High protein diets are popular choices for people who need to lose weight. A high protein diet may work especially well for you if you have blood sugar problems, insulin resistance or are a woman with polycystic ovarian syndrome. High protein diets are different in their specifics, but share some common principles.
Types
High protein diets are also called low carbohydrate diets, restricted carbohydrate diets, controlled carbohydrate diets or "right" carbohydrate diets. There are a number of different types of these plans including the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Zone Diet and the Paleolithic Diet.
Misconceptions
There is a common misconception that high protein diets do not include any carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are not eliminated in high protein diets; rather, there are specific types of carbohydrates that are allowed. In a high protein diet, the majority of calories come from protein and fat sources.
Choosing Proteins
On a high protein diet, animal protein sources are generally preferred over plant sources because they are lower in carbohydrates. Lean protein sources are preferred over fattier choices. The South Beach Diet, for example, does not allow chicken wings, which contain more fat than chicken breasts. A lean pork chop is a better choice than pork ribs. Some higher protein diets, such as Protein Power, have specific recommendations about how much protein you should consume to conserve your lean muscle mass.
Mechanism
When you eat carbohydrates, your body burns what it needs for energy and stores the rest as fat. If you're trying to lose weight, you want to burn up all the energy from the food you eat as well as burning energy from your fat stores. You can accomplish this by eating more protein and reducing and carefully choosing the carbohydrates you consume.
Benefits
If you follow a high protein diet properly, you will eat a balanced diet of lean proteins, vegetables and fruit, whole grains, low-fat and fat-free dairy and healthy fats. This is a healthy diet that will not only allow you to lose weight, but maintain your weight loss and health as well.
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