The Power of Protein

It's very important to balance ALL meals and snacks with carb-rich and protein-rich foods together. A meal with carbohydrates alone is problematic because glucose levels shoot up and then crash down. This can leave you feeling tired, hungry, and weak, and gives your body an easy opportunity to convert that meal to fat.

When protein is included, however, you will not only stay full longer, but glucose levels will stay more consistent, your metabolism will work more efficiently, and you will feel energized for a longer period of time between meals. Carbs are digested in about two hours, but proteins take longer to digest. So,when the two are eaten together, protein slows down the digestion of the carbohydrates, and energy from carbs are released more slowly. In addition, eating carbohydrates with protein means the carbohydrates will be used as energy, sparing the protein for use in building and repairing muscle tissues, which is their primary function.

So, for maximum fat loss, make sure that you include a complete protein source at each snack and meal.