Whether toning up or slimming down foods that build muscle should always be on your grocery list!
You may think that it’s not really necessary with a goal like losing weight but in actual fact a diet with building muscle mass in mind can make a significant impact in the rate at which you start shedding body fat.
When you create a diet with foods that build muscle for muscle growth you can increase your metabolism as these foods will help to generate muscle which will in turn result in your overall calorie expenditure being greater. This means because of the food you eat you speed up the process of losing fat!
So the next time you replace a meal with a piece of celery remember to ask yourself If this food is speeding thins up or slowing them down.
Good muscle building nutrition contains a mixture of proteins, veggies, fruits, carbs, and healthy fats.
Eating protein helps to build and maintain muscle. But this is also food that burns body fat which is a win-win situation.
Best Foods That Build Muscle
Lean Proteins To Build Muscle
Protein is abundant in amino acids which are vital for building lean muscle mass. Consuming foods high in protein regularly throughout the day will keep you in a positive nitrogen balance which will regenerate new muscle from your workouts.
Eating foods that build muscle such as eggs, poultry, tuna, cottage cheese, yogurt, lean meat, and salmon will each act as an excellent muscle recovery food.
Water To Build Muscle
With working out, your daily routine and the added protein consumption it’s not hard to imagine that you may become a bit water deficient some days. It’s important to note though that a mere 1% lack of water in the body can lead to and 5% leading to .
Considering that the muscles of the body compromise of 70% water and the brain 80% it obvious how pivotal water to maintaining our physical and mental performance for both our workouts and our everyday lives.
Aim to drink 2 – 3 liters of water per day to keep your muscles in the optimum anabolic state.
Essential Fats To Build Muscle
Personally, I used to think fats were irrelevant in my muscle building diet when I first started with health and fitness. I thought that eating fat was directly associated with the subcutaneous (outer) fat that was on my body. I figures “why bother with fat because it’ll only put rolls on my belly!”.
This, of course, was a very narrow minded view but nevertheless a common view among body builders and fitness freaks up until about 10 years ago when people began to discover how essential fat was and how it could benefit their muscle building goals.
People discovered that mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats helped to stabilize the metabolism and to produce hormones that aid in muscle growth.
Some body builders are reluctant to include fats when eating foods that build muscle, but good quality fats are necessary and beneficial for muscle gain. Salmon, Cashew nuts, almonds and flax seeds are all good sources of fat however, steer clear of hydrogenated fats.
Complex Carbs To Build Muscle
Carbohydrates are usually consumed to act as the fuel for the body. However, we should think of Carbohydrates in two types of fuel, one being the uniform fuel that provides a steady stream of energy and the other being the fast acting fuel that provided high performance but for short periods of time and with repercussion of poor performance after use.
The uniform fuel is of course Low G.I carbs such as oats, sweet potatoes, nuts, beans, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta and the performance fuel being High G.I carbs such as bananas, sweets, cakes, chocolate bars etc. Energy should be supplied steadily to the muscles of the body so our diet carbs should be mainly Low G.I except pre and post work out when a energy boost is beneficial to give us energy and help us recover.
Fruits and Vegetables To Build Muscle
Fruits and veggies are also included in the list of necessary foods to build muscle. They provide the muscles with powerful minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants that work to replenish cells. Body builders should choose berries and green vegetables such as spinach when promoting muscle growth.