今日单词

arouse
vt.唤醒，唤起；激起，引起

replicate
v.复制；再制，再生

soybean
n.大豆

radical
adj.根本的，彻底的；全新的；激进的，极端的

layer
n.层，层次

scrape
v.刮掉，擦掉；（使）发出刺耳的刮擦声；勉强获得

syllable
n.音节

kernel
n.果仁，核；核心，中心，要点

hesitant
adj.犹豫的，吞吞吐吐的，犹豫不定的

foremost
adj.最先的；最著名的，最重要的

laudable
adj.值得赞美的，值得称赞的

catalyst
n.催化剂；刺激因素，促使因素

elegant
adj.优雅的；精美的；俊美的；简练的，简洁的

dehydrate
v.（使）脱水

spontaneous
adj.自发的，自然产生的

larva
n.幼虫，幼体

consume
v.消耗, 耗费; 吃; 喝; 购买; 消费; 使全神贯注; 充满; 烧毁

foul
adj.肮脏恶臭的；很令人不快的；很坏的

compass
n.罗盘，罗盘仪；圆规；范围

dump
vt.丢弃，倾倒；抛弃；推卸；倾销

今日短文

Is the High Protein Diet Healthy?
高蛋白饮食能减脂？真的健康吗？

Americans are obsessed with protein.Fat and carbs have been vilified — for unjustified reasons for the most part.There’s nothing inherently wrong with these two macronutrients, though some fats and refined carbs are foods to limit.

Protein, on the other hand, has gained a health halo, as many people think that eating more of it will build muscle and help them eat less — hence the popularity of protein shakes and powders.

The body requires protein for its upkeep — from 10 – 35 percent of daily calories should come from protein, or about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of weight.Athletes, children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and older adults need more protein than the average adult.

Too much of a good thing?

What happens with excessive protein?It does not, as some believe, turn into extra muscle.
If extra protein replaces other foods, perceived as belonging to a macronutrient category that’s out of favor, such as carbs, you may be missing out on important nutrients from those foods not famous for their protein content.

Focusing on protein may turn you away from vegetables, many of which also contain protein, among their very many other important micronutrients: 1 cup of broccoli has 3 grams of protein, a third of its dry weight is in fact protein.

If that extra protein makes you exceed your caloric expenditure, its energy will be stored as fat, and you’ll gain weight.

Excess protein is metabolized, its extra energy is stored as fat, other components are broken down and excreted.Protein’s amino acids break down into nitrogen, which is excreted through the urine mainly as urea.

A high protein diet may put extra strain on the kidneys.This is especially worrisome if there’s an underlying kidney disorder — which is not uncommon, as up to a third of Americans are at risk of kidney disease due to conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.

Thinking of food as nutrients isn’t serving our health, as protein isn’t in and of itself better than fat or carbs — all are necessary, and can come from healthy — or less healthy — sources.

Our focus should be on healthy foods and portion control.If, to increase protein intake, you replace a sugary drink with nuts or legumes, this is an improvement.

But opting for whey and casein protein powders and processed meat instead of whole foods is clearly a nutrition downgrade, regardless of the macronutrients involved.And this protein-overload trend has environmental costs, too.