If you donât eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods, you may not be getting all the micronutrients your body needs. In fact, Americans tend to eat foods that are high in calories and low in micronutrients.These foods often also contain added sugar, sodium (salt), saturated fat or trans fat.f you donât eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods, you may not be getting all the micronutrients your body needs. In fact, Americans tend to eat foods that are high in calories and low in micronutrients.
If you DO workout and you DO have some type of diet or fitness related goal (like building muscle, losing fat, etc.), you should eat between 0.8-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. This is what most consider to be the ideal protein intake range for healthy adults who exercise regularly and are trying to improve their body in some way.
Men who work out 5 or more days a week for an hour or longer need 0.55 gram per pound. And men who work out 3 to 5 days a week for 45 minutes to an hour need 0.45 gram per pound. So a 180-pound guy who works out regularly needs about 80 grams of protein a day. Now, if you're trying to lose weight, protein is still crucial. The fewer calories you consume, the more calories should come from protein, says Layman. You need to boost your protein intake to between 0.45 and 0.68 gram per pound to preserve calorie-burning muscle mass. And no, that extra protein won't wreck your kidneys: Taking in more than the recommended dose won't confer more benefit.