How much do I need?
Try to keep foods such as smoked bacon and salmon to occasional treats.
* Many animal proteins are high in saturated fat or cooked with a lot of fat (oil, lard, dripping).
* Studies have linked eating a lot of red and processed meat to an increased risk of bowel and stomach cancer.
* Cooking meat, poultry and fish at high temperatures creates chemicals called heterocyclic amines (HAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). It's thought HAs and PAHs may increase our risk of cancer, but more research is needed. PAHs are also found in the exhaust fumes and tobacco smoke.
* Plant-based proteins are low in fat and high in fibre, vitamins and minerals.
* Plant proteins contain phytochemicals that contribute towards health and disease prevention. For example, isoflavones found in soya beans have antioxidant properties, thought to be important in the prevention of cancer.
How much do I need?
Energy and protein
* 1g carbohydrate: 3.75 calories.
* 1g protein: 4 calories.
* 1g fat: 9 calories.
* 1g alcohol: 7 calories.
Current advice says protein only has to make up 10 to 15 per cent of your daily diet to meet your body's needs. That's around 55g for men and 45g for women.
Most of us eat more than this, and the British Nutrition Foundation puts the average adult intake at 88g for men and 64g for women.
* Around two thirds of the protein we eat is from animal sources.
* We get a quarter of our protein from cereal products (wheat, bread, oats).
* Nuts and pulses make up most of the final twelfth.
How much protein do foods contain?
Below are some examples of foods, so you can compare protein content. You can also check nutrition labels to find out how much protein something contains.
* One skinless chicken breast (130g): 41g protein.
* One small fillet steak (200g): 52g protein.
* One beef burger or pork sausage: 8g protein.
* One portion of poached skinless cod fillet (150g): 32g protein.
* Half a can of tuna: 19g protein.
* One portion of cheese (50g): 12g protein.
* One medium egg: 6g protein.
* 150ml glass of milk: 5g protein.
* One tablespoon of boiled red lentils (40g): 3g protein.
* One portion of tofu (125g): 15g protein.
* One slice medium wholemeal bread: 4g protein.
* One slice medium white bread: 3g protein.
Tips for healthy living
* Include oily fish in your diet at least twice a week.
* Try using soya products such as veggie mince and tofu. They will take up the flavour of the dish if you add them to stews and sauces.
* Snack on seeds and unsalted nuts. Try sunflower, pumpkin or sesame seeds and brazils, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds.
* Look at using pulses as an alternative source of protein. They include chickpeas, a wide range of lentils, split peas and a vast range of beans from the black-eyed to the broad, butter and kidney.
* Have one vegetarian meal each week.
You don't need to banish meat from your diet altogether.
1. Use lean cuts of meat and poultry.
2. Trim off any fat, eg the skin on chicken breasts and the rind on bacon.
3. Choose smaller portions.
4. Reduce the frequency of meat-based meals.
5. Pay particular attention to how you cook meat.
Temperature is the most important factor in the production of heterocyclic amines (HAs).
* Frying, chargrilling, and barbequing produce the largest amounts of HAs when the cooking temperature is increased from 200°C to 250°C.
* Oven roasting and baking use lower temperatures, and so produce lower levels of HAs.
* Stewing, boiling and poaching all use temperatures below 100°C and so produce very few HAs.
* Avoid gravy made from dripping because it contains substantial amounts of HAs.
* Microwaving meat for two minutes before cooking reduces the HA content by about 90 per cent.
* Cooking meat for a long time (ie well done or very well done) produces more of these chemicals.
* Protein from milk, eggs, tofu and organ meats such as liver have very little or no HA content, even when cooked.
Jennifer, a middle-aged single mother with one six-year-old daughter, has been skipping sweets for a few weeks now. She’s also become a stickler for portion control. She feels as if she’s eating less than ever, and she’s been diligently exercising for an hour at a time at least four days a week. Yet, she hasn’t lost a single pound. The question is, “Why?”
This is a dilemma which affects dieters the world over. They think they are taking the steps necessary to lose weight, but nothing seems to be happening. In essence, they are trapped in a dieting rut and they don’t know how to free themselves. As a result, they become frustrated and depressed and may then engage in binge eating.
One of the problems with diets is that they are often standardized. As a result, they don’t take into consideration your individual physiology and metabolism. They provide a cookie-cutter approach to weight loss—an approach which may not work in your individual case. As a result, an increasing number of people are turning to dieticians to formulate a person weight loss strategy for them. This process has been made easier through the Internet, where you can correspond with a dietician any time of the day or night via e-mail. The dietician can also act as your personal coach, helping you through your dieting dilemmas.
Another reason that you may be failing at your diet is because of a lack of support. You may have family members who can eat whatever they want and seemingly not gain a pound. As a result, they may fill your refrigerator with junk food, leading you into temptation. Also, you may feel as if you have no one to turn to in order to discuss your weight problems. In order to solve this problem, many individuals look to psychotherapists to help them with their food-related issues. This can be particularly important if an individual has turned to purging in an effort to combat their weight problems. Bulimia is a serious disease which must be treated in order to ensure the good health of the patient. Thankfully, there are a number of treatment programs throughout the U.S. specifically focusing on bulimia.
Yet another reason for diet failure is hidden calories. You may literally be consuming calories and not even realize it. For instance, the frappucinos that are so popular today are loaded with calories—as many as 600 in a single serving! You may also be indulging in sugary sodas—another source of extra calories. By taking a few simple steps, such as eliminating the exotic coffee drinks from your diet and substituting skim milk for whole milk, you may be able to eliminate the hidden calories that are denying you dieting success.
Lack of consistency can also be a diet-killer. You might go on a diet for a while, then quit before you’ve made any measurable progress. It’s only natural to want to see quick results. The problem is that healthy weight loss involves losing only a couple of pounds a week. That means you’ll have to stay on your diet for months before you see appreciable weight loss. Discouraging? It can be, but if you keep a positive attitude you can achieve your ideal weight.
You may also be more successful in your dieting if you consider it to be a lifestyle change. Therefore, your diet becomes a meal plan for life. This means that you must change the way you look at food. It is designed to be fuel for your body, and nothing more. As a result, you should not turn to food to make you feel better or to provide you with a sense of comfort. A lifestyle change implies commitment; it means that you are prepared to follow the plan for the long haul. If you feel as if you cannot be on your diet for any appreciable length of time, perhaps it’s time to consider a different diet. Your aim ultimately should be not simply to lose weight, but to become healthier. A fad diet will not allow you to reach that milestone. Therefore, you must choose your diet carefully.
Protein
Protein is vital for the healthy growth, development and repair of virtually all cells in the human body; from nails and hair to skin, organs, tissues and ligaments. In fact, protein accounts for around 17% of your total body weight!
