According to scientific data, we do need more protein than previously recommended by government institutions.

It is now widely accepted that the average person needs between 0.8 and 1.0 grams of protein per pound of lean muscle mass.

In addition, this need will increase as a result of increased physical demands. For example, if you are a marathon runner, your protein intake should be higher because you will want to preserve your muscle mass and prevent amino-acids from been used as energy supply.

Increased protein will also be beneficial if you are trying to add muscle mass to your overall frame.

Where increased protein demands apply, you could use up to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean muscle mass. In order to figure out how many grams of protein you need, multiply the factor number of your proposed activity by your lean muscle mass (not total body weight).

If you have a sedentary occupation, your best bet is to get your carbohydrates from less dense sources, such as fruits and veggies.

If you have a physical occupation, work out intensely three to five days a week or are an athlete (marathon runner, track and field), you are better off getting your carbohydrates from more dense sources, such as grains, legumes, potatoes, or breads.

However, regardless of your lifestyle, fruits and vegetables can give you particular nutrients needed for long-term health, so you should always try to fit them in your menu.

The only drawback to drinking juices and smoothies is, that in order to get one glass of orange juice (I use oranges as an example only), you have to squeeze more than one oranges.

 This makes juices and smoothies less than ideal if you are trying to follow a low calorie plan or if you want to watch the amount of nutrients ingested at one sitting.

In other words, juices and smoothies can be a double-edged sword - on one side they are packed with nutrients and on the other side they are packed with calories.

Some beverages also contain a lot of sugar and they will be represented as high either in the glycemic index or glycemic load tables.

Free radicals are molecules that are missing one of their electrons (oxidants).

They desperately try to repair themselves by drawing an electron from a nearby molecule (oxidation); creating a chain reaction and ultimately damaging healthy cells.

Normally, our body's metabolism creates free radicals as a byproduct of its regular processes.

Free radicals can actually be beneficial because they are required to initiate certain reactions within the body (e.g. fighting infections). However, environmental factors (air pollution, chemicals, food additives, too much physical stress) can contribute to the overproduction of free radicals, which is a bad thing. Fortunately, we can control these environmental factors and reduce their destructive effect.

Some of these antioxidants are produced within the body; others need to be supplied through nutrition. Vitamin C, E, Beta-Carotene and selenium are some of the main antioxidants that control cell-damaging free radicals.

When we eat, the food final's purpose is to be converted to blood sugar which is the form of fuel our bodies use. However, this blood sugar has to be metabolized and delivered to all the areas where is needed, otherwise it is toxic for our bodies.

Insulin controls this process.