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Eat Protein To Get Lean - Top 10 Protein Foods For A Healthy Diet

Fat Loss Nutrition Basics
Eating to get lean is not as difficult or confusing as we have been lead to believe. The problem is the quick fix mentality and distorted reality supplement companies and diet programs try to sell us. The best method of nutrition to achieve a lean and healthy body is one that consists of mainly whole foods and is macronutrient balanced. When trying to lose body fat, we want to make sure we cover the essentials and avoid the pitfalls. Once these bases are covered, fat loss will become natural. First, we want to make sure we get a body fat test to find out how much lean body mass we truly have. There are several methods at your disposal, with varying degrees of accuracy. Underwater weighing, bioelectrical impedance scales, skin fold calipers, or even just body a few simple tape measurements like the US Navy or YMCA methods. I suggest just about any of the above methods will suffice for our purposes as long as it is used consistently. Precision is far more important than the accuracy to gauge progress. We are also going to use our lean body weight to calculate how much we eat and what that food is made up of. If your primary goal is fat loss, I suggest a starting point of 1 gram of carbohydrate per pound of lean body mass (LBM), 1 gram of protein per pound of LBM and 0.5 gram of fat per pound of LBM. Simply take your body fat percentage (in decimal form) and multiply it by your weight and that equals the pounds of body fat you carry. Then subtract that number from your total bodyweight and that is your lean body mass. So let’s deal with an example, just so there is no confusion. Say you are 200 lbs and have a body fat of 25%. Then,

• lbs body fat = 0.25 x 200 = 50 lbs
• lbs lean body mass = 200 – 50 = 150 lbs

To lose body fat, you want to shoot for 150 g carbs/day, 150 g protein/day, and 75 g fat/day if you were the above person! Divide that up into four to six small meals and presto, you are going to preserve lean mass and burn fat. Say you choose to eat five meals a day, that is 30 g carbs, 30 g protein and 15 g fat per meal. These are merely targets and meant to be guidelines. You won’t hit these numbers exactly, just be in the ball park and you’ll be just fine. I also recommended that you take two days a week (you choose) and you double your carbohydrate intake. Now, take one of those two higher carbohydrate days and also double your fat intake, but on only one. This will help satisfy cravings for your favorite foods, recharge your metabolism and also keep your body from adapting to the decrease in calories. It is a planned diversion and one that if will only help if strategically used. Now that we know what to eat and how much, we must now focus on the best choices in each category.

Proteins
Virtually everybody knows that protein plays a critical role in achieving and maintaining the body we want. You often hear of low carb or low fat diets, but rarely if ever do you hear of a low protein diet for good health or a fit body. That is because it is just that important to get adequate lean protein in our diet if we even want to consider having a sexy lean body. It may seem as cut an dry as boneless/skinless chicken breasts, canned water-packed tuna, egg whites and whey powder, and these are fine foods, but there are many incredible sources of protein that will not only help dramatically improve your shape, but also your total health. In addition, not all protein sources that are best for health and fitness are all that lean, or ultra low in fat. Let’s sort through the basics and find out what the best sources of this critical macronutrient are.

10.) Amish-style, organic raw milk cheese: Cheese? On a diet? Cheese is thought of by most folks to be the ultimate fat food, building an obese body one slice after succulent slice. But wait a minute, if the cows are organically grass-fed and the milk not pasteurized, the fat in cheese is actually very healthy, with some omega-3 fatty acids and CLA acting on your lean behalf. The protein is all casein, a slow digesting protein that I wouldn’t recommend immediately post workout, but for a late evening snack or on a salad, a pretty good choice. You can find several varieties at natural whole food markets.

9.) Organic, free-range chicken breast: Most commercial chicken these days are laden with hormones, antibiotics, pesticides and food-borne pathogens. They aren’t worth your time, money or health! However, natural, free-range white chicken meat is super lean and a healthy protein source. For a little more bank, it is available at most supermarkets. You still need to cook this thoroughly, to 155°F minimum. Pull off that fatty skin too. Other than that, grill, bake, broil, or sauté and enjoy!

8.) Milk-fed veal, preferably from an organic, grass-fed mother: Just because it is an excellent source of protein doesn’t mean you have to eat it. I personally don’t eat veal, as I don’t like the idea of slaughtering young calves for food. From a nutritional standpoint, however, it is worth mentioning because it is a truly lean and healthy protein choice. Anyway, to each there own.

7.) Farm fresh eggs from free-range, organically vegetarian-fed chickens: True eggs like these, yolks included, are excellent whole foods and a rich source of nutrition and bioavailable protein. Eggs of this nature can be eaten raw and also can be stored at room temperature, with virtually no risk of food-borne illness. Check with local ranches or farms and inquire about purchasing farm fresh eggs, safe to eat everyday. If you buy commercial eggs, their okay, but you need to refrigerate them and cook them before consuming. I also would eat mainly the whites if I’m looking to get lean, as the yolks are not that great in commercial eggs.

6.) High quality whey protein powder: There are many varieties of whey protein powder available and most are probably a royal waste of money. The poorest quality ones are also typically the cheapest as well, consisting of whey that is simply a byproduct of the cheese making process. It is waste that is sold by dairies cheaply to supplement companies. It is then cross-filtered or deionized, then powdered and sold to you at a price gouging markup. Ouch! If that isn’t enough, they fill them up with artificial sweeteners like Aspartame, Sucralose, and Asulfame K along with artificial flavors. Some companies even blend them off into so-called patented formulas using cheaper proteins as fillers like soy protein isolates and dehydrated milk. They might even sell it at this point as a meal replacement product and add corn syrup solids, maltodextrin, and a pinch of vitamins. High quality whey should be made from cows not treated with hormones, hopefully they are organically grass-fed, and made from non pasteurized milk. It is best if it is not all ion-exchanged or cross-flow microfiltered, but also contains a little whey concentrate with a bit of the natural carbohydrate and fat still intact. Whey is truly an amazing protein in its natural form. It contains immune boosting probiotics like Lactoferrin, Immunoglobulins, and IGEs (insulin like growth factors). However, when milk is pasteurized and then most of the carbohydrate and fat stripped away during ion-exchange, what is left is a highly pure and predigested whey powder. That may sound great, but it tends to digest too quickly and easily, where your body can’t even utilize it fast enough. Do I still recommend whey in this form? Yes, but only to be used under certain circumstances. Use standard ‘pure’ ion-exchange or cross-filtered whey, but only in a pre-workout protein drink or a post-workout carb/protein drink. That is the time that the sudden blast of amino acids is likely to be better utilized and not wasted. I recommend Jay Robb's Whey Protein as it tastes great and uses only Stevia and natural flavors and the cows aren’t hormone treated. If you know a whey manufacturer that does fit the correct criteria; that the whey is made from organic, grass-fed cow’s milk, never pasteurized and with some of the concentrate still in the product; go ahead and use it anytime.

5.) Free-range & organic turkey: Turkey is a great protein source. It is leaner than chicken and more nutritious as well. The dark meat on turkey is even more nutritious than the white and when ground, can be easily substituted for beef, pork, or chicken in most recipes. Turkey contains two amino acids in relatively high quantities that are worth talking about. The first is Arginine. Arginine creates Nitric Oxide in the bloodstream, which acts as a natural vasodilator (widens blood vessels). Widening of the blood vessels can help shuttle nutrients to muscles and organs, give your skin a rosy and healthy glow, allow you to think more clearly and aid both men and women in the bedroom (amazing what a little blood flow will accomplish). Turkey also contains Tryptophan, which causes sleepiness, just think about how you feel following Thanksgiving dinner. I recommend turkey mostly as a dinner food. I wouldn’t send my kids to school with a turkey sandwich everyday. Just try to find organic free-range turkey whenever possible.

4.) Ocean, lake or river caught lean fish: I’m talking true fish, with gills and scales, not shellfish like shrimp, scallops, lobster, crab, clams, oysters, mussels, or crawfish. Shellfish are merely scavengers that feed off the trash and pollution at the bottom of oceans, seas, and lakes. Because of this, they help to clean up the oceans, but themselves are filthy and if you eat them regularly, increase your chance of food-borne illness exponentially. They are also highly allergenic foods, so beware. The real fish to consume are orange roughy, perch, flounder, trout, bass, sea bass, halibut, snapper, grouper, sole, haddock, tuna (ahi, yellowtail or even canned) or cod. These fish contain little fat but high protein contents. The fat they do contain is full of omega-3 fatty acids. The key is making sure they are wild fish, not farmed, to get all the benefits. They cook up quick too, either baked, poached, grilled or sautéed. Nix the breading and try with a little lemon and herbs or real herb butter. You’ll find that they make a tasty and healthy treat.

3.) Wild salmon and other fatty fish: They key word here is wild, and this typically comes from Alaska. There are several varieties like Sockeye, Copper River and King and all are amazing foods. The difference between wild Alaskan salmon and farmed salmon (Atlantic salmon) is night and day. Wild salmon are free and active, eating their natural diet of algae and krill and the pink to red color is 100% natural. The wild salmon is full of omega-3 fatty acids and the powerful antioxidant and carotenoid, Astaxanthin. Other good choices are sardines and anchovies. There is one drawback and that is that the oceans are becoming quite polluted and salmon is not as safe as it was several years ago. PCBs and heavy metals are wreaking havoc on our oceans, seas, lakes and rivers. Unfortunately, toxins and chemicals tend to store themselves in fat and these are fatty fish. To be safe, eat these fish and/or salmon maybe 2-3 days a week maximum. For additional omega-3 fatty acids, grind flaxseeds into yogurt or try grass fed meats and cheeses. You can also take a high quality purified fish or krill oil supplement.

2.) Grass fed & organic red meats: Wow, beef right up there near the top? Heresy! Wait a minute, before you have a beef with beef. This is no ordinary beef, but an extraordinary nutritional food. The key is that the animals are organically grass fed only (not organic ‘grain fed’ or typical commercial beef). Not just beef either, but bison and lamb are also excellent choices as long as the same principals apply. The grass is the animal’s natural food source, and without pesticides, antibiotics and hormones, the meat becomes nothing short of a superior protein choice to almost anything. It is full of omega-3 fatty acids and CLA, two fats that help make you lean and even at that, these meats are leaner than their commercial counterparts. Being leaner than typical beef of the same cut, the flavor may be a bit more gamey, but can still be used in all your favorite recipes just as normal beef. I prefer to eat meats that are cooked to medium rare, as this retains more of the nutrients, yet without being too bloody, but regardless of your preferred degree of doneness, these valuable meats will take your protein consumption to a whole new level.

1.) Wild game meats: Deer and elk, mainly, are two incredibly healthy meat sources that most people would not even consider. That is mainly because the consumption of these has been mainly left to sportsmen that actually hunt. A little like veal, in that not everybody wants a bite of Bambi, but these are very healthy no less. Surprisingly, with the explosion of giant outdoor superstores and specialty grocers, these meats are becoming more available for the average consumer. Why are they so healthy? They feed mostly on natural, unfertilized grasses and foliage, are active and healthy animals that spend most of their time trotting or running through forest and meadowlands. These animals never take growth hormones, eat from feed troughs or get antibiotic injections. Their meat is very lean, yet what little fat they do have contains high levels of essential omega-3 fatty acids and CLA.

Now, I would suggest 50% or more of your total protein intake come from above preferred foods list. That doesn’t mean you can’t eat other proteins like pasteurized dairy products, commercial meats, fermented soy products like miso or tempeh, or even occasional pork or shellfish dishes. It just means you should eat those foods more sparingly now.

By Zach Smith