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It's true that bodybuilders and weight lifters need to keep the protein up in their diet in order to maintain and build the large muscle mass which is so important to their sports or recreation.

Protein, as most know, is found in meat, fish, chicken, beans, milk, in soy products like tofu and in lesser amounts in nuts and grains.

Daily Requirements
The estimated daily requirements are set by various nutrition authorities in each country. In the US, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) sets the guidelines for nutrients like protein as well as other major vitamins and minerals. For most people of average weight, the protein intake is set at less than 70 grams each day.

In scientific terms, a calorie is the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius from a standard initial temperature. A nutritionist's calorie is defined as a unit of energy-producing potential equal to this quantity of heat that is contained in food and released upon oxidation by the body.

Food manufacturers are required to label their products with calorie guides. Calories of various products are determined through direct Calorimetry--that is, the measurement of the amount of head evolved or absorbed in a chemical reaction or change of state.

Energy-producing food is digested in the stomach and small intestines and eventually allows the body to build up muscle proteins, cleanse itself, strengthen bones and stabilize itself. Resting metabolic processes as well as growth mechanisms require energy, thus consume calories.

Body fat measurements and the measuring tape are recognized as superior methods for measuring "weight loss". When one declares that they want to "lose weight", what they often mean is that they want to lose fat. So, now that you've had your body fat percentage measured, what does the number really mean?
First, your body fat percentage is simply the percentage of fat your body contains. If you are 150 pounds and 10% fat, it means that your body consists of 15 pounds fat and 135 pounds lean body mass (bone, muscle, organ tissue, blood and everything else).

A certain amount of fat is essential to bodily functions. Fat regulates body temperature, cushions and insulates organs and tissues and is the main form of the body's energy storage. The following table describes body fat ranges and their associated categories:

*General Body Fat Percentage Categories
Classification Women (% fat) Men (% fat)
Essential Fat 10-12% 2-4%
Athletes 14-20% 6-13%
Fitness 21-24% 14-17%

There are races of people who are all slim, who are stronger and faster than us. They all have straight teeth and perfect eyesight. Arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, depression, schizophrenia and cancer are absolute rarities for them. These people are the last 84 tribes of hunter-gatherers in the world. They share a secret that is over 2 million years old. Their secret is their diet- a diet that has changed little from that of the first humans 2 million years ago, and their predecessors up to 7 million years ago. Theirs is the diet that man evolved on, the diet that is coded for in our genes. It has some major differences to the diet of "civilization". You are in for a few big surprises.

The diet is usually referred to as the "Paleolithic Diet" referring to the Paleolithic or Stone Age era. It is also referred to as the "Stone Age Diet", "Cave Man Diet" or the "Hunter-Gatherer Diet". More romantic souls like to think of it as the diet that was eaten in the "Garden of Eden" and they are correct in thinking so.