Protein
The Benefits and Risks of the High-Protein Diet
Finding a healthy diet, achieving nutritional balancing an attaining an ideal body weight may be lifelong challenges. Myriad competing theories and philosophies drive an almost infinite range of possibilities for comporting one's consumption of calories. Among them, one that has gained increasingly popularity and scientific evaluation is the high protein diet. This nutritional strategy is based on the premise that the body is best served by a diet that is lean, low on sugars and carbohydrates but high on proteins. This is a diet that is especially preferred for individuals seeking to lose fat, to gain muscle mass or to support the greater levels of energy consumption required by regular athletic or physical activity. However, some medical debate remains about how beneficial, healthy or balanced this dietary strategy is. The article here considers some dimensions of this debate.
One of the reasons that the high-protein diet strategy has gained more attention recently is because it has emerged as a potentially healthier and more tolerable alternative to traditional dieting. With traditional dieting, the active denial of one's cravings ultimately leads to hunger pangs and binge eating. To the contrary, the high protein diet feeds the body the nutrients it requires...
The consequence is that the body consumes fewer calories without subjecting the dieter to constant food cravings. According to the text by WebMD (2011), a high protein diet is any in which protein accounts for more than 50% of an individual's daily food intake. WebMD goes on to indicate that some researchers believe "protein causes the brain to receive lower levels of appetite-stimulating hormones. Fewer insulin spikes lead to less fluctuation of sugar levels -- and therefore fewer cravings. It may also be due to eating fewer carbs or the specific protein's effect on hunger hormones and brain chemistry." (WebMD, p. 1)
One of the challenges relating to a high-protein diet is finding good, steady and healthy sources of protein. Typical sources includes meats, fish, beans and an array of foods which may be peddled in the decidedly high-calorie forms packaged in supermarkets and sold in fast-food or diner-style restaurants. The source by Yeager indicates that one of the greatest difficulties in achieving a successful balance with a high-protein diet is finding ways to balance the limitation of calorie intake with the maximization of protein intake. Yeager indicates that a major obstacle to successful adoption of the diet is the fact that "protein isn't as portable as other foods. The best sources…
