The Protein Power Diet

The Protein Power Diet plan is another low carb diet regimen that closely resembles the Atkins diet. However, there are a few significant differences, mostly to do with the way you determine the number of calories you need to consume.

Actually, the Protein Power plan is like a cross between the Atkins diet and another low card diet, the Zone diet.

Designed by Doctors

The Protein Power diet plan was also designed by doctors, Dr. Michael R. Eades (M.D) and Dr. Mary Dan Eades (M.D). Both are practitioners of bariatric medicine, i.e. medicine pertaining to weight loss, in Boulder, Colorado.

The Eades wrote two books wherein they put forth their Protein Power diet - Protein Power and The Protein Power LifePlan Gram Counter. The second book is an updated version of the first one, Protein Power, with the latest information regarding studies and developments that happened after the first book was published.

It also contains information related to a number of subjects, like fats, iron, magnesium, cholesterol, etc. This book is not only about Protein Power, unlike the first one. Noticeably, both of these books went on the bestseller list of the New York Times.

The protein Power diet reduces carbohydrates

The Protein Power diet plan works on the same basic principle as other low carb diets, which is to reduce drastically the carbohydrate content of your diet, get your body to burn first the protein and then the fat instead for fuel, and then slowly reintroduce just a minimal amount of carbohydrate into your diet.

The strategy that this diet plan adopts is simple - reduce carb content, eat appropriate amounts of protein to offshoot this reduction, and also have healthy fatty foods, again in proper amounts, not more.

The Protein Power diet is divided into 3 stages - Phase 1 or the Intervention phase, Phase 2 or the Transition phase, and the Maintenance Levels phase.

How Protein Power is different from the Atkins' Diet

Though the Protein Power plan resembles other low carbohydrate diets such as the Atkin's diet, it has some startling differences as well.

One of the basic differences is that the Protein Power diet is directed at controlling weight and enhancing a person's health by basically controlling the insulin levels in a person's body.

The first major difference between the protein Power and Atkins' diet is that the Protein Power plan does not frown upon the consumption of alcohol, as long as the person is aware of its calorific contents. High sugar forms of alcohol, such as sweet wine, brandy, rum, or any such drink mixed with juice of high sugar fruits (such as mango or pineapple) are restricted, though.

Caffeine is allowed

Another difference between the Protein Power and Atkins' diets is that the former allows consumption of caffeine, as it doesn't consider it as capable of triggering insulin release.

The most significant difference is in the way calorific value is determined in the two diets. The Protein Power plan loses out in this regard, as it determines calorific value required by a person based on the amount of proteins required by the person.

This is a very tricky proposition, as the protein requirement of a person is determined not by body weight, but by the amount of activity. This means that sedentary people require lesser protein intake than active people. This is a difficult premise to tread on - what if a person weighs more, but is sedentary, or a person has less body weight but is active?

The protein requirement determined on the basis of activity levels in such cases would be misleading, and could cause serious health problems over a period of time.

How The Protein Power Diet works >>