The Paleo Diet – 4 Benefits of Eating More Protein

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One thing you’ll notice about a Paleo diet meal plan is that it kind of leans towards a diet with higher protein intake. While this is a common observation, it’s not exactly what the Paleolithic diet is about. In fact, counting your protein intake should not be as important as the diet’s basic tenet of consuming real, natural foods free of preservatives and other synthetic enhancers. Likewise, protein intake should take a backseat when compared to refocusing your diet to make it more balanced, containing all the vitamins and nutrients you need.

Of course, that’s not to say that there aren’t any benefits to adding protein into your diet. In fact, there are several benefits to this, which is precisely why you see so many people advocating them. Let’s start with some of the benefits below.

Makes you stay full longer

Proteins take a tad bit longer to digest and break down in your gut than most other foods, such as fruits and vegetables. For those with a higher metabolism, eating large amounts of protein can be a great way to lose weight because it ‘lasts’ longer in your digestive system, resulting in you feeling full and less likely to be hungry right away. Obviously, feeling full lessens your desire to eat, which means fewer calories being taken in.

It’s fun

Okay, bear with us here. While there have been reports of unpleasant side-effects during the early stages of eating high-protein diets, it generally smoothes out to be an enjoyable experience. If you love your steak, meatloaf, turkey, chicken and burgers, a high-protein diet will be heaven for you. Now you can eat your fatty and protein rich foods.

Helps build more muscle

It’s common knowledge that protein plays an integral role in building muscle, which is precisely why many bodybuilders like taking protein shakes to supplement their workout routines. A high-protein diet makes it easier for your body to receive all the building blocks it needs to build muscle. And with protein taking longer to break down resulting in you feeling full more often, it’ll be easier for you to lay off the calories and lose weight. If the goal is to convert fat to muscle, piling on the protein just may be what you need.