One of the most common questions I get asked is…
One of the most common questions I get asked is, “Why is it important to prioritise protein as your main nutrient in your diet?”
Well in true KBPT fashion let’s keep it simple and give you the facts.
1) Your body will use more energy to digest protein than carbohydrates or fat. This is called the “Thermic effect of feeding” or TEF for short. It can be up to 20% more calories burnt in a day.
2) A higher protein diet will keep you fuller for longer and that is mainly down to the amount of time your body takes to digest it because of the density of the protein, as per point number 1.
3) When protein is digested it breaks down into little things called “Amino Acids”. There are 9 essential amino acids (EAA) and 11 non-essential amino acids. These are the little things that are needed for the body to rejuvenate things like hair, nails, skin and you guessed it…muscle
And
4) Steak, Fish, Eggs, Chicken, Dairy, Legumes, Quinoa, and lots of other protein-rich food tastes so damn good.
If you are wanting to lose weight, drop body fat and build or tone muscle and you have plateaued in your efforts I would strongly recommend you download a calorie counting app such as MyFitnessPal or Nutracheck and track your daily food intake for a few days and see how much protein you are actually consuming.
I advise a minimum 0.8g per 1lb of bodyweight for a daily protein goal.
For most people that number will be somewhere between 120g and 250g of protein per day.
If you are falling short of 100g per day there are a few things you can do to pump it up.
- Swap the morning cereal for an omelette or scrambled eggs with a few chicken sausages and some turkey bacon.
- Opt for the higher protein options at lunch by looking at the nutrition labels on the back of the packet
- Add a protein supplement as a snack such as a protein bar or a protein yoghurt.
And
- Prepare your food and plan your meals in advance.
