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*** QUESTION FROM READER ***
Hi,
I'm a new member, but Im enjoing your letters
very much. I would like to know more about protein,
their benefits, what different kids of proteins. Im
53 and was reading that protein is important for
muscles conservation during menopause , and for weight
control. Thank you very much for your help.
*** MY COMMENTS ***
Yes, you're right. Protein is very important for
weight loss and muscle conservation, AND for
living a HEALTHY LIFE.
Why?...
Because proteins are present in EVERY cell of your
body.
Protein is used to build, repair and maintain most
tissues in the body including muscle and organ
tissue.
So having a healthy amount of protein in your diet
affects your PHYSICAL health...
And it also affects your MENTAL and EMOTIONAL health
as well because proteins are used to make
enzymes and hormones.
(that's another great reason to eat a healthy diet --
no more random mood swings!).
So how much protein should you eat?...
Scientists and doctors disagree on this and it's
very complex (if it were easy, somebody would
have figured it out and everyone would be skinny,
right?).
I'm going to tell you what I know about protein
and you'll find that my advice is all about
BALANCE. I don't lean toward high-protein diets
where you eliminate carbs or low-protien diets,
my diet is somewhere in the "middle of the road".
The amount of protein your body needs is going to
greatly depend on your activity level and whether
or not you are doing resistance training.
I live a very active life and so I eat lots of
protein at every meal.
Once I started eating protein with every meal, my
metabolism skyrocketed and my body completely
transformed.
Let me tell you why...
Protein is hard for the body to digest and it takes
"work" to break it down.
This "work" is actually a good thing because that
means that your body will be burning calories to
digest the protein, and it will also keep you full
for longer because it takes longer to break it down.
Protein stimulates your metabolism, helps you feel
full longer and helps decrease the desire to overeat.
So that's why I recommend that you eat SOME protein
with every meal.
This may sound difficult, but the KEY is to make it
CONVENIENT to eat protein at every meal by having
lots of sources available at all times.
Now many people believe that eating protein means
you have to eat the meat of an animal, but there are
lots of other sources of protein as well.
Protein can be broken down into 5 categories:
1. Plants
2. Animals
3. Eggs
4. Dairy
5. Shakes
>> #1. PLANT PROTEIN
Beans, lentils, soy, and quinoa -- those are all plants
that are very high in protein.
For breakfast I love to eat egg whites, vegetables,
and canned beans. This gives me lots of protein
that jumpstarts my metabolism for the rest of the day.
For lunch or dinner, I love making a big pot of lentil
soup with carrots, celery, parsnip and spinach...
Add some thai spice seasoning and you won't believe how
delicious it is! A big pot of lentil soup can feed you
for days and give you lots of high quality protein.
I also get protein from nuts.
One of my favorite daily afternoon meals is a piece of
fruit with a handful of raw almonds.
Almonds do have protein but they are mostly fat, so
it's important to ONLY eat a handful. The protein from
the almonds slows down my digestion and keeps me full
until my next meal 2 hours later... when I only eat a
piece of fruit without eating some nuts, I get hungry
again in less than an hour.
So those are some examples of how you can get high
quality protein from plants.
>> #2. ANIMAL PROTEIN
Now the thing you need to be aware of with animal
protein is that they can also come loaded with lots of
saturated fat.
Saturated fat has been proven to increase your risk
of heart disease, cancer and obesity... so only eat
"lean" animal protein. Fatty meats should be eliminated
from your diet as much as possible.
Always look at the ingredient labels.
Don't eat processed meats that are full of salt, fat,
and chemicals.
Hot dogs and lunch meats are the worse.
Whole chicken and turkey breasts without the skin are
the best.
And don't forget about fish!
Fish are an excellent source of animal protein and
they have the healthy kind of fat - Omega 3s which
have been proven to increase your immune system and
your brain functioning, and they help you lose
weight.
I eat lots of fish like wild salmon and trout, but
I try to only eat tuna 1x or 2x a week because tuna
is very high in mercury.
I keep frozen fish stocked in my freezer for those
times when I can't run out and buy it fresh.
But be sure it's just whole, frozen fish without any
chemicals. Those frozen fish sticks and breaded
fish dinners are processed foods that you are
eliminating from your diet.
>> 3. EGG PROTEIN
Egg whites are an excellent source of pure protein
because once you remove the yolk, there is no fat
or cholesterol - just pure protein.
Don't just think about eggs for breakfast, I eat egg
whites throughout the day. Sometimes I'll make an
egg white sandwich on whole-grain toast with a slice
of tomato.
For dinner I'll make an egg white scramble with lots
of vegetables - you can season with curry or some other
exotic spices for a delicious and healthy dinner.
And hard-boiled egg whites are the perfect "on-the-go"
protein source because you can boil and peel them
at home, then take them with you anywhere for a quick
and convenient pure source of protein.
...If you haven't already noticed, I'm a big fan of
egg whites. Making them a part of my daily diet has
given me a convenient source of high-quality protein
any time I need it.
>> 4. DAIRY PROTEIN
Dairy protein comes from cow milk, and like animal
protein it can also be very high in saturated fats.
So it is best to eat low-fat or non-fat dairy
products such as cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt.
Now personally, I don't eat much dairy because I
have a dairy allergy.
Lots of women have an allergy to dairy and they don't
even know it.
If YOU have intense cravings for cheese, milk or
ice-cream, then YOU may also have a dairy allergy too...
So yes, diary does have protein but if that's your
excuse for eating pizza and ice cream... sorry!
That doesn't work.
You should really ONLY eat low-fat and non-fat dairy
in limited amounts.
>> 5. SHAKES
Protein shakes are another great source of quick,
convenient protein.
Usually my second meal of the day is a protein
shake with frozen berries and a splash of soy milk.
I love that I get to eat such a delicious and tasty
"guilt-free" treat.
It's a great idea to invest in a blender for your
office AND your home... that's right you should
have one in BOTH places so you can make protein
shakes quickly at any time of your day.
You can either get egg, soy or whey protein shakes
at your local health store or online.
Just be sure to read the ingredient labels and don't
buy any protein mix that has high-fructose corn
syrup... because then it's not so healthy anymore.
So for every meal, I recommend you eat one of these
sources of protein.
It will keep you full for longer and keep your
metabolism firing!
I know that there is a lot of confusion about what
to eat for a healthy body, mind and spirit.
That's why I've written an entire chapter in my
ebook that's all about WHAT TO EAT.
It's called "Finding The Perfect Nutritional
Balance For Your Health" and it starts on p. 70.
In this chapter, I lay it all out for you so you
can stop being confused and START LOSING WEIGHT.
So thanks again for the great question.
Next time you write in, please let me know your
first name and the city that you live in.
It helps me to know who I'm talking to and it
also helps to unite the community of women that
are reading these newsletters all over the world --
We are all connected in our pursuit of health...
and we need each other, right?
You'll find that as you start paying attention
and making CONSCIOUS choices in your diet and your
HEALTH, everything changes...
Your thoughts change.
Your feelings change.
Your body changes.
And your LIFE changes.
You transform into the vibrant, healthy woman
you have always known you are.
This is your true SELF shining through.
Thank you for shining your light and making the
world a brighter place to be.
Love and Light,
Andrea
P.S. You can find more articles like this one by
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