Protein is an essential nutrient that builds lean, healthy muscle, beautiful skin, lustrous hair, as well as vital internal organs. Consisting of chains of amino acid, including the essential amino acids, which we depend on our diet to supply, as our bodies do not produce these essential amino acids. Without sufficient protein, our bodies won’t be able to work as well as they should. For example, a compromised immune system can result from a deficiency in protein. However, most of our protein sources are also high in fat so finding the right balance and eating enough protein for a healthy body can sometimes be challenging. Below are some suggestions to help you determine how much protein you should include in your diet each day.

A recommended daily allowance (RDA) has been determined for us, by the government, based on a combination of gender and age. The protein needs for children are relatively low at 16 to 28 grams for ages 1 to 10. When men and women hit adolescence, ages 11-14, their protein needs are about the same at 45 to 46 grams. However, women’s protein requirements lessen, to about 50 grams as they hit 25 + years, while men’s increase to about 63 grams. However, women do need more protein when they are pregnant – up to 60 grams.

While using an age/gender chart to determine your RDA may be an easy answer, our body size is another important part of determining our protein needs. The more we weigh the more protein we need to keep our body working properly. Many of the RDA calculations were based on inactive people believing that most people don’t exercise regularly, so for those individuals their RDA would be about .36 grams of protein per pound of body weight. The more exercise and athletic you are, the more protein you are going to need.

Using the above calculations, take your weight and multiply it by .36 giving you a minimum protein requirement per day. Therefore, an average person with a weight of 200 pounds would need about 72 grams of protein per day. An average person with a weight of 100 pounds would need about 36 grams of protein a day.

If you are athletic or exercising regularly and feel the need to increase your daily protein, don’t over do it and remember to drink plenty of water. An overload of protein can be stressful to your kidneys.

Now that you have calculated the amount of protein that you should be eating each day, you’ll want to know how much protein is in the food you’re eating. Below are a few examples:

1 cup skim milk = 8 grams

1 egg = 6 grams

½ cup cottage cheese = 14 grams

1 slice bacon = 21 grams

1 oz of peanuts = 7 grams

6 oz of tofu = 12 grams

3 oz of sirloin steak = 26 grams

¼ lb hamburger patty = 28 grams

1 oz American cheese = 6 grams

Reaching the recommended daily allowance for your body doesn’t require a lot of food. But, if you do want to indulge on protein, choose foods derived from plants, such as peanuts and tofu, rather than animal products, such as cheese and meat that are higher in fat content. Remember that portion control is always the key to healthy eating, even when you’re eating your favorite foods. Your life depends on it.

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Use minimal amounts of oil and oily foods. Minimize or avoid entirely fried foods, red meat, creams, fatty salad dressings, cheese, and high fat desserts like ice cream.

Squeeze a lemon over a salad, instead of drenching it in a fatty ranch-type dressing. Have you ever read the calorie count on the back of a jar of ranch dressing? It’s hard to stick with the suggested serving of a couple of teaspoons or tablespoon. Then when you try and figure the number of calories you just added to your salad, it pretty much defeats any attempt at a low fat and low calorie choice. Lemon on the other hand, adds a zesty flavor to your salad, moistens it without making it too salty and helps your body to digest better.

If you must indulge yourself with an ice cream, choose a low-fat variety or even a soy-based ice cream, these are low in fat and often devoid of saturated fat. Ice cream is one of those desserts that most everyone likes but hardly anyone can indulge in on a regular basis without some side effects like obesity or high cholesterol.

Eat cheese sparingly, and choose low-fat varieties For just about every kind of cheese, there is a low-fat choice. Eaten with an apple, these low-fat types can be quite tasty. If you like pizza, try a cheeseless pizza for a change.

As you age, your body changes and foods that you once could eat without any penalty seem to turn on you as you grow older. The wonderful thing is that as our bodies change, or tastes change, too. You might notice that fast food types taste greasier, sugary foods taste too sweet and bitter vegetables become down right delicious.

Keep trying new foods, test different recipes. Don’t worry, if you don’t like something, no one will make you clean your plate. Be innovative with your food, eat healthy and live life to its fullest.

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Athletes in ancient Greece rubbed in on their bodies, it has been used to anoint the bones of dead saints and martyrs, cultivated since 5000 B.C., the oil of the olive has been sought after for centuries. Believed to be medicinal as well as magical, this golden oil was the popular choice of all royalty.

I like to use olive oil because of its wonderful taste and exceptional health benefits. Of all of the edible fats, extra-virgin olive oil (EEOO) is the most digestible. This particular type of olive oil comes from the first pressing. Less processed than the other grades of olive oil, it is higher in Vitamin E and phenol, a natural inflammatory.

Like I said, extra-virgin olive oil is the healthiest, but all varieties of olive oil offer benefits. This healthy oil helps our bodies to absorb vitamins A, D and K. Packed with essential monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants olive oil actually helps to slow down the aging process. No wonder sensible diets like mine always suggest using olive oil.

Recent reports about this wonder oil state that it protects against heart disease by raising the good cholesterol (HDL) while controlling the bad cholesterol (LDL). Successfully proven to slow or eliminate the formation of gallstones, studies show that it may even help to protect against colon cancer.

If you aren’t a regular user of this oil of the gods, then you may want to give it a try. There are different varieties with the extra-virgin olive oil being the healthiest choice.
When shopping for olive oil, keep this in mind:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: comes from the first pressing, is less processed and offers the most health benefits
Virgin Olive Oil: comes from the second pressing
Pure: filtered and refined, slight processing
Extra Light: processed oil with added olive flavor

Like most oils, olive oil is not cheap. To keep your olive oil as fresh as possible, keep it in a cool, dark place, preferably in a dark bottle. Too much light or oxygen will cause your precious oil to go rancid.

Enjoy it for cooking and be sure to drizzle a little on your veggies before devouring. You’ll be dining like royalty.

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You might find you lose weight with some fad diets—most of the time it is only temporary. The truth is losing weight requires a change in your lifestyle, that is if you want to keep those extra pounds from coming back.

The latest trendy diets all claim success, but for how long? Chances are they are so low in calories that you will definitely lose weight but when you resume eating regularly, you’ll put that weight right back on.

There are many reasons that fad diets are bad. Many lack a balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats. Some of these diets shun certain food groups and are just not nutritionally sound. Succumbing to these types of diets sets you up for failure or worse.

When you deprive yourself of a certain food group, you run the risk of nutrient deficiencies. An imbalanced diet can lead to ketosis. Sound scary? It is! This is a condition that causes the body to break down muscle tissue. No! This is the last thing you want to do, as a matter of fact it’s a last ditch effort from your body indicating that trouble is brewing.

Another reason that fad diets are bad is because they are terribly boring. Eating one particular food all day long, completely avoiding certain food groups or having to eat foods in a specific order are lifestyles that few people can adapt forever.

Think about people whom you know or celebrities who have lost weight. Which ones have kept it off? Was it the friend that was on the grapefruit diet or the extremely low fat diet? Was it the celebrity who is endorsing the diet that’s guaranteed to work?

Many of these diets are extremely low calorie diets, no wonder people lose weight from them, but are they depriving themselves of needed nutrients, by eating such a small amount of food? Most importantly, is this a quick fix weight loss or one that will last forever?

The only way to achieve permanent weight loss is to find a diet plan that you can live with. If you love ice cream, fine! Just reduce your calorie intake by portion control or food choices but keep a balanced diet and stick with a regular exercise routine. If you find that you begin to level off or start to gain weight then you may need to re-examine the type and quantity of food that you are eating.

Writing everything that you eat in your journal will help you to keep track of your diet and weight loss plan. By writing down your foods and activity each day, you take responsibility for your diet and exercise plan. Thereby bringing about a much greater chance of success. This method has been proven to work time and time again.

Making smart choices about what you eat combined with an exercise plan that incorporates cardio and strength training can be your ticket to permanent weight loss and a beautiful body. Stay away from fad diets, they only work for a short while, and winners like you are interested in benefits that last a lifetime.

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