- Did you know that by eating the right foods you can increase your metabolism and give your body a workout? The body requires more energy to digest protein foods. In essence, it takes your body much more energy to break down a chicken breast or egg than it does pasta or crackers
- Protein causes a thermic effect in the body which can increase calorie burn up to 35 percent. Think of how much fat and unhealthy weight you could lose if your body could burn 35 percent more calories
- Essential amino acids that are in protein promote improved body composition, muscle retention and increased fat loss. Protein consumption also reduces hunger and regulates insulin levels in the body prompting more calories to be burned
High protein diets such as Atkins and South Beach have gotten a ton of press coverage both good and bad. Ask ten people about their effectiveness and you’ll likely get ten different answers ranging from how effective they are to how fast they will destroy your health and lead you to an early grave. Such extreme diets lend themselves to have groups of adamant supporters and detractors. One thing they do have in common is that they both tap into the calorie burning effects protein has on the body. Whether or not you agree with eating red meat smothered in cheese and bacon as a method to use fat and burn calories it does not take away the scientific facts that protein consumption as part of a healthy diet and exercise routine will increase your body’s ability to burn calories.
Some researchers have found the thermic effect protein causes can be as high as 35 percent of the total calories consumed. For example, if you were to consume a 500 calorie protein based meal your body would burn 175 calories digesting the food. This protein weight loss truth is the foundation of many of the high protein diets that are out there.
It just makes sense that eating protein would increase metabolism. To put into laymen’s terms metabolism is simply the rate your body burns calories and uses them as energy. The faster your metabolism the faster those calories are used up to help your body function rather than sticking to your stomach and thighs in the form of fat. People are born with a specific metabolic rate but it can greatly decrease or increase depending how you treat your body. Once you reach the age of forty your metabolism slows down at about 5 percent per decade. But adjusting your protein intake and overall diet will help fight against this effect. The reason increased protein consumption makes sense in burning calories naturally is that it works with your bodily systems instead of against them. Protein consumption works two ways to increase metabolism and lose weight. The first way, as mentioned above, is it takes your bodily systems much more energy to break down protein. The second way is that protein controls insulin levels in your body creating an environment conducive to fat loss. After consuming a meal loaded with carbohydrates your insulin levels spike and your body cannot lose weight. Protein regulates insulin and causes your body to tap into stored fat for energy.
Tags: calorie burn, Protein Consumption
