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Monday, July 14, 2014

High Protein & Low Sugar Diet

Implementing a low sugar, high protein diet comes down to having a solid understanding of what each of these entails and the health benefits associated with each type of diet. Most people consume way too much sugar, usually in the form of added sugars, or empty calories, so most will benefit from a low sugar diet. According to the American Heart Association, increased sugar consumption plays a role in current rises in obesity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. High protein diets are generally safe for healthy adults looking to build or maintain muscle, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Low Sugar Diets

    Cut out added sugars by not drinking liquid calories. Liquid soft drinks are the largest source of added sugars in the average diet, according to the American Heart Association. Some other ways to cut sugar and adopt a low sugar diet are to limit desserts to once per week, use Splenda or Truvia in place of real sugar, and avoid sweetened food products like candy, cereal, granola bars, yogurt, chocolate and cookies.

    Understand that there's a difference between "added sugar" and natural sugar. Natural sugars are found in products like fruits and milk and should not be counted toward your daily sugar consumption because there are many nutrients found in these foods that make them worth eating. Added sugar has no nutritional value and only contributes empty calories to your body, according to The American Heart Association. Additionally, they estimate the average intake of added sugars per person in a day is about 318 calories. Eating too many sugary foods can lead to changes in brain receptors, according to research from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Sugar has also been linked to aging, according to researchers at the Universit de Montral.

    In terms of how much added sugar you should eat, the American Heart Association recommends no more than 6tsp. per day for women (24g) and 9tsp. per day (36g) for men. This is less than the sugar found in a single can of soda.

High Protein Diets

    Choose lean sources of protein like chicken, turkey and fish. Beans, whole grains, nuts and low-fat dairy products are also good sources of protein. Another great source of protein for high protein diets is whey protein powders. Pick a whey protein that is low in carbs, sugar, and sodium and high in protein.

    Protein is found in your bones, muscles, skin, organs and blood and is an essential macronutrient. Current protein recommendations from the National Institutes of Medicine are .8 grams per kg of body weight per day.

    The Mayo Clinic advises that a high protein diet is generally safe for most adults, unless you have kidney of liver disease.

    Sometimes eating a high protein diet can mean eating a diet higher in saturated fat because some sources of meats like beef and pork can be high in both protein and fat. Diets high in saturated fat can lead to an increase in LDL cholesterol, which raises your risk of heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.

How to Implement a High Protein, Low Sugar Diet

    Break your high protein, low sugar meals down by breakfast, lunch and dinner. Eat high protein, low sugar breakfast foods like plain oatmeal, eggs and egg whites, and lean meats like turkey and ham.

    For lunch, choose lean deli meats along with whole wheat bread and sides such as beans, carrots and salads.

    Choose lean protein like fish and chicken for dinner and aim to eat two to three servings of green leafy vegetables each day.

    For snacks, steer away from sugary crackers and cookies and eat vegetables with healthy dips like hummus instead. String cheese, cottage cheese and nuts are also great high protein, low sugar snacks.

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