Meat and milk have been touted as key components of a healthy diet for as long as I can remember. Furthermore, they are both foods which I believed had their place in a weight loss diet. Meat is a rich source of protein which is essential for building and repairing your body 's cells. Milk is a fantastic source of essential vitamins and minerals including calcium which promotes strong and healthy bones. However, in recent times both of these seeminly beneficial foods have come under increasing scrutiny. Campaigns such as Not Milk are claiming that milk is a poision, not a health food and with the increasing popularity of the Atkins diet evidence is mounting up against the consumption of meat. In this article I plan to look at both sides of the argument and come to a conclusion as to whether meat and milk can help you lose weight.
1) Meat:- Although there are other dietary sources of protein available, meat protein has a very high biological value (BV). Proteins with a higher BV can be better utilised by the body and amongst other things promote the most lean muscle gains. Meat is also full of other important nutrients. For example, beef is a great source of Iron.
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First, let 's look at the facts. It is largely agreed and supported by research that protein has a satiating effect (makes you feel fuller quicker) and that it also has an increased thermic effect (burns more calories whilst being processed) compared with fats and carbohydrates. More and more research is also becoming available which supports the notion that calcium can help you lose weight. Finally, it is universally agreed that many of the nutrients found in meat and milk (such as Iron, Vitamin D, Vitamin A and Potassium) are good for your body and should be present in a healthy diet. Whichever way you look at it meat and milk do contain a lot of nutrients which are proven to help you lose