Food2goodhealth: High Protein Diet: Good or Bad?

Food2goodhealth: High Protein Diet: Good or Bad?: " High protein diet is considered as a weight loss tool for many popular diets like Atkins Diet , Zone Diet , The South Beach Diet , Meat-..."

High Protein Diet: Good or Bad?

 

High protein diet is considered as a weight loss tool for many popular diets like Atkins Diet, Zone Diet, The South Beach Diet, Meat-Mania, and Proteinopia. This promises initial success due to less carbohydrate intake thus body burns fat for the energy source.

There are certain benefits of high protein diet like:

Weight loss:
It leads to rapid weight loss, by limiting the amount of carbohydrates consumed; the body is forced to begin burning fat for a consistent source of energy. The body is able to convert protein into glucose, but only at a very slow rate. Fats, however, can be converted into a more readily-usable source of fuel.

Helpful for diabetics:
It is a helpful diet for diabetics as it excludes grains and sugars is known to help stabilize blood sugar. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetics, as well as people with metabolic syndrome, can benefit from a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet

Helpful for athletes and body-builders:
It also benefits an athletes and body-builders who consume protein in easily digestible form such as whey protein shakes which help in repair and recovery of muscles.

But there are known side effects of prolong use of high protein diet (longer than 1 month) which include;

Fatigue
In the afternoon hours, when the body has used a lot of energy, followers of the high protein diet might experience sudden moments of fatigue. Because the body is lacking in sugars.

Constipation
As less carbohydrate rich foods are consumed (naturally containing fiber) such as wheat, grains and bread, the digestive system might get clogged and constipated. Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and an occasional slice of whole meal bread will help.

Low Blood Pressure
One of the dangers high protein diets present is that healthy foods providing essential nutrients are necessary for the body to function, such as carbohydrates and sugars. Most of these foods and a diet containing carbohydrates help lower blood pressure levels.

Low vitamins and mineral
People who stay on a protein rich diet will not get enough vitamins and minerals. A high protein diet plan can not only help you lose fat and weight but it seems that it can also be held accountable for the loss of important nutrients that keep the body healthy

Low Calcium Levels

After sticking to a high protein diet for a longer period (over a month) will seriously decrease the amount of calcium in the body as because the body is getting less carbohydrates to turn into energy, all the reserves are used. If this loss of calcium is not compensated it may result in bone loss and arthritis. In extreme cases may lead to stress fractures.

Stress on kidney and possible kidney damage:

Prolonged consumption of high protein sends the body into a state of ketosis. That’s top of the list of cons of high-protein diets. Ketosis occurs when the liver converts fats into fatty acids for use as energy and the by-product, ketones. Ketones increase the acidity of the blood and can be detected in the urine.

When carb intake is restricted, the body uses muscle and liver glycogen for energy. For each gram of glycogen, two grams of water are used or “lost.” The diuretic effect of eliminating carbohydrates from your diet stresses the kidneys while they remove urea, a by-product of protein synthesis, from the body.

Kids Healhy diet

Today; when both parents are working and less time to cook meals at home; kids are more likely to eat junk food outside…

Parents who care for healthy diet needing some guidelines to introduce healthy food in their family meal need to understand that small changes can make big difference.

Don’t expect kids to completely give-up on fast food and start eating healthy meals from day one…

Why healthy eating is so much important?

Healthy eating is important for everyone…It is very important for kids as their growing bodies needs more nutrition which will create a healthy strong foundation for healthy and productive adults in future.

Kids do need lots of carbohydrates as an energy source but if it is from healthy multigrain and fruits and vegetables instead of sugary foods; it will provide much more sustainable energy throughout the day.

Kid required fats too! But if they come from more healthy sources like nuts and vegetables oils they will provide best nourishment for brain and nervous system without increasing their cholesterol (mostly in all animal sources-like meat, poultry and  dairy)which is bad for heart!

Protein is building blocks of body, fish, dairy and lean meat, are some of the best options for all of us including kids.

Fruits and vegetables are richest sources of Vitamin and minerals which are so vital for life, that’s why there is so much stress on eating those.

Healthy eating is also important to prevent childhood obesity which is growing day by day making kid more prone to chronic disease like Diabetes, hypertension heart disease at every early age.

TAKE YOUR TIME…

Know your food…

Get the food facts.

Know how to see hidden fats, sugar and salt in the foods and how to read labels.

Think fresh…

Buy seasonal, local, fresh produce.

Get kids in healthy grocery shopping and meal planning.

Let kids be in charge of their health…let them choose the healthy meal option for themselves.

Few tips to introduce healthy food…

Introduce fruits and vegetables into the week's menus one at a time.

Mix healthy stuff in foods your kids like; tortilla chips with healthy topping of tomato and cheese, apple sticks to dip in their favorite mayonnaise sometimes want be completely rejected by kids.

Introduction of greens in small quantities in favorite soups or dumpling can be a good acceptable change by kids.

Kids won’t mind occasional replacing pepperoni with delicious pineapple and olives on their pizzas.

You can experiment to find ways of serving healthy foods then you can slowly replace the less healthy items once you know kids have started liking their greens and veggies.

Kids learn by observation. If you are eating healthy food without making any fuss; your kids are most likely to try these new healthy foods.

Give kids rewards for trying healthy stuff.

Even if they don’t like those greens at the beginning appreciate them for trying. In this case they are most likely to try new healthy food again.