Top Muscle Building Foods

There are a lot of people out there who consider the idea of getting into muscle building, and the first thought that comes into their mind is that it’s all about just going out and pumping iron, but there’s a lot more to it than that. While yes, that is a large part of it, but you also have to take into consideration the nutritional aspects of it, as this is critical.

One of the most important nutrients that you need to take in abundantly is protein due to the fact that it is a very good source of amino acids. Another important nutrient that needs to be consumed regularly is carbohydrates, although you have to be careful about the variety of carbohydrate you’re eating, as not all carbohydrates are made the same.

When you are eating carbohydrates, it’s important to make sure that they are complex carbs which you’ll find in such things as 100% whole wheat bread, and oatmeal, but you really should stay away from the simple carbs that are contained in such things as potatoes and white bread. The reason for this is that the simple carbs are going to be high on the glycemic index, and won’t convert into the same amount of energy as will the complex carbs. On top of that simple carbohydrates increase the insulin too fast, making your body to store the excess carbohydrates as body fat under the skin.

- Listed below are some of the seven of the most important foods you can eat to help build your muscles:

1. Milk: in order to build strong muscles, we also need to focus on building strong bones, and that’s where the calcium in milk comes into play. Milk has a variety of different vitamins and minerals and they can strengthen your bones so that they can hold up during those extreme workouts. Milk is also a great source of casein and whey protein. In order to stay away from the excess amounts of fat, it’s always recommended to choose the skim variety.

2. Eggs: one of the reasons why it’s so important to eat eggs to build muscle is because they are an extremely good source of protein which the body can make use of quite easily due to the fact that it is so easily absorbed. By eating one egg, an individual can get 6 g of protein, and a variety of vitamins as well, including B12, B6, vitamin D, and E. In order to cut down on some of the calories within eggs, it’s always best to take out the egg yolk, and just simply eat the egg whites.

3. Cottage cheese: cottage cheese is one of those dairy products that is high in calcium and the other minerals and vitamins that you would find in milk. Just like the milk, cottage cheese has a combination of whey and casein in it. A great thing about it is the fact that it is slow to digest, so it works great for those late-night snacks which will help you feel full.

4. Lean Trimmed Red Meat: one of the reasons why it’s so important eat red meat is because it is so high in nutrients, and in fact beef has higher concentrations of protein and creatine than many other foods. It’s also rich in B vitamins, and iron which are necessary for building strong muscles. One of the things that you have to be aware of however is that you don’t want to cook it at high heat since doing so can destroy many of the nutrients that are present.

5. Tuna: tuna is one of those foods that was simply chock-full of protein that is necessary for building muscle. Another wonderful thing about it is that it is also a source of omega 3l fatty acids, (important anti inflammatory component and also a muscle building helper ). Canned tuna doesn’t need any cooking so it makes a great protein snack.

6. Nuts: nuts made it onto this list because of the fact that they are so high in such nutrients like vitamin C, fiber, zinc, potassium, magnesium, essential fatty acids and protein. This is especially true for macadamias, peanuts, and almonds, and it does a body good to eat plenty of these throughout the day to help promote your muscle growth.

7. Chicken or Turkey Breast: both chicken and turkey breast are wonderful sources of protein, and they contain very little fat, so eat these foods in abundance. Do however make sure that you remove the skin simply because that is a high source of fat, and you don’t want that.

It’s important that you eat a sufficient amount of these foods throughout your day when you’re working hard to build muscle. If you don’t provide yourself with enough nutrition, your body will actually start to break down your existing muscle in order to repair the damage that you’re causing by working out. Lots of protein, complex carbohydrates and low fat is where it’s at.