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Health & Fitness

"Protein is the Star"

We have seen a lot of stars living in Los Angeles, CA. Do you realize that you have a star in your refrigerator? It's called protein. Make protein the star of every meal.

We have seen a lot of stars living in Los Angeles, CA and on television. But have you actually seen one on your breakfast, lunch or dinner plate?

Many people don’t realize that you don’t have to live in Los Angeles, CA to see the star of food. That might sound odd. But think about it. We eat our food as if it’s a job rather than enjoying the moment.

There’s a lot of work that goes into preparing a great meal especially when the protein is the star of the plate. This star needs much more attention than just the star on television.

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The protein is going to keep you healthy and maintain a balanced diet for your body. If you have the proper amount of protein in your daily diet, your blood sugar should be maintained at a normal level. If you’re getting headaches, they should also be reduced. You’re most likely not going to get the hunger cravings because the protein will fill you up and satisfy your hunger. If you don’t have enough protein in your diet, one might snack on carbohydrates and sweeties. If you do that, you will most likely be more hungry and irritable. You will probably be accruing a lot of unnecessary calories.

Listed below are some foods that have protein in them.

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Eggs, turkey bacon, meat and vegetarian sausage, cheese, turkey, chicken, seafood, red meat such as steak, ground beef, etc., soybeans, legumes, a variety of beans, tofu, nuts, almonds, cashews, peanut butter, protein bars. Obviously there are many food items that have protein in them, this is just a small list.

It’s important to research what foods you enjoy that have a good amount of protein in them. Please keep in mind, protein that has dairy might have more calories and could be harder to digest. If you’re a vegetarian, you will need to work harder to get the correct amount of protein your body will need to have a healthy diet. Especially if you’re going to burn your calories in running or any other type of cardio exercise.

Listed below is an example of a healthy lunch or dinner. Remember who the star of the show is. You are right if you said protein.

A great meal could be grilled boneless, skinless chicken, broccoli, fruit and a glass of water. Add some salsa for additional flavor or something else you enjoy. This meal is very well balanced. Remember the chicken is the star of the plate. There are so many great recipes for boneless, skinless chicken. Be aware of any extras on it such as coating it with egg, flour and bread crumbs. That will somewhat defeat the purpose of having a healthy piece of chicken. There are so many great spices and extra virgin olive oil to flavor your star of the plate. There are also many great recipes for broccoli. Broccoli can be baked or sautéed in extra virgin olive oil or steamed.

The starchy vegetables such as potatoes and rice are the ones you want to avoid especially for your last meal. There are two reasons for that. One, the starch will turn into sugar and spike your blood sugar. Two, the starchy vegetables are higher in calories and most likely won’t get burned off. Instead, they will be stored in your body as extra calories.

I am not an expert at everything but I can help you get on the right path to a healthier diet. If you start eating like this, it will help you succeed to get yourself started at your personal exercise goals.

Stay tuned for my next blog: “Food for Fun“.

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