Protein “Your Key to Successful Weightloss”

The Power of Protein “Your Key to Successful Weightloss”

Protein Defined: This is a complex, high-molecular-weight organic compound that consists of amino acids joined by peptide bonds. They are essential to the structure and function of all living cells and viruses. Many proteins are enzymes or subunits of enzymes. Others play structural or mechanical roles, such as those that form the struts and joints of the cytoskeleton, serving as biological scaffolds for the mechanical integrity and tissue signaling functions. Still more functions filled by proteins include immune response and the storage and transport of various ligands. In nutrition, proteins are broken down through digestion to provide amino acids for the organism, including those the organism may not be able to synthesize itself.

Human bodies can make use of all amino acids normally obtained from food for synthesizing new proteins, but the inessential ones need not be supplied by the diet, since they can be synthesized from other amino acids.

Soy is the highest-quality plant protein available. It is an excellent source for the amino acids your body needs, as well as antioxidants to help you maintain healthy cells. It acts longer and slowly metabolized.

Whey provides amino acids and mixes well with nonfat (skim) milk or soy milk to create creamy, delicious shakes. It is fast-acting and quickly metabolized.

Protein deficiency can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, insulin resistance, hair loss, loss of hair pigment (hair that should be black becomes reddish), loss of muscle mass (proteins repair muscle tissue), low body temperature, and hormonal irregularities. Severe deficiency, encountered only in times of famine, is fatal.

The question is why does increasing protein in the diet make such a difference to our weight loss?

Simply because Insulin, a hormone, produced in the islets of Langerhans of the pancreas, regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and starches in the body. Like other proteins, insulin is partially digested if administered orally and hence must be injected into a muscle when used clinically. In the treatment of diabetes mellitus, which is caused by a deficiency of insulin production or by inhibition of its action on cells, insulin is often combined with protamine, which prolongs the period of absorption of the hormone. Insulin crystallized from the pancreas contains zinc, which also lengthens absorption. A preparation called protamine zinc insulin extends the hormone's action still further.

Insulin - The Fat, Hungry Hormone: The reason why insulin is such a key element is because it is commonly termed the 'hunger hormone', due to its influence on our appetites. People who eat a lot of carbohydrates all day will get 'peaks' and 'dips' of insulin in their blood sugar levels, causing cravings and the urge to eat more. Their insulin levels will remain high, and often producing more than they need. This means the body will store more fat. Insulin levels begin to drop after a balanced meal. This triggers the release of a feel-good hormone in the brain, to let people know when they've eaten enough. People with high insulin levels may not experience this 'cut-off' point, so are unlikely to feel satisfied by their food.

More Protein To Lose Weight: Those who control their intake of carbohydrates and take mainly the more slowly-absorbed complex carbohydrates, will be able to regulate their insulin to avoid the highs and lows in their blood sugar, so will feel less hunger and will store less sugar as body fat. This is how protein can help; by aiming for at least 100g of lean protein for women and 150g for men, it is possible to keep the appetite sated with no urges to snack on highly processed carbohydrates you simply won't want them.

FACT: MUSCLE BURNS MORE CALORIES AT REST THAN FAT

So our aim is to increase LEAN BODY MASS so that even at rest your body will be burning up the calories you have consumed. Eating more protein and doing more resistance exercise will do this for you. (Resistance exercise = weight training) Now, before all the women out there gasp and say "but I don't want bulging muscles!" you won't. You have to lift an enormous amount of weight to achieve that as a woman, as women don't carry the testosterone in our bodies to build it so relax. Basically, by increasing that lean body mass with the right nutrition and protein you will speed up your metabolism safely, people naturally lose muscle fibre as they get older hence the term : Middle age spread, as people lose muscle, their metabolism slows and although they are consuming the same amount of calories as they were 10 years previously they are not burning it off at the same rate of knots so they increase in weight.