PROTEIN, PROTEIN, AND PROTEIN (INCREASE YOUR PROTEIN INTAKE)

Unfortunately, most of the weight lost for a lot of people turns out to be due to muscle loss as well. If you want to prevent muscle loss from happening, you can try to increase your protein intake while you’re trying to lose weight. The extra protein in your diet will help your body hold on to muscle while it sheds the fat. Remember, muscle burns 150% more calories than body fat, so we need to maintain muscle and eat healthy amounts of lean protein.

As humans, we were designed to eat plenty of protein in our diet, as we did when we were hunter gatherers during the Paleolithic era. This era came to an end when we started to become agricultural people and went from a primarily protein and whole food diet to one that emphasized grain and dairy.

This diet did our body no favors.

The processed grains have a far higher glycemic index that triggers the body to convert their starch to carbs and to then store them as fat. The cheese and milk are saturated fat that do not provide the most beneficial proteins and which increase blood cholesterol.

What we know now is that historic records tend to show the arrival of issues like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease around the same time that we settled down and started farming. This is why the protein-based, Paleo diet has been so popular in recent years – it means eating the way that our bodies originally evolved to eat.

So – stock up on the protein. The great news is there are loads of protein-rich foods available on the market. From nuts to fish, eggs, and even tofu, you can create a variety of delicious meals from your favorite protein sources. In fact, to make life even easier, here is a list of some of the highest protein foods:

• Anchovies
• Canadian bacon
• Chicken breast
• Chorizo
• Corned beef
• Cottage cheese
• Edamame
• Eggs
• Greek yogurt
• Ground beef
• Halibut
• Jerky
• Lentils
• Milk, 2%
• Mixed nuts
• Navy beans
• Octopus
• Peanut butter
• Peas
• Pepperoni
• Pork chops
• Quinoa
• Sardines
• Soba noodles
• Sockeye salmon
• Soy milk
• Steak
• Swiss cheese
• Tilapia
• Tofu
• Turkey breast
• Wheat germ
• Yellowfin tuna

There really is so much tasty food to choose from. However, you can always simply start your day with a good old protein shake. This way, you’ll get your fill of protein first thing in the morning. Buy a brand with no added sugar and that is fat free. While you’re at it, make sure to cut back on empty calories like sweetened beverages.

Protein-rich food already has enough calories so there is no need to add unnecessary extra calories – instead, complement your protein with fiber in your meals, e.g. lean chicken breast and lots of green vegetables.

Don’t forget: your body evolved to love this type of fuel and will work most efficiently when you give it a great protein boost.