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Protein-rich foods can be delicious as well as nutritious -- just think of a creamy, thick cup of yogurt or a savory, juicy grilled steak.

While high-protein foods have a bounty of valuable nutritional and health properties, however, the benefits can turn into risks if you eat too many of them over an extended period of time.

According to Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietitian for MayoClinic.com, you may experience constipation if you follow a high-protein diet for several months or longer.

Caloric intake is also very important for your strength levels. If your calories are too low for your energy expenditure you will be going backwards with your progress instead of forward.

f you are training hard and you are not taking in the optimal amount of protein that your body needs to recover and replenish from your hard workouts, much of your time in the gym will be wasted. This doesn't sound so good does it?

One very important thing your Dietician forgot is your pre and post workout nutrition plan. Where are they? What you eat before and after your training plays a major role in your success. If your nutrition plan doesn't have these included in them then you are definitely getting shortchanged on your results.

What did you just say? Eat 6 times per day? Yes, that's right! Don't think that you are going to gain quality size eating 3 square meals per day. The only type of mass you will put on eating this way will be the fat type, and this is not our objective. There is no way that you can reach your caloric or your macronutrient needs eating 3 meals per day. If by some magical reason you can eat them in 3 meals, than you will be so full and bloated, you won't be able tie up your own shoes let alone pound out some heavy deadlifts.

Water is very important for many reasons. Water is good for you believe it or not. It has many health and performance benefits. It keeps your organs functioning properly, clears toxins, reduces excess sodium from your body, and it hydrates your muscle cells. It even liberates fat stores on your body so they are burned off as an energy source. Dehydration will cause a major decrement in performance. Even a 2% state of dehydration will cause your performance to go out the window

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Glucose, which is transported by your bloodstream to organs and tissues after eating carbohydrates, provides an essential source of energy for both your muscles and brain when working out. As energy and glucose needs to increase with exercise, it's important to eat enough carbohydrates in order to fuel your workouts. Having low blood glucose levels during exercise harms performance and can lead to physical and mental fatigue, sometimes resulting in weakness, dizziness and hypoglycemia. Glucose also prevents the body from using protein for energy.

When glucose isn't needed for immediate energy, the body stores it as glycogen in the liver and skeletal muscle. Glycogen stores are especially important when working out, as the body's energy demands may exceed the amount supplied by glucose in the bloodstream after prolonged exercise or when exercising with insufficient carbohydrate intake. According to Iowa State University, during low-intensity workouts, glycogen stores can be used to increase glucose levels in the bloodstream for as long as 90 minutes -- whereas during high-intensity exercise, glycogen stores provide energy for only about 20 minutes. Active people therefore need to replenish glucose regularly by eating plenty of carbohydrates. However, in less-active people with adequate glycogen stores, additional glucose is stored as fat.

Protein serves a number of functions in the body. This nutrient is essential for the proper growth and repair of muscle tissue, as well as all other bodily tissues.

There has been some debate about how much protein the body needs for optimal gains in muscle mass, although recent guidelines, as of February 2011, suggest that it's less than previously thought.

Recent guidelines, as of February 2011, suggest that the ideal protein intake for strength-training athletes is in the range of 0.7 to 1.0 g of protein per 1 lb. of body weight each day.

Young weightlifters who want to emulate athletic heroes try to improve their own weightlifting skills and athletic motivation. Yet in the realm of protein supplementation, youngsters would do well to learn as much as possible about sensible nutrition

Young weightlifters should avoid relying on protein supplementation for muscle and strength gains, as excessive dietary protein might carry unwanted side effects, and protein supplementation can be unnecessary and expensive.

Teenage weightlifters immerse themselves in a demanding sport that emphasizes power and body weight. Already dealing with growth spurts and body changes, these teens may obsess about muscle gain. However, it is exercise, not high protein foods, that builds muscle -- although dietary protein provides the amino acids from which new muscle can be built.

Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide provides direction on the type and amount of food we should eat for overall health

By choosing a variety of foods from the four food groups (Vegetables and Fruit, Grain Products, Milk and Alternatives and Meat and Alternatives) and following the recommendations to choose foods lower in fat, sugar and salt, you can add to your overall health and vitality.

Eat more vegetables and fruit.

Teenagers and diet

should sustain growth and promote good health.

number of physiological changes occur that affect nutritional needs

The real secret to weight loss is to make small, lasting changes.

diets, pills or those weird fitness gadgets on infomercials that promise instant success. Maybe you lose weight but what happens when you go off that diet or stop that crazy workout program? You gain it all back and more.

To lose one pound of fat, you must burn approximately 3500 calories over and above what you already burn doing daily activities.

healthy lifestyle involves many choices.

Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products

low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars

Creatine and protein shakes are commonly used by weightlifters and athletes looking to bulk up or improve their overall physical fitness levels. Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid found in fish and meat and produced naturally in the liver, kidneys and pancreas, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Protein shakes are supplements used to fuel the body with protein in an effort to build muscle.

Creatine works by supplying the muscles with additional energy during a workout. This can help you increase the intensity of your workouts, although it has been shown to be ineffective for some people, the University of Maryland Medical Center notes. Protein powders are primarily used immediately following a workout to help replenish the body with much-needed proteins lost during an intense lifting session. Muscles are made of protein, considered the building block of all bodily tissues.

Contrary to what some people believe, protein supplementation is not necessarily a healthy way to lose weight, cautions Mayo Clinic dietitian Katherine Zeratsky. Meal-replacement shakes that are high in protein cannot replicate or achieve the nutritional value of whole foods. Zeratsky recommends focusing on eating healthy, well-balanced meals and watching your calorie intake to lose weight safely.

Oatmeal can help you stave off your hunger and take inches off of your waist. Cravings are caused by a drop in blood sugar. Oatmeal is high in fiber, which will keep you fuller longer and stave off any snack attacks or sugar cravings. Fiber also allows you digestive system to work better, ridding you of any bloating or constipation and leaving you with a firmer midsection.

Eggs are full of vitamins and nutrients that burn fat and build muscle. Eggs contain vitamins A, D, E and B12, which the body uses to metabolize fat. They are also a great source of protein, which the body uses to build muscle. A study at Louisiana State University found that those who ate eggs for breakfast daily lost more weight than those who ate bagels, the Quick & Simple website notes.

You need fat to lose weight, believe it or not. Monounsaturated fats are a good thing, and you can find them in cooking oils such as olive oil and canola oil. Good fats also help lower your cholesterol and lessen food cravings. Olive oil has also been shown to help prevent Alzheimer's disease, and to help deliver nutrients to the brain. Other foods high in monounsaturated fats include olives, avocados and almonds.

But shouldn’t protein intake be a percentage of total calories? Quite a few programs and nutritionists quote percentage of calories, usually in the range of 10 percent to 20 percent, as a way to figure out how much protein a person needs to consume daily. This is a rough estimate of a person's minimum protein needs. It works because typically, larger and more active people need more calories, so the more calories they need, the more protein they will get.

What foods have the most protein? Meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, legumes, and nuts all have substantial amounts of protein. These articles can help:

What is protein? How much protein do we need? Is it possible to eat too much protein?

A balanced diet means getting the right types and amounts of foods and drinks to supply nutrition

Fruit group

The protein you obtain from your diet plays numerous roles in your body. Protein contributes to your connective tissue and helps your body build muscle, which allows you to stand and walk. Protein also helps your body synthesize enzymes and some hormones. Proteins help your body maintain acid-base and fluid balance. Your body also relies on protein as part of your immune response to help destroy potentially harmful substances.

protein foods, such as ground beef, full-fat cheese and whole milk, are also high in saturated fat. If you consume too much of these types of protein-rich foods, it can lead to increased cholesterol and triglyceride levels and increase your risk of heart disease

The theory behind low-carb diets is that when your body is deprived of carbs, your fat stores are burned to provide energy. This causes you to lose fat and stay slim and trim. Another benefit of a low-carb diet is that you tend to eat more protein, which helps build muscle. Make the change to a low-carb diet with an eye on how you feel and how much energy you have during your workouts and other daily activities.

The best way to reduce carbs in your diet is to restrict those foods that are comprised of simple carbs, such as snacks and foods made of refined sugar, white flour, white rice, snack foods, cakes, cookies and soda. Low-carb snacks or meals to eat before exercise include eggs, cheese, some fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

People with lower amounts of stored fat may find they do not have enough energy to get through the day. Low-carb diets also can cause “brain fog.”

To gain weight, you need to consume more calories every day than you burn with physical activity. You can also gain weight by increasing the size of your muscles.

Nutrient-dense foods include fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Foods that are both energy- and nutrient-dense include legumes, nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados.

The main goal is to increase your overall intake of calories every day; it doesn't really matter if you eat more meals or increase the size of the meals you eat right now. If you're not used to eating much at any one time, you may prefer to eat several small meals or snacks throughout the day.