The benefits of a high protein diet

A lot of people always ask me "why is protein important?" The answer is the same everytime! Protein is the building block of the body and without protein we cannot repair our cells, muscles or tissue. The reason people who exercise regularly and workout at the gym consume large amounts of protein is so that their body can recover faster and build new muscle mass.

Protein to lose weight

High protein diets are also ideal for those of you who want to lose fat and keep your current muscle mass. By cutting out carbohydrates (keeping them to a minimal) you can put the body in a state of ketosis. This means that your body is burning fat but not muscle. This is the most efficicent way of weight loss and will keep you looking toned and will not sacrifice any of your muscle mass. This regime was made popular with the controversial atkins diet. However unlike the atkins diet you should still be eating healthy lean meats such as chicken breast and turkey breast and do NOT completely cut out carbohydrates! By consuming a few carbohydrates your body will still have the energy it needs to function and work as it should.

Protein to build muscle

When consuming protein to build muscle the guideline amount you should be consuming roughly 1.2-1.5g of protein per lb of body mass. So for example if you weigh 175lbs and want to gain lean mass the minimum amount of protein you should be consuming each day is 210g. Now getting this much protein from only solid foods can be a challenge, your diet will need to include a lot of the following:

• Fish (Tuna is a good source)
• Milk
• Chicken breast
• Turkey breast
• Nuts and seeds

As discussed above in the losing weight section the carbohydrates you eat should be clean and non fatty foods such as wholemeal pasta, wholmeal rice, potatoes and fruit and veg.

This could mean spliting your daily food intake down into 6 smaller portions per day and having a small amount of carbohydrates for breakfast and then again in the middle of the day. The best carbohydrates to eat on a diet like this are things like wholemeal pasta, shredded wheat, wheetabix, wholemeal rice, sweet potatoe, boiled potatoes etc.

Eating this much in one day will be a challenge at first and you will need to split your meals down in to 6 smaller portions per day and try to have a good amount of protein and carbs with each while keeping fat to a minimal. Things like tea and coffee are still ok to drink just use skimmed milk instead of full fat. Supplements such as protein powder and protein shakes can help you to reach your daily target of protein.

An average protein shake usually contains roughly 30g of high quality protein and you can consume 1-2 a day, you can either opt for pre workout of post workout or have half before and the rest after, if you want to take 2 per day the other can either be;

• First thing in the mornin to replenish the body of valuable nutrients you would have lost during the night.
• Last thing at night before bed

If you are going to opt for the latter then try and buy a casein blend as well as your regular protein powder and consume it with milk. This will take longer to breakdown so throughout the night you will have a steady supply of protein being released to prevent any muscle loss overnight.