Top 10 Bodybuilding Foods
When it comes to thinking about bodybuilding diets and whats good and whats not, it’s easy to get confused or lost in all the ingredients and descriptions. The key thing to remember or keep in mind is that each food is built on a basic foundation and the bodybuilding diet is put together using simple foods. Eat the right foods and your body will respond in kindness and give you the results you want. Eat the wrong ones and you’ll stay stuck in a rut. These are my top 10 foods to include in your diet:
Eggs
For years eggs have been thought of as an artery clogging food; but further research into cholesterol and heart disease has shown that for most of us, the two aren't linked. Eggs have since returned to the spotlight as a health food, but they are also a serious muscle building food. The cholesterol found in yolks are the building blocks for steroid hormones and the small amount of leucine found in eggs is like lighting a firework in your muscles!
Nuts
Nuts are crucial for anyone struggling to put weight on. One ounce of cashew or almonds contains 150-170 good calories. Nuts are the perfect blend of protein, fats, and fibre which allows you to get the extra calories you need without seeing an expanding waistline. They're also a great snack!
Protein Shake
A protein shake is the cornerstone of your muscle building program. Drinking a shake consisting of protein and carbohydrates before your workout sets the stage for optimal muscle growth. Research from universities shows that this combination stops or dramatically decreases excess muscle breakdown, increases protein synthesis, improves blood flow to and around your muscles, and improves your body's ability to process and use carbohydrates for hours following your workout.
Cottage Cheese
The body building qualities from Cottage cheese comes from two different components. It contains a high proportion of casein, which is a slow digesting dairy protein. When you eat casein you blood amino acid levels rise slowly and stay elevated for longer than if you would have eaten whey (the other dairy protein). Cottage cheese also contains live cultures which are good bacteria what will help you breakdown and absorb all the nutrients you need and use to get bigger and stronger.
Chickpeas
If you are having trouble increasing your muscle mass and staying lean, try replacing some of the rice and grain in your diet with chickpeas. This versatile bean contains 45 grams of slow acting carbs per cup along with 12 grams of fibre...a little known fact that needs to be shared!
Beef
For as long as I know beef has been number 1 on the list for best muscle building foods. Beef contains a muscles building cocktail of protein packed with amino acids, B-vitamins, and creatine. It also contains a mixture of saturated fats, which support healthy testosterone levels, and monounsaturated fat, which helps keep a healthy heart.
Chicken
For most people, when then they think of protein and body building foods, chicken will be the top suggestion, and for good reason. Available pretty much everywhere, chicken, provides you with readily available high quality protein. A couple of chicken breast are great and it's also good to mix and match with light and darker meat.
Lentils
One cup of cooked lentils typically contains 18 grams of protein and 40 grams of slow digesting quality carbohydrates. They are also really cheap and last for ages so you can stock up and leave them in your cupboard for a secret snack! They cook in approximately 10 minutes and can be mixed in with brown rice, sprinkled over a salad or eaten as a standalone side dish, the choice is endless.
Salmon
In salmon you'll find both high quality protein and a long chain omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fats are best known for their ability to improve heart health but they also decrease muscle breakdown while increasing the anabolic capacity of amino acids. Not everyone likes eating fish so to replace this you can take a fish oil supplement to get the same or very similar benefits.
Fermented Dairy Products
Fermented dairy products like kefir are a little known muscle building food. Kefir is the perfect addition to any muscle building shake as it has noticeable nutritional advantages over water or regular milk. If you usually use water in your shakes, 1 cup of kefir will add approximately 150 calories to your diet. Compared to regular milk, kefir will allow your meal to be more easily digested as it contains pro-biotics. These are healthy bacteria that assist your digestive system to stay healthy, helping it breakdown and collect the maximum amount of calories and nutrients from each of your meals.
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