Greek Yogurt Protein Content

Posted on January 31, 2011 by admin

Today I want to tell you guys about Greek yogurt. It has been exploding in popularity, and for good reason. Yogurt is already a great snack, and great for you, but imagine a yogurt that has less than half the carbs of regular yogurt, and around DOUBLE the protein content? We are talking 22 grams per 8oz serving!

Got your attention yet?

My favorite brand is Trader Joes 0% fat greek yogurt. It has a similar nutrition profile to Fage total greek (one of the most popular), but is quite a bit cheaper.

It may take a bit of getting use to for some of you, it’s a bit more tart than regular yogurt, and quite a bit thicker (they double drain it through cheesecloth to get rid of the excess whey protein, as well as carbohydrates), but for some of you, it’s going to taste better right off the bat!

My favorite way to enjoy it is for breakfast, here is my mini recipe.

1 8oz serving of zero fat greek yogurt
a splash of pomegranate juice to desired consistancy
1/2 cut of fiber one, or other high fiber cereal
a small handful of walnuts.

all mixed together.

You get probiotics and high protein from the yogurt, a nice dose of anti oxidants from the pomegranate juice, a great start to your daily fiber intake from the cereal, and a helpful dose of omega 3 fatty acids from the walnuts, all in one delicious meal. Try it out, it’s great, and keeps you full until lunch, easily!

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Protein Packed Thanksgiving!

Posted on November 25, 2010 by admin

It’s Turkey time again!

protein diet planIt’s one of my favorite times of year. Not only do I get to get together with friends and family, but I get to maximize my protein diet plan. What other time of the year can you get such a lean protein source for .30 – .50 a pound? There are some crazy sales out there. Sometimes I even get my turkey for free when I spend a certain amount at the store.

I tend to stock up. I usually will pick up 6 or 7 turkeys during this time of year and keep them in my dedicated freezer (a must have, if you ask me!).

I like to break down a few of them so that I don’t have to roast an entire bird every time. I’ll separate the wings and legs, and the breasts, then I usually shrink wrap them with my machine so that they don’t get freezer burn. I’ll eat them for the next 7 or 8 months. When you are on a high protein diet plan, it’s nice to have options. Something a little different than the usual pork, chicken, and beef.

After Thanksgiving I usually have a good 10 lbs of leftover meat. Over the next few days I’ll use it not only to make sandwiches, but tacos, turkey salads, soup, and I’ve even used some curry powder and coconut milk to create the most delicious turkey curry. Awesome!

Stock up now, and save some serious cash people. It’s a dirt cheap source of lean protein, and you don’t find those around very often. Also, make sure to keep the carcass to make some turkey stock! Don’t waste a thing. My mom taught me that, lol.

Till next time folks. Keep your protein intake high, and your family close.

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How to Curb Hunger

Posted on September 28, 2010 by admin

When was the last time you forgot to eat?

Doesn’t happen too often does it? After a little while your stomach is growling and begging for food. Well, when you are on a weight loss plan, this can be a very bad thing for your waistline.

On a high protein diet plan you really have to be careful how you eat. Since you are cutting carbs down, you have to make sure that you are getting enough fiber in your diet. Eat beans, lots of veggies, and even take some fiber supplements (psyllium husk is my favorite).

Sometimes that’s not enough to curb hunger though.

My SECRET Weapon

hoodia gordonii pictureHoodia Gordonii – a cactus from south africa

It’s been used for centuries by tribesmen to curb their hunger while they are out on hunting parties. Some of you guys may have heard of it from the Oprah show (that’s where I came across it).

I was skeptical at first, but decided to give it a try (after doing some research as to which company has the most PURE product available). I can say it totally works. 100% amazing product. I’m not sure about all the claims it makes, but as far as hunger control (which is why I wanted it), it absolutely does what it says.

Sometimes I’ll actually forget to eat! Which is bad. I started setting the alarm on my cell phone to remind me, lol.

Anyway, thought I would tell you guys about it in case any of you suffer from the same hunger related weight loss issues that I do. Good luck on your protein diet plan.

I use this one. They have their purity tests available on their website, and they gave me a risk free 30 day trial, so there is nothing to lose.

Try this weight loss aid risk free today – here.

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Keeping Your Food Exciting!

Posted on August 3, 2010 by admin


I was talking to a friend that I helped set up a protein diet plan a few months ago (she has already lost 23lbs, yay!). Anyway, she called me up and told me that she was getting bored with her diet, which really surprised me.

She is a real carb addict though, and has had problems making the switch to a much more meat based diet. I mean, yeah, I love pasta as much as the next person, but there is a whole other world of food out there that fit in with the higher protein lifestyle.

After talking with her for a while, I found out that she was having many of her meals with just salad, a little brown rice, and boneless skinless chicken breasts, which if it’s anything like I had last time I was over, was cooked to death (no offense Sarah! :) ).

The very first thing I did was recommend she started using boneless skinless chicken THIGHS instead of breasts. Yeah, they have a bit more fat to them (not much at all really, just an extra gram or two) so they are way easier to cook for a busy mom. No matter how distracted you get, the little bit of extra fat is going to keep them from getting all dried out in the cooking process.

The other thing I recommended was to begin experimenting with all of the world of spices that are available out there. When I am on a protein diet plan I always love to switch things up. I like to check out the ethnic grocery isles (or stores) around my area and try new things.

Here is one of my favorite go to recipes.

1lb chicken thigh meat cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
season salt to taste
Pepper to taste.

Let it marinate for 2 hours to overnight, and cook it up in a hot pan with a little oil.

I like to serve it with some prepared tzatziki sauce on a flat bread or naan (whole wheat if you can find them!), and whatever fresh veggies I have laying around the fridge.

It got me thinking. I’ll make sure that I share some of my favorite recipes with you guys soon. Wouldn’t want anyone getting bored, because there is a world of flavor possibilities to keep your taste buds excited on a protein diet plan.

Also, don’t forget, spicy peppers will give your metabolism a nudge in the right direction, so eat up as much spicy food as you want!

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Is This a Low Carb Diet Plan?

Posted on July 27, 2010 by admin

The short answer to this question is No. The longer answer, is maybe, lol. Ok, now let me explain what I mean.

A high protein diet plan can also be low carb, if that is what works for you. There are people out there who are very susceptible to insulin in the blood from food. If you have cut your calories, yet you are still not losing weight, I highly recommend that you begin playing with your carbohydrate intake level, and type.

Eating simple sugars and “white” foods like bread, regular rice, and pasta is treated the same in your body as if it was a candy bar, or something similar. This boosts up the insulin levels in your blood, which absolutely halts fat loss for the time being.

As a note, the one time that you may want to spike your insulin is right after doing a weight workout. Having 30-40g of simple carbs to refill your muscles glycogen stores is going to be beneficial to you if you are dieting, or if you are trying to add muscle. Feel free to have a small scoop of sorbet, some jelly beans, or a sports drink at this time.

The rest of the day you should limit your carbs to slow digesting carbohydrates. Things like whole wheat pasta, brown rice, quinoa, beans and lentils, whole grain breads, and whole fruits (berries are amazing to add antioxidants and are very low in calories).

The problem with low carb diets is that after a few days when the glycogen is fully depleted in your body, you do burn a bit more fat, but you also get very lethargic and your muscles kind of flatten out a bit, which has a negative effect on your workouts. Cortisol, which is a stress hormone that blunts fat burning, also gets higher.

The answer to that, if low carb works for you, is to take every third day, and eat a good level of carbs. This will reset cortisol, and ignite your internal fat burning furnace. It’s the best of both worlds, just don’t use this as an opportunity to splurge on ice cream or something, add in a nice large yam and a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast instead (a little sugar is ok, everything in moderation). Your body will thank you for it!

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How Much Protein is Enough?

Posted on July 27, 2010 by admin


There are a few different ways that you are going to want to calculate how much protein you get per day. First, and foremost, you have to assess your goals. If you are working out (which you most definitely should be doing!) then your protein needs are going to be a bit higher than if you are a couch potato. Also, you are going to want to calculate your ideal body weight to figure out how much lean body mass you should be carrying around on a day to day basis.

Usually when talking to females that lift weights, many of them get this fear of “bulking up” and getting too masculine. Well, let me tell you, that just isn’t going to happen. When you see these female bodybuilders they are taking steroids and other hormones to increase the amount of testosterone in their blood in order to increase size. In general, going all natural, a woman isn’t going to be able to increase their muscle mass more than 8-10 percent, which is NOT going to make you look bulky.

It IS important to spare as much muscle mass as you can though while dieting, because muscle burns a lot more calories on a given day than fat does. This is the reason that when you yo-yo diet, that you always end up gaining more weight than when you started.

When you get on a protein diet plan, this helps to preserve muscle mass even though you are on a restricted calorie plan because there is always a steady stream of protein in the body for rebuilding muscle. If you don’t have enough protein, then your system ends up breaking down your own muscle mass to take care of body functions, as well, as taking care of caloric needs. You do NOT want this to happen.

The general rule is 1 gram of protein per lb of body weight. Here is the trick though. Go based on the weight that you WANT to be, not the weight you currently are. If you are a 160lb female, and want to be 125, then 125 grams of protein a day.

I usually suggest a 6 meal a day diet plan (3 solid meals, and 3 smaller snack type meals). If you are doing 6 meals a day with the above example, you are going to want around 20g of protein per meal. Of course if you do 5 a day, it would be 25g per meal. Etc. I really wouldn’t suggest going under 5 meals per day though, to maximize the boost in your metabolism that comes from the act of eating.

Some medical professionals disagree with higher protein diets, so make sure you check with your physician before embarking on any protein diet plan.

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List of High Protein Foods

Posted on July 27, 2010 by admin

Lets start with some of the staple foods that you are going to want to go with:

All 4oz (uncooked) portions:

Chicken breast (skinless) – 26 grams of protein
Chicken breast (skinless) – 22 grams of protein
Turkey breast (skinless) -  28 grams of protein
Tilapia – 23 grams of protein
Shrimp – 23 grams of protein
Crab – 21 grams of protein
Tuna (canned in water) – 29 grams of protein
Pork tenderloin – 24 grams of protein

As you can see, it’s not extremely hard to get in your daily needs on the protein diet plan. It’s simply a matter of discipline.

Also, don’t shy away from red meat, especially if you are exercising and lifting weights (unless you have health issues, and your doctor says that you should). Having it a couple of times per week helps to maintain and increase testosterone levels which will help you add muscle. Don’t worry ladies, it isn’t going to make you bulky, or give you a mustache, lol.

If you are a vegan or vegetarian it’s also quite easy to get in your protein, but you have to leverage the extra carbs into your overall plan.

Black beans
Garbanzo beans
Navy beans
Lentils
Soy beans
Kidney beans

all of the above have between 7 and 10 grams of protein per half a cup serving. These aren’t complete proteins, so make sure to vary your carbs in order to create a whole amino acid profile in your diet. This is the reason that beans and rice are so popular around the world. It’s a complete protein, and it’s quite filling.

Quinoa is an amazing WHOLE protein vegetable/grain source that is also filled with fiber, and overall is much more healthy for you than say brown rice, or the like. Cook it with chicken stock, and make it extra delicious.

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Thermic Effect of Food

Posted on July 27, 2010 by admin

Now, this may get a little technical, but it is going to explain the greatest benefits of a protein diet plan. We are going to delve into the subject of the thermic effect of food, or TEF for short.

Simply put, TEF refers to the amount of energy (calories) that your body has to expend in order to break down and digest different macro nutrients.

Fat has around a 3% TEF, which means that for every 100 calories of fat you ingest, it only takes 3 calories worth of energy in order to break down and digest it.

Carbohydrates have around a 7% TEF, which means that if you eat 100 calories of carbs, your body only needs 7 calories to break it down.

Now, here is where things get interesting…

Protein has about a 25-30% TEF. Yeah, you read that correctly, if you eat 100 calories of protein your body, after digestion, is only going to actually be metabolizing about 70 calories worth of food! Now, you are starting to see why the protein diet plan is such an amazing idea, especially for people that have grazing and hunger issues during times of calorie restriction.

Now, this isn’t an exact science, there are many variables from person to person as to the percentage of calories that are burned from the digestion of food. If you exercise more often, and your body gets good at processing sugar, then your carbohydrate rations are going to be quite different. Your body will simply become better at processing food due to increased need of glycogen replacement within the muscle tissues.

Heck, I guess that didn’t end up being too technical at all, lol. Hopefully you guys were able to easily figure this out, and can immediately begin adding these key tricks into your everyday diet.

This is sort of a precursor to the “negative calorie diet” that you may have seen around. It has a bit of merit, but not really. Most vegetables are going to have more calories than the 7% that is quoted above, no matter how water filled or full of fiber. Maybe if you just eat celery or iceberg lettuce all day, which would quickly get very, very, boring. A high protein diet plan is the way to go.

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Dieting Basics

Posted on July 27, 2010 by admin

Before we get into the benefits of going on a high protein diet plan, let’s get some of the dieting basics out of the way.

A high protein diet is not a magical cure for your weight loss woes. Losing weight is a very simple equation of energy in vs energy expended through calorie restriction and exercise. Any diet that you choose is never going to change that. There is no magic bullet, but luckily there are quite a few tips that we can provide you that will assist you in making the most of your dieting efforts.

There are many online calorie calculators that I have found useful over the years. Here is a secret though, you can’t just take them at face value. In order for the calculation to work for everyone it has to be very generic.

The problem with this though, is that there is a lean body mass (lbm) baseline that is expected. If you fall in the obese, or morbidly obese, category then this is NOT going to work out for you. Say you are a 350lb male, most of these calculators will tell you to take in 2800-3000 calories for weight loss. I don’t know about you, but that seems crazy high to me.

Now, we here at the protein diet plan are going to let you in on a little secret. Don’t take your actual weight to figure out calories, take the calories of the weight that you WANT to be and plug that in. Weight loss totals generally would be around 1800-2000 for the sample above. That is MUCH more reasonable.

The type of calories that you take in is also important. Most of you know that a gram of protein is 4 calories, a gram of carbs is 4 calories, a gram of fat is 9 calories, and a gram of alcohol is 7 calories. Anyone looking to lose weight memorizes that way early on in their endeavors.

What they don’t know is the actual effects of these foods on their body, and that is the secret that we are going to unlock for you guys.

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