"It's not a meal unless it includes protein," says health and fitness-certified specialist, Jim White, owner of Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios. Plus, more protein means more muscle, right? Yes, until it also means kidney stones, abdominal surgery, and heart disease, Fox News reports. 

Why? Most people think protein means meat and animal products, which increase your urine's calcium content and contain compounds called purines, which break down into uric acid to form kidney stones.

To add insult to injury, diets high in protein often lack the fiber from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that's needed to keep things moving down there, resulting in backed-up bowels and even diverticulitis, which often requires surgery to fix.

Perhaps even more important than your total protein consumption, though, is when and how you get it. White suggests choosing lean, high-quality meats and a variety of both animal- and plant-based proteins like milk, yogurt, beans, quinoa, nuts, and kale that contain other good-for-you nutrients. "Studies have shown that for muscle building, the optimal time for a recovery meal or snack including protein is within 30 to 45 minutes after the workout," he says.