when is it ok to drink protein shake

You can have them whenever you want, as many as you want. Just remember to track them like any other food or beverage and keep them within your daily calorie allotment. I would've advise drinking tons of them, I prefer to chew my food, but I don't see a problem with having one or two a day if they fit into your plan.

When you need more protein in your diet.

i know post workout is when you should drink a protein shake

Not really. You can have it any time. Meal timing is virtually irrelevant. All that really matters is hitting your nutritional targets.

I have drank them some mornings because I have woke up late and didn't feel like breakfast that close to lunch. But I have heard the best time to drink them is after you work out because it helps you maintain your muscle if you drink it after your workout.

For what it's worth.... I was born with only one kidney.
I have a top-notch nephrologist (kidney doctor) I go to see once a year.

She cautioned me on avoiding diets too high in protein as well, as they could be too taxing on my kidney.

Maybe that information quoted was discovery in a study of patients with two kidneys.

But those of us with only one kidney know otherwise....
Avoid high protein diets and too much citrus.

With that in mind, I have found a couple of grab and go shakes that work pretty well for me, that don't offer 20 grams of protein, like most of them. What I'm always reading the labels for are the hidden sugars and carbs. My husband used to be a slave to those Muscle Milks, but after reading up on them, found that regular low fat chocolate milk does the same thing!

Well yeah, with only one kidney, you would not be typical now would you? A rather obvious exception.

can

stress

words chosen for a reason. 'can' is not the same as 'will'. 'can' is accurate, as the lady with the single kidney demonstrates.
'stress' is not the same as 'damage'. though stress 'can' lead to damage.
some people prefer to wait until they see absolute proof of a solid link. other people, myself included, are willing to put reasonable limits on intake because the theory looks reasonable and there's a chance a lot of medical types are right to advise it.
some things are easier to get proof of than others.

All available research indicates there is no risk in otherwise healthy individuals.

Protein and amino acids for athletes. J Sports Sci. 2004 Jan;22(1):65-79.
www.uni.edu/dolgener/Advanced_Sport.../protein_intake.pdf


QUOTE:

Since there is evidence that protein intakes above the RDA may be beneficial to athletes, a risk–benefit analysis may be useful. An important consideration is the potential harm that may arise from elevated protein intakes. There is little research into the maximum tolerable protein intake in healthy individuals. It has been suggested that excessive protein intakes may increase calcium loss, thus affecting bone health. However, since a major portion of bone is protein, excessive protein does not appear to influence bone health. High protein intakes have been suggested to pose a risk for the kidneys but, in healthy individuals with no underlying kidney disease (presumably most elite athletes), there is no evidence for harm to kidneys with higher intakes. Certainly, it would be detrimental for an athlete to consume excess protein at the expense of other nutrients required to support the necessary level of training and competition. There is a suggestion that intakes greater than 40% of total energy intake might be the upper limit. Protein intakes greater than 40% may limit intake of fat and/or carbohydrates, thus compromising the benefits of these nutrients. However, given the high energy intakes of most elite athletes, protein intakes higher than 40% are unlikely in most. Even a small female restricting energy intake and consuming only 1500 kcal would need to consume 150 g of protein to reach 40%.



High-Protein Weight Loss Diets and Purported Adverse Effects: Where is the Evidence? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2004, 1:45-51 doi:10.1186/1550-2783-1-1-45
http://www.jissn.com/content/1/1/45#B4


QUOTE:

Indeed, the recent study Dawson-Hughes et al. did not confirm the perception that increased dietary protein results in urinary calcium loss.[36] According to Dawson-Hughes et al., "Theconstellation of findings that meat supplements containing 55 g/d protein, when exchanged for carbohydrate did not significantlyincrease urinary calcium excretion and were associated withhigher levels of serum IGF-I and lower levels of the bone resorption marker, N-telopeptide, together with a lack of significant correlationof urinary N-telopeptide with urinary calcium excretion in thehigh protein group (in contrast to the low protein) point tothe possibility that higher meat intake may potentially improvebone mass in many older men and women."

Finally, the cross-cultural and population studies that showed a positive association between animal-protein intake and hip fracture risk did not consider other lifestyle or dietary factors that may protect or increase the risk of fracture.[35] It is of some interest that the author of the most cited paper favoring the earlier hypothesis that high-protein intake promotes osteoporosis no longer believes that protein is harmful to bone.[34] In fact, he concluded that the balance of the evidence seems to indicate the opposite.



QUOTE:

Despite its role in nitrogen excretion, there are presently no data in the scientific literature demonstrating the healthy kidney will be damaged by the increased demands of protein consumed in quantities above the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). Furthermore, real world examples support this contention since kidney problems are nonexistent in the bodybuilding community in which high-protein intake has been the norm for over half a century.[3] Recently, Walser published comprehensive review on protein intake and renal function, which states: "it is clear that protein restriction does not prevent decline in renal function with age, and, in fact, is the major cause of that decline. A better way to prevent the decline would be to increase protein intake. there is no reason to restrict protein intake in healthy individuals in order to protect the kidney."[4]



Dietary protein intake and renal function. Nutrition & Metabolism 2005, 2:25 doi:10.1186/1743-7075-2-25
http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/2/1/25


QUOTE:

Conclusion

Although excessive protein intake remains a health concern in individuals with pre-existing renal disease, the literature lacks significant research demonstrating a link between protein intake and the initiation or progression of renal disease in healthy individuals. More importantly, evidence suggests that protein-induced changes in renal function are likely a normal adaptative mechanism well within the functional limits of a healthy kidney. Without question, long-term studies are needed to clarify the scant evidence currently available regarding this relationship. At present, there is not sufficient proof to warrant public health directives aimed at restricting dietary protein intake in healthy adults for the purpose of preserving renal function.[