With this research project we are strictly promoting women’s health. We are in no way saying that the high protein diet is good or bad. We just give the reader things to consider.
Our world is imaged based. There are companies using celebrities to promote diets that are a quick fix. People will try anything to get the image of a celebrity or models.
Should women consume a high protein diet for quick weight loss?
What is a high protein diet?
High-protein diets have been widely promoted in recent years as an effective approach to losing weight. These diets generally recommend dieters receive 30% to 50% of their total calories from protein (WebMD 2000). According to Stephanie Lasch who is a DTR at Total Fitness recommends this diet over most. She says that this is a healthy diet it is better than the fad diets. This is a healthy way to lose weight. Through our research we will be able to find out if a high protein diet is safe and can help lose weight in women. The current recommended dietary allowance for protein is 0.8 g/kg, with a high protein diet it is increased to 1.2-1.8 g/kg, Stephanie explained. A "Protein diet is probably the most powerful and effective diet that helps women to lose weight, especially if combined with exercises" (Rumiana Ilieva). Protein is a chief component of the organs, skin, muscles and glands. Every cell and most bodily fluids contain protein. Dietary protein is needed to help repair cells and create new ones. Protein is also vital for bone health which is especially important for women. Women are nearly twice as likely as men to suffer osteoporosis-related fractures, according to MayoClinic.com. A high protein diet is generally considered safe for healthy women when its limited to a few months.(Hellesvig-Gaskell 2011)
What foods are considered high in protein?
Eggs
Eggs are very high in protein and low in calories.
Fish
Eating fish on a high protein diet is a great choice. It contains large amounts of protein as well as the beneficial fatty acid omega 3, which is good for your heart.
Meat
Red meat is packed full of protein and should be included on a high protein diet. Choose lean cuts to avoid eating more fat than necessary.
Poultry
Turkey and chicken both contain high amounts of protein. To get the best benefits select skinless cuts of poultry to avoid saturated fat.
Fruits and Vegetables
While fruits and vegetables do not contain as much protein as other foods, it is imperative to include them in your high protein diet. They contain many minerals and vitamins needed to stay healthy.
Whole Grains
Whole grains are generally limited to one or two servings per day on a high protein diet and should include whole grain breads and pastas rather than white bread and pasta.
Eggs are very high in protein and low in calories.
Fish
Eating fish on a high protein diet is a great choice. It contains large amounts of protein as well as the beneficial fatty acid omega 3, which is good for your heart.
Meat
Red meat is packed full of protein and should be included on a high protein diet. Choose lean cuts to avoid eating more fat than necessary.
Poultry
Turkey and chicken both contain high amounts of protein. To get the best benefits select skinless cuts of poultry to avoid saturated fat.
Fruits and Vegetables
While fruits and vegetables do not contain as much protein as other foods, it is imperative to include them in your high protein diet. They contain many minerals and vitamins needed to stay healthy.
Whole Grains
Whole grains are generally limited to one or two servings per day on a high protein diet and should include whole grain breads and pastas rather than white bread and pasta.
What are the risk's?
The risk's were found on WebMD website.
High protein, low-carb diets can cause a number of health problems, including:
High protein, low-carb diets can cause a number of health problems, including:
- Kidney failure. Consuming too much protein puts a strain on the kidneys, which can make a person susceptible to kidney disease.
- High cholesterol . It is well known that high protein diets (consisting of red meat, whole dairy products, and other high fat foods) are linked to high cholesterol. Studies have linked high cholesterol levels to an increased risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
- Osteoporosis and kidney stones. High protein diets have also been shown to cause people to excrete more calcium than normal through their urine. Over a prolonged period of time, this can increase a person's risk of osteoporosis and kidney stones.
- Cancer. One of the reasons high protein diets increase the risks of certain health problems is because of the avoidance of carbohydrate-containing foods and the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants they contain. It is therefore important to obtain your protein from a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Not only are your needs for protein being met, but you are also helping to reduce your risk of developing cancer.
- Unhealthy metabolic state (ketosis). Low-carb diets can cause your body to go into a dangerous metabolic state called ketosis since your body burns fat instead of glucose for energy. During ketosis, the body forms substances known as ketones, which can cause organs to fail and result in gout, kidney stones, or kidney failure. Ketones can also dull a person's appetite, cause nausea and bad breath. Ketosis can be prevented by eating at least 100 grams of carbohydrates a day.
An example for a day on protein diet
The eating schedule for a high protein diet is every two hours:
7-8 am – low fat plain yoghurt (no more than a pound)
10 am – 150 grams cottage cheese with tomatoes.
12 am – 150 grams baked meat and salad.
2 pm – plain yogurt
4 pm – egg whites and salad
6 pm – 150 grams baked meat (or fish) and salad
8 pm – tofu soup
This information was found on the Rumiana Ilieva article.
7-8 am – low fat plain yoghurt (no more than a pound)
10 am – 150 grams cottage cheese with tomatoes.
12 am – 150 grams baked meat and salad.
2 pm – plain yogurt
4 pm – egg whites and salad
6 pm – 150 grams baked meat (or fish) and salad
8 pm – tofu soup
This information was found on the Rumiana Ilieva article.
Is a high protein diet considered a fad diet?
What is a fad diet?
This is what a fad diet is according to familydoctor.org
"A fad diet is a weight loss plan or aid that promises dramatic results. These diets typically don't result in long-term weight loss and they are usually not very healthy. In fact, some of these diets can actually be dangerous to your health. Some common diet types are listed in the box below."
"A fad diet is a weight loss plan or aid that promises dramatic results. These diets typically don't result in long-term weight loss and they are usually not very healthy. In fact, some of these diets can actually be dangerous to your health. Some common diet types are listed in the box below."
Here are some examples of fad diets.
Controlled Carbohydrates
- Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution
- The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet
- Protein Power
- Sugar Busters
- The Zone
- Dr. Dean Ornish: Eat More, Weigh Less
- The Good Carbohydrate Revolution
- The Pritikin Principle
- Dr. Shapiro's Picture Perfect Weight Loss
- Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan
- Fit for Life
- Suzanne Somers' Somersizing
- Cambridge Diet
- Slim-Fast
- Dexatrim Natural
- Hydroxycut
- Metabolife 356
These fad diets are the easy way out. Most women fall into the fad diet craze when they want that quick fix. But they do not realize that they are causing more harm to their bodies. They are depriving their bodies of nutrients. Once these fad diets are stopped, the pounds come back, and they come back fast. These diets may work at first but they do not help you keep the weight off. The important thing to remember when dieting is that a well-balanced diet combined with exercise is the key! High protein diets are similar to fad diets because they produce quick weight loss results. Our world, like Stephanie said in the interview is imaged based. They have celebrities selling these diets and most of the time they are not doing these diets themselves. People will try anything to get the image of a celebrity or models. Companies take advantage of these people and promise quick weight loss that happens fast. People do not want to wait for results or actually put effort in to it so this is the easy way out. If celebrities, like Stephanie said, promoted healthy food choices or healthy diets there would not be as many people eating McDonald’s. The fad diets, like slim fast, are very popular because in some cases they work fast and for a short time. They tend to be convenient. People love how easily accessible these diets are for them. “However, it’s likely that much of the weight you lose is from water and lean muscle, not from body fat” (Familydortor.org). Women cannot always keep up with the diet or their health begins to decline, so they stop and then gain all the weight back that they had lost.
The difference between Atkins a high protein no carbohydrate diet and a High protein diet.
Atkins is a low-carbohydrate diet, which involves limited consumption of carbohydrates to switch the body's metabolism from metabolizing glucose as energy over to converting stored body fat to energy. With the Atkins diet you cut out all breads and grains the whole bottom of the food pyramid is gone to that dieter. With high protein you still have that bottom, and eat breads and grains. The only real differences between the two are the carbohydrates. So we believe that a high protein diet would be considered a fad diet. Again as we said above it’s a quick way to lose weight but it is defiantly not a good diet to stay on long term.
The pros and cons of a High Protein diet.
Pro1.) Quick initial weight loss
2.)Quick loss is motivating and strengthens willpower 3.)Drop in cholesterol levels 4.)Feel satisfied 5.)Repairs ripped muscle |
Con1.) Risks:
Kidney failure, high colesterol, osteoporosis, kidney stones, cancer, and unhealthy meabolic state 2.) Dieter's LDL cholesterol increases (which is the bad type) 3.) Less carbohydrates to burn for energy, the body goes into a state of ketosis 4.)Headaches and irritability 5.) High in unhealthy saturated fat 6.)Low in healthy fruits and vegetables |
Afterword
When Lindsay and I finished our research on weather a women 18-35 should consume a high protein diet, we found that it only safe for a healthy women. A healthy woman would be someone who is active, exercises, medically able, and not suffering from life threatening conditions. (Such as kidney problem could intensify the problems of the dieter) If you are not healthy we do not recommend this diet to you. High protein diets are only safe for a few temporary time frames. If you are looking for quick weight loss, a high protein diet will work. But if this diet is used in a long term you run the risk of kidney failure, high cholesterol, Osteoporosis, kidney stones, cancer, and unhealthy metabolic state (ketosis). If you’re a busy women it is a very tedious diet to consider. The amount of protein necessary to consume is above average. There are also more cons than pros, so this is something that really needs to be considered. It is a better diet when a woman is working out because the protein diet helps repair ripped muscles from strenuous exercising. This was different than we originally thought. Our first thought was that a high protein diets is by far better than the fad diets. But through further research we found that we were wrong. High protine and fad diets are somewhat similar and could be considered a fad diet.