Eating Protein and Carbs at every meal...

In recent years, there have been so many nutritional fads that most people don't know where to turn for reliable information on how to "eat right".  However, as Bill Phillips explains in Body-for-Life, the one method of eating right which seems to have stuck, the one that seems to be recommended and followed more often than any other, is the high-carbohydrate, low-fat, low-protein nutrient regimen.  This type of diet is recommended by many nutritionists and even some doctors.

One reason these high-carb, low-fat diets are so popular is that back in 1988, the U.S. Surgeon General recommended we all restrict our consumption of dietary fat.  In response , the multi-billion dollar food industry began coming out with fat-free everything.  In place of fat, more and more carbs were added.  Then the myth that "fat free" means "all you can eat" spread like wildfire.  Yet, over the past 10 years, we've continued to see a dramatic rise in the incidence of obesity.

The fact is, lowering your dietary fat intake an increasing carbohydrate consumption is not the best way to get lean and healthy.  Study after study has shown that our bodies work much better with a balance of carbs and protein.

Not only is protein essential for building healthy muscles and maintaining a strong immune system, but it helps stabilize insulin levels as well.  Insulin shuttles amino acids and glucose, among other things, into cells.  However, when you eat too many carbs over a long period of time, your body can become "insulin resistant" and you can develop adult-onset diab3tes, which can lead to obesity, heart disease, and a whole lot of other health problems, including unstable energy levels and fatigue.  Eating a high-carb diet can also stimulate the appetite and cause unfavorable and unpredictable mood swings, especially in the afternoon.  Moreover, whenever insulin levels are elevated, your body will not burn fat.

On the other hand, protein provides stable energy levels through its effect on insulin and blood sugar.  Eating protein also helps control your appetite, and research has found that the thermic effect (the increase in energy required for digestion, absorption, and disposal of ingested food) of a protein-rich meal is much greater than a high-carbohydrate meal.

The bottom line is, high carbohydrate diets work against the body, not with it.  The solution is to balance ( 1:1 ratio) carbs and protein intake.

Excerpt from Jan/Feb 2001 issue of Muscle Media Magazine.