How Much Protein Do I Need?

Protein, protein, protein. You have to have it in your diet.

In fact, according to dietaryfiberfood.com, "Protein intake is an indispensable requirement for the growth and maintenance of any living creature."

In other words, you can't just forget about it.

But what's the point?

Taking once again from dietaryfiberfood.com, the positives of getting enough protein are pretty impressive.

• Body development (if you're working to develop muscle, then this is particularly helpful!)
• Replenishment of lost blood
• Healing of wounds and scars
• Hair and nail growth

Cool, huh? But now on to the real question. How much do I need?

Well, thanks to about.com, we have a nifty formula to figure that out:

"How to Calculate Your Protein Needs: 

1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm.
Use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary (i.e., 0.8). Use a higher number (between 1 and 1.8) if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training.
Example: 154 lb male who is a regular exerciser and lifts weights
154 lbs/2.2 = 70kg
70kg x 1.5 = 105 gm protein/day"

 Alright, so, now I know that I need [fill in the blank] gm of protein a day.....

How do I get that many grams?

By eating healthy foods that are high in protein, of course!

These foods include:

• Beans
• Cheeses 
• Eggs
• Milk
• Yogurt
• Tuna
• Oatmeal
• Plain popcorn
• Rye
• Bananas
• Whole wheat bread
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Fish
• Shakeology

Just remember, too much of  a good thing is always a bad thing.

Is Coffee Bad for Your Health?

In order to answer this question, first we need to look at what coffee actually is. According  to coffeecupnews.org, "Coffee actually comes from a cherry that grows on a bush or tree. That cherry has seed inside of it or “bean” which is then cleaned, dried, roasted (cooked), ground and then brewed." So, it starts out as a fruit, and then we use the seed, or bean to make coffee. That doesn't sound so bad, right? You say that everyone is always getting onto you about how bad coffee is for you, but it's actually a fruit! Also, according to WebMD, coffee drinkers are less likely to have type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and dementia and have fewer cases of certain cancers, heart rhythm problems, and strokes.

So then where is the problem?

The problem is when you start adding calorie and sugar packed creamers and flavors to your coffee. For example, my favorite Starbucks coffee is the Java Chip Frappucino. That drink alone has 200 calories with 35 from fat. Now that doesn't seem so bad, until you realize that plain coffee is calorie free. If you need to add some flavor, add some skim milk or stevia. You can even buy "skinny" creamers such as this awesome White Chocolate Mocha creamer from International Delights, that I use.
Answer: Calories so empty that you don't even remember to count them.
So, in conclusion, if you're a coffee drinker, you don't have to stop. Just adjust.

• Don't drink coffee filled with empty calories
• Be wise about what you add to your coffee 
• Don't drink coffee in place of water; a healthy dose of coffee is one cup a day

5 Day Inferno

Finally! The wedding and summer are over and everything is back in full swing. Hopefully along with my blogging and facebook!

Okay, so, I started this new work out program called

Turbofire.


The workouts are fun, the music is AMAZING, and the calories it burns are ridiculous. The workouts consist mainly of dancing and kickboxing, with a stretch/yoga workout to increase flexibility and a high intensity interval training workout every other day.

• What is HIIT?
• Why is flexibility important?

By just following the 5 day eating and work out plan I lost 2 inches, both in places that could stand to lose an inch. I know an inch in my hips and an inch in my chest (right below the arms and around) don't look like it's much of a difference, but my clothes sure fit differently!

Okay, so here's how you do it:

• Sign up for a free Beachbody account where you can log your workouts and get free coaching (from me!)
• Sign up for free now!
• Get your copy of Turbofire. Which, by the way, includes workouts as short as 15 minutes and as effective as any longer cardio (if not more!).
• Purchase it by clicking here!
• Order some Shakeology from your coach (me!) But why? Well, because your eating plan includes a Shakeology a day! Shakeology is essentially a protein shake, but it is much yummier and has many more nutrients than just protein. Use it for a meal substitute a day and increase your results.
• Find out more about Shakeology!
• Take before pictures and measurements.
• Start your eating plan. Make sure you eat enough by following the calories to add chart in the 5 day inferno guidebook.
• Start your work outs! Log your workouts into Beachbody each day and stick to doing them.
• Stick to the eating plan!
• After the 5 days, take after pictures and measurements.
• Let me know your results!

Make sure you talk to your doctor if you're not sure that you're in physical condition to do such an intense work out.

Before

After

Before

After