Protein!

Lately I have been spending way too much time on Twitter, just trying to figure it out. Although I have found some pretty amazing resources on there, I just have to figure out how to keep track of it all and keep up with it. It moves at a crazy pace!

I have stumbloed upon Craig Ballantyne's information a few times and have always found it interesting, so I've started following some of his stuff. He's got some great information!

I'm posting a link to this article:
http://www.ttfatloss.com/nutrition/diet-reconstruction-shocking-protein-update/

Protein talk is one of the most common conversations I have with clients, people in the gym and athletes. So, let me be clear YOU DO NOT NEED A LOT OF PROTEIN in your diet to gain muscle. I particularly like this: 0.8 grams per KILOGRAM, which is 0.36 grams per POUND is all you need for muscle building (and possibly less) as stated by Dr. Phillips.

Body weight Protein need (DAILY)
125 pounds 45 grams
150 pounds 54 grams
175 pounds 63 grams
200 pounds 72 grams

So, what does this look like in a meal?
Most cuts of beef have about 7 grams of protein per ounce, so a 4 oz hamburger patty has about 28 grams of protein.

Some foods and their protein:
Chicken breast 30 grams
Tuna (6oz can) 40 grams
Egg 6 grams
Tofu (1/2 cup) 20 grams
Beans & lentils (1/2 cup cooked) 7-10 grams
Soy beans/Edamame (1/2 cup cooked) 14 grams
Peanut butter (2 tbsp) 8 grams
Almonds (1/4 cup) 8 grams
Flax seeds (1/4 cup) 8 grams

Vegetables and protein amounts:
100 grams each
Peas 7g
Broccoli, brussel sprouts, asparagus, cauliflower 3g
Cabbage, Fennel, gherkins, peppers, aubergine 1g
Spinach, tomatoes, mushroom, courgette, beetroot, yam 2g

High protein diets can lead to:
chronic kidney problems
lack of fiber
bone mineral loss
kidney stones
lack of energy
dehydration
bad breath

As you can tell, I am not a big fan of high protein diets. More than that, I find that a lot of athletes have been mis-informed about the amount of protein they need. Protein shakes and protein bars are everywhere. If you want to build muscle to have to have protein. Sure, but how much is too much? Most of the guys I talk to in the gym are taking in way too much.

Unfortunately I think that by the time people realize the damage they have done to themselves, it will be too late. The high-protein, low-carb diets are probably around to stay, people are getting results from them, but at what cost? At what point will people start to see the long-term problems that these diets can cause?