Protein and Amino Acids -- Dr. Beth Gruber

[Karl Note: This is the best explanation of protein metabolism I've found. I disagree with Dr. Gruber to the extent that he does not discuss the value of raw foods, particularly raw fat. Thus, I would amend his suggestions by simply saying that raw foods are better than foods that have been heated in any way. That particularly would apply to proteins and fats -- two of the least likely candidates for eating raw. So, don't read this as "Karl Loren advice" without understanding that I recommend a raw food diet -- even if I don't follow that 100%.]

Today we are starting our discussion of protein. In this series, we will be looking at such subjects as: what protein is, why protein is necessary, what the functions of protein in our bodies are, where we get protein, what happens if we don't have enough or the right kinds of protein, and how and where in the system is protein digested. There will be a few surprises down the line.

Let's talk for a minute about the word 'metabolism.' We all use it a lot, but are you actually clear on just what it means? Metabolism means the sum of all the physical and chemical processes whereby protoplasm (that is, all living tissue) is produced and maintained. Metabolism does not mean whether or not you put on or take off weight easily or with difficulty.

Metabolism is divided into two kinds of actions, the building-up processes, and the tearing-down processes. The building-up of substances into more complex structures is called anabolism (a-NAB-o-lism). The breaking down of complex structures to their component parts so they can be rebuilt into something else, or excreted as waste products, is called catabolism (ca-TAB-o-lism). Anabolism and catabolism are important concepts in understanding proteins.

The word protein comes from a Greek word meaning "most important." Proteins are the basis of all protoplasm, of all living tissue. Proteins are composed of nitrogen in combination with carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Some also contain sulfur, phosphorus, or other basic elements. The amount of protein in any food is determined by analyzing that food for the amount of nitrogen present, because it is the nitrogen part of protein that is crucial.

But proteins are compounds of biological origin. They cannot be synthesized (that is, built-up by anabolism processes) by people from the nitrogen in the air or from nitrogen in some other inorganic form. We must eat protein, which means that humans must eat other organisms that were previously alive. There is no getting away from this. We cannot eat stones, even if a variety of stones could be assembled that were made palatable, and that contained all the basic and required elements of life.

Proteins perform many functions in the body. Here is a partial list to give you an idea of their importance. Proteins are required for: the growth of children, healing in both children and adults, the maintenance of all body flesh, bone, and hair, normal blood coagulation, the formation of immune compounds for disease prevention, the regulation of the amounts of fluids in the tissues, the water balance of the blood, the transport of oxygen in the blood, the formation of all enzymes, the maintenance of the sense of sight, the maintenance of fertility, the formation of hormones, and the production of substances necessary for the digestion of fats. The list could go on for weeks! Furthermore, every protein molecule in the body is continually changing and renewing its structure.

Protein structures are composed of varying numbers of various kinds of building blocks called amino acids. Proteins differ from one another in the total number of amino acids in them, in the number of each kind of amino acids in them, and in the arrangement of the amino acids relative to each other.

There is virtually an endless number of possible protein combinations. Consider a hypothetical protein structure containing only four of the 22 or so generally known amino acids. If each of the four was used only once, they could be arranged in 24 different combinations. A protein made up of only one each of the 22 has so many possible combinations it would require at least 27 numerals to write it, and the number would fill most of this entire line of print. The number of all possible protein arrangements is a figure too large to contemplate, let alone write. This explains why there can be such a tremendous diversity of tissues, functions, and enzymes in the millions of different plants and animals in the world.

As with complex carbohydrates, complex food proteins are utterly unfit for consumption by the cells. Since food proteins are the only supply of necessary nitrogen required for living things, the proteins must be broken down by digestion to the amino acid stage for absorption into the cells, where they recombine to make the various protein structures of life. Each tissue selects what it needs from the "buffet" of amino acids that circulate in the blood, based on what that particular tissue needs for formation, growth, repair, or renewal. Amino acids constitute the form in which protein is presented to the tissues, just as glucose constitutes the form in which carbohydrate is presented.

At the building-block level, the human body requires some 22 different amino acids, but not all of them need to be present all the time, because the body is able to use some amino acids to make others. It does this in the cells by reforming the amino acids and recombining them into the ones that are missing, as necessary. This is called synthesis.

But there are about eight amino acids that the body cannot manufacture. These are referred to as essential amino acids. However, this is an unfortunate phrase because it tends to give the impression that some of the amino acids are "nonessential." This is not the case; they are all essential for life. It is just that the body can make some of them from others. More precise terms would be synthesizable amino acids and non-synthesizable amino acids.

We now come to one of the 'tricky' aspects of protein metabolism. Amino acids are not stored for any appreciable time in the body. The essential amino acids must be eaten pretty much at the same time as the others. The synthesizable ones are not stored, waiting around for one of the missing "essentials" to show up later. Food proteins lacking one or more of the essential amino acids cannot sustain life. These foods are known as incomplete proteins, or inadequate proteins. Some examples of food containing incomplete proteins are gelatin, corn, and most flour.

Diets that are deficient in the non-synthesizable amino acids lead to the break down of protein structures in the body, such as muscle. Since skeletal muscles contain the necessary proteins, the body will break down those proteins and take them in order to provide what is necessary for other protein functions. If it continues, eventually this will lead to a serious loss of muscle, grave malnutrition symptoms such as those seen in the Third World, and even death.

Those of us living a low carbohydrate lifestyle have no worries in this regard. The good news is that a diet of mixed animal protein ensures the ingestion of an adequate mixture of the essential amino acids. Unfortunately, a diet that is exclusively vegetable usually does not. Any person who decides that living on vegetables only is a good idea had better learn, and soon, exactly how to get all the essential amino acids by the precise mixing of appropriate vegetables, such as eating corn with certain kinds of beans.

By Dr. Beth Gruber, CarbSmart Contributor

Posted 8/18/2001

Continuing Our Discussion of Protein...

Last time, we began our discussion of protein with such subjects as what protein is and why it is so important. We discussed amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, and the fact that some amino acids can be synthesized, while others (called essential amino acids) cannot be synthesized. Today we'll be talking about the digestion of protein and the waste products produced by the breakdown of protein.

The protein parts of every cell in the body are being destroyed continually. As a result, our bodies need to replace these proteinstructures constantly. This requires that we eat protein every day. Fortunately, those of us who follow a low carbohydrate lifestyle, don't have any problems getting enough needed protein.

As I have suggested before, life is a system of cooperating enzyme reactions, and once again, enzymes are the prime movers in protein digestion just as they were in carbohydrate digestion. The enzymes for protein digestion are collectively called proteinases (protein-ACES) or proteases (pro-tea-ACES). Proteins are broken apart by the protein-digesting enzymes in a process called hydrolysis.

Protein digestion begins in the stomach, chiefly with the action of the hydrochloric acid that is produced there, and by the enzyme called pepsin (PEP-sin). Some seven or more factors influence how fast the enzymes act on the protein. These factors include the concentration of the enzyme, that is, how much of it is present; the amount of protein food needing action; the acidity of the food and of the stomach; the temperature of the food; time; and the presence of any digestion inhibitors, such as antacids. Cooking and chewing help, but protein digestion does not begin in the mouth, as carbohydrate metabolism does. The hydrochloric acid in the stomach is required to break the protein bonds. The protein-containing foods are broken apart, separating out the protein, then the proteins are broken into their constituent parts, the amino acids.

Digestion continues in the upper portion of the small intestine under the action of the pancreatic protein enzymes, trypsin (TRIP-sin) and chymotrypsin (KI-mo-trip-sin). The amino acids are absorbed by the blood capillaries of the small intestines, carried through the liver, and then go into the blood of the general circulation. Recall from our discussion of carbohydrate digestion that absorption is done by means of selectively permeable membranes of the small intestine walls, which are arranged in folds called villi.

Amino Acids Put To Use

Once in the blood, the amino acids are carried by both the red blood cells and by the liquid part of the blood, called the plasma. The amino acids are thereby distributed to all the body tissues, where the various body cells take what they need to repair and reform the protein structures they need.

The blood contains amino acids at all times. Fasting does not clear them, and a high protein diet does not materially increase them. The body has a constant need for protein amino acids, and it keeps a fairly uniform balance.

Taking The Protein From The Muscles

The body's skeletal muscles act as an emergency source of protein if insufficient amounts are eaten. The body can break down its own muscle tissue, and transport the amino acids gathered from that muscle destruction to the more vital organs, if necessary. (As an aside, recall that we know that people on very low fat diets are also, frequently and by default, on low protein diets. This is because most of the rich sources of protein in foods are also in sources of dietary fat. These dieters lose their muscle mass because their bodies cannibalize their own muscles as a source of the proteins that they need, but are not eating.)

Problems Arising From Incomplete or Improper Protein Digestion

Sometimes, instead of being properly broken down into amino acids, small amounts of whole or partial proteins are absorbed into the blood. The body wants amino acids, not whole proteins, and whole proteins are viewed by the system as an enemy. This is where we get the phrase foreign protein. The presence of protein instead of amino acids may lead to food allergies, to a shock reaction called anaphylaxis (anna-phil-AXIS), to other symptoms typical of an allergy, such as sneezing, breathing difficulties, skin rashes, headaches, nausea, or even, in severe cases, death. And these problems result from just a very small amount of the food protein, which doesn't belong there.

Sometimes protein substances containing nitrogen may reach the large intestine. This may be undigested or partly digested food residues, unabsorbed amino acids, unused protein enzymes, or the protein of dead bacteria. These protein substances will likely be attacked by microorganisms (bacteria) that live in the intestinal tract, and be decomposed by the process called putrefaction (pew-tra-FAC-tion). This often results in diarrhea.

Waste Products of Protein Metabolism

The destruction of proteins in the body gives rise to two classes of waste products: nitrogenous (ny-TRA-gin-us), those containing nitrogen, and non-nitrogenous (non-ny-TRA-gin-us), those that don't contain nitrogen. The non-nitrogenous types of waste products are carbon dioxide and water. Nitrogenous waste products only relate to proteins since only proteins contain nitrogen.

The nitrogenous waste products are known as urea (yur-RE-ah), uric acid (yur-ick acid), creatinine (cree-AT-tin-neen), and hippuric acid (hip-PURE-ick acid). Urea is the major nitrogenous waste product, making up some 80% of it. Urea is formed in the liver, and is excreted by the kidneys in the urine along with the other types of protein waste products.

By Dr. Beth Gruber, CarbSmart Contributor

Posted 8/24/01

In Review

In our last discussion of protein and amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, we discussed the digestion of protein and the waste products produced in the body by the digestion and utilization of protein. I told you the important fact that the protein parts of every cell in the body are being destroyed continually, and need to be replaced continually. I pointed out that the blood contains amino acids at all times, and that the body is able to keep a fairly uniform balance of protein-building materials.

We also discussed the destruction of proteins in the body, which gives rise to two classes of waste products, nitrogenous wastes that contain nitrogen, primarily urea, and the non-nitrogenous wastes that don't contain nitrogen. It is the non-nitrogenous waste products and the nitrogen balance in the body that we are going to talk about today.

Last time I promised you an early Halloween. Read on, friends.

Nitrogen Balance In The Body

When the building up and the breaking down of proteins in the body are equal, the amount of nitrogen eaten as protein is equal to that excreted in the form of nitrogenous waste products. This is called nitrogen balance, and except during pregnancy, this is the normal state of health. Since protein foods are the only source of nitrogen, all nitrogen waste products come from protein, and are, as we discussed last time, excreted by the kidneys. But when the loss of body proteins exceeds the synthesis of new proteins, there will be more nitrogenous waste products. This situation is called negative nitrogen balance.

Negative Nitrogen Balance

A negative nitrogen balance can be the result of either too much breakdown of protein or insufficient intake of protein. Recall from last time that we discussed how the body's muscles can act as an emergency source of protein if insufficient amounts are eaten. In negative nitrogen balance, the body will break down its own muscle tissue and transport the amino acids gathered from that muscle destruction to the more vital organs. In long term, low-fat dieting without sufficient protein intake, the dieter will be in a state of negative nitrogen balance.

Long-continued or severe negative nitrogen balance is serious. In addition to consuming its own muscle protein, the body will begin to consume its own blood proteins to supply the proteins needed in the important organs because protein breakdown is continually taking place, as we have already discussed. Since antibodies will not be produced because there isn't enough protein to build them, bacterial infections may result. Ultimately, the edema (tissue and abdominal swelling) of starvation that is seen in third world countries takes place, and if protein is not provided the person will die. The truly sad part is that there may be food lying all around the starving person, but no amount of fat or carbohydrate foods can solve the problem.

An excess of protein construction over protein destruction leads to an increase in living tissue. This is most evident during growth. The diet of a child (or of a pregnant mother) should be higher in protein than the diet of other adults because the creation of more living tissue is what is desired. If more protein is eaten than is needed, more nitrogen will be excreted, and a new balance will be established. Since increased amounts of nitrogen wastes occur with increased protein intake, and since increased amounts also occur when there is a negative nitrogen balance with kidney disease, some people think there is a connection between the two causes of increased nitrogen waste in the urine. This leads to the still-unproven idea that too much protein in the diet causes kidney problems.

The healthy body has a strong tendency to be in nitrogen balance irrespective of the amount of protein eaten. As a result, the storage capability for protein in the body is very limited. Since it cannot be stored, and since the body does not throw it away as excess protein waste product, something else must happen to it.

The Horror Story

Let's back up a little and work our way back to this point. In our first discussion of protein, we learned that protein is made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen with the addition of the key ingredient nitrogen, and some other elements that don't concern us right now. Think back to our discussion of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates, we learned, are made from carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, but without nitrogen. When we write a chemical symbol for carbohydrate, we write CHO; when we write a chemical symbol for protein, we write CHON.

Among the many functions that take place in the liver is a process known as deamination (dee-amin-NATION). This consists of the removal of the nitrogen part of the amino acid. Remember that it is the nitrogen part of the protein that is crucial, and it is the nitrogen component that is the reason that we must eat protein. Now let's look at deamination. It takes the CHON and removes the N.

Okay class, you clever girls and boys, tell me what we get when we remove N from CHON. We get CHO, right? And, what is CHO? It stands for carbohydrate!!

Excess Protein Turns Into Carbohydrates In The Body

Horror of horrors, this CHO portion of the protein is transformed into glucose in the liver in a process called gluconeogensis (gluco-NEO-genesis; gluco=sugar; neo=new; genesis=creation). The glucose is then available to be transformed into glycogen by the liver, just like the glucose form "regular" carbohydrates that we discussed in previous articles. (If you are a new reader to these pages, you can find previous articles in CarbSmart's archives.)

We are already familiar with the fact that body fat comes from the storage of carbohydrates as fat. Remember that excess glucose is converted to body fat by the liver. So, the unhappy news is that, on the average, about 58% by weight of the protein we eat converts to glucose, and if the body doesn't need that glucose for energy, it can and does convert it to body fat.

What this means is that of every 100 grams (3 1/2 ounces by weight) of protein you eat, about 58 grams of it becomes sugar. We are talking about the weight of the protein itself, not the weight of the protein food. A 3 1/2-ounce piece of meat weighs 100 grams, but it only contains about 20 or 25 grams of protein, depending on the kind of meat. The piece of meat would give about 10 to 14 grams of actual carbohydrates, not 58 grams. The fact is that, on average, 58% of all protein converts to sugar, and is therefore the major source of what we in the low carb world call hidden carbs.

By Dr. Beth Gruber, CarbSmart Contributor

In Review

In our last three discussions concerning protein, we have learned that protein is made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen with the addition of the key ingredient nitrogen. We have learned that nitrogen is essential for life, and that the body breaks protein into amino acids in order to get the nitrogen. The amino acids are rebuilt into proteins for the repair and growth of the body, since the protein parts of all our tissues are being destroyed continually, and need to be replaced continually.

We looked at the fact that growth involves more protein construction than protein destruction, and that it leads to an increase in living tissue. In children most amino acids are used up in the building and developing functions, with only small amounts becoming waste products. Consequently, the diet of a child should nearly always be higher in protein than the diet an adult.

We discussed that each tissue selects what it needs from the "buffet" of amino acids that circulate in the blood, as amino acids constitute the form in which protein is presented to the tissues, just as glucose constitutes the form in which carbohydrate is presented. We learned that the liver removes and recombines nitrogen in a process called deamination so that amino acids can function. And, then came the unwelcome news that the deamination process leaves behind ... carbohydrates.

Protein Converts To Carbohydrates!

As I pointed out last time, the liver converts an average of 58% of the protein we eat into carbohydrates, and that the carbohydrates-from-protein are handled by the body just like "regular" carbohydrates. It is broken down into glucose by the simple water-related steps of hydrolysis; it is used for fuel to run the body; it is converted to glycogen and stored. If there is too much of it, it is converted into body fat. (New readers can find my previous articles that explain all these things on the CarbSmart website, in the archives: vital.html.)

Remember, it is only the actual protein portion of protein food that becomes carbohydrate. Much of protein food is water or fat, or even undigestible parts that don't enter into this discussion. And, of course, some protein foods have a regular carbohydrate portion, such as the carbohydrates in cheese and eggs.

This is how you can 'guesstimate' how much of the protein-food you eat will become sugar: in every ounce (by weight) of protein-food, there are about 6 grams of actual protein. Of that 6 grams, about 58% can become carbohydrate. This means that of every ounce of protein food you eat, your liver can create about 3.5 grams of sugar. This is THE major source of Hidden Carbohydrates.

There is some good news, however, but it comes with some more bad news. The good news is that insulin tends to slow down the liver's process of making sugar from protein. The bad news is that most overweight people are insulin resistant, so their insulin is unable to act to its best advantage.

Additionally, remember that dietary protein is not the only source of amino acids. I explained previously that the blood contains amino acids at all times, and that fasting does not reduce the amount of them. Recall also that all tissues are breaking down and building up constantly. This means that even if you were to eat no protein at all, amino acids would nevertheless be present because of the breaking down of your tissues, and the liver would be able to convert those amino acids into sugar.

What To Do

Now that we are all completely afraid to eat ANYTHING, we still have to try to put together a dietary plan. We want to keep our carbohydrates low, but we don't want to get all our carbs from the conversion of protein, because we want to get the important vitamins, minerals, and fiber from vegetables. So, we follow a low carb system of eating between 20 and 60 grams of carbohydrates, and we eat protein and fat.

But, often we don't lose weight, or at least not fast enough to suit us. We can now see that the amount of protein we eat plays an important part in this. We must eat protein, or suffer the consequences of lost muscle mass or worse, but how much protein do we need?

There have been many studies. None of them are terribly conclusive, but we have to start somewhere. A good estimate for adults (not pregnant or breast-feeding women, not children, and not teenagers) is that the protein requirement ought to be about 2 grams of actual protein per 5 pounds of 'ideal' body weight.

For example, if you think you ought to weigh 150 pounds, divide the 150 pounds by 5, and multiply that number by 2 grams. The answer to this example is 150 divided by 5 is 30, times 2 is 60. If your goal weight is 150 pounds, you need about 60 grams of protein each day. Remember that this means protein grams, not the weight of the food containing the protein.

However, since you probably don't yet weigh your ideal weight, more protein may be required to maintain your body's protein structures the way they are now. To be safe, we can figure a higher protein allowance, say 10 to 20 extra grams of protein per day, depending on how much you currently weigh in excess of your ideal weight.

How Much Protein Will Be Converted To Carbohydrates From Our Protein Intake?

Now, for fun or horror, (depending on how you look at it), we can calculate how many hidden carbohydrates the person in our above example will get from eating her required amount of protein. Since an average of 58% of the protein can become carbohydrate, we multiply 60 protein grams by 58%. The answer is about 35. Depending on how a person's body uses the protein it needs, as many as 35 extra carbohydrate grams may be available from 60 grams of protein consumed, in addition to the amount of carbohydrates that the person is getting from eating other carbohydrate foods.

There are two questions that you are likely asking yourself right now. The first question is, "Why hasn't Dr. Atkins talked about all this?" I think the answer is that since everyone must eat their required protein, and since many people can lose weight without concern for how much excess protein they are eating, low carbohydrate plan experts merely avoid talking about it. But, be assured that when Dr. Atkins, the Drs. Eades, Dr. Schwarzbein, or any of the others tell you to start your carbohydrate counting at 20, 30, or 60 carbs per day, they already are taking into account that you will be getting carbohydrates from protein conversion. This is one of the reasons why the amount of allowed 'regular' carbohydrates is so small.

The second question you are probably asking yourself is, "Are you going to tell us next that fat grams convert to carbohydrates, too?" Well, boys and girls, we will go into the whole story of dietary fats starting in a few weeks, but for now, the quick answer is: Yes, but not much; only about 10% of fat grams convert to sugar.

Posted 10/5/2001

A Question From Readers:
Can We Eat Only Protein?

We've been talking about protein and carbohydrates, and most recently about how an average of 58% of consumed protein will convert to carbohydrates in our bodies. I've received several e-mails from readers, all of whom asked variations of this question: "Since some of the protein I eat will convert to carbohydrates, can I eat only protein, if I take a vitamin and mineral pill to provide what I'm not getting in vegetables?" Some further discussion of this issue is called for before we move on to dietary fats.

The short answer to the question is yes, you could eat only protein foods, but it is not a good idea.

I can think of three possible reasons why someone might want to eat only protein. There may be others, but these are the ones that come to mind:

Vegetables Provide A Variety Of Things Protein Foods Can't

While it is true that a person can live without vegetables if their consumed protein amounts are adequate, it is not a good idea. Vegetables provide things that protein foods do not. Among these are the known and identified vitamins and minerals, fiber to help the intestinal motion necessary for the proper digestion of protein foods, and bulk to help keep hunger under control.

Someone could object, "But I can take vitamin/mineral supplements and a fiber product instead!" That's true, you can (and should) take vitamin and mineral supplements, but you cannot be certain you are getting everything your body needs. Vegetables also provide chemicals that may be important to good health, but that are not currently considered to be essential to human life. These chemicals may not be present in vitamin/mineral supplements, and may, in fact, even be currently unknown or undiscovered. If we eat vegetables, we get the trace substances, whether we know they are there or not.

Nutritional Comparison Of Fresh And Frozen Vegetables

The inability to get fresh vegetables year-round may be an inconvenience, but although fresh vegetables may taste better in some dishes than frozen or canned ones, modern canned and frozen vegetables provide virtually the same nutrients as fresh vegetables.

Some nutritional experts even contend that both canned and frozen vegetables have more nutrients than fresh ones bought at the supermarket, since vegetables that are canned or frozen are processed immediately after picking, while fresh vegetables in the produce sections of supermarkets may be been picked days or even weeks before you buy them.

Will Eating Only Protein Promote Quicker Weight Loss?

As for the idea that eating only protein will speed the weight loss process, it will not. It may even slow down weight loss, because you will be more likely to eat too much protein, thereby absorbing more protein-converted carbohydrates.

Why We Store Excess Food As Fat
It's A Matter Of Survival

Let's go way back to some basics. Our bodies are essentially the same as those of our ancestors. Then as now, food eaten in excess of that needed for immediate energy, growth, or tissue repair was stored for use later. Those members of our ancestors' groups whose bodies were most efficient at storing the excess tended to live the longest and reproduce most successfully.

This means that those who were best able to store the excess are our actual ancestors, not the ones who died early because their bodies ran out of fuel during hard times. The people we came from were especially good at making and storing body fat for future use. Whenever there was a surplus of food, when summer weather provided fruits, when particularly large game was killed, our ancestors' bodies stored the extra for the lean days of winter.

In modern society, the problem for most of us has been too much food - all the time. Our bodies have been tricked into using their storage mode all the time. In the 'old days,' when winter came, abundance subsided and our ancestors needed the fat that they had stored throughout the summer months. Abundance does not subside for us, and we don't have any mechanisms for shutting down the storage process.

The process of storing the extra food has historically been a fabulous thing that has enabled humankind to survive all these thousands of years. The fact that many of us have stored too much during our lives, and would now like to dispose of some it, doesn't change anything. The fact that many of us want to "tweak" the weight loss process by one or another product we've heard about on TV, doesn't change anything. Weight loss is only easy for most of us if, like the people in ancient times, we go hungry for extended periods of time and live off a combination of meager food supplies and our own body fat until the next opportunity to consume a big meal shows up in a few months.

But we really don't want to eat only in the spring and summer, while going without adequate amounts of food for most of the fall and winter. That's why we go on diets that allow us to eat, not only every day, but several times a day. We go on a diet, and then we complain that we don't lose weight fast enough, as if going on the diet changed the rules under which our metabolism works.

Losing Weight Slowly Is A Good Thing!

We must all understand that from a survival viewpoint, the inability to lose weight quickly is a good thing. The fact that we don't like it is totally beside the point. In order to actually succeed in reducing our weight, we need to play tricks on ourselves. The body wants to hold onto what it has, and if we eat too little, it will hold the weight until there is no other source of energy.

But no one wants to be hungry. So we eat, but we try to eat less than the body needs, hoping it will take some energy from our excess pounds. For some people, this is very easy. And some never put on excess weight no matter how much they eat. But the likelihood is that members of these two groups would not be among the survivors of a serious famine.

The Most Intelligent Approach To Weight Loss

The smartest approach for weight loss and weight control is to avoid all high carbohydrate foods completely, eat low carbohydrate vegetables, eat protein foods in the amounts that provide enough protein for your needs, and to eat good fats and oils in moderate amounts.

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