Soy and Weight Loss

As much as we'd all like for there to be a magic pill that burns the fat right off of us, the truth is a healthy diet and exercise is the most effective way to lose weight and keep it off. The good news is that one food can help promote weight loss and help you maintain a healthy weight and a healthy body. Recent studies have shown that adding soy protein to your diet can help you lose weight more effectively while enjoying many other health benefits.

How Soy Accelerates Weight Loss

Studies by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Illinois at Champagne-Urbana found that when a protein-rich soy food replaced a high-protein dairy or meat product, people lost weight faster. Since soy-based foods are high in protein but lower in calories and fat than meat or diary products, consuming soy allows people to eat a balanced diet while consuming fewer calories. Also, because soy protein is a high-fiber food, it helps make you feel full longer so you are less likely to overeat.

Researchers also found that adding soy protein to your diet increases your metabolism which is also beneficial to losing weight quicker. Another benefit of soy protein is increased alertness and energy even though you haven't increased your caloric intake. Increased energy can be a catalyst to help you feel like exercising more and for longer periods of time.

Research has also shown increased levels of soy in the diet can help lower blood glucose and insulin levels. This happens because soy helps to lower the build-up of fat in tissues and accelerates fat breakdown in the body. Maintaining healthy levels of insulin in your body helps to reduce hunger cravings and the build-up of fat in the body. A diet rich in soy builds lean muscles tissue instead of pockets of fat which can occur with a diet rich in red meat and high-fat dairy products.

Other Health Benefits

Soy is the only plant food which contains all nine essential amino acids, which makes it the perfect protein food with less fat and calories than other foods rich in protein. Research has also shown that a weight loss diet which includes soy minimizes the loss of bone mass that can occur in other diets, especially in women. It has also been noted that soy can help to reduce levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides, which is important for heart health. For premenopausal and menopausal women, adding soy to the diet has shown to help reduce hot flashes, bone loss and lower the occurrence of breast cancer compared to those who do not have soy in their diet. Adding soy to your diet has been found to have multiple health benefits for your body overall.

How to Add Soy in Your Diet

To enjoy the benefits of soy it is recommended you add 100 to 200 milligrams of soy to your diet. In countries like Japan where soy is a regular part of their diet, the average person eats between 150 and 200 milligrams of soy each day. Even adding as little as 25 to 80 milligrams of soy each day can be effective in helping you lose weight while lowering your LDL cholesterol and helping to prevent bone loss.

There are many products on the market today which contain soy that you can add to your diet. Soy milk, tofu, soy beans, soy nuts, soy yogurt and soy cheese are just a few examples. There are also cereals, protein bars and meat products that contain soy. The trick to losing weight by adding soy products is to replace a food you normally eat with a soy product. For example, if you drink milk, replacing one or more glasses a day with soy milk will help you decrease calories in your diet without sacrificing protein. Exchanging a soy burger for a hamburger will also help aid you in your weight loss goal. Finding ways to replace some of the foods you eat with a soy food will help you lose weight without sacrificing your health.

While soy is not a magic pill that will help you drop pounds quickly, it is a healthy food that will aid you in your weight loss goal while allowing you to enjoy its many health benefits. Adding soy to your diet is a healthy, natural way to aid in weight loss while keeping your body healthy.

For more on soy and other weight management techniques, visit the EnvyMyHealth.com Weight Management Channel!

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