KidieZone – Kids Modelling Agency

The notion that you could lose weight by cutting out carbohydrates and eating plenty of protein was once tut-tutted by the medical establishment partly because such diets were based on little more than interesting ideas and speculation. In the past two years, head-to-head trials that pitted high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets against low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets have given them a scientific leg to stand on. These trials show that high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets may work more quickly than low-fat diets, at least in the first six months. After a year or so, though, weight loss is about equal.Compared with a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, a higher-protein diet that goes easy on saturated and trans fats may decrease the amount of triglycerides in the blood, which is also good for the heart.

Why do high-protein, low-carb diets seem to work more quickly than low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets? First, chicken, beef, fish, beans, or other high-protein foods slow the movement of food from the stomach to the intestine. Slower stomach emptying means you feel full for longer and get hungrier later. Second, protein’s gentle, steady effect on blood sugar avoids the quick, steep rise in blood sugar and just as quick hunger-bell-ringing fall that occurs after eating a rapidly digested carbohydrate, like white bread or baked potato. Third, the body uses more energy to digest protein than it does to digest fat or carbohydrate.

There’s no need to go overboard on protein and eat it to the exclusion of everything else. Avoiding fruits, vegetables, and whole grains means missing out on healthful fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other phytonutrients. It’s also important to pay attention to what accompanies protein. Choosing high-protein foods that are low in saturated fat will help the heart even as it helps the waistline.

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