Protein plays a vital role in the development and the repairing of a number of different tissues in the body, including muscle. Body builders, fitness enthusiasts, and body conscious people interested in lowering their body fat percentage use protein as their weapon of choice, consuming as much as .8 - 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. At 180 pounds, they would eat no less than 144 grams of protein per day.

Chicken with Vegetables | Photo by kivoart - iStockphoto

According to Maureen Callahan, R.D. of CNN Health, the Institute of Medicine says that it is actually safe to eat protein in quantities up to 35% of the calories that you eat each day. So, if you are eating 1500 caloriesa day, 525 of those should be from your protein sources. Since there are approximately 4 calories in each gram of protein, this translates into eating roughly 131 grams (525 divided by 4) of protein per day. Countless forms of research done through the years have shown that consuming protein at these higher levels helps the body to burn more fat, stabilizes blood sugar levels , and keeps you satisfied longer. After conducting a study designed to determine the optimal nutrient intake for preventing heart disease, it was also revealed that replacing just 10% of the calories derived from carbs with protein calories has the affect of decreasing triglyceride levels, lowering blood pressure, and reducing cholesterol. These cardiovascular benefits, coupled with the body slimming power of protein, should be convincing enough for you to re-evaluate your diet. How much protein are you actually eating each day? Have you done the calculations to see if it’s enough? Be sure to stick with lean protein sources like protein powder, healthy nuts, tofu, chicken, and fish.

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