the pangs of hunger that accompanystrong cravings. There are a number ofways in which you can deal with thesecravings and mitigate them in the future; andif you want to be successful on yourlow carb diet, you will do exactly that. Obesity and Weight Loss - Muscle and the Importance of Low Body Fat! Today you have a good chance of getting diabetes or becoming obese or both. And if you do, then chances are you will be in for a long life filled with pain, discomfort and little quality in your life. The Cost of Gastric Bypass Surgery The cost of gastric bypass surgery and other bariatric surgical procedures are high averaging between $20,000 and $35,000. Many insurance companies are beginning to see obesity as a serious health disorder, however, and have begun to cover some of the cost of gastric bypass surgery. Diet Pills And Safe Weight Loss: A Quick Guide To Diet Pills Serious diet pills are intended for people who are overweight to the point of being considered obese. Therefore, they are known as anti-obesity drugs; and should not be used for quick, temporary weight loss. The Dirty Little Diet Secret Have you ever wondered how actors stay in such great shape? You know they couldn't starve themselves all the time, because you can see their weight fluctuate from movie to movie, depending on the role they're playing. The fact is Hollywood's slim and slender are hiding a dark secret from you, their adoring fan. Gastric Bypass Surgery - A Mortality Rate to Be Scared Of? Success stories on the gastric bypass are everywhere, but how about the fatalities from the procedure? Barely mentioned in the magazines and newspapers, there is a serious risk carried by the gastric bypass and that risk is a 1 in 50 chance of you dieing within 1 month of the surgery - that certainly puts the frights up me. The study by Washington University is shocking to say the least. LA Weight Loss Secrets - High Profile Personal Trainer Shares the Magic Formula! In the early nineties I had the opportunity to work with some of the most famous movie stars in the world. As a manager and personal trainer for Kathy Smith and her health club, I experienced first hand the secrets to the stars. Before and After Your Liposuction Although liposuction is one of the most commonly performed cosmetic surgeries in the U.S. The Key To Successful Weight Loss - Balancing Blood Sugar Levels When you talk about losing weight you're really talking about losing fat. Successful weight loss is not just about losing that excess fat, it's about keeping it off. 5 Tips For Weight Loss Are you ready to lose some weight? Perhaps you're surfing for the magic pill that will vanish your weight away. Maybe you're simply searching for the right information to help you lose and keep the weight off. How To Drop Your Weight and Become Healthier Using These 7 Everyday Life Tips These days more and more people are getting intellectual instead of physical jobs. Sitting in the office chairs all-day long has become a norm for many of us.
|
|
Weight Loss | Weight Loss Diet | Weight Loss Diet Pills | Weight Loss Blog | Weight Loss Articles | SiteMap
Diet Pills: Diet Pills | Hoodia | Phentermine | Prescription Diet Pills Diet Plans: Diet Plan | Medifast | High Fiber Diet | High Protein Diet |