Let me guess; muscles, gym bros, supplements, etc. Am I on the right track? If so, you are one of the vast majority of people who have only been told about a small part of the benefits of the single most versatile nutrient that exists and here are three fun facts that should get you cooking up some steak or tempeh in no time!
- Fact 1: Protein can help you lower body fat %! Protein has a double whammy benefit when it comes to lowering body fat % when you combine it with a regular resistance training program. Firstly, it helps repair and build your muscles after training which can increase body weight without increasing fat and secondly, it can help reduce your fat mass by making you feel more full throughout the day! This is because protein doesn’t digest as quickly or efficiently as carbohydrates and fats, meaning your body burns more calories breaking it down and takes longer to make room for the next meal, reducing the likelihood of overeating! It’s a win-win!
- Fact 2: There’s protein in every cell of your body, not just in the muscles! While it’s true your muscles make great use of protein, every cell from your skin to your brain to your blood needs it too! Without protein, your body cannot survive and must break down existing protein stores (aka muscles!) to maintain your vital organs and brain. So if you want to stay healthy, make sure you're getting enough protein in your diet!
- Fact 3: Protein is most effective during rest! Finally, protein may be capable of a lot more than we thought but it still needs a helping hand in order to be truly effective and that comes from us giving our bodies time to recover through rest. I’m sure we’ve all heard of the phrase ‘fight or flight’, but few have heard of its counterpart ‘rest and digest’! These days we live such busy, hectic lives that our bodies keep us in fight or flight mode the majority of the day so we rarely allow our bodies the time to recover properly, however, if you can implement some small tweaks to your routine to allow for some additional rest (both physically AND mentally) and make sure to get 6-8 hours sleep a night or more, your body will reward you for it with better, faster recovery and more energy throughout the day, both of which are things that protein is great at providing us with!
These are just three things that make protein amazing! Hopefully, you’ve learnt something new and if you have any questions or are simply eager to learn more, contact us to book a free initial consultation, looking forward to meeting you all in the Studio!
