There seems to be a lot of discussion now about how much protein we should be eating. I know The Zone and Dr. Atkins' diet push a much higher percentage of protein in our daily intake than you do. Proteins are large, complex, nitrogenous compounds built of chains of amino acids. Protein forms the building blocks of muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails and internal tissues. Enzymes are proteins that orchestrate all biological reactions in the cells.
Protein is great.
But we get plenty of protein in a normal Western diet. Most people in the Western world eat at least four ounces at every meal. He recommends 30 percent protein in every meal as part of a program that professes to help you lose weight permanently, achieve your best athletically, prevent disease and pump up your mental capabilities. So much of the weight loss is simply water loss. While this is going on, however, you're also losing minerals from your body, including calcium from your bones.