It is well established that the typical person eating a western type diet
consumes more daily calories than he needs. High calorie snacks filled
with fats and sugars contribute to these extra calories. Protein packed
bars, drinks, soups, and nuts are far superior to other snacks because of
the inherent differences between protein and sugars and fats.
First off, protein is more satisfying than the other two macronutrients
because of specific signals it sends to the brain. When we snack on
protein instead of sugars and fats, the body feels more full which helps
people control their appetite between meals, thus cutting calories and
controlling their weight.
Recent clinical research has supported this physiologic phenomenon.
A second reason for choosing protein as a snack is its thermogenic effect.
This refers to the metabolic tax a food puts on the body after we eat it.
This metabolic tax for protein is much higher than sugar or fat because
the body uses more energy to digest it. This means that when you choose
protein over the other two, you are burning more calories during the
process of digestion. Having this higher tax rate is good because protein
tends to be low in caloric content, so the body is working harder on fewer
calories.
A third reason to choose protein snacks over sugars and fats is the body's
need to replenish the building blocks of muscle tissue. Muscle is
important for our daily activities and it determines our metabolism. So
the more we maintain our healthy lean muscle mass, the higher we maintain
metabolism.
So the next time you reach for a snack, choose a protein rich bar, drink,
or soup. Avoid high calorie chips, cookies, candies and sweets. They are
generally much higher in calories, and they offer little nutritional value
to the body.
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