5 reasons to eat more protein

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If you’ve read the messages on FITsociety, you know that you can lose weight by eating fewer calories than you need daily, and if you want to gain weight, you need to eat more. It’s common knowledge by now that a crash diet combined with an excess of cardio training won’t get you in shape. After all, there’s a high chance you’ll lose a lot of muscle mass, and it can also make you look skinny. Far from the ideal image you have in mind.

If you could only make one change to your diet, without having to endure hunger or drastically reduce the amount of calories, what would it be? This change, which helps you build more muscle and lose fat faster, thus achieving a ‘tighter’ body that so many women strive for, is eating more protein. It’s quite realistic to assume that you don’t exactly know how much protein you’re getting daily. Especially among women, there’s often the thought that they eat enough protein or have enough with low amounts. It also doesn’t help that nuts and yogurt are often thought to be very protein-rich. Having a handful in the evening while watching TV and a bowl for breakfast seems like a lot, but the actual amount of protein it contains is very disappointing. However, when you start eating more protein, it has positive effects on your performance in the gym and beyond. Here are the 5 (most important) benefits of eating more protein:

5 Reasons to Eat More Protein

1. You have a better mood and more concentration.

When you get enough amino acids (from protein), your body produces more neurotransmitters. These chemical substances contain messages that control bodily functions and determine which emotions you feel. Moreover, they provide for good memory, focus, and alertness.

2. Proteins have a high satiety factor.

Per calorie, protein provides more satiety than the other macronutrients carbohydrates and fats. If you eat a protein-rich meal, you won’t get hungry again so quickly. This results in eating fewer calories throughout the day.

3. You burn more body fat.

By getting a larger portion of your daily calories from protein, you increase the thermogenic effect on your body. That is, the energy your body uses to digest your food is higher for protein than for carbohydrates or fats. So, your body will daily tap into more fat reserves to get the necessary energy.

4. You build more muscle mass.

Eating enough protein is necessary for a high protein synthesis, the process in which your body builds new cells from the proteins you get from your diet. If you want ‘tight’ muscles, it’s important to have enough quantity of muscle mass in addition to lowering your body fat percentage.

5. Your skin, hair, and nails become more beautiful, and you work on strong bones.

As with #4, the higher protein synthesis is also responsible for this. After all, this not only helps with building muscles but also with the recovery and building of all cells in your body.

How much protein do I need daily?

Research shows that 1.5-1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is ideal for women who do strength training. However, the 2 grams we recommend within Smartass is to ensure that you get enough. If you weigh 60 kilograms, it’s advisable to eat or drink 120 grams of protein daily. Animal sources such as meat, fish, eggs, (wild) fish, poultry, and quark are the best sources of protein. An protein shake, or whey protein, is also an easy and cheap source that can help you get enough daily. The sources mentioned here have a high biological value and thus resemble our body’s own protein the most, which has a beneficial effect on protein synthesis. Perhaps you haven’t made the progress you had in mind lately? Then take a good look at the amount of protein you eat daily, in addition to the total number of calories. You’ll be amazed at what it can do for you when you increase your intake to the recommended amounts mentioned here!