The Truth About Protein

Reviewed by Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD 

This is a post from HealthNet.com. It tells us the importance of protein in your diet and also stresses the importance of getting protein from a variety of sources.

Most people get enough protein. But are you making the best protein choices, or are you in a rut?

You need protein for your muscles, bones, and the rest of your body. Exactly how much you need changes with age:

• Babies need about 10 grams a day.
• School-age kids need 19-34 grams a day.
• Teenage boys need up to 52 grams a day.
• Teenage girls need 46 grams a day.
• Adult men need about 56 grams a day.
• Adult women need about 46 grams a day (71 grams, if pregnant or breastfeeding)

You should get at least 10% of your daily calories, but not more than 35%, from protein, according to the Institute of Medicine.

Just about every type of food has protein. Some have more than others. Whether you eat meat or not, you can get enough protein from your diet.

Apart from protein, you might also want to think about what else you're getting from protein-rich foods.

For instance, to limit saturated fat, you'd want to choose lean cuts of meat over fattier cuts. And to cut back on sodium, skip the processed meats like hot dogs and sausage. The bad thing about eating meat is the saturated fat that comes along with it. Try to get most of your protein from plants. Plant protein is just as rich in nutrition and there's no down-side. High-protein diets actually lower the amount of fat you burn. Low-fat diets (that's low in animal fats) will not change the amount of fat your body is burning. The fat in fish is good fat and eating eggs and eating low-fat greek yogurt are good for your diet. 

If you're trying to get more omega-3s, you might choose salmon, tuna, or eggs enriched with omega-3s.

If you need to get more fiber, look to beans, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. All good sources of protein.

To help lower the chance of getting heart disease, it's a good idea to limit the amount of red meat, especially processed red meat, and eat more fish, white meat poultry, and beans, according to researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health. Most nutritionists agree the best approach is to choose from a variety of protein sources.

If you're watching your weight, try including protein with every meal. It will help you feel full longer. Spreading protein evenly across your meals is also good for your muscles, which is especially important as you get older and start to lose muscle mass.

How Can I Stop Food Cravings?

If you seriously want to stop the cravings you have to stop eating food or drinks that spike your blood sugar. Your blood sugar will normally increase when you eat, but you want the increase to be slow and gradual. We know that sweet foods or sweet drinks will spike your blood sugar, but now science says that “enriched wheat flour” also will spike your sugar levels. And what's so bad about that, you might ask. A big spike in blood sugars meanings that blood sugars will crash hard and in a very short time will be lower than normal and that will cause a craving to bring your blood sugar level back to normal. Then depending on what you eat, you might spike those levels again which will set you up for another crash and yet another craving. So snacking at night would be inevitable. If you want to avoid food cravings avoid anything that will spike your glucose levels.

I'll explain as if you're looking at a graph. If a normal blood sugar is below 5.6 and you eat ice cream and your blood sugar spike to 8, and your body is working normally, your blood sugar will drop rapidly to say 4 because the effects of the sugar won't last very long, but now your below your normal level and your body will trigger another craving to get you back up to your normal level of 5.6. Now, these numbers are just numbers and if you're concerned about your level you want to see your Doctor and get a blood test. When you're overweight it's important to have regular checkups that include blood tests. High blood sugar levels are a serious problem.

But let's get back to cravings, people that snack a lot often don't understand why their snacking, and snacks put on the weight. So we know sugary foods will spike glucose or blood sugars levels and now science thinks that enriched wheat flour can do the same. Enriched wheat flour is in almost all bakery goods. Bread, cakes, donuts anything that comes from a bakery and that includes chips, crackers, pretzels and any other type of snack food. Now you might think because you don't eat wheat bread that you're safe. All processed flour is made from wheat flour or partial wheat flour. You want to start reading the labels and avoid foods with processed or enriched flour.

Ever wonder why gluten-free is so popular now. Gluten-free means there's no wheat flour or any wheat in that food. Read the label on gluten-free bread and you find it's made of rice flour. Gluten-free products will help you control the spike in your blood sugar which in turn help you avoid cravings. You can buy gluten-free bagels, pasta, rice cakes, cereal and bread just to name a few at any of the major grocery chains. So gluten-free will help you control your weight and avoiding sugary foods and drinks will also help cut your calories.

Most people think that losing weight is all about either dieting or all about exercising. But you have to do both. Nine out of ten people put the weight back in a few months. If you're going thru the trouble to lose the weight and don't forget the money your spending, it's important to keep it off. Losing the weight and staying with a moderate exercise plan will make you much healthier. You're going to feel like a kid again after you lose your first 10 pounds of body fat. You don't want to return to the old you, overweight and tired all the time.  

If you really want to lose the extra flab you can get help, I write 4 blogs and I’ve written two E-books. E-books are the easiest and cheapest way to learn about any subject without groping through hundreds of website looking for the material you want. 

My first e-book is “HowBadDoYouWantToLoseWeight” and it sells for $2.99 on most online bookstores like Amazon, BN.com, iBook, Kobo, and Gardner books in the U.K.

My second e-book is available in the same stores. And on smash words.com. If you use the smash word promotional code You can get my second book for $1.99 (PJ42H). Just type in the search line “getting to a healthy weight”.

Avoid Stress To Lose Weight

We can have stress and not even know it. A fast paced life is 

stressful. Stress will cause a person to concentrate on those things 

that worry them most. They lose their focus on their everyday life. 

They start to forget about their normal routine and look for a way to cut time from their schedule. They stop working out or just walking with friends and they stop doing the regular chores like cooking at 

home. They spend more time watching TV because it takes your 

mind off the stress that's worrying them. Stress is one of the biggest 

causes of obesity. It will make you less active.

People will stop eating real food and just start filling up on snack food and bottled or canned drinks. All of this is 

caused by stress. Eating too much snack food, not preparing real 

food, not caring about your food and not caring about exercise. All 

of these are signs of a downward cycle that are heading toward 

obesity. And the food manufacturers are happy to help you.

Because of our stressful lifestyles, we are constantly looking for 

convenience and preparing meals is close to the top of the list of 

those conveniences. Supermarkets are great but all the food is not always healthy. Supermarkets have to sell all types 

of food and some of it is processed food. Processed food is 

manufactured and not grown. Convenience foods and even restaurant food will only add more fat to your body. When you're trying to lose weight avoid foods that you aren't making at home. This is a good way to simplify your life by taking some of the hustle out of it. Try to take a lot of the aggravation out of life by organizing everything just a little better. 

You can make quick meals and they can still be healthy. By planning your meals and plan for shopping ahead of time by knowing what's for dinner before you go to the store. Shopping out of habit and just buying the same stuff week after week might be the expensive way to shop. Planning your meals before you shop maybe the easiest and cheapest way to shop. And by organizing just that much of your life can make a big difference in your stress level. The less stress in your life the happier you will be. You're also going to be more organized and be a better decision maker.  

I write E-books and blogs about fitness and weight loss. I’ll show you the cheapest, inexpensive way to lose weight. Right now and for a limited time, my E-book, "How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight”, is $1.99 on all the major sites. Amazon.com, iBooks, B&N.com, Scribd.com, Kobo.com and many others in several other countries. 

A Pot Belly Can Be Caused By Heavy Smoking

A common fear among smokers is that they'll pile on the pounds if they quit the habit. But new research has found that heavy smokers are more likely to get pot bellies.

Scientists say that while people who light up may have better control of their overall weight, heavy tobacco use tends to push fat into central areas, resulting in a protruding tummy.

Having an "apple shape" is known to be less healthy than being "pear-shaped." People with apple shapes have more weight in their waist and belly areas. People with pear shapes have more weight in their hips and thighs.

The researchers reviewed data from 29 studies involving 148,731 people with European ancestry who were either smokers, former smokers, or people who had never smoked. The information detailed the smoking habits of the volunteers, as well as their weight and waist circumference.

The analysis, published in the BMJ Open journal, revealed that some smokers had a genetic variation linked to smoking more and having a lower body mass index (BMI). But it also showed that while overall BMI in heavy smokers was lower, their waist circumference was higher than non-smokers once BMI was accounted for.

Bigger Tummies

Professor Naveed Sattar, of the University of Glasgow, who helped lead the study, explains that while smoking lessens weight overall, it tends to push fat more into the belly area.

"So, when smoker[s] put on weight, they will show bigger tummies for same weight gain than non-smokers, and this may also be linked to their greater risk for diabetes," Sattar said in a statement.

"If confirmed, a tendency for smokers to acquire an 'apple shape' might provide a novel health promotion message to encourage smoking cessation," he said.

In my personal opinion, I think smoking or any other addiction the mother might have can get passed down to the child. The nicotine in the tobacco will be in the bloodstream of the mother and will be passed through to the child. So addiction like smoking or drinking alcohol can be passed through to a newborn. 

Also if the parent has this Pot Belly shape from smoking and has his or her body fat concentrated around the waist I believe the child will inherit the same tendency to have their body fat located in the same areas regardless of whether they smoke or not.

If you really want to lose the extra flab you can get help, I write 4 blogs and I’ve written two E-books. E-books are the easiest and cheapest way to learn about any subject without groping through hundreds of website looking for the material you want. 

My first e-book is “HowBadDoYouWantToLoseWeight” and it sells for $2.99 on most online bookstores like Amazon, BN.com, iBook, Kobo, and Gardner books in the U.K.

My second e-book is available in the same stores. And on smash words.com. If you use the smash word promotional code You can get my second book for $1.99 (PJ42H). Just type in the search line “getting to a healthy weight”.

Mark Bittman's VB6 Diet

Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD

The Promise

Could you go vegan part time? You will if you go on the VB6 plan.

If you follow TheNew York Times food section, you probably know Mark Bittman’s column, and you may have heard of his approach to eating: VB6, which stands for Vegan Before 6. That is, you eat like a vegan (no meat, dairy, or other animal products) until 6 p.m.

I first read this post recently and this plan could work. It's not that hard to stick to it. He says you can eat what ever and as much as you want after 6 pm, but he also has a "but" clause in there. But if your trying to lose weight go easy eating  and drinking things like meat, dairy and Alcohol. I do have a few concerns. Personally I encourage people not to eat heavy at night. It's too close to bed time and you don't have time to digest a big meal, but I do like the idea that you could change the time of the day. I think it might work for me if I had my heavy meal at breakfast, then go Vegan the rest of the day. I don't think this is a quick weight loss plan, that said, I do think this would be a healthy way to eat and over time you would lose body fat.

Bittman isn’t a doctor, nutritionist, or health professional, but he has been cooking and writing about food and food policy for more than 25 years.

He also has firsthand experience. At age 57, Bittman's doctor told him that he was 40 pounds overweight, pre-diabetic, and had high cholesterol. He says his doctor recommended that he go on a vegan diet. Bittman decided to radically change his diet but not totally give up all animal products, to see if that would help improve his health without medication.

Bittman writes about his diet in his book, VB6.

What You Can Eat and 

What You Can't

On this plan, you’ll become a part-time vegan, eating mostly fruit, vegetables, grains, and beans until dinner, when you can eat whatever you like, in moderation. Bittman also gave up processed foods, like white bread, junk food, and pasta -- until 6 p.m.

The VB6 28-day plan includes much more fruit, vegetables, and other plant foods than you’re most likely used to eating. You can eat some of them in almost unlimited quantities. However, legumes (beans, lentils), nuts, seeds, whole grains, starchy or fatty veggies or fruits, and oils you should eat in moderation.

Bittman encourages snacking when the urge strikes, as long as you don’t eat when you’re not really hungry and don’t choose processed foods. He recommends reaching for fruit when you crave something sweet, even if that means eating two or three pieces and nuts when you want salty, but only a hand-full, they have lots of calories.

He cautions against eating chips, and fries or too many white potatoes.  He suggests treating fatty avocados and olives as snacks or alternatives to cheese but says eating an “avocado instead of a cheeseburger is always a fair swap.”

VB6 does not allow animal products, sugar, white flour, white rice, pastas, or processed foods before 6 p.m., or dinnertime. After 6 p.m. or at dinner, you may eat whatever and however much you want, including meat, cheese, alcohol, and sweets. But if you’re trying to lose weight, Bittman suggests that you eat and drink them in limited quantities, or use as garnish rather than centerpiece of a meal.

Bittman also gives you some margin. If going vegan apart from dinner doesn't work for you, could you do it for another part of the day? The time is arbitrary, Bittman writes.

Level of Effort: Medium

Limitations: From the time you wake up in the morning until dinner or 6 p.m., you may eat only a vegan diet, featuring fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. For dinner, nothing is off-limits -- you may eat whatever you like. 

Cooking and shopping: You’ll prepare and eat far more fruit, vegetables, and grains than you ever have before. Bittman provides very easy recipes and cooking techniques for a wide range of foods. Plus, the book gives you the tools you need to make the diet work, even if you eat out frequently and don’t like to cook.

Packaged foods or meals: No.

In-person meetings: No.

Exercise: Encouraged. Bittman suggests you get moving because exercise helps bolster your physical and mental health. He doesn’t give specific recommendations.

Does It Allow for Dietary 

Restrictions or Preferences? 

Vegetarian or vegan: This diet is a great fit for you. The VB6 diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes and requires you to eat vegan at least part time. It wouldn’t be difficult to continue the vegan plan or make it simply vegetarian for dinner.

The plan is not necessarily low-fat, but you’ll eat mostly heart-healthy fats from avocado, olive oil, nuts, and seeds, and as much or as little salt as you like. Bittman stresses that the plan is flexible, and you should do the best you can, rather than strive for perfection. 

Gluten-free diet: This diet doesn't focus on gluten, but you could opt for whole grains that don't include gluten.

What Else You Should 

Know

Cost: You’ll spend roughly the same amount on groceries.

Want To Lose Weight

Gym memberships, diet pills and weight lose counselors all cost money. When in fact, you don't have to spend a dime. You can even save money while you lose the unwanted pounds. We don’t always realize it, but as we go threw your work day, we can spend a lot of time and money snacking. You can consume a lot of junk food and drinks and it all costs money.

Maybe you start your day at a coffee shop and you don’t just buy coffee. Starbuck's claims that most coffee customers will buy something sweet with their coffee. You get to work and there’s pastries in the break room, so why not. I use to do it. I’d look for something to snack on every time I took a break. The average person adds 2 or 3 pounds a year, even if their careful and don’t over eat. Between the ages of 30 and 40, I personally gain 40 pounds. I had changed jobs when I was 31. I had a construction job, outside all day and was very active and left that for an office job, sitting all day and eating and drinking too much. I didn’t over eat on purpose, I would go along with the others and was eating throughout the day.

I never ate breakfast at home except maybe on the weekends. I started out at the coffee shop with a roll and coffee, usually one of those designer coffees, I don’t even know how much sugar I was consuming. Mid-morning we’d take a break after being on the phone for 2 or 3 hours and staring at the computer screen, we'd go for coffee and another sweet roll, more sugar. But in those days I didn’t thing I was fat. Everyone was the same, except for a few guys that had a real weight problem. At lunch I usually had a burger and fries and maybe a beer. I was on the phone all day, we didn’t meet with customers. No break in the afternoon but drinks after work. About an hour of beers or cocktails after work. Now that I thing back, I was probably consuming 3000 calories before I came home for dinner. Usually dinner starts with a cocktail or maybe a bottle of wine with dinner and then a meat and potatoes type dinner with dessert, about 2000 more calories and then maybe a nightcap before bed. I had that job almost 12 years, I don’t know how I survived. I should have died of a coronary. After I changed jobs my routine changed a lot. I was over 40 and my doctor told me I weighed too much. “ You have to lose at least 20 pounds.”

I joined a HEALTH CLUB, It did help me get in shape but after several years of membership fees, I had barely lost any weight. I was working out but because of the extra exercise, I was hungry all the time. I hadn't changed my diet and I was eating more between meals. My job kept me busy and often I would skip lunch and just snack or grab fast food at a drive-in window. Finally my wife told me, “you can’t lose weight if you keep eating like this. You grab a Hot Dog for lunch thinking you’re saving on calories because your not eating a big meal, but there’s no nutrition in a hot dog and diet snacks, that’s all empty calories. You have to eat foods to fuel your body, your metabolism is falling asleep. When you don’t metabolize food the food turns into fat. You have to eat foods that your body can use to create energy for your heart and other organs, and for your muscles to have strength. Your body is living off of today’s fat and you’ll never burn the old fat.”

She was rights I started by changing my diet. Nothing crazy, I was eating better food. I stayed out of the restaurants for a few months, brought my own food from home. I stayed away from ice cream, I changed to skim milk and non-diary creamer. I quit buying processed meats like lunch meat and look for better cheese. I’d get the cubes of cheese, I read that if your trying to lose weight you should eat one ounce of swiss cheese before every meal. Swiss cheese will help you metabolize your food. I bought the package of cubes and they where the perfect weight, one ounce, and it did work. It’s also really filling. Another little trick that helped me was drinking water with your meal. Even now that I lost 50 pounds, if I go out an eat and we order beer before a meal, I still get a glass of water to drink while I’m eating. I quit the gym membership after a few years, I work out at home. I started running after I lost the first 20 pounds. I had a lot more energy and running is one of the best exercises I know for your body and to lose weight. We'll cover exercise in a later chapter.

Why Am I Always Hungry?

There's a good article in Health Magazine in the September Issue about food cravings. 

You daydream about lunch at 10:30 am, a half hour after you finish eating your sniffing around the fridge. It seems like your always hungry, so what's going on. There can be two possible answers, one is that your on a diet and you cut too many calories. But that's not usually the problem, number two is you can eat lots of calories and still not be satisfied. 

Your not eating nutrient-dense foods. If your body didn't get the nutrition it needed from your last meal, and that might take 30 minutes or so, your body will send another signal to your brain in the form of a food craving that you need to eat again. And these cravings will keep coming until the body is satisfied it has enough of the vitamins or minerals it needed.

You can fix your problem. You can start with 11 or 12 grams of protein in the morning. Like two eggs or greek yogurt with berries. And be careful how much fat you cut from your diet. Your body needs the good fats (fat from plants) not animal fat. There two types of body fat and that's one reason some people can't lose their body fat, there is white fat that your body can not burn and there's brown fat that your body burns to create energy. That why it's so important to know what your eating. The bad fat that you eat will be stored and you will probably never get rid of it. The good fat is critical for body functions. So a low-fat diet is okay, but cut the bad fats and eat the good fats from olive oil, nuts, avocados and salmon. Check the internet for a list of good fat, they also keep you full longer.

Watch which kind of smoothie your drinking. It's better to make your own. Your want that 12 grams of protein and you won't get it because you added milk. If you like smoothies, try a protein smoothie and add some protein power. The best is Whey. But it has wheat and you don't want wheat, look for one with another plant protein like almonds or greek yogurt. 

Another fix to the cravings is to keep a food journal for a few weeks. Add all the calories your eating everyday and you may be surprised to find your consuming 1000 calories more then you need. If you have a smartphone you can get a free app that will count the calories for you. MyFitnessPal is a good one. The average person only needs about 1500 calories a day but we are all different and if you use the app I suggested it will tell you how many calories you need. You can also go on their website and get the same information.