Everyone’s heard the ‘standard’ weight loss advice, which is ‘eat less fat’ & ‘eat more whole grains’. But can eating MORE of something really help you lose weight too? Amidst all the whole grain and vegetable frenzy, an important key for health is being sadly neglected, and that is protein. Protein is the building block of muscle tissue, whether it’s your legs, your heart or your stomach—they’re all muscle and you need them all in top shape to stay healthy. Muscle tissue actually even burns fat while just sitting around! So the more muscle you have, the easier you’ll find it to burn off fat.

If you wanted to build a brick wall, you wouldn’t reach for cardboard, glass or cloth. You would reach for bricks. It’s the same way within your body. If you want to build muscle, you reach for the protein, and not fat, carbohydrates or fiber. Make no mistake, fats, carbs & fiber are all important for health as well, and everyone needs some of them, however none of them will do the same job that protein will for you. You hear about protein in muscle-building, but you seldom hear about using it for weight loss.

Protein is not stored like fat, or converted into fat by the body.

Carbohydrates, sugars, fats & oils can all be converted into (your) fat. Fat is a store-house of energy which the body can choose to use at any time. It prevents against starvation and provides a ready source of energy when others aren’t available. However, protein is an immediate energy source that’s very efficient. You’ll hear about the supposed "Fat Burning Switch" on various protein drinks & powders. There may not be an actual ‘button’ to press, but by eating plenty of quality protein, you are giving your body a signal that "the food supply is fine, you don’t need to keep storing fat".

Is your protein ‘good quality’?

There are an abundance of ‘food items’ masquerading as protein which aren’t actually good quality. These can include over cooked foods, foods treated with radiation (it doesn’t change the look or the taste, but it wrecks the nutrients while killing bacteria), foods with too many preservatives, and foods with too many chemicals used to grow or process them. For example, some chickens are fed arsenic (that’s poisonous to humans & birds) to force them to gain weight. Of course, it’s still present in the meat when you get it, lowering the nutritional value. Unhealthy animals of any kind won’t have healthy meat. So its best to try to stay away from ‘processed meats’ when trying to get your protein.

Choosing the right type of protein is important for quality.

Picking up a bucket of fried chicken may provide protein, but it is clearly not your best bet for health & maintaining a healthy weight. Choosing your protein is easy and healthy when you look at this list:

Eggs- Eggs are a good source of protein, but free-range eggs are the best. Chickens who are outside in the sun add lots of important Vitamin D to their eggs. Eggs from the healthiest & happiest chickens are a real powerhouse of nutrients & protein for you. Typical egg-mills are a terrible place for hens, with poor living conditions and a bad diet. Their terrible circumstances lead them to make poor eggs.

Grass fed beef- Cows were meant to eat grass and be outdoors in the sun, moving around. A natural diet and proper exercise keeps most animals healthy without the need for excessive antibiotics, hormones & medicines. E.Coli (the terrible bacteria) is almost non-existent on grass fed cows. When animals are raised in natural conditions they produce better, healthier meat. Eating antibiotics and hormones isn’t good for you, but they’re passed along to you when you eat most factory meats.

Fish & chicken- Again, "the wilder the better". Wild caught Alaskan salmon, and out-door chickens are the healthiest. Avoiding large fish such as swordfish, shark and tuna will also limit your possible mercury exposure. Wild salmon and Norwegian cod provide healthy omega 3 oil and protein.

Beans & Nuts - Animals aren’t the only source of healthy protein. Plant protein usually isn’t complete, but by combining different kinds of protein in the same meal, you can still get all the amino acids you need. Combinations such as grains & legumes (like wheat, or rice, and beans) corn & beans or seeds and beans will provide the essential amino acids. Protein can contain up to 20 amino acids. Your body can make (via combining different nutrients from foods you eat) all of them, except for 8. The final 8, you have to consume. Plant sources are also wonderful to consider, as they don’t have the added fat or expense of meats.

Chia Seeds- The chia seed is rare, in that it is a 100% complete protein. It does not have the plant estrogens that soy has. Usually, complete protein is only found in meat. With vegetable sources, you must combine different sources to get complete protein. However, with this seed, you don’t have to. They’re 23% protein by weight, too, which is a nice, high ratio for a plant. The seeds have no flavor, so you can add them to anything you already like to eat. Anything from cereal, to salads, to sandwiches can have chia added to it without altering the taste. It’s so easy to use that there’s no excuse not to reach for this easy protein boost!

How else does protein contribute to help you lose weight?

Protein does not raise blood sugar levels. When your insulin is regulated and balanced (not spiking with sugar or carb-over-load) your body won’t want to store excess fat in case the ‘quick burning carbs’ suddenly run out.

When your body has plenty of protein each day, it is not in ‘survival mode’. It will be much more likely to allow any fat stores to be burned off, because real, healthy fuel is always available. Remember, your body doesn’t know that food is always, and will always be readily available.

Give your body the ‘fat fighting signal’ by adding easy, healthy and tasty protein to your diet!