Fast food restaurants are popping up everywhere, just like the weight of their customers. The epidemic of high calories and high fats must be addressed, and promptly.



For years, famous diet books and diet websites have gained popularity because of their claims that high protein meat diets can cause rapid weight loss. All this may be true, but the affects of large quantities of animal protein on the human body can also be deadly.

It's not the actual protein that is in question; in fact, protein is needed to maintain the human body. Protein, in general, is necessary for cell growth and maintenance of the human body. Many scientists believe that the amount of protein that needs to be eaten should coincide with the weight of a person. In other words, for every pound you weigh, you should eat that many grams of protein.

Red meat and dairy products like eggs and cheese all have protein, usually very high quantities of protein, so most people see that as a good source, but they also have several not-so-healthy features. Take steak, for instance; this red meat packs a punch. A 6 ounce steak can give you a large helping of protein, in fact almost 38 grams. But did you know it can also give you almost a day's worth of saturated fat? That's right, a 6 ounce steak has approximately 44 grams of fat and 16 of them are saturated fats.

One of the healthiest ways to get the daily protein you need is from soy foods. Soybeans in general contain a large amount of protein and approximately 35% of the calories you ingest when eating soybeans are pure protein.

Soybeans also have no cholesterol and the fats in soybeans are mostly polyunsaturated and contain omega-3 fatty acids. This type of fat is good for you and has been proven to reduce risks for cancer and heart disease. Other advantages associated with soy foods are their high fiber content. Fiber is one of the best nutrients. It helps all of the bodily functions work well, and fiber also helps prevent many cancers and heart disease.

Comparing animal protein with soy protein is basically like comparing an apple to an orange; they're both round, but there are lots of differences. Animal protein may give you the protein you need for your body, but it also gives you a lot of what a healthy body doesn't need. In turn, soy products can give you the protein your body needs while not adding other worries and hazards like fats and cholesterol.