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Interviewer: You've decided you want to eat healthier, maybe become more physically active, or quit an unhealthy habit. The next step is to take action.

But Dr. Jennwood Chen says to succeed, don't try to change too much at once.

Dr. Chen: That intention to make a change needs to be realistic. And for some people cutting a whole liter of soda out of their daily routine is not that realistic. So cutting it down to a half liter a day for a while and then weaning yourself off it is a more realistic thing.

Interviewer: Dr. Chen says making even small changes when adopting new health habits can be hard. You will slip up, but strive for progress, not perfection. And be sure to celebrate when you do make progress.

Dr. Chen: You've got to pat yourself on the back and you should, you know, tell your family, you should tell your friends, and you should be proud of yourself really, you know. And that's how we just do . . . that's how we stay on the path.

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Macronutrients or "macros" as you may have heard online are the compounds in our foods that we need to eat a large amount of every day. These macros are fats, carbs, and protein. There are a lot of misconceptions about macronutrients. There are plenty of articles out there making claims about these three macros and how much you should or should not be eating. To help us sort through all the noise, we've brought back nutrition specialist Thunder Jalili to speak about each of these macros in a series we're calling Get to Know Your Macros.

In this episode, we're focusing on protein. What it is, and what it does for your body.

Let's start with the basics. When we eat protein, our digestive system breaks proteins into amino acids. Amino acids are the basic building blocks your cells use to assemble all sorts of compounds and proteins the body needs. For example, amino acids make up connective tissue, muscle fibers, antibodies, as well as enzymes and hormones. You Don't Need to Eat That Much Protein

As men, it seems like every muscle building diet plan you find online focuses heavily on getting a lot of protein every day. Producer Mitch was even doing a plan last summer he found online that was having him eat well over 300 grams of protein every day to help him grow muscle.

According to Thunder, the average person needs a whole lot less protein than that to be healthy and grow muscle. He shares a simple equation he uses for everyone except the most elite of athletes.

(Body weight (in pounds) / 2.2) x 1.2 grams = the number of grams of daily protein

For example, Troy is a pretty active guy and he weighs 155 pounds. According to Thunder's math, Troy only needs around 85 grams of protein every day.

85 grams of protein is a whole lot easier to consume than the amount Mitch was trying to choke down on the plan he found on Reddit. While he was seeing some results, he felt miserable and his food budget was expensive. More Protein Doesn't Mean More Muscle

In spite of the diet plans you see online, eating extra protein every day does not mean that protein goes directly into more muscle growth. In fact, eating extra protein may set you back in your fitness goals. Consuming a large excess of protein increases the total amount of calories you consume in a day, and your body does have a mechanism to turn all that unused protein into fat if conditions are right.

Even a high functioning competitive tri-athlete may need only 2 grams per kilogram of body weight every day during training. But for guys like that, it only comes out to about 140-180 grams of protein a day, not the 300+ grams some forums insist on using. Protein is Protein, but Plant Sources Have Bonus Benefits

According to Thunder, there is no fundamental difference in the way your body utilizes the protein found in animal products or plant sources. One the protein is broken down in the gut, your body will use those amino acids in the same way.

However, it's important to keep in mind that research has shown that a diet very high in animal-based protein may lead to a bevvy of chronic diseases. Meanwhile, plant-based protein sources have the added benefit of containing additional micronutrients and fiber that the animal protein does not. Housekeeping - Who Cares About Mitch's Health 5k

The Who Cares About Mitch's Health Mid-May 5K has started. Morning of May 23rd at Sugarhouse park. Feel free to download a couch to 5k event and join the movement. Just Going to Leave This Here

On this episode's Just Going to Leave This Here, Scot realizes how hard it is to leave the house without his phone and trendsetter Troy starts to wear workout clothes to work. Talk to Us

If you have any questions, comments, or thoughts, email us at hello@thescoperadio.com.

Interviewer: It's certainly a stressful time for many of us. But what about kids? Dr. Benjamin Chan specializes in child and adolescence psychiatry at University of Utah Health. What can parents do to help their kids during the COVID crisis? And, I mean, I guess, first of all, do children feel the stress as well?

Dr. Chan: Incredibly so, especially when most children have been sent home from school. Children, like us, crave structure. They crave routines. And those routines have been upended during the past few weeks. And no child or teenager will tell you, "Hey, I want more routine." They will tell you they want more iPad time, more screen time. But all children and teenagers crave routine. They seek it out. They flourish. They do really well with it.

So I like to use the example, when I was a child, of a chore chart. For me to get my allowance of, like, $10 a week, I had to do X, Y, and Z on my chore chart. Now, I remember, there were physical little tokens I had to do, take out the trash, wash the dishes, take the dog for a walk, clean my bedroom. And I got my allowance. So my advice to parents is to create structure within their home. Kids, teenagers will respond to that structure. So even if it has to be, like, a physical manifestation of a chore chart: when people should get up, what time should they have screen time, what time should they work on homework, what time should they call a friend on a phone, what time should they go outside for a walk. People, kids, teenagers will respond to that.

Interviewer: Dr. Chan, are there some warning signs that parents should look for to help indicate that, maybe, something isn't right and they do need to do something?

Dr. Chan: They should look for teenagers who seem very sensitive or frustrated. Anger is very common. And, again, that is very normal, but where I get very concerned is if that leads to a deterioration of their functioning. If they seem to be in their bedroom for an extraordinarily long time, if they are not communicating their feelings as much, if they are not finishing their workbooks at home or they are refusing to call their best friend on the phone, that's something I would recommend that parents should really keep an eye on is a deterioration in their functioning.

Interviewer: All right. And that would be a good time to check your child's routine. And don't forget to include a little bit of work, a little bit of play, some socialization, of course, appropriately physically distanced. And if you continue to have trouble and your child is struggling, don't be afraid to talk to them about what is going on and involve a professional to help you get your kids back on track, if necessary.