What you’ll find inside this bag: The high protein and low carb benefits of reaching for a pumpkin seed snack.

This post was written by Olivia Matthews, Certified Holistic Nutritionist, Personal Trainer & Metabolic Balance Diet Coach.

 

 

 

To snack or not to snack?  Ever second guess if you should snack?  Wonder if snacks are the culprit keeping you from reaching your goals?

Have no fear! Snacking can be beneficial—you just have to be sure to pick the right kind of snack.

 

HOW HIGH PROTEIN SNACKS WITH LOW-CARB BENEFITS KEEP YOUR HUNGER AT BAY

 

Choosing a snack that is high-protein and has low-carb benefits is great for keeping you feeling satiated. Simply meaning, protein and healthy fats have the ability to keep you feeling full, so you don’t go overboard at mealtime.

High protein, low-carb foods can also balance your blood sugars and help to repair muscle damage post-exercise. Here’s exactly how adding protein dense, low-carb snacks to your diet can keep your hunger at bay.

 

WHAT DOES PROTEIN DO FOR THE BODY?

 

Foods high in protein essentially help to build the body.

Protein is broken down into 22 unique amino acids, then these tiny molecules help to reassemble the structures in our body, including our DNA. Hence, protein being the building blocks of life!

Foods high in protein help to build our genes, bones, muscles, skin, enzymes, neurotransmitters and so much more. And another fun fact that you may enjoy: our body contains enzymes, which can trigger biomechanical functions of the body, simply meaning they can kickstart processes such as digestion and liver detox. Without a diet that’s rich in healthy protein sources, your bodily functions would struggle to perform their biggest duties.

When you break it down on a cellular level, protein is boss!

Protein provides a longer lasting energy source, manages to keep you feeling full for longer, keeps your tissues growing and repairing, maintains proper pH balance, and boosts your immune system.

 

 

HIGH PROTEIN SNACKS WITH LOW CARB BENEFITS: BLOOD SUGAR CONTROL

 

Whole foods or snacks that are low in carbohydrates, high in protein and high in fiber also have the ability to control your blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption rate of sugar into the bloodstream.

Thinking back to the low carb benefits of the ketogenic diet (and why it has become so popular) is because without the addition of carbs into the diet your blood sugar levels, and insulin control becomes stabilized and you end up burning fat rather than carbs for fuel.

There are no spikes in blood sugar levels, or even crashes, and instead, your body’s hunger cues and energy levels are easier for your body to control.

Therefore the benefits of high protein, low-carb snacks (such as Skuta Seeds) can be to help control blood sugar levels, appetite, weight loss, energy levels, heart health, and so on.

Since protein is used by your body at a much slower pace than carbohydrates, eating a high-protein snack like Sea Salt Pumpkin Seeds won’t leave you wanting more food right away. Blood sugar management is a huge low-carb benefit and one of the main reasons why low-carb, high protein, high fat diets hold major success rates with weight loss.

LOW CARB BENEFITS FOR WEIGHT LOSS & ENERGY

 

We now know that having blood sugar imbalances can affect our bodies in so many ways. It can keep us feeling hungry, have our blood sugars peaking and crashing, and lacks the slow and controlled burn of energy.

Not only that, but high blood sugar levels can cause sugar (glucose) to become stored in our muscle cells, and when those muscle cells reach capacity our fat cell step in as storage. This can lead to unwanted weight gain along with the unwanted symptoms that go along with blood sugar imbalances.

Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is important in order to avoid overworking our organs and storing excess glucose in our fat cells.

So how do we do that?

Having a well-balanced diet with healthy lifestyle choices, such as eating high-protein, low carb snacks throughout the day, and making sure we are fueling our body with a sustained energy source that burns fat, rather than stores it, can benefit our body’s ability to metabolize foods and lose weight.

 

LOW CARB BENEFITS FOR POST-WORKOUT RECOVERY & SLEEP

 

As we know, protein is essential for so many different bodily functions, but one of the most well-known benefit of eating high protein, low carb snacks is to help build and repair muscle tissue.

In order to maintain and build healthy muscles, protein intake is extremely important during post-workout recovery. While snacking on carbs pre-workout is always recommended, especially with cardio, post-exercise recovery with high protein, low carb foods can have amazing benefits for the body.

As you exercise, muscles fibres are breaking down, rebuilding and protein is essential for keeping up with a quick repair of our muscles, and for building lasting muscle memory.

Can you tell just how crucial snacking on protein rich foods, like pumpkin seeds are yet?

Not only are Skuta seeds high in protein, fiber, low in carbs, but they also contain plenty of valuable nutrients that help balance your circadian rhythm and help you to get a good night sleep.

For example, pumpkin seeds are high in Omega 3 fatty acids, B vitamins, minerals and amino acids, all in which help activate the neurotransmitter serotonin, which plays a crucial role in developing melatonin, the sleep hormone.

Keeping your snack game low-carb, high protein and filled with valuable nutrients keep your sleep game tip top and combined with the proper balance of hormones, help with proper muscle repair and growth.

So, next time you reach for a snack remember the amazing benefits of keeping it high protein and low in carbs!

Grab a bag of Skuta Pumpkin Seeds. These seeds are perfect for when you’re on-the-go, that 3 pm slump, post-workout fuel, or just because!

One serving of Skuta Pumpkin Seeds contains 13 grams of protein, 5 grams of fibre and 7g of essential fatty acids.  Bonus: each serving has just 2 grams of sugar. On top of all this goodness, pumpkin seeds provide a ton of nutrients*, are non-GMO and gluten free!

There are so many ways you can take Skuta’s pumpkin seeds on-the-go with you. We’d love to see your favourite way to Skuta and don’t forget to tag us @skutapumpkin and use #snackskuta for a chance to be featured.