Protein: How much is ok?

Even if you don’t eat meat, everyone takes in protein in some form or another. And while having protein in our diet is an important part of our health there is such a thing as too much protein. With summer nearing an end and school about to start BBQs as a last hoorah are starting to come around as well. This means sausages, hamburgers, steaks and all whole host of BBQ essentials. There is nothing wrong with eating these things but there are things to keep in mind so that we maybe opt out of having that second burger in favor of the fruit salad.

Too much protein can lead to:

-          Heat exhaustion on a hot day (as your body has to work harder to break down the protein)

-          High cholesterol

-          Reduced liver and brain function.

(According to http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/three-problems-associated-much-protein-intake-6546.html)

Now this isn’t meant to scare you or put you off meat. So here is tip so its easy to remember how much protein to eat to keep healthy and avoid the negative side effects.

According to healthy eating.com a healthy protein intake for women is 46g and for men it’s 56g. Now 1lbs of hamburger has about 65g of protein so 1/3lbs burger has a little over 21g of protein in it. One burger and some salad and you will still have room for the desserts that are too follow.