Depending on your body type, muscle toning and building can range from being a highly frustrating endeavor, a moderately difficult task, or easy as pie while you don't even try. People often overlook their diet and focus on trying every supplement, technique, and program under the sun. The truth of the matter is that your diet has the biggest effect on how your muscles perform and recover. Foods that are high in protein are an obvious choice when you're trying to gain muscle mass. That's a widely known fact, as the health industry has recently seen a boom in the amount of powdered protein formulas directed towards high endurance athletes and weightlifters. What are some other nutrients that you'll need though? Don't make the mistake of eating the wrong foods or over consuming protein because you think it will yield faster, more satisfying results.
As was stated, protein is the number one nutrient you'll want to include and monitor when it comes to your healthy workout diet. It is the second most prominent nutrient in the human body next to water. It can be found in your muscle, bone, and blood. Depending on your workout frequency and intensity, your daily intake will change. If you're looking to build muscle, your daily intake of protein should equal.7 to.8 grams for every pound of body weight. This is where the protein mixes and shakes come in handy. It's faster and more convenient to consume your daily amount of protein this way. However, if you don't have a protein mix, do not despair. There are many foods that offer a high amount of protein and some of them are very low in calories. Take water packed chunk light tuna for instance. It offers around 12 grams of protein and only 50 calories for every serving. Since tuna has mercury in it, eat only one can a day to be safe. Other foods that are high in protein include chicken breast, steak, salmon, turkey, eggs (just the whites), and cottage cheese (low fat).
Next in the diet lineup are carbohydrates, the use of which is the most misinterpreted in the world of health and exercise. If you are trying to build muscle, then eat, eat, eat carbohydrates. Carbohydrates supply your muscles with glycogen and help to maximize your performance. Once your body runs out of glucose in your bloodstream it pulls glycogen from your muscles and liver in order to create more energy. More energy equals what? That's right, longer and more intense workouts that will result in better and faster results if you keep faithful to the rest of your diet. Your carbohydrates should add up to around 60% of your daily caloric intake at a high, intense level of activity. Stick to 55% if you're hitting the gym every other day as opposed to every day. Your carbohydrates should also be processed as little as possible. Stay away from white bread and try eating a true whole wheat bread instead. Remember to read the fine print on labels to confirm the processing methods because packaging can be deceiving. Carbohydrates will be your main source of fuel in the gym and on the field, so don't go on a low carb diet if you are trying to build muscle. This can be dangerous and detrimental to your goals. Baked and sweet potatoes, brown and wild rice, whole oatmeal, squash, and pumpkin are some of the best sources of carbohydrates.
Fat is the third essential nutrient for your muscle building diet. Not only is it necessary for gaining muscle, but it is also very healthy to consume on a daily basis, even for those who aren't working out. Saturated fats are no good, so keep away from those. You'll know them when you see them because they are a solid at room temperature. Those fats can lead to clogged arteries and high cholesterol. Unsaturated fats are the ones you want and these will be a liquid at room temperature. These fats help prevent heart disease and reduce your cholesterol. They provide your body with extra energy as well. Try consuming small amounts of safflower oil, olive oil, flax seed oil, sesame oil, and fish oil on a daily basis to get a healthy and helpful amount of unsaturated fats. Many foods include unsaturated fats as well, so read the labels and go for those, especially if they are high in carbohydrates and/or protein.
The final thing you'll want to remember is to drink water and replenish electrolytes with sports drinks. The rule to follow is 8 fluid ounces of water for every 20 minutes of workout time. This, of course, is added on top of the recommended 13 cups a day for men and 9 cups a day for women. So go now and determine the length of your workout to calculate the amount of fluids you'll need daily. Also, weigh yourself every morning in order to find out just how many grams of protein you will need for the day. Finally, make a trip to the grocery store, get your protein foods, and find those minimally processed high carbohydrate foods. If you follow the rules that have been laid out here, you're going to see results from your muscle building efforts.
Please note that these rules only apply to those looking to build muscle and/or maintain high endurance. If you want to lose weight, then your diet will need to be very different from the one explained here.
If you are interested in building muscle quickly and easily with an all-natural muscle enhancement formula, please visit http://www.orttconsulting.com/deerantlerplus.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cristian_M_Ortt
