While there is a lot of controversy surrounding fats and carbohydrates, most people agree that protein is a highly important part of the diet. There are numerous health benefits associated with consuming a high-protein diet, from increased muscle mass to lowering the blood pressure.
Let’s take a look at more reasons why you need to consume a high-protein lunch:
1. More Muscle Mass and Less Fat
Proteins are the building blocks of our bodies. Thus, consuming a protein-rich diet helps maintain your current muscle mass. Furthermore, when you incorporate strength training into your routine, the protein will consequently help increase muscle mass.
Secondly, people who want to shed some fat but do not want to lose muscle can benefit from eating a high-protein diet.
For physically active people, protein is a crucial part of their diet as it helps in tissue repair and recovery.
2. Lowers Your Appetite
Everybody knows that we need fats, carbs, and protein in our diet. Of these three macronutrients, protein tends to be the most filling and the most satisfying.
There are two main reasons why you feel full quicker after eating a high protein lunch. Firstly, protein lowers the production of ghrelin, which is the hunger hormone, while simultaneously increasing the production of peptide YY, which makes you feel full.
Studies have shown that by increasing the protein intake, people feel full faster for longer, causing them to consume less food through the course of the day. Therefore, if you are planning on losing some weight around your midsection, consider replacing those potatoes with fish or bacon.
3. Higher Metabolism and More Fat Burning
The food we consume has a thermic effect. This is where our body's metabolism increases for a short time as the body burns energy for digestion.
That said, different types of food have different thermic effects. Between the macronutrients, protein has the highest thermic effect at up to 35%. Compare this to fat or carbs, which can have anywhere between 5% and 15%.
In fact, research shows that you can burn as much as a hundred calories a day only through eating a high-protein diet. Other studies have even shown that people can lose up to 260 calories a day. This is equivalent to an hour's training.
4. Healthier Bone Structure
There is the misconception that protein causes weaker bones. The idea stems from the belief that too much protein, especially from animals, results in a high acid load to the body. Consequently, this causes calcium to leak from the bones to neutralize the acid.
However, more recent studies have proven that people who consume a high-protein diet develop much healthier bones. Furthermore, they significantly reduce the chances of fractures or osteoporosis when they get older. Check out why organic meat is the future of protein.
Women are especially prone to osteoporosis after they hit menopause. Therefore, it is important to at least consume a high-protein lunch.
5. Lowers Blood Pressure
Are you concerned about your blood pressure skyrocketing after eating a high-protein lunch? Don’t be! Research shows that high levels of protein in our diet lowers both the systolic and diastolic blood pressures by 1.76mm and 1.15mm respectively.
Furthermore, a high-protein diet will also lower triglycerides, as well as the bad cholesterol low-density lipoprotein (LDL).
High blood pressure causes heart disease, kidney problems, and stroke. Therefore, consuming a high-protein lunch regularly can help reduce the likelihood of developing these health issues.
6. Not Harmful to Kidneys
Contrary to popular belief, more protein in your diet doesn’t cause your kidneys to overwork, resulting in damage.
Granted, people with existing kidney issues should avoid too much protein as the situation can quickly become life-threatening. On the other hand, studies have shown that people with healthy kidneys need not worry about consuming a high-protein meal.
In fact, they can reap many health benefits associated with a high-protein diet.
7. Helps in the Healing Process After an Injury
You can speed up your body’s recovery with a high-protein diet. This is not surprising as proteins form the building blocks of our muscles and tissues.
8. Stay Strong as You Grow Older
Our muscles naturally become weaker as we grow older. Consequently, a leading cause of reduced quality of life is sarcopenia. It is associated with frailty, including weak bones that fracture easily.
The simplest way to reduce muscle and bone loss is with a high-protein diet. This, combined with physical activity, can slow down and even build more muscle mass as you get older. Consider adding high protein plant-based foods to your diet.
9. Reduces Late-Night Cravings
You might think those late-night cravings are caused by hunger. However, they are more about providing satisfaction to your brain in the middle of the night.
Late-night eating causes us to consume more calories than we need, resulting in weight and fat gain. Consequently, it becomes extremely difficult to lose body fat.
A high-protein lunch will keep you full for the rest of the day. Moreover, it is shown to significantly reduce cravings in teenage girls who are overweight. A study done on men showed that increasing the amount of protein consumed reduced the rate of late-night cravings by up to 60%.
10. Helps You Maintain a Low Weight
We’ve already seen that a high-protein diet increases the metabolism of our bodies while simultaneously causing us to feel fuller for longer. Consequently, we consume less throughout the day, resulting in weight loss.
However, while losing weight is one thing, keeping the weight down is a whole different challenge in itself. Research has also shown that increasing the amount of protein consumed by just 15% is enough to prevent further weight gain.
Conclusion
There is no denying that protein is an important part of our diet. However, many people are not aware of the many proven health benefits of following a high-protein diet. If your food mostly consists of fats and carbs, perhaps it is time you started cooking and regularly consuming a high-protein lunch.
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