Protein Diet A protein-based diet has become very popular in recent years due to the spread of diet plans such as the Atkins weight loss programme. These types of plans involve consuming protein-rich foods at every meal and eliminating or restricting carbohydrates. The assumption behind these diets for weight loss and/or muscle development is that by reducing the intake of carbohydrates and increasing the level of protein, the body will change to ketosis – a process by which the body uses its own fat as the primary fuel source instead of carbohydrate. This means that essentially, the body is forced to burn fat as there are not enough carbohydrate levels in the body. Sources of Protein A protein diet usually involves high consumption of meat, fish cheese, nuts, eggs and certain vegetables. All types of meat is naturally high in protein including poultry, fish, beef, pork and lamb. Eggs are a fantastic food for this type of diet plan as they are loaded with other useful nutrients such as omega fats. Cheeses are also a good protein-dense food group as are nuts like almonds, brazil nuts and walnuts. It is also crucial to have a healthy portion of vegetables with every meal in order to get as much nutritional value as possible and to get enough fibre in the diet. Green and leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, cabbages and broccoli are some of the best options but all types of vegetables will up your fibre intake and boost your vitamins and minerals so it is crucial to include these in generous amounts. It is also vital to drink around 2 litres of water every day and include some herbal teas on a regular basis if possible to eliminate toxins from the body. Foods to Avoid Carbohydrate-dense foods should be either banned or carefully controlled on a protein diet. This means that all grains, sugars, fruits and processed foods are almost entirely eliminated. Foodstuffs such as bread, pasta, rice, cereals and other grains are avoided. Fruits that are high in natural sugar like apples, pineapples, melons, oranges, mangoes and bananas should also be restricted. Processed food which look innocent enough may also be loaded with hidden sugars and for this reason it is best to stick with natural food or meals you make yourself from scratch so that you know exactly what is in everything. Of course snacks like chocolates, biscuits, cakes, sweets and crisps are completely unacceptable also which is one of the reasons many people find this type of plan quite difficult to stick to initially. However, such cravings are usually greatly reduced after a few weeks as the body gets used to being without sudden sugar rushes.

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