Protein has been deemed by the World Health Association as “essential for optimum growth in children.”   They also suggest that newborn infants require  complete dietary proteins that contain about 37% of the weight in essential amino acids, while adults on the other hand,  require about 15%.

Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein and can be broken up into  two different groups; Essential  and Non – Essential.   Essentials are not produced by our bodies so we must get them in the form of food or supplementation whereas the ” Non-Essential” can be  produced by the body are no less essential than the “Essential.”

Protein is often a “Hot Topic” with all of the fad dieting going around; Atkins, South Beach, Medi -Fast and  even Smoothie Diets to name a few.  A lot of these diets are very high protein, low carb and high fat.  Some  are so extreme as to tell you not to eat Fruits and Vegetables, while others swear that no protein is the way to lose weight! While you may lost weight it will probably be water, gastrointestinal bulk and lean muscle tissue which should not be your goal…..

Tsk, tsk, tsk! Even if  you aren’t an athlete your body still needs Proteins -  aka (amino – acids), Carbohydrates -  aka (Glucose) and Lipids – aka (Fat) These are your major Macro – Nutrients your body (including your brain) need in the right amounts to optimally function.

Now the that being said the nutritional requirements of any individual are directly based upon that person’s activity level, conditioning and  goals.  We could throw a few more variables in there, but you get the  picture -  your specific needs will  be different from your neighbors and so on.

So how can you tell if you are gettting the right amount of Protein? Nitrogen!  The answer lies in the  structure of the amino acids.  In addition to their composition of carbon and hydrogen atoms, amino acids have the unique characteristic of containing nitrogen as part of  their molecular structure, which gives us the ability of measuring  the nitrogen balance of an individual. 

Rule of thumb is if you are looking  to maintain the body mass you have you want equal nitrogen in and equal out.  If you are looking to add lean muscle mass (such as an athlete) you want a nitrogen surplus.  If you are deficient -  you may want to bump up your protein intake.

Nitrogen can be measured by testing urine and there has been a test developed to test the amounts to give individuals and athletes a rough idea of their nitrogen balance.  While it may take some time and tracking every day to measure, it should allow you to combine and test  different protein sources and come up with your own individual protein regimen that is right for you.

There is  definitely a benefit to having all these apps available for ammunition in your nutrition tool box! If nothing else I want people to learn to really be aware of the quality or lack there of in the things they choose to eat.   Being able to navigate successfully through the grocery store and actually put healthy things in the basket is a daunting task  for most.   With the sly creativity of today’s marketing gurus its no wonder today’s consumers are as confused as ever.  I mean look at all the choices; there’s fat free, sugar free, gluten free, low carb, high protein….. the list goes on and on.  Having these tools  can help people decipher what’s  in those 100 calorie packs and if  that high fiber bar isn’t also high in sugars and carbohydrates….  Hint Hint Wink Wink

So I would like  to share with you, a couple of fitness apps that have been tried and  true and come recommended  by my clients along with the pros and cons of  each.

 The first one I chose to feature is Spark People, this is more than just a calorie counter application, it offers total health and wellness tools from daily inspirational sayings, workout and calorie trackers to online support teams! 

Spark People – www.sparkpeople.com

What  We  Like Most – It’s Total Wellness and It’s Free! Dislikes – I tried the customized menu planning tool and wasn’t impressed,the protein to carb, fat ratio wasn t right for active individuals who actually want to maintain lean body mass – however you can choose not to use that and the rest of the service was great – you can’t leave it to a computer program to plan your nutrition it just doesn’t work.

Fit Day.com is a must for those  serious fitness buffs that are motivated and need the visual affirmations the multitude of graphical reports this site has to offer!  “I really like being able to see in the charts exactly what I put into my body!” -  client TC

What we liked about  www.fitday.com – That it focuses on just one thing – Total Nutrition -  and does it really well.  The reports are second  to none and it’s free.  The only not so hot feature is that the food list was almost too excessive and just about everything we normally ate had to be set up as a custom food with us doing the data entry.

My Fitness Pal can be downloaded to the Droid or the I phone and is a Calorie Counting King! I went to go join this site today and found out just how user friendly it really is! “I like the fact that I can scan it with my phone and know exactly what I’m putting in my body – it even calculates the sodium and compares it to what my individual RDA should be!” client TW

What we like about My Fitness Pal is how easy and simple it was to set up an account and  enter our fitness goals along with the fact that its free!  The other super cool features are that if you have a smart phone you have the power  to scan and break the monotony of data entry! I also loved the fact that the interface is just super user friendly – there is that saying Less is More – So True! Not much we could not like about this app!  Even if you don’t have a smart phone this app is still great tool if you prefer tracking  your progress online.

As for me the best fitness app I have found to date that is tried and  true is a pencil and  paper! It is the least expensive and I don’t need a smart phone or a PC to use it.  By writing down what I put into my body it reinforces it in my brain and helps me to track my nutrition and make healthy choices. I have a basic one  page  calorie sheet of what is in most normal foods like meats, vegies, fruits and grains posted to my fridge and  what ever I have in question I can find online….  It all comes down to what works for you; whatever tool you choose to track your fitness and  nutrition progress give yourself a pat on the  back for  incorporating healthy habits into your lifestyle!