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Replacing Meals With Protein Shakes
Is it a good idea to replace meals with protein shakes? Let's look at this issue and see if it's REALLY a good idea to do so.
Usually those who want to replace meals with protein shakes want to lose weight. So they are hoping that by consuming protein shakes, they can eat less calories and lose weight in the long run. Unfortunately, this is a short term weight loss strategy that may very well back fire. Reason?
There simply isn't enough vitamins and minerals for the entire body to function properly! Pick up any health magazine and you will notice that almost all health experts recommend to consume EVERYTHING IN MODERATION. The reason behind this is that the body needs a variety of vitamins and minerals in order to maintain good health. When you replace meals with protein shakes, your body missed the opportunities to take in important nutrients. When your current store of nutrients is used up, the body runs into all sorts of problems.
So what is the right approach to lose weight in the long run?
The right approach is to drink your protein shakes, and at the same time, maintain a well balanced diet. In other words, DON'T skip your meals. A healthy adult consumes around 2000 calories on average each day. If you drop the calorie intake drastically, your body will soon experience energy deficit. You find that your energy levels become inconsistent throughout the day. That is a result of poor eating habits.
Then the challenge becomes, how can one maintain a 2000 calorie intake and then lose weight at the same time?
The key is in understanding how the human body works. The body is an efficient energy conversion machine. When you consume food, the body works at converting the food into various chemicals that is needed by the body to function properly. The more commonly known term for this process is metabolism.
When you are young, you tend to have a higher metabolic rate. Your body is so efficient at converting food to energy that you find yourself charged with energy for the whole day (and sometimes at night too!). But as age catches up, the metabolic rate slows down and the body becomes less efficient. When metabolism declines, the body has a higher tendency to store excess food as fat.
At this stage, one might be tempted to reduce the calorie intake so that the body doesn't have the opportunity to convert food into fat. BIG MISTAKE!
There is no avoiding the aging process, but you can surely slow it down. How? By building lean muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate. In other words, the more muscle tissue you have, the faster you burn fat.
So drink whey protein shakes with the objective of building lean muscle mass. Protein shakes are health supplements, and they should never be looked upon as weight loss products. Fat burning is just a by-product that comes from a healthier lifestyle. A fitter body tends to have a higher metabolism and therefore looks slimmer and better. That's all.
So don't replace meals with protein shakes. Avoid taking oily and fried foods but by all means, try to have a well balanced diet. A balanced meal should contain carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and just a little bit of oil. Also, be sure to avoid trans fat and saturated fat.
Here is another good article on replacing meals with protein shakes..
