The post-workout meal is among the most important you'll eat all day. It's long been known that upon completion of a strenuous workout -- particularly, a resistance training workout -- it's vital that you replenish your body with a good amount of protein. The good news -- for our wallets and, arguably, our kidneys -- is that we may not need as much protein at that point as we previously thought we did.

According to Canadian researchers, half a scoop of whey protein powder (or about 10 grams of protein, in most cases) is enough to replenish and help build muscle. So, if you're used to drinking 20 or more grams of protein in your post-workout shake, make that bucket o' protein go a little further by only using half as much.

It may only seem like placing a Band-Aid on a bazooka wound, but over time the savings will add up. And best of all, as the study suggests, it won't come at the expense of your health and fitness.

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Life is too short not to be fully "turned on." The Daily Turn On! energizes all aspects of "you." Every Monday The Daily Turn On! with That's Fit Life Fit expert Laura Lewis will provide you with ideas and tips to awaken your mind, your body and your life as you journey through each day of the week! Check in each Monday to get your tip for Turning On every day of your life.

There they were, staring me in the face...well, it was my face. I never had them before. Ever. Then, all of a sudden, as if overnight, I had these dark circles under my eyes. So, here I am thinking I must have aged over night! One would think with my health background that I might contemplate that it might actually be a health issue, but no! Here I was, with the "Vanity is thy name" behavior going on, attributing these new dark circles to getting older. Hmmm. Only when I visited Iva Peck, my acupuncturist in Dallas, who is also a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, did the light go "on" that it might be my kidneys! "Your kidneys are weak...are you tired all the time right now Laura?". "Why, yes I am" I replied. Iva gave me an acupuncture treatment, some herbs to help get my kidneys back up to speed and told me to try to rest, eat well and drink plenty of water. I guess I had been burning the candle at both ends trying to do too much, not paying attention to how much water I should be drinking and not eating enough in general. Yes, I am one of those people...when I work hard and am under stress, I just don't eat enough food. Hence, my nutrition was compromised and in turn, my body decided to give me a huge sign that all was not well on the inside!

Now, why didn't I think of kidneys and liver to begin with as the cause of my dark circles? After a few weeks of becoming very concious of drinking plenty of water, eating foods that stimulate my kidneys such as watermelon, my dark circles have been going away! Oh yes, sleeping has helped too!

Not all dark undereye circles are related to poor kidney function. Of course, after having this experience I have done quite a bit of research on the subject. Allergies, heredity, fatigue, rubbing your eyes, ill-fitting eyeglasses and sickness are all a few of the causes of those not so lovely dark half moons below your eyes! Here is an article if you would like more food for thought on this rather, ahem, "dark subject!". Oh, by the way, my dark undereye circles are going away! Word of advice...pay attention to those little signs which could mean bigger trouble. It was a great lesson for me to learn.

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High protein diets are generally regarded as a good way to keep up your energy and lose weight. But is it right for you? Consider this information from WebMD:

• Pros: high protein diets usually leave dieters feeling full for longer periods of time. They also help dieters lose weight fairly quickly
• Cons: The quick weight-loss that most dieters experience is usually just water weight that comes off. Moreover, on protein-only diets, the body relies on stored fat reserves -- a process called ketosis -- and ketosis often causes irritability, headaches, overworked kidneys and even heart problems. Furthermore, high-protein diets are usually high in saturates fats (bad for the heart) and low in critical nutrients (for the overall body.)

Based on this, the evidence is mostly against high protein diets. But don't be discouraged -- weight loss is possible without hurting your health. Some plans, like the Zone, integrate moderate amounts of healthy carbs for an overall healthy approach to dieting.

Do you agree with this information, or are you sticking by your ketosis?

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OK, so we all know that water is good for us in a multitude of ways. Debra wrote a great post on some of its major benefits, such as its ability to get rid of headaches, the way it makes your skin look great and how it can help with weight loss. It's this last one that I'm the most curious about. How does drinking the recommended 8, 8-oz glasses of water a day help a person drop pounds?

According to this article, it's all about metabolism. The short and sweet version is (see the article for the detailed explanation) that your metabolism is what helps you burn calories, and water is what gets the metabolic chemical reactions going. If you haven't had enough water, these reactions aren't going to be up to speed. Water helps your kidneys function and when you're not drinking the right amount, your liver -- whose job it is to metabolize fat-- has to help out, meaning that it can't do it's metabolizing fast enough. So instead of getting rid of extra calories, they're being stored as fat on your tummy, bum, thighs, etc.

Sure drinking water alone isn't going to make you lose huge amounts of weight, but it's a pretty great (and simple) aid to a healthy diet and exercise. If you don't want to stop at just drinking lots of water, here is a blog that Maggie wrote about water-rich foods that can help you drop additional pounds. It's all so convincing and so incredibly easy, I think I'll go pour myself a cool glass of H2O right now.

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Recently the disease lupus has come to the front of headlines with the American Idol contestant Leslie Hunt. You can't catch lupus from another person. It isn't cancer, and it isn't related to AIDS. It is an autoimmune disease where the immune system is out of control and it attacks healthy tissues in your body and not germs. The disease can involve many parts of the body such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain. Some of the most common symptoms of lupus are, red rash or color change on the face, often in the shape of a butterfly across the nose and cheeks, painful or swollen joints, unexplained fever, chest pain with deep breathing, swollen glands, rheumatoid arthritis, extreme fatigue, unusual hair loss, pale or purple fingers or toes from cold or stress, sensitivity to the sun, low blood count, depression, trouble thinking, and memory problems. Other signs are mouth sores, unexplained seizures or convulsions, hallucinations, repeated miscarriages, and unexplained kidney problems.

What causes lupus is unknown and there is no cure for the disease. Anyone can get lupus but 9 out of 10 people who have it are women. Talk to your doctor and take a history of your health problems. Many people have lupus for a long time before they find out they have it. I wasn't diagnosed with it until I was 45 years old. It's important that you tell the doctor about all your symptoms. This information, along with a physical examination and the results of blood, urine, and other laboratory tests, helps the doctor decide whether you have lupus or something else.

People with lupus have limited energy and must manage it wisely. Ask your health care team about ways to cope with fatigue. Learn to pace yourself and set realistic goals. Consider support groups to help you over come the depression, anger, and sadness that comes with the disease. Put yourself on a very healthy diet that will help boost the immune system and cut down on inflammation in the body. Try to alleviate stress as much as possible and do moderate daily exercises to build up joint strength. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with lupus learn more about the disease at the Lupus Foundation of America.

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