Eat Protein to gain 24 Hours a Day of Weight Control.

A recent article in the Washington Post by Sally Squires reported that a
Dutch study indicated that eating more lean protein will increase metabolism not only during the day but also while sleeping at night. The researches reported that increasing protein up to thirty three percent of total calories per day caused the metabolism to work on a 24 hour period. This not only caused the metabolism to work at night, it also increased the metabolism rate in day time hours. Participants in the study which were all women stated that when they were on the increased schedule of lean protein that they had felt that the meals were more complete as they had less desire to continue eating than when they were on the ten percent diet. The participants felt more comfortable after a meal of the thirty three percent intake than the ten percent protein meal.

According to Margaret Westerterp-Plantenga, the study's lead author stated that the body does not store protein as efficiently as it does carbohydrates or fats, so protein is more likely to be burned, a process called thermogenesis. This requires more oxygen and helps a person feel more satisfied in the hours after eating.

This does not make the Atkins diet more desirable because the
Atkins diet had many drawbacks which included excessive amounts of fats with a major portion of the fats unacceptable. It also had no or extremely limited amounts of fruits and vegetables that have necessary nutrients that cannot be obtained from protein. Recommendations from this study are to increase the protein to no more than twenty five percent of total calories per day.

The best mix of foods should be fruits and vegetables at forty five percent, fats at thirty percent with a large portion of the fats of omega 3, and proteins at twenty five percent of total calories. Eliminate refined carbohydrates and glucose as much as possible from the fruits and vegetables category. Increasing the protein in the diet places more strain on the kidneys so no one with kidney problems, or altered glucose metabolism should go on this diet. Anyone considering this diet should consult with your doctor or health practitioner before adding protein to your diet.

Please watch for my next weekly newsletter. Also check my medical web site which has more than 200 categories of medical and health conditions to read about with no charge. Here is the link to that website: www.medical-research-studies.org .