From now on, you're going to include a bit of protein, fat, and carbs in every meal and snack (except the evening snack, which will focus on protein). Each individual nutrient performs a critical service to our hormone production. Take any one nutrient away and you start to slow down your metabolism.
We need fat
They're called "essential" fatty acids for a reason. We have to get these fats from our diet to avoid malnourishment. Animal and vegetable fats provide valuable, concentrated energy. They also provide the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone like substances.
Fats slow the absorption of nutrients so that you can go longer without feeling hungry, and they aid in sugar and insulin metabolism, which helps you lose weight. Without fat, carbohydrates would take our blood sugar (and insulin) for a nonstop roller coaster ride. They act as carriers for the important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, and all the carotenoids. Heart-healthy omega-3s help keep our triglycerides in check and may improve insulin resistance, and some fats —like CLAs — actually help us to burn stored fat from our bodies. People who tend toward insulin resistance need about 30 per cent fat in their diet to help them lose weight; some studies have shown that when they try to lose weight by following low-fat diets, they either fail initially or can't keep the weight off long-term. Some researchers even argue that saturated fat, long maligned as the prime factor in the development of heart disease and obesity, is actually innocent, and may be beneficial to weight loss.
Okay, got it. Fat is good. Check.
We need protein
I'm pretty sure I won't have to fight with you on this one. You need protein to maintain and build muscle. Just the act of eating protein can help your body burn up to 35 per cent more calories in digestion. Protein stimulates the production of the satiety hormone CCK and dampens levels of ghrelin. When carbohydrates are eaten without protein, insulin levels go through the roof.
Page 1 of 3 -- Find out why those on higher-protein diets have greater success keeping weight off than those on other diets on page 2.
Excerpted from Master Your Metabolism, copyright 2009 by Jillian Michaels and Mariska van Aalst. Used by permission of Random House. All Rights Reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except with permission in writing from the publisher.
