A lot of people swear by the high-protein diet that they are following, since protein is one of the building blocks for the muscles. This comes in handy when you tend to lift weights as protein can help with repairing the micro tears in your muscles. What’s more, women who are trying to shed weight will find that increasing protein intake has been found to be useful too.

But is following a high-protein diet really as hot as many believe?

When done for a long time, you might be exposing yourself to numerous health problems such as having elevated levels of uric acid, risk of colon cancer, and vitamin D and calcium. Health experts recommend that your protein intake should be 0.8 grams per kilogram of your body weight per day, while active people need at least 1.2 to 1.8 grams per kilogram. Eating more than the required amount may backfire.

Are You Eating Too Much Protein?

Most of us are not really aware that we are eating too much protein on a daily basis. Fortunately, there are signs that you can check if your protein intake is way too high. Here are a few that you should watch out for:

Super thirsty

The problem with eating a high-protein diet is that your kidneys will be working over time to flush the excess protein from your body. This is why you tend to pee a lot during the day. Unfortunately, this also means that your potassium, magnesium, and sodium are being removed as well, hence you tend to feel thirsty afterwards. If you want to stay hydrated, aside from your usual water intake, you might want to add more fruits, legumes, vegetables, and beans to your diet because they are among the best sources of magnesium, potassium, and sodium.

Bad mood

Have you noticed that you tend to be in a bad mood most of the time? Chances are, your protein intake is to blame. Since you are in a high-protein diet, you’re probably eating less carbs. If this is the case, then you will need to be aware of bringing balance to your diet, by choosing complex carbohydrates instead that can come from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains just to name a few. You’ll find that it is easier to balance your mood when you are eating right.

Constipation

Another drawback to eating a lot of protein is that your bowel movements can be affected. Since you are eating less whole grains, vegetables, nuts, fruits, and seeds, because you are focusing more on protein, you are not helping your digestive system at all. Fiber is necessary to keep your bowels moving properly. Without it, you will feel blocked up which can be quite uncomfortable. If you are suffering from constipation, you will need to fix your gut problem by adding prebiotic foods like yogurt, as well as healthy snacks in the form of fruits and vegetables to keep things moving along.

Hangry

You’ve probably heard this expression before, which is a cross between hungry and angry. If you’re feeling hangry when you several hours have passed since your last meal, it might be that your excess protein intake is contributing to this problem. Since you don’t have enough carbs in your system, your blood sugar levels can dip, which not only makes you hungry, but in a foul mood as well. If it will take a while before you eat again, make sure that you are snacking right. Choose Greek yogurt with some string cheese, fruit, or berries to help you stave off your hunger in a good way.