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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