Pork, protein and losing weight
Guilty of overeating during the holidays? Brent Fairlie, CEO of LYNCA MEATS , offers some advice on how including Pork into your diet can help you lose those extra festive kilos.
The festive season is a fun and exciting time of year – full of good company, music, sunshine, food and treats! However, after all the excesses of the season, it is not surprising that one of the most popular New Year resolutions is to lose some weight and get back into shape. Well, if this is the case and you’d like to lose a few kilos, or you simply want to get a bit healthier, then why not consider adding Pork to your diet?
Brent Fairlie, CEO of the top producer of high-end Pork and Pork products, LYNCA MEATS , says that there are many cuts of Pork that contain less fat and cholesterol than chicken: “Pork is a fantastically flavoursome source of lean and even extra-lean protein, and it is a good source of a variety of vitamins and minerals too – making it a super healthy protein source.”
What health benefits does Pork offer?
Aside from being super tasty, Pork is also really healthy. Pork is an excellent source of protein and iron, which is far more easily absorbed by the human digestive system than its plant-based counterparts. It is also a really good source of important minerals such as selenium, phosphorus and thiamine.
Brent notes: “Pork meat cuts are richer in thiamine than beef or lamb. It has also been shown that there is a 15% higher retention of thiamine in cooked Pork meat than in any other red meat alternative. He advises that pork also boasts a significant amount of B-vitamins: “Pork contains high levels of B6 and B12 vitamins, which are crucial for blood cell formation and brain function.”
Some health benefits of including Pork into your diet include:
- Muscle maintenance: Pork is full of high quality proteins, which provide essential amino acids that act as building blocks for new muscles.
- Muscle performance: Pork is rich in the beta-alanine protein compound, carnosine, which helps lower fatigue and improves physical fitness. Its proteins will also help regenerate new muscle mass and help maintain the health of existing muscle mass.
- Cell growth and function: Pork is a good source of B6 and B12 vitamins, thiamine, niacin, and riboflavin, which help the body convert food into energy. They are also essential for the healthy function of the brain and the nervous system, as well as DNA, hormone and red blood cell creation.
- Anti-depressant: A lack of B vitamins has been shown to lead to anxiety, depression and other forms of mental illnesses. Vitamin B12 in particular, which is found in Pork, has been shown to be effective in helping to prevent depression.
How can Pork help you to lose weight?
Eating lean cuts of Pork is an affordable and tasty way of helping you realise your weight-loss goals, explains Brent: “The key to including Pork into a well-balanced, healthy diet is to choose lean cuts, cook them with a low-fat preparation methods, and incorporate them into meals that contain plenty of vegetables.”
Pork has no sugar or carbohydrates, making it ideal for a variety of low-carb weight-loss diets, such as the Banting, Atkins, Keto, Paleo, Zone and South Beach diets. Pork is however a great source of protein for “High quality protein should be a key element of any healthy diet as it will help keep you feeling full for longer, and it assists in stabilising blood sugar. It also helps that Pork is such a versatile meat – there are so many ways of preparing it, including grilling to roasting, braising, slow cooking, and braaiing.”
What are the leanest cuts of Pork?
Pork tenderloin is the leanest cut of Pork – an 85g serving of cooked Pork tenderloin contains approximately 3g fat, 1g of saturated fat and 62mg of cholesterol. It is incredible to think that this is as lean as a boneless, skinless chicken breast! Other lean cuts of Pork include top loin chops, boneless top loin roast, Pork sirloin roast, and bone-in rib chops.
Get inspired and browse some super healthy Pork recipes: https://lyncameats.co.za/all-recipes/
