Power of Protein

One of my favorite eating habits I have obtained is adding some sort of protein to just about everything I eat. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and each of my snacks have a protein component. I kept hearing, "are you getting enough protein?" and my reaction was always, "why?".

Turns out protein in your diet breaks down into amino acids and glucose which is basically sugar for the body and that sugar is energy. This is different then carbohydrate energy because protein helps your body build and maintain muscle. And building muscle is a good way to burn fat in addition to cardio. I have lost a fair amount using cardio but feel even in my 6 days a week running routine my body is sticking at its current weight and look. I want to push farther and know that doing strength training is going to be my break through. I am not talking mad muscle building, rather simple core strengthening tools that don't always require weights, just resistance bands.

So eat your protein with every meal! Here is an example of a day with protein added (protein is in green):

Breakfast: Whole Grain toast with almond butter, 2 Egg whites with sauteed spinach, and fruit

Snack: Greek Yogurt with flax seed granola and honey topped with berries

Lunch: Spinach salad with almonds, black bean and brown rice burger (no bun!), fruit

Snack: Protein Bar and walnuts (make sure your protein bar has at least 10g of protein and fiber, less then 25g of carbs, and little to no sugar.

Dinner: Baked salmon with red pepper, spinach, and asparagus satuee, quinoa cooked in low-sodium veggie stock.

Post Dinner: Don't eat and let your body rest but do enjoy green tea, it helps digestion!

Happy Protein Eating!