1. General Diet Tips
While everyone differs, the high-protein diet is pretty easy to follow: eat lots of protein and limit your intake of refined sugars and carbohydrates. Experts who promote it agree that between 10 and 35 percent of your caloric intake should consist of protein. So you should watch your diet carefully and be conscious of the protein content in the foods that you eat. This is more easily said than done, but it is certainly possible to do as long as you're willing to discipline yourself to reach the goal.
2. Protein-Rich Foods
The good news is that many of our food sources are high in protein, so it's not too difficult to develop a high-protein diet. We do have to make a distinction between animal and plant proteins, though. If you are a vegetarian, don't despair! Chances are good that, provided you eat the right foods in the right combinations, you enjoy a more than adequate protein intake. While "vegetarian" protein sources are plentiful, they digest less easily than traditional meat-eater fare. Some high protein foods are red meat, milk, eggs, soy products, peanut butter, fish, poultry, grains, legumes, seeds and nuts.
3. Tailor-Made for Kids
Maybe there's a pro-protein god in the heavens because, as luck would have it, many of the foods consumed on a regular basis by American children happen to be high in protein. Many American children eat tuna fish sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly, grilled cheese sandwiches and macaroni and cheese on a regular basis. These foods are a prime source of protein for them. Chances are your children are getting more than enough protein in their daily diet, so keep an eye out, but don't get too tightly wound as you plan their menus.
4. What You're Missing Can Hurt You
Your body needs vitamins and minerals that come from fruits and vegetables, and those who go "high-protein" also tend to go "low-carb." Remember that carbs give you energy and promote feelings of well-being. These stores of energy and pep tend to fall to very low levels when you take carbs away.
5. Other Pitfalls
Maintaining a high-protein diet also increases your risk of bad cholesterol, causes a loss of glycogen from muscles and can augment symptoms of liver and kidney disease. This diet promotes heavy water loss in the first days and weeks, but that weight comes back on as soon as you add carbs again. Also, by failing to give your body the proper balance of nutrients from various sources, you risk overall bad health and a continous state of irritability, mental confusion and inner tension. Be safe: add proteins from plant food and foods low in fat, and eat plentiful supplies of vegetables, fruits and fiber-rich foods.
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