Winter is soon upom us and many find themselves leeting their weight go a allitle only to have a frantic race to take it all off again as our next summer approaches.

This year, instead of wondering "how can I get rid of this belly in time for the beach," why not ask yourself a totally different question: "How can I lose this excess baggage permanently so I don’t have to keep taking it off every year?"

The average American eats about twice as much protein than what they require.  Some people, in the pursuit of thinness, are going on low-carb diets and are eating up to four times the protein their body needs.  Protein deficiency is certainly not a problem in America.  So exactly how much protein do you really need?  Much less than you think.

Protein is a vital nutrient, essential to your health. In its purest form, protein consists of chains of amino acids.  There are 22 amino acids that combine to form different proteins, and 8 to 9 of these must come from the foods we eat.  Our body uses these amino acids to create muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails and internal organs.  Proteins help replace and form new tissue, transports oxygen and nutrients in our blood and cells, regulates the balance of water and acids, and is essential for making antibodies.