Protein Benefits: Why You Should Try a High-Protein Diet

Are you looking to lose weight? Congratulations! This marks the start of an important journey in your life. 

If you're going to lose weight, you must do it right. Many fad diets claim to promote quick weight loss. These types of diets can cause health problems.

One of the best ways to lose weight in a safe and healthy way is to go with a high-protein diet. 

You may be asking, "Is this a real diet?" Yes, this is a natural way to lose weight and feel better. This guide will inform you of the protein benefits you can get from a high-protein diet. 

What Is Protein?

Before you start your weight loss journey on a high-protein diet, you must know what protein is.

Protein is a macronutrient that has several important roles. Proteins are responsible for regulating function in the body’s tissues and organs. 

Protein builds muscle mass. In turn, this helps metabolism. A boost in metabolism is a benefit that you want to have if you're serious about losing weight. 

Protein helps metabolism which helps burn calories and fat faster. This will help you lose weight easier and keep the weight off.  

Foods To Include in a High-Protein Diet 

Now that you know what protein is, it's time to learn what foods are high in protein. 

Some of the protein sources include eggs, chicken breasts, lentils, and quinoa. Other foods to consider include oats, fish, and cow milk. 

But also, did you know that nuts pack a lot of proteins? Yes, nuts are a good source of protein. This includes almonds, peanuts, and cashews.  

A good way to include nuts in your high-protein diet is to eat nuts in butter form. Use the butter as a spread on foods or eat straight from the jar (that may be our favorite option!). Plus, nut butters are delicious, so you get to enjoy both a tasty snack and an excellent source of protein.

Thinking of including these types of butters in your diet? Visit our website blog for a varitey of recipe ideas to help you use our handcrafted nut butters in foods you can make from scratch. 

Foods Not To Include in a High-Protein Diet

As there are good protein sources, there are also bad protein sources. Exclude red meats. Pork, lamb, and veal are not the best choices. 

Also, limit processed meats. Cold cuts, bacon, sausages, and hot dogs are not ideal diet-friendly foods. Not to mention, these types of meat can increase your risk for heart disease and cancer. 

A proper diet that's high in protein will include only a small amount of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the another type of macronutrients found in foods.

Foods that are high in carbohydrates include bread, pasta, cereal, potatoes, and soda. These foods should be limited. Think about it like this, carbohydrates don't mix well with high-protein foods. 

Have any doubts about the type of protein found in a specific food? It's best to consult with your primary care provider or a nutritionist. They will help you create a list of foods high in protein that are good for losing weight.

The Benefits of Trying a High-Protein Diet

The time has come to talk about the benefits of consuming a high-protein diet. These are some of the reasons why you should try a high-protein diet if you're looking to lose weight. 

Reducing Your Appetite

Let's admit it. Being on a diet isn't always something to be happy about, or something you look forward to. Often, diets fail because the dieter feels they are always hungry or because the food choices wind up being bland or boring. 

Well, with a high-protein diet, there's no need to worry about eating tasteless food. You won't have that feeling like you're never full.

Eating a diet that is rich in proteins does wonders for one's appetite. High-protein foods can help to suppress hunger and appetite. This will help you feel full even hours after eating.

If you're feeling full, it's more than likely you won't have the jitters. Do you know the jitters that often come with diets when people look for snacks to eat in-between meals? This will be a thing of the past with a high-protein diet. 

Help You To Feel More Full

Protein-rich foods help a person feel full and satisfied. These foods produce hormones that contribute to this effect. PYY and GLP-1 are two of the hormones that aid in weight loss. 

Protein also reduces ghrelin. This is a hormone known as the "hunger hormone" that increases food intake. Persons who want to lose weight need to control this hormone.

The effects that protein has on the appetite and fullness can lead to a reduction in food intake. Research shows that persons who eat a diet with foods high in protein tend to consume fewer calories. 

The bottom line is that consuming more protein can provide more satiety and less hunger. This is great because it means you'll go longer between mealtimes. 

Improving Metabolic Rate

A great benefit of eating foods that contain a lot of protein is the ability to burn more calories. As you may know from Science 101, to lose weight, you need to burn calories. 

A higher intake of protein increases the number of calories a person can burn. This is where the metabolic rate comes in. The digestion of protein seems to have a positive effect on the body's metabolic rate. 

Protein gives you a major boost in the metabolic rate to help burn calories easier. The boost is better than the boost you may get from eating foods high in carbs or fat. 

Diets high in protein contribute to more calories burned. Hours after eating a meal with foods high in protein, a person can continue to keep burning calories.

Losing More Fat

A tricky thing about weight loss is losing fat. One of the hardest parts of the process is getting rid of stubborn belly fat. Yes, that fat that sits right in the middle of your stomach. 

The good news about a high-protein diet is its ability to trim fat right off the midsection. An uptake of protein can aid in decreasing belly fat. 

To lose belly fat, focus on eating a diet that contains at least 50 grams of protein. Keep in mind that some foods rich in protein include nuts, legumes, avocado, and eggs. 

Mix the types of food you eat. This way, your meal plan feels less boring. For breakfast, eat an egg. It contains about 6 grams of protein. Add a cup of nonfat Greek yogurt too, which contains about 17 grams of protein.

Your goal is to eat a well-balanced diet that contains a variety of foods. The foods will need to provide you with the proteins you need not only to lose weight but to meet the body's needs too.

Building Muscle Mass

Protein plays a big part in the building of muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the faster you're able to burn calories. 

Lean muscle can promote fat-loss. It should be part of your weight-loss goal to build lean muscle mass. Increased lean muscle helps to improve what is referred to as the resting metabolic rate.

If you're resting, you're still burning calories. Yes, the amount of calories one burns from exercising is not as much as the calories one burns while resting. If you have lean muscles still doing your part to lose weight by burning calories.

This means that people who have a lot of lean muscle burn more calories as they watch television. Think about this for a second. A higher resting metabolic rate leads to more calories burned while you breathe.

A Word of Caution

Protein is an essential part of a healthy diet. As you read in this guide, foods that are high in proteins help to keep the body running. 

While proteins can help in weight loss, do be cautious as excessive protein intake can come with a health risks as well. Of course, eating too much protein can lead to gain weight. Moderation and balance are key. 

Take Full Advantages of Protein Benefits

Have you tried losing weight before and found that nothing works? A high-protein diet may be your answer! Not only can a high-protein diet help you lose weight but it also may make keeping the weight off easier too. 

Consider consuming foods that are rich in protein. The protein benefits from these foods will help you achieve health and have a better quality of life. 

Do keep in mind that a high-protein diet doesn't have to be bland. Make sure to include foods such as peanut butter, almond butter and cashew butter.