It seems everywhere we look someone is promoting a new diet plan that praises the power of high protein low carb diets. But whether you want to lose or gain weight, or maintain your current weight, the importance of protein goes far beyond physical appearance and muscle building.

THE BODY REQUIRES PROTEIN SECOND ONLY TO WATER
Protein is an important component of every cell in the body. It is an organic compound, composed of 22 amino acids, otherwise known as the building blocks of life. Protein is stored in muscles and organs, and the body utilizes it to build and repair tissues, as well as for the production of enzymes and hormones.

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Protein also makes it possible for blood to carry oxygen throughout the body. Along with fat and carbohydrates, protein is a “macronutrient,” meaning the body needs relatively large amounts of it. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences has concluded that our daily protein requirements should be 10 percent to 35 percent of our total caloric intake, with men needing more than women.

A lack of protein can cause loss of muscle mass, decreased immunity, as well as weakening of the heart and respiratory system.

THE IMPORTANNCE OF PROTEIN IN WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
The widespread popularity of diet protein drinks is due in large part to their ability to help manage hunger.When protein is absorbed, it sends a signal to the brain to decrease your hunger. Another benefit of protein is that it raises your resting metabolism by maintaining muscle mass. As we age, muscle mass decreases without exercise, so staying fit is a key to burning fat by keeping your metabolism high. Protein also leads to a much less rapid rise and fall of blood sugar and insulin, so you avoid the “sugar highs and lows” after eating sweets without adequate protein. Certain foods, however, provide a healthier resource for protein than others.

FIND A HEALTHY SOURCE OF PROTEIN
You can obtain healthy sources of protein without high levels of saturated fat. For example, soybeans, nuts and whole grains provide protein without much saturated fat and offer plenty of healthful fibre and micronutrients as well. If you’re looking for yet another great way to obtain healthy protein, vegetable sources of protein found in Herbalife’s Formula 1 shakes, are high quality and have lower calorie levels with virtually no added fat. Herbalife products personalize your daily protein intake to match your body’s needs. With a variety of protein shakes and snacks, Herbalife’s weight management programme helps you build or maintain lean muscle while providing healthy weight-management support. Now that you’ve increased your knowledge of protein, you can effectively enhance your diet and allow good health to take shape.

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Why High Protein Low Carb Diets? is a post from: Health and Lifestyle
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Adding muscle to your body requires the implementation of three critical steps. Miss any one of these steps and your ability to build muscle will be greatly compromised. You’re most likely already familiar with the first step which is a good old fashioned bodybuilding workout to stretch and tear your muscles but what about the rest? What else do you need to add huge muscles to your body?

Weight training or working out with weights is the one step most people are familiar with when it comes to building muscle. Through some serious weight training you tear your muscles while working out in the gym and what a lot of gym goers don’t realize is that you don’t actually build any muscle in the gym. The only thing you’re doing to your muscles in the gym is breaking them down and tearing them apart. Before we look at how we actually build the muscle, let’s look at what muscles are made of so we have a better idea of how to repair the muscles once we’ve broken them down in the gym.

The muscles in your body are comprised of two things: protein and water. One of the most misunderstood things about bodybuilding nutrition is that the primary ingredient necessary to building or I should say rebuilding your muscles is protein. If you simply want to maintain the muscle on your body then you should be consuming at least one gram of protein for every pound you weigh. If you want to add muscle, you should be consuming about 1.5 – 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. In addition to protein obviously you need water but you also want to consume a fair amount of carbohydrates so that your body has something to burn for fuel other then the protein in your muscles and the calories you consume.

One point about carbohydrates before we move on. The two most important times to consume carbohydrates, preferably with protein, are right after your workout and first thing in the morning. During both of these situations your body’s glucose levels are very low, if you have any glucose in your body at all, and you’re at risk of having your body eat away at your muscles for energy. You remember that protein in your muscles? Well given the choice between maintaining your muscles or survival your body wll always choose survival and eat away at your muscles! You wouldn’t want that now would you?

So make sure you consume plenty of protein and enough carbs to maintain your weight and energy levels but not too much more becuase they will pack on more fat then muscle onto your frame.

Last but certainly not least is rest. Your muscles need plenty of rest for them to grow and that’s why the majority of your muscle growth will occur at night while you’re sleeping. So make sure you’re sleeping at least 7-8 hours every night and if you’re really serious about adding muscle then you won’t expend too much energy during the day either. Those that want explosive muscle growth will drink a glass of milk and a bowl of ottage cheese before they go to bed. Casein is found in both milk and cottage cheese and is ideal for building muscle when you’re sleeping.

So there you have it. As you can see adding muscle to your body is as basic as these three steps. Workout to tear the muscle. Make sure you get plenty of carbohydrates to fuel your body and plenty of protein for new muscular growth. And finally rest so you can give your muscles a chance to rebuild. Eat, train, sleep and grow.

Building Muscle Takes A Lot More Then Just Lifting Weights is a post from: Health and Lifestyle
For more on Fitness: Bodybuilding Workouts

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