Everyone wants muscle. If you want to add more muscle mass to your body frame, muscle strength exercises are essential. Regular workouts will stimulate your muscles to grow bigger and help build the type of muscles you want. But workouts alone will not get you to your goal. To build muscle & lose fat, you need a variety of proteins, veggies, fruits, carbs, and healthy fats. Eating right is the key to retaining muscle as well as building it. Fruits & veggies contain vitamins & minerals, necessary for recovery from your workouts. And carbs fuel your muscles so you feel full of energy at the gym.. Other nutrients that you need to build muscles are magnesium, potassium, copper, selenium, calcium, iron and different vitamins. To build muscles and lose fat, you need to follow a strict diet plan. Here are the muscle building foods to include in your diet to provide the most efficient process for allowing damaged muscle fibres to repair.
1. Eggs Eggs are at the top of nearly every list because they are extremely easy to absorb the body can easily break down the food into amino acids, the building blocks of muscle. Each egg contains protein content of 6 to 8 grams per egg. In fact, they contain high quality protein with all nine essential amino acids needed for optimal muscle recovery and building, as well as valuable minerals like calcium, zinc and iron.
2. Milk Milk is another good muscle food. It has two high quality proteins – whey and casein. Milk is also loaded with vitamins and minerals, good carbohydrates and fats that your body needs to build muscles. Milk helps replenish what is lost in sweat during workouts and keeps your body hydrated. Milk works wonders for athletes and body builders.
3. Fruits and Vegetables Vegetables and fruits offer a rich source of antioxidants, vitamins and fiber, boosting the immune system and other body functions. Fruits like blueberries, pineapple, strawberries and mangoes can round out a nutritious diet. But certain fruits such as bananas, cantaloupes and apples are extremely beneficial for muscle building. Bananas have three types of sugars. Fructose, sucrose and glucose, these sugars are prime for pre/post training. Bananas are fat and cholesterol free, extremely portable, and nutrient dense. Leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are extremely beneficial. Broccoli is also high in soluble fiber and low calorie, helping fat loss. Spinach prevents muscle & bone loss, but also cancer and heart diseases because of its high nutrient profile. Vitamin C, E, K, vegetarian iron and beta-carotene are just some of the key nutrients that fruits and vegetables can provide the muscles.
4. Almonds These crunchy and delicious snacks are packed with protein and healthy calories which make them one of the best body building foods. Almonds provide a good source of protein and fat, but it's their vitamin E that is most beneficial to your muscles. One cup of almonds contains 30 grams of protein, and 71 grams of healthy fats. The powerful antioxidant fights free radicals and helps you recover quicker from your workouts. Full of protein and fiber, almonds helps you feel full while repairing worn muscles.
5. Whey Protein Whey protein is one of the cleanest, fastest-digesting proteins on the market. It’s the pefect addition to any fat-loss or muscle-building diet. . It is the watery portion of milk that separates from the curds when making cheese. Whey protein is a popular among body builders and athletes who use it to stock up muscles post a workout. Whey protein is extremely anabolic, or good for building muscle, because it’s a particularly rich source of branched chain amino acids, or BCAAs.
6. Oats It is healthy, filling and supplies and perfect blend of carbohydrates, fiber, protein, minerals and vitamins. Oatmeal has a low glycemic index which makes it a quality source of carbohydrates. It helps with increased micronutrients, decreased hunger pangs, improved fat loss, muscle growth and tissue preservation.
7. Fish Fish is actually great for both building muscle & losing fat. Fish, especially oily fish, are high in protein and low fat while offering loads of healthy omega 3 fatty acids. These miracle compounds in oily fish help to bolster fat loss and metabolism while also supporting immune system health and other bodily processes.
8. Water Drinking prevents water retention, helps muscle recovery and prevents dehydration from strength training. Muscle building requires hydration. Our body is 70 per cent water and muscle tissue is around 75 percent water. Hydration will increase strength, energy levels and help in digestion.
9. Sweet potatoes Sweet potatoes have a slightly lower carbohydrate content than regular potatoes. The potato is very versatile as a muscle building food. Sweet potatoes are a complex carbohydrate with B vitamins. Great for a post workout or even before. Easy to make and sweet to eat. One medium potato contains 26 grams of carbohydrates, while one medium sweet potato contains 23 grams of carbohydrates.
10. Tofu Tofu, a popular soy product is a healthy alternative source of high-quality protein. It contains all the essential nutrients required for body building and is a rich source of isoflavones and amino acids that boost muscle growth. Tofu also helps in speedy recovery of muscles and tissues after a strenuous workout session.
