Time for some quality protein

Make sure you're including enough protein in your daily meals.

I eat 5 to 6 types of protein:

turkey breast
chicken breast
fish
tofu
whey

I always keep fresh sliced turkey breast and grilled chicken breasts in my fridge for a quick meal. To make sure I get enough protein when I'm on the run, I drink 1-2 protein shakes on those days. When I'm finally able to enjoy a sit down meal, I'll cook loads of spinach or broccoli so I'm getting enough fiber in my diet.

Let's face it, we're all busier today than our parents were. We eat on the run, in our car, standing up in our kitchen, sitting at our desks etc. Although this is not advised, it can be difficult to prevent.

Fortunately, nearly all fast-food restaurants offer healthy choices on their menus. Go for grilled chicken with a salad on the side and toss the bread.

If you like to eat deli sandwiches. Start with whole wheat bread and load it up with turkey or chicken topped with veggies and skip the mayo. I use mustard instead of mayo.

We all love pizza...some of us eat it more than we probably should. I'm not asking that you give up this sinful hot dish but instead make some modifications to it. Pizza is high in fat and low in protein. If you're ordering out, choose a quality protein pizza like BBQ chicken or lean ham such as canadian bacon.

Ideally, it's best if you make your own pizza. Take a boboli pizza crust, spread your favorite sauce on it, sprinkle with low-fat mozzarella cheese and add your favorite veggies (mushrooms, tomato's, artichoke hearts, asparagus, spinach, broccoli, etc.) top with grilled chicken breast and bake until hot!

On the go in the morning...a protein shake might be just what you need. It's a fast and easy way to get protein into your system. Protein powders can be purchased at a health food store, trader joes, some supermarkets and pharmacies.

Not all protein shakes are made alike. For building lean muscle it's important to buy a protein powder that has little to no sugar, little to no carbs, fat and trans fat. These are typically called super concentrated pure protein powders.

My favorite is Maxpro because it assimilated quickly and digests easily. It's a great source of protein.

Here's a quick chart to help you determine how much protein you need on a daily basis.

-Take your weight and divide it by 2.2. This equals your weight in kilograms.
-Take your weight in kilograms and multiply x .08-1.8. This equals your daily grams of protein.

Use .08 if you are in good health and are sedentary. Use 1.8 if you are pregnant, or exercise consistently and are involved in intense weight and endurance training.

Example:
154 pound male who is a regular exerciser:
154/2.2 = 70kg
70kg x 1.8 = 126 grams of protein per day.

It's time to go build some lean muscle, until next time...