Carbs, carbs, carbs. That’s what everyone seems to want to talk about. How do I avoid carbs?
Well, what you should be talking about instead is, “How do I get more lean Protein into my eating plan?”
More and more research is coming out showing that protein is a major player in your weight loss success. One way it does this is through the “thermic effect” of food. Some of you may have heard of this term, but don’t really understand what it means.
The definition of the thermic effect of food is the increase in energy expenditure (calories burned) above your resting metabolic rate due to the cost of digesting your food for storage and use.
Every time you consume food your body burns calories to digest that food. The interesting thing with this is your body does not require as many calories to digest carbohydrates and fat as it does protein.
For every 100 calories of carbohydrates or fat you consume your body only requires about 3-7 calories to digest those carbs and fat. If you consumed 100 calories of protein your body requires around 24-28 calories to digest that protein.
So roughly your body burns potentially up to 30% of the protein calories you consume just to digest that protein and only 3-7% of the carbs and fat you eat and digest.
This can be significant when it comes to successfully losing weight as you can see from this research study.
In 2008 a study conducted at the University of Illinois studied the interaction of 2 diets (high protein, reduced carbohydrates vs low protein, high carbohydrates) with exercise on body composition and blood lipids in women during weight loss.
The study was a 4-month weight loss trial and the diets were equal in total energy, but differed in protein content and the ratio of carbohydrates to protein.
The exercise comparisons were lifestyle activities which was the control vs a supervised exercise program of cardio and resistance training.
Subjects in the Protein and the Protein + Exercise groups lost more total weight and fat mass than the Carbohydrate and Carbohydrate + Exercise groups. They also tended to lose less lean body muscle as well.
The exercise increased the loss of body fat and preserved lean muscle.
This study demonstrated that a healthy diet plan with higher protein and reduced carbohydrates combined with exercise improved body composition during weight loss.
Other studies have replicated these results and have shown that a higher protein diet of at least 1.5 grams per kilogram of bodyweight and reduced carbohydrates of 120-200 grams per day appear to enhance and improve weight loss due to a higher loss of body fat and reduced loss of lean body mass.
Short-term studies report beneficial effects that include:
1. Satiety (fullness)
2. Increased thermogenesis (faster metabolism through the thermic effect of food)
3. Sparing of muscle protein loss (less lean muscle loss)
4. Improved glycemic control (your body uses the sugars more for energy instead of storing them as fat)
These results are likely occurring from lower carbohydrates, which result in lower blood glucose levels as well as higher protein providing increased Branched Chain Amino Acid Leucine levels.
Increased protein intake also triggers the hormone glucagon, which is the counteracting hormone to insulin and helps to keep your insulin from spiking. This minimizes your chances of storing blood sugars as fat.
A key element in a higher protein diet appears to be the higher levels of the Branched Chain Amino Acid Leucine and its regulatory actions on muscle protein synthesis, controlling your insulin signal and the ability to use glucose for energy rather than fat storage.
If you are like many weight loss seekers you do not eat enough protein in your healthy diet plans and especially not enough protein that contains the key Branched Chain Amino Acid Leucine.
Saying you are going to eat a high protein diet for the next 3 months is great, but that isn’t going to help you with long-term weight loss. Essentially you need to maintain a higher protein diet long-term and the research studies are showing that long-term weight maintenance is better when following a higher protein diet compared to a moderate to high carbohydrate diet.
Now the biggest obstacle is consuming enough protein. Some are not big meat eaters and that is fine, but it does make it harder to get in the suggested amount of lean protein required to maximize your fat loss and long-term weight maintenance.
This is where a protein shake can be beneficial to your overall success.
A cold-processed protein powder that also contains plenty of Branched Chain Amino Acids particularly Leucine is what you want to look for so that you can benefit from the lean muscle growth, increased metabolism, and accelerated fat loss. Make sure it is cold-processed protein because many cheaper protein powders use heat in their processing methods. What this does is damage the fragile protein molecule and make the protein molecule less active and functional. Essentially you get protein that is not as effective as it could be.
The Protein Powder That I Use And Recommend is Prograde
Click Here To Order For Yourself
Filed under Expert Advice, Nutrition Tips & Strategies, Supplements, Weight Loss Strategies by Dr. Saman
November 15, 2010
Health Benefits of Quinoa
The other day I got an email from my very good client and friend Devin. He was wondering about the health benefits of Quinoa.
Sam-
I’ve heard a lot about Quinoa lately.
I think that will be a great topic for a blog/email to hear about it from the Fitness Expert.
Should it be treated like a veggie?
Thanks,
Devin
Quinoa has been produced in South America since 3000 B.C., and although the Spanish conquistadors all but eliminated the existence of quinoa in an attempt to destroy the South American natives and their culture, quinoa is still an important seed crop for human consumption in the Andean region of South America.
Quinoa is able to grow in the severe cold and high altitude of the “altiplano” region of the Andes. Although quinoa is considered a grain, it’s technically the seed of a plant related to the beet, chard and spinach plants, and has been classified as a pseudo-cereal.
Quinoa can be substituted for almost any grain in any dish from soup to salad. The major quinoa producing countries are Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, and although North American farmers are growing quinoa, they have been unable to match the quality of the quinoa grown in the Andean countries.
Click here to learn about recipes with Quinoa
Nutrients in Quinoa
Quinoa contains more protein than most grains and offers a more evenly balanced array of amino acids, the building blocks of protein, making quinoa an excellent protein source for vegetarians. Quinoa is being considered by NASA as a crop for Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) because of its high protein value and unique amino acid composition. Quinoa is an excellent source of magnesium and manganese. It’s a very good source of protein, vitamin B2, vitamin E, and dietary fiber. It’s a good source of the minerals iron, phosphorus, copper, and zinc.
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NUTRITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
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| Quinoa, uncooked | Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) |
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| Energy | 1,539 kJ (368 kcal) | |
| Carbohydrates | 64 g | |
| Dietary fiber | 7 g | |
| Fat | 6 g | |
| Protein | 14 g | |
| Thiamine (Vit. B1) | 0.36 mg | |
| Riboflavin (Vit. B2) | 0.32 mg | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.5 mg | |
| Folate (Vit B9) | 184 μg | |
| Vitamin E | 2.4 mg | |
| Iron | 4.6 mg | |
| Magnesium | 197 mg | |
| Phosphorus | 457 mg | |
| Zinc | 3.1 mg | |
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A comprehensive breakdown of nutrients can be found in the Nutrition database where this food can also be added to a meal planner.
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Quinoa for Celiac Disease
Quinoa is gluten free, and is a safe alternative for wheat/gluten intolerant individuals, and celiac disease sufferers.
Quinoa for Weight Loss
Quinoa has been found to be more satiating than wheat or rice, and may be exploited for it’s potential impact on eating behavior.
Quinoa for Malnutrition
A study by the Department of Applied Nutrition and Food Chemistry in Sweden has demonstrated the effectiveness of quinoa as an infant food for undernourished children.
Adverse Reactions
Quinoa contains oxalate, and should be avoided by individuals with a history of kidney stones containing oxalate.
Filed under Blog, Expert Advice, Nutrition Tips & Strategies, Resources by Dr. Saman
Sneaky Weight Loss Trick #4
Green tea has been used as a medicine in China for over 4,000 years.
It aids the digestive system and can help ease an overly full stomach and it has been linked to a reduction in cancer risk.
But for weight loss, the main ingredient in green tea, EGCG, maintains high norepinephrine levels in your body to keep your metabolism revved up.
One study published in the Journal of Nutrition even reported that subjects who drank green tea during their workouts lost significantly more belly fat than those who didn’t.
The health and weight loss benefits of drinking green tea are enormous and if you’re looking for optimum health and a body to die for, drink green tea throughout the day.
Filed under 101 Sneaky Weight Loss Tricks, Blog, Nutrition Tips & Strategies by Dr. Saman
It’s NOT About the Calories!
Weight loss seems so simple.
Eat fewer calories than you burn and you will lose that dreaded belly fat for good.
But ask any of the 50+ million individuals who are attempting to lose weight each year and they will tell you it is not that easy.
It’s not just changing what you eat and exercising.
It feels like a battle.
After all, you are tackling the 10 year daily visit to the vending machine habit, the 20 year snacking while watching TV habit, or maybe the “dinner’s not complete unless I eat something sweet” conviction.
If you want to kick those bad habits that prevent you from eating fewer calories overall and few quality calories, than you need to be prepared to understand and change your behaviors.
To get you started, here are some pointers to keep in mind:
* Know Yourself:
First, understand your motivation.
Why do you want to lose weight?
If you do not have a reason that is truly meaningful to you, than you will have a tough road to climb.
People who attempt weight loss because they feel they should, but aren’t invested, won’t be able to make the necessary permanent change in behavior.
If you can’t identify a reason, brainstorm.
Write down every possible reason why you want to lose weight, set it aside for a day or so.
When you return to the list, write down why that reason is important to you (what will it do for you specifically).
When you’ve identified your top 3 and you feel strongly about them, it’s time to get started.
If you still struggle, put the list away and return every couple of days, adding answers and revisiting old ones until you have identified your reason WHY.
* Motivate Yourself
Once you have identified the very specific reason as to why, hang onto it.
Make visible reminders.
The reminders could be pictures of yourself, your kids, a swimsuit model hung in the kitchen, bathroom, etc., or the reminder may be a pair of pants you would like to fit into.
When you are feeling like giving up, try on the pants.
Notice how they fit, where they are still tight, where they have gotten bigger.
Now imagine what it will be like to fit into them again.
Take an index card and write one sentence summarizing your motivation.
Carry the card with you.
Read it when your motivation wanes.
* Coach Yourself
We are our own worst enemy.
Despite working hard at changing our behaviors and making efforts to make it happen, we subtly tell ourselves things like “I hope I can do this”, “I’ve been good, I deserve to take a day off”, or “I blew it today, I might as well write today off and start fresh tomorrow.”
The problem with these thoughts is they are all negative.
Telling yourself you hope you can do this indicates uncertainty and that some element is not within your control. Remember weight loss is possible. Direct your thoughts positively and keep your motivation in sight.
* Reframe Your Mind
Put exercise in the same perspective as the rest of your life. A lot of people think of exercise as something extra in their lives; something that happens when they have the time.
Treat exercise as though it’s obligatory.
When you wake up each day, plan your exercise as just something else that needs to happen.
* Celebrate You!
Do you give your best to your job, your family, and your friends but never devote anything worthwhile to yourself?
Use these behavior changes as an opportunity to put yourself first. Remind yourself you are taking steps toward a healthier, leaner you. If you do not see changes in your body or on the scale immediately, be patient.
Fat loss WILL happen when you remain committed to your goal.
Calories DO matter, so you should have an idea of just how many you are eating if you want to be leaner, sexier, and stronger!
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Filed under Blog, Expert Advice, Nutrition Tips & Strategies by Dr. Saman
