The Benefits of a High Protein Diet, and How to Follow It

Including more protein in your diet can have numerous health benefits, and it is not as hard as you think!

Finding a diet that is right for you and your body is no easy task. From fad diets posted all over the internet to dated diets like the soup diet, many diets lack significant research. Without this research, it is impossible to truly know if the type and quantity of foods you are putting in your body are healthy for both the short and long term. If you don’t know that, then what’s the point of the diet in the first place?

The great part about a high protein diet is that it does not stray too far from a typical human’s diet. There is no set food a person can have, but a plethora. All the high protein diet does is simply replace some of the calories typically portioned out to carbohydrates and fats with protein! 

Another great part about the high protein diet is that it is no longer exclusive to animal products. A decade or two ago, a high protein diet would nearly require animal products to meet the daily protein requirements. In modern days, protein can be found in plant products, vegan protein powders, and many more animal alternatives. 

Within this article, we’ll discuss both the health benefits of a high protein diet and give you some foods that would fit into the diet on a daily basis. Specifically, we’ll talk about:

Health Benefits:

• Muscle mass
• Weight loss
• Benefits inner-body health

Example foods high in protein:

• Breakfast
• Dinner
• Snacks

Health Benefits

Going on a diet in an effort to lose weight does not mean you have to reduce your daily intake of food to a cup of strawberries. In fact, it’s far from it!

Muscle mass

As just about everyone knows, protein helps to build muscle. Specifically, it does so by being the building block for your muscles. Without it, damaged muscles from exercising simply won’t repair as strong or as quickly as they would if they were nourished with protein. If you don’t believe us, there are many different studies out there proving the importance of protein in the muscle building process. 

Some people, however, do not wish to gain muscle mass which is completely understandable. It is important to remember that protein only aids in the recovery of muscles. This means that consuming more protein will not automatically lead to larger muscles. It only does if it is supplemented with sufficient exercise and weight-training. 

Weight loss

One of the main benefits of a high protein diet, and just about any diet really, is its ability to aid in weight loss. A high protein diet helps promote weight loss in a multitude of ways. 

The first way a high protein diet promotes weight loss is by reducing your appetite. Whenever you consume any sort of food, you are typically consuming some combination of carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Usually there is more of one nutrient than the other and sometimes it is lacking one completely. Foods high in protein work to reduce your appetite due to the nature of protein itself. Studies show that foods high in protein work better at keeping you feeling full for a longer period of time. The longer you are feeling full the less you will get the urge to consume more calories.

Another way the high protein diet promotes weight loss is by boosting your metabolism or fat burning levels. After you eat, it takes your body a certain amount of time to digest and get whatever nutrients it needs from the food. For protein, this process typically lasts longer than other nutrients. While your body is working to digest or metabolize the food, you are burning calories. A longer breakdown process equates to more calories burned. As we all know, the more calories burned means the more weight that is lost. 

A final way the high protein diet can encourage weight loss is by promoting the longevity of weight loss. Many diets out there will result in the user losing a significant amount of weight in a short period of time. Not only is this unhealthy, but it is almost never a suitable method of long-term weight loss. In just about every case the user will end up putting most, if not all, of the weight they have lost back on. 

A high protein diet is much easier to follow than the strict diets out there mainly due to the fact that it does not restrict calories, it only reorganizes the macronutrients consumed. This leads to a diet that is more suitable for the long term!

Benefits inner-body health

A high protein diet can have a healthy impact on more than just your appearance, it can also benefit your health on the inside. For example, a high protein diet can be of significant benefit to your bone health.

Studies have shown that protein has major benefits for bone health in the long-term. The science of how protein does this can be quite complicated, so if you’d like to learn more we recommend clicking on the link previously cited. In simple terms, those who eat a higher amount of protein will usually maintain a higher bone mass as they age. This means that you will have much less chance of fracturing or breaking any given bone as you age. 

The other inner-body health benefit the high protein diet brings to the table is that it can lower your blood pressure. With heart attacks and strokes being such a detriment to global health, blood pressure is more important than ever to be regularly kept in check. Studies have shown that a higher intake of protein can lead to lower blood pressure levels. 

With so many health and weight loss benefits to the high protein diet, it is the clear winner for long term weight loss and general well-being. If you are curious about what foods would be usually consumed on this diet, keep reading!

Example foods high in protein

Eggs are a classic breakfast food that are surprisingly high in protein!

Breakfast

The staple breakfast option for a high protein diet is certainly eggs. Eggs contain a high amount of protein per serving, along with other great vitamins and healthy fats. The best part about eggs is that they can be made in so many ways. Whether you prefer your eggs sunny side up, scrambled, or formed into an omelette, there is always a style of egg perfect for everyone. 

A classic duo for eggs in the morning is steak, hence the term ‘steak n eggs.’ While this could also be classified as a dinner food, it is nevertheless a great option for protein. Steak, or any type of lean beef for that matter, has a ton of high-quality protein in it all while tasting great. It also has the added benefit of containing vitamin B, minerals, and creatine. 

Dinner

One of the best choices for dinner within a high protein diet is salmon. Salmon has a huge amount of protein all while tasting delicious. The best part about salmon, however, is the added benefit of containing Omega-3 fatty acids. These acids play a major role in muscular health and only work to complement all of the previously discussed benefits of protein. 

If you are not a fan of fish, you can always resort to lean beef or chicken. Both of these products are extremely high in protein. Even better, they can be prepared in so many different ways that only your imagination will limit you. Simply look up a recipe for beef or chicken and you will find hundreds, if not thousands, of different recipes at your disposal. 

Snacks

Snacking is often frowned upon in many different diets. It is typically seen as a waste of daily calories and that it will lead to weight gain. In the high protein diet, however, it can be a useful tool for hitting protein requirements on days where you are struggling to meet it. 

One great snack that is high in protein is Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is available in so many different flavors there is bound to be one that suits your taste buds. It also has a great combination of slow and fast-digesting proteins to ensure your body has the protein it needs until the next meal. 

If you are looking for a snack that is easier for on-the-go snacking, we recommend any protein bars, shakes, or desserts available for purchase online. Since these are all pre-packaged, they are super easy to take with you or throw in your bag for later. The shakes are also able to be complemented with a meal if the meal is not hitting the protein requirements you need. 

The high protein diet has the dual benefit of being healthy while still tasting amazing!

Dieting can be a stressful, and sometimes painful, process especially if the wrong diet is chosen. The high protein diet does a great job at promoting general health, weight loss, and flavor profiles to ensure the longevity of the diet. After consulting your doctor, fire up the grill and try out the high protein diet!