HORMONES
Your brain makes decisions on when and how you need to eat throughout the day and it processes multiple different types of information to make an informed decision.
Many of the most important signals to the brain are hormones that change in response to eating habits.
A higher protein intake actually increases levels of the satiety (appetite-reducing) hormones cholecystokinin, GLP-1, and peptide YY, while reducing your levels of the hormone ghrelin which is used by the body to tell your brain you are hungry.
By switching carbohydrates and fat with protein, you reduce the hunger hormone and boost several hormones that tell you that you are full and consumed enough nutrients.
This leads to a huge reduction in hunger and is the main reason protein helps you lose weight. It can make you eat fewer calories in the future by making you feel fuller and satiated for longer.
THERMIC EFFECT OF FOOD
After eating your body will use some calories to digest your food. Most calorie counting apps factor this in to their calculations but you can get a small head start on your weight loss by making your body work harder to digest your food. Below you can see that of the food types protein uses the most calories to break down.
* Carbohydrates: 5 to 15% of the energy consumed
* Protein: 20 to 35%
* Fats: at most 5 to 15%
The more you allot your daily calorie allowance to protein the less calories are actually absorbed, while also filling your stomach up.
FEELING FULL
The amount of time it takes your body to digest food is also affected by the amount of time certain foodstuffs stay in your stomach. The shortest time is simple and refined sugars, with some being absorbed in the mouth and passing out of the stomach to be absorbed quick sharp. The longest to stay in the stomach, up to 12 hours are fats and protein especially from animal sources.
CONCLUSIONS
Try to switch up your diet wherever possible to include more protein. It will help you feel fuller, burn more calories and trick your brain into thinking you don’t need to eat as much or earlier so you will be less inclined to snack. GO PROTEIN!