From the variety of diets, the eyes are raised. It is difficult to evaluate all the advantages and disadvantages without delving into the essence of a particular diet. The protein diet has long caused a sensation with its amazing results. What is and is it really effective? Will it harm your health?
The benefits of a protein diet
Most dietary restrictions for weight loss aim to sharply decrease the caloric content of foods, even at the expense of protein. In fact, they are only allowed to eat vegetables, some fruits, and other low-calorie foods.
The principle of a protein diet is as follows. The body, with the need for energy costs (physical activity), first begins to consume the carbohydrates that were received last.
With normal physical activity, this is where the process of "burning" calories ends, there is no weight loss. Only when the newly received body is depleted, does it begin to "fat reserves"
A protein diet provides a minimal intake of light carbohydrates from food. In such conditions, the burning of stored calories immediately begins. At the same time, other cells in the body do not suffer, as there is enough protein to function. Weight loss comes from fat tissue, not muscle loss.
The advantages of a protein diet are as follows:
- An excellent and stable result in a fairly short period of time. Most protein diets are designed for a short period of time, 2 to 4 weeks. During this time, you can lose 5 to 15 kg or more, it all depends on the initial body weight.
- There is no feeling of hunger. With such a diet, a constant level of glucose in the blood is formed, there are no spikes, and the appetite is controlled.
- The result obtained is maintained for a long time. Diet rules form the principles of healthy eating and are already becoming a habit.
- Frequent and fractional nutrition "speeds up" the metabolism, which contributes to weight loss.
- Proteins are extremely important to the body. Cell walls are built from them, complexes to maintain immunity, they are necessary for normal digestion, muscle growth and the renewal of all tissues. It is difficult to indicate a process in the body where proteins would not participate. Therefore, a sufficient protein intake does not cause excessive stress situations for the body.
- Protein is essential for the absorption of vitamins. Conventional low-calorie diets are often accompanied by changes in the condition of the skin, hair, nails, heart disorders appear, memory and stamina decrease. A protein diet lacks these negative aspects.
- You can lose weight and build muscle at the same time. This cannot be done with a lack of protein. Especially true for men.
- Many amino acids (proteins are made from them) are essential for the human body. They can only be obtained with food. The lack of essential amino acids leads to various disorders in the body. There is no such thing in a protein diet.
- The set of products is very diverse, you can create a delicious and favorite diet, and not eat only buckwheat or cabbage.
- The amount of carbohydrates in a protein diet is minimal, but sufficient for the productive work of important organs, for example, the brain.
Disadvantages, without which nowhere
Diet is a stressful situation that requires adjustments. The disadvantages of a protein diet include the following:
- The load on the urinary organs increases. The kidneys filter all the blood in the body several times during the day. With an increased content of protein complexes, the tubules can become "blocked", which will subsequently lead to disruption of the work of the organ. Therefore, a contraindication to a protein diet is kidney disease.
- Increases blood clotting. Consequently, the risk of thrombosis and thromboembolism increases. This diet is not recommended for people who have ever had similar problems, as well as those with hypertension, diabetes mellitus.
- Despite the variety of foods, the protein diet remains one-way. This can lead to a deficiency or excess of certain elements. For example, in this case, it is recommended to additionally take calcium-vitamin D complexes.
- The minimum amount of fiber can cause the alteration of the gastrointestinal tract. More often, constipation and colitis occur. If there is a tendency to such ailments, it is better to choose other diets.
- Any prohibition of the body on something can ultimately lead to collapse, depression. The same goes for a protein diet, despite the relative variety of foods.
- Eating frequently (up to six times a day) is sometimes difficult to keep up with the current pace of life.
Contraindications of the diet.
Any food restrictions should be treated with caution. The main contraindications of a protein diet are the following:
- Chronic diseases, especially of the kidneys, heart, intestines. If available, it is best to consult a dietitian or therapist. Only a doctor can comprehensively assess the condition and possible danger of such a diet.
- Diseases of the liver, since it intervenes in the processing of all nitrogenous compounds that are presented in the form of proteins.
- It is dangerous to follow a diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- In the presence of tumor processes, especially of a malignant nature.
Fast diet options for weight loss and their characteristics
To lose weight, you can use both the classic protein diet and its varieties, supplemented by certain categories of products.
Protein only
Compliance with a balanced diet of a protein diet leads not only to comfortable weight loss, but also to the normal maintenance of all physiological processes in the body.
In this case, only pure protein products are allowed. These include the following:
- meat (lean pork, beef, rabbit, chicken, turkey, etc. );
- eggs and low-fat dairy products (mainly cottage cheese);
- vegetables
- fish and other shellfish (squid, mussels, etc. );
- You can add buckwheat, oatmeal, and soy in any form.
Protein-carbohydrate
It differs in that a serving of complex carbohydrates is added to protein. In addition to the main products, the diet is supplemented with the following:
- flakes (muesli),
- dry fruits,
- walnuts,
- black bread,
- durum wheat pasta,
- honey,
- fruits.
Proteins and vegetables
On a protein and vegetable diet, you can also eat vegetables and fruits, raw and cooked (but not fried), as well as mushrooms. This option is especially suitable for people suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. A sufficient amount of coarse fibers will stimulate intestinal motility, adsorb all toxins and metabolic products.
Vitamin and Protein
This type of protein diet involves enriching the diet with vitamins. There are two possible options:
- Alternating the days (2 + 2) only protein products and then vitamins. The latter include fruits, vegetables, berries.
- You can also simply supplement protein foods with vitamin supplements throughout the day.
Basic rules of a protein diet
To minimize the negative effects of the diet, the following guidelines should be followed:
- Drink at least 1. 5 - 2 liters of clean water per day. This will help protect your kidneys.
- If you have to follow a protein diet for a long time, you need to take vitamin-mineral complexes.
- Do not reduce the number of calories to less than 1, 200 per day. It is better to individually calculate the needs based on body weight.
- All dishes must be prepared in any way, but not fried. Boiling, steaming, stewing, baking is a healthy diet.
- It is desirable to minimize the amount of table salt.
- All dishes can be richly seasoned, use cinnamon, turmeric, but not ready-to-use seasonings with flavor enhancers, including mayonnaise.
Menu from week to day
In any diet, the most difficult thing is to create an interesting menu that is both beautiful and tasty. It can be roughly represented as follows:
Monday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese, tea or coffee without sugar.
- Snack: a glass of kefir.
- Lunch: boiled, steamed or baked chicken.
- Snack: half an apple.
- Dinner: chicken with vegetables.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: skimmed and unsweetened yogurt with cinnamon.
- Snack: grapefruit.
- Lunch: boiled beef with tomato or cucumber.
- Snack: a glass of milk.
- Dinner: beef with cabbage.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: one egg (only protein is allowed, then two), tea or coffee.
- Snack: orange.
- Lunch: baked fish with vegetables.
- Snack: yogurt.
- Dinner: fish.
Thursday
- Breakfast: cinnamon yogurt.
- Snack: grapefruit.
- Lunch: chicken with asparagus.
- Snack: kefir.
- Dinner: asparagus or chicken.
Friday
- Breakfast: an egg or just protein.
- Snack: grapefruit.
- Lunch: mushrooms with vegetables.
- Snack: curd omelette.
- Dinner: stewed vegetables.
Saturday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese with cinnamon.
- Snack: apple.
- Lunch: chicken broth with boiled vegetables.
- Snack: a slice of any meat cooked with vegetables.
- Dinner: kefir.
Sunday
- Breakfast: curd cheesecake with cinnamon.
- Snack: grapefruit.
- Lunch: broth of any lean meat with vegetables.
- Snack: a slice of cheese.
- Dinner: yogurt.
Delicious and healthy recipes
It is healthy to eat simply. Recipes for proper nutrition are very quick and easy to incorporate into your daily diet. Examples of first courses, second courses and dessert can be the following:
- Recipe 1. Cheesecake with curd. You need to take 200 g of low-fat cottage cheese and mix in a blender with two egg yolks, 50 g of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Beat an apple separately and then 5 egg yolks. Mix the three ingredients. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes at 180 degrees.
- Recipe 2. Curd omelette. Beat the egg whites until frothy. Separately, do the same with the cottage cheese, add chopped onion and dill, salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything together, pour into a mold and bake in the oven until tender.
- Recipe 3. Soup with meatballs. Mix the minced chicken with the minced onion, add the pepper, the bran and the egg white. Form the meatballs, immerse them in boiling water in a saucepan. Add salt, some peppercorns, and bay leaf to the broth. Cook for 20 minutes.
- Recipe 4. Veal. You should take a piece of meat, salt, pepper, grease a little with lemon juice. Place in the refrigerator for an hour. Then wrap in foil and bake for 50 minutes at 200 degrees.
- Recipe 5. Fish. Take mackerel, peel. Brush on all sides with a mixture of pepper and salt. Stuff the onions and carrots inside. Wrap in foil and bake in the oven at 160 degrees for 30 minutes.
How to choose the meat
When choosing meat for a protein diet, you should give preference to the following types:
- chicken,
- beef,
- Rabbit meat,
- Turkey meat.
Also, it should be raw meat, from which it is necessary to prepare meals on your own. Sausage delicacies, sausages, dry-cured and raw smoked products - all this is not useful. First, they are high in fat. Second, additives and flavor enhancers stimulate the appetite. This category also includes all semi-finished products.
Drinks allowed and prohibited
During the diet, attention should be paid not only to food, but also to the incoming liquid. First, it also has calories in most cases. Second, additives and preservatives can interfere with digestion and other organs.
It is useful even outside the diet to give preference to the following drinks:
- ordinary drinking water (should make up 90% of all liquid);
- non-carbonated mineral;
- unsweetened tea and coffee (you can add a little milk);
- herbal teas, nuts.
During a protein diet, it is helpful to consume tomato and celery juice. All other packaged drinks contain a lot of sugar, flavoring sweeteners. The benefits of them are minimal and there are many calories.
How much can you follow a diet?
The protein diet is designed for an average of 10 to 12 days, but there are extended options as well. For example, Ducan and others. They also belong to proteins, but they are based on special principles of nutrition and have important characteristics.
The safe duration of protein diets also depends on the state of health. It is believed that approximately two weeks a year is acceptable for everyone.
Rules for getting off a protein diet
In order for the effect after the diet to be fixed for the longest possible period and without undue stress on the body, you need to adhere to the recommendations for exiting such a diet. They will be the following:
- You should eat 4 to 5 times a day in small portions.
- Breakfast is required, it should include protein (cottage cheese, yogurt, meat).
- Last meal no later than three hours before bedtime.
- It is better to refuse sweet, fatty, starchy or just "savor" foods.
- Trying to cook correctly and it is useful: boiling, steaming, stewing.
A slim figure is 80% dependent on lifestyle, eating habits and not on heredity, as most people believe. A protein diet is one of the most effective, safest, and most varied foods on the approved food list. It allows you to master the rules of a balanced diet, intelligently organize your diet. But this is not a panacea, and the extra pounds will reappear, if you do not change your habits and increase the level of physical activity.