P is for Peppers and Protein

Raise your hand if you like peppers. Bueller…Bueller…Bueller?

Bell peppers, with all their glorious color, really are great sources of vitamin A and vitamin C. My favorites are the orange and yellow ones, but I usually stick with the green and red peppers for lower carbs in general. Red peppers contain lycopene, which may help to reduce cancer. 1 cup red bell peppers=about 6 carbs.

Maybe I’m just strange, but I love the look of the glossy skin on a bell pepper. There’s just something very satisfying about the watery crunch and sweet taste of raw peppers, too. The only drawback for me comes from consuming too many green peppers, which causes me to burp. Does that happen to anyone else?

Why do we need protein? It's pretty basic. Complete proteins (like those found in meat and eggs) contain essential amino acids. We need protein for the healthy functioning of our cells, for growth and tissue repair, and to aid hormones and enzymes.

Protein is something I definitely wasn’t getting enough of before going low carb a few years ago. We ate meatless meals pretty often, without paying attention to alternate sources of non-meat protein like we should have been. Once I started getting in my daily allowance of protein, not only did I start to have more energy, but I also felt my cravings decreasing and felt full more quickly. This ultimately helped me lose weight. I don’t skimp on protein, but I do watch it. More on that in a later blog post.

Although low-carb diets are assumed to be high in protein, that isn’t entirely true. Most low-carb plans require a moderate amount of protein intake, which may be slightly higher than the standard American diet. “Protein Power” by the Drs. Eades has a formula for figuring your lean body mass and the minimum amount of protein you need to take in per day.

I also like sugar-free peanut butter and pickles for an occasional snack while I’m losing weight. Peanut butter is probably a no-no in the beginning stages of low-carb plans, but I can have it about once per week without it affecting my weight loss progress. Hold the bread, of course.