We all know how important protein is to any diet, whether you are trying to achieve a healthy weight loss or not. Certain fad diets tell people its OK to go out and eat as much greasy bacon as you want, as long as you stay away from those killer carbohydrates. As you probably have already figured out, this type of diet does not work. The main reason is that the source of protein comes from animal fats, and eating too much of it will take its toll on your health.

Be very thankful that we have soy in our world. It is the healthy alternative to animal protein for many many reasons. The incorporation of even just a small amount of soy protein into the diet every day is beneficial in the prevention of all kinds of diseases. What does that have to do with losing weight? Everything!

The key to healthy weight loss is proper nutrition. Once your body is healthy on a daily basis, it can perform miracles. Living a healthy lifestyle means choosing soy over bacon when you want to give your body protein fuel. When you feed your body the right way, you will get the results you want.

Soy contains more protein than milk without the saturated fat or cholesterol. Soya beans are the only beans to be considered a complete protein because they contain all eight essential amino acids. Soy protein contains high levels of a substance called Tyrosine, which helps to maintain our alertness and mental energy without the need for excess calories.

Soy is a low-glycemic index food which helps regulate blood-sugar and insulin fluctuations. This helps you to feel more satisfied and less hungry until your next meal, which is beneficial for weight management and control. Some studies even indicate that soy may stimulate the metabolism! How cool is that!

Soy also helps reduce the amount of fat that is stored in your body by converting fewer calories into fat from the food that you consume. Soy protein can also control insulin levels therefore reducing the frequency of sugar cravings. Since your body will feel more satisfied and less hungry, this will also reduce the overindulgent eating.

Soy also enhances energy levels and building muscle mass in a healthy way. Muscles burn energy during daily activities and exercise. Increased muscle mass burns more calories. Since soy increases the speed at which the fat cells burn the fat stored in the body, it once again affects your metabolism. Exercise is not mandatory for a healthy weight loss, but even the smallest workout every day can accelerate your weight loss efforts.

I had chronic asthma all of my life and could not exercise…until I began drinking soy-based protein shake meal replacements. I lost 70 pounds in 4 months and have kept it off for over 15 years now. The best part is that because of the benefits of soy, I can now exercise every day without any breathing problems. I was also able to get rid of all my prescription medications on top of it.

Do I have to drink a soy-based shake every day? No, I do not have to. If I want to go back to being overweight with breathing problems, I suppose I could stop using soy. But why would I ever want to do that? As I stated before, the key to a healthy weight loss and maintaining an ideal weight is the willingness to lead a healthy lifestyle. You can not lose weight and expect to go back to old bad eating habits without suffering the consequences.

A great advantage to living a healthy lifestyle is that you do not need to give up the foods you love. You can sill eat them, just not as often. You must replace some of those foods with healthier alternatives. The road to a healthy weight loss is littered with all kinds of snack wrappers, like soy nuts, protein bars and fruit. (OK, fruit usually doesn’t need a wrapper, but you get my point.

Since fad diets, unbalanced diets, diet pills, diet supplements, weight loss surgery and other short term weight loss methods are the cheaters way to lose weight, why bother? Cheaters never prosper and there is no substitute for proper nutrition. Take advantage of the many benefits soy can give to you and you will soon find yourself living the kind of life you deserve.