During this very special season, we always end up putting on an extra kilo or two. Christmas lunches and dinners are unavoidable commitments. However, what we can avoid is extra fat. Do you want to know how? Read more!
The trick, as always, lies in making up for the large meals with other days of high-protein lunches or dinners. We’re probably not telling you anything you didn’t know already, are we? But one thing you may not know is the reason why. The explanation is as follows.
Why are proteins good for us?
Without getting too technical, proteins speed up our metabolic rate and feed our muscles; therefore, they help to burn up fat. Proteins also make you feel sated, so you will need to eat less to feel full.
Proteins help compensate for Christmas overindulgence, but they also have many other benefits, as we pointed out in this other post.
Risks of High-Protein diet
When we eat high-protein-volume foods, our kidneys need to work harder. Without getting down to details, this could end up damaging our kidneys, especially if this type of diet is kept up over a long period of time, without proper medical supervision.
Besides, protein-rich foods tend to have low carbohydrate levels; this means they also have low fibre content. This can lead to stomach and bowel discomfort, such as gas or constipation. Therefore, it is advisable to combine protein rich foods with other kinds of food with high fibre content, such as vegetables or pulses.
Shock plan for Christmas
Now that we know how proteins can help us compensate for Christmas indulgence and the things we must bear in mind to avoid putting our health at risk, we recommend five delicious, healthy recipes as a shock plan for Christmas:
1) Steaks seasoned with Greek spices and cucumber and tomato salad
2) Steaks seasoned with pepper and lemon and roast tomatoes
3) Mediterranean beef and vegetable wraps
4) Beef steaks with blue cheese sauce
5) Beef sirloin steak with tomato salad
Author: Soledad Tedde