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.