As you take steps towards a healthy lifestyle after medical weight loss, protein will become your best friend. It burns calories, satiates the appetite and reduces cravings. Here are six examples of healthy protein you should add to your diet after weight loss surgery:
- Whole eggs are high in proteins, healthy fats and can make you feel full with a very low amount of calories. A study showed that when 30 overweight women ate eggs for breakfast instead of bagels, they had increased satiety and ate less over the next 36 hours.
- Nuts are high in protein, fiber and healthy fats, making them an excellent snack. Studies have shown that eating nuts can improve your metabolic health and promote weight loss. Nuts are still high in calories so make sure not to binge on them.
- Beans and legumes like lentils, black beans, kidney beans and others are rich in protein and fiber. These nutrients are linked satiety and also contain some resistant starch.
- Salmon is loaded with quality protein, healthy fats and nutrients like vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids. Furthermore, it contains phosphorus, potassium and more that have beenshown to reduce inflammation, a major player in obesity and metabolic disease.. Salmon also contains iodine, which is necessary for proper thyroid function. Most people don’t get enough iodine, so salmon is a great way to include it.
- The protein in lean meat is the most fulfilling nutrient and eating a high protein diet can help you burn between 80 and 100 more calories per day. Studies also show that increasing your protein intake to 25 or 30 percent of calories can cut cravings by 60 percent, reduce the desire for late-night snacking and cause a weight loss almost a pound per week. Lean beef and chicken breast are the healthiest meat options.
- Full-fat yogurt contains probiotic bacteria that can improve the function of your gut. A healthy gut could potentially help protect you against inflammation and leptin resistance, the main hormonal driver of obesity. Full fat yogurt is associated with a reduced risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes over time.
