I was reading an article recently about why protein is one of the best nutrients for losing weight. Typically, we associate protein with muscle gain… and while that is true, the stats about how upping your protein intake blew me away. 

Back in 2005, a group of researchers conducted a clinical trial studying the effects of increasing protein intake in a group of 19 overweight individuals. 

Their results? 

Increasing protein intake to 30% of total calories caused a massive drop in calorie intake. Specifically, the participants lost an average of 11 pounds over a period of 12 weeks! 

This was done by only adding protein to their diet — they didn’t intentionally restrict anything. (Meaning, they weren’t aware of how many calories they consumed in total, just that they were getting more protein than before.)

And there’s a few reasons this happened:

1. Protein alters many weight regulating hormones. 

Protein has a double-sided effect on weight regulating hormones. Not only does it increase your levels of the satiety (appetite-reducing) hormones, it also reduces your levels of hunger hormones. You’ll get full quicker and be hungry less often. Win-win! 

2. You burn more calories digesting and metabolizing protein. 

Researchers are still unsure of how many calories you burn from digesting and metabolizing protein, but it’s somewhere around 20-30% of calories consumed, which is much higher than carbs (5-10%) and fat (0-3%). 

3. It boosts your metabolism — even while you sleep. 

This is tied to the previous reason, but research suggests you burn 80-100 more calories per day on a high protein diet. (And that adds up quickly day after day!) 

4. Cuts cravings and can reduce late-night snacking sessions in half. 

I know I’m guilty of late-night trips to the fridge or snack cupboard. In one study comparing a high-protein diet and a normal-protein diet in overweight men, eating 25% protein of total calories reduced cravings by 60% and cut the desire for late-night snacking by half!

And there are plenty of other reasons protein is an effective tool for weight loss. 

Here’s why I’m bringing this up: 

You can increase your protein by eating more foods high in protein such as lean meat, eggs, beef, and yogurt (to name a few). But many people have trouble preparing high-quality meals every day. 

But there’s an easier way to increase your protein intake every day… with protein powder!

We have a couple of different options for anyone considering adding protein powder to their daily diet.

1. Perfect Plant Protein

This is the newest addition to our store.

It’s not your standard protein powder, it’s an organic, low-carb plant protein made without soy! It’s completely vegan and only includes 3 ingredients — organic pumpkin seed, organic hemp seed, and organic sacha inchi seed. 

These 3 fantastic ingredients make it a nutrient powerhouse — in addition to supplying you with 27g of protein per serving, it also contains all 9 amino acids and important minerals such as magnesium and zinc. 

But perhaps the best part about this protein powder is the company behind it, Perfect Supplements. 

Not only does Perfect Supplements consistently create high quality products, but they have a deep sense of morals and ethics in how they conduct business. 

They don’t use slave/greatly underpaid labor for their products coming from the Amazon – or anywhere.

Instead, for example, the organic sacha inchi seed found in this protein powder is obtained from small farmers throughout the Amazon who are being paid fairly for their traditional, high quality products. 

(And it’s not crazy expensive despite the quality of the ingredients used.)

2. PaleoPro Protein Powder

If you’d prefer consuming animal protein, PaleoPro Protein Powder is a great option. They meet strict guidelines for Paleo, low-carb dieters, and omnivores who want to incorporate lean protein into their favorite recipes and shakes.

This powder only uses five ingredients: grass-fed beef, finely ground eggs, a little natural flavoring, stevia extract, and sunflower lecithin (an essential fat for cellular repairs). And it is available in three delicious flavors: cacao, vanilla and unsweetened plain, which is 100% protein with no additives. Not to mention, you get 30.3g of protein with every scoop!

3. Perfect Hydrolyzed Collagen

My all time favorite protein powder is Perfect Hydrolyzed Collagen. I can put it in virtually any liquid and not know it is there. It is disasterous in apple cider, though, I don’t recommend trying it. It is great in bullet coffee, smoothies, and much more. My favorite part is the small scoop size, just 11g, but there are 10g of protein! I usually get in two scoops a day, once in my smoothie and once in my coffee.

This is another win for one of our favorite brands, Perfect Supplements. This collagen powder is the result of many attempts to make it easy to absorb and easy to dissolve. As usual for this amazing natural brand, it is from grass-fed cows and is the only ingredient.