High Protein Diet

A high protein diet is often recommended to Body-builders and Weight-trainers in aid to build muscle and lose fat. This kind of diet is not calorie-controlled and should not be confused with low-carb diets such as the Atkins Diet.

Daily requirement for a healthy individual is anywhere between 0.6 to 1.5g of protein per pound of bodyweight per day (1.4–3.3g per kg).As most high protein foods are naturally low in carbohydrates and saturated fats, following a high protein diet, you automatically eat less carbohydrates. High protein foods also help maintain muscles, as muscle loss is a problem with most successful diets. And even help build muscle while you are dieting and exercising.

Benefits

1. More calories are burnt following a Protein Weight Loss Diet as it prevents muscle loss when dieting, Increases muscle strength and helps build new muscles.
2. A high protein diet plan can not only help you lose fat and weight but it seems that it can also be held accountable for the loss of important nutrients that keep the body healthy.
3. Using lots of protein in your diet may in fact boost antioxidants, preventing the body from infections and certain illnesses such as cancer.
4. The excess protein consumed is merely burnt for energy or excreted.
   

High Protein Sources Used In Diet

1. Casein - Casein is the milk protein in cow's milk. It is low in fat and cholesterol. Casein also helps by creating a gel-like substance that makes your stomach feel full. casein is great help when following a Protein Weight Loss Diet as it prevents muscle loss when dieting, Increases muscle strength and helps build new muscles.
2. Whey - Whey protein is a natural protein from cow's milk. It contains no fat or cholesterol. Whey protein is beneficial when losing weight and stops feelings of hunger. Whey is a major ingredient of health food, protein drinks for losing weight.
3. Turkey -Turkey is a very lean meat, containing hardly any fat, can be used on sandwiches, soups and as part of a main meal when following a diet.
4. Soy -Soy beans contain linolenic acid necessary to build cells (new cells help to heal wounds and regenerate the body) and produce hormones. An example of a high protein diet is the soy diet where mainly every meal and drink is a soy-based one. Extremely high in protein and providing lots of extra health benefits such as helping to prevent certain major diseases like heart disease and cancer, soy should be incorporated in any healthy diet.
   

Side Effects of High Protein Diet

• Fatigue - After some strenuous activity (when body has used a lot of energy), followers of the high protein diet might experience sudden moments of fatigue. This happens as body lacks in sugars following High Protein diet.

Measure - Eating a snack containing some carbohydrates should help.

• Constipation - As less carbohydrate rich foods are consumed (naturally containing fibre) such as wheat, grains and bread, the digestive system might get clogged and constipated.

Measure - Eating plenty of fresh fruit and veg and an occasional slice of wholemeal bread will help.

• Low Blood Pressure - One of the dangers high protein diets present is that healthy foods providing essential nutrients are necessary for the body to function, such as carbohydrates and sugars. Most of these foods and a diet containing carbohydrates help lower blood pressure levels. People who stay on a protein rich diet will not get enough vitamins and minerals.

Measure – Health supplements should be taken considering ones diet.

• Low Calcium Levels - After sticking to a high protein diet for a longer period (over a month) will seriously decrease the amount of calcium in the body as because the body is getting less carbohydrates to turn into energy, all the reserves are used. If this loss of calcium is not compensated it may result in bone loss and arthritis.

Measure – Appropriate measures should be taken to avoid Calcium deficiency.

High Protein diet is held accountable for the loss of important nutrients that keep the body healthy in many cases and proper care should be taken to ensure body gets all necessary nutrients it needs for proper functioning.

Body mass index BMI

Body mass index (BMI) also Known as Quetelet Index is a statistical measure of the weight of a person scaled according to height.

It is one of of the most widely used and easiest way to find an individual's ideal body weight.
By calculating your own BMI and using the predefined values or range from the chart given one can find out if he Normal, Over-weight or Under-weight.

The further your BMI deviates from the normal range, the higher your risk for obesity-related health problems (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, heart disease, and bone/joint disorders).

How To Find Your BMI

Body mass index is defined as the individual's body weight divided by the square of their height.
BMI may be accurately calculated using any of the formulas below.Once you find out what your BMI is, all u have to do is look up in the table for the range you fit in .
Limitations

The flip side of BMI method and its simplicity is that it also has some limitations or flaws.

1. Because the BMI is dependent only upon net weight and height, it assumes about distribution of muscle and bone mass.
2. Thus it may overestimate adipose tissue or Fat on those with more lean body mass, like athletes or Body builders and may place them under Overweight range.
3. Or it may underestimate adipose tissue or Fat on those with less lean body mass, like the elderly or individuals with low bone density under the Underweight range.
4. With the variations of different body-types over the world, the range of Over-Underweight may change accordingly.
   
5. Thus the Range may vary from time to time and country to country.

The Final word is, Apart from all these limitations and shortcomings BMI do gives a general and fair idea about an individual's Ideal body weight ( if he/she is Under Or Over weight). All of its strength lies in its simplicity and quick deduction.

What Is Weight Loss

Overweight and obese individuals face a greater risk of

• Type 2 diabetes
• Heart disease
  
• High blood pressure
  
• Stroke
• Osteoarthritis and
  
• Certain types of cancer.

Weight loss occurs when a State of Negative Energy Balance is achieved.

i.e. when human body spends more energy in work and heat than it gains from food or other nutritional supplements, it will catabolise stored fat.

some of the methods to loose weight:

Physical Activity

Aerobic exercise

Anaerobic exercise

Strength training

Dieting

Carbohydrate restriction

Protein restriction

Fat restriction

Combination restriction