The benefits of a good bodybuilding program are numerous. In addition to an increase in strength, you have more energy, stronger bones, less chance of injury, and less chance of contracting some major diseases. If you add good muscle-building foods, you’ll find the benefits increase many times over. What are some good food choices to build muscle? The following are some sensible principles for eating right and building muscle mass.
First, it is recommended to eat 5-6 smaller meals every day instead of the traditional 3 larger meals. You want to eat every 3 hours. You can determine how many meals you divide the number of hours you are awake by 3. If you are awake 18 hours, eat 6 meals. This avoids taxing your digestive system by overloading it with protein and carbohydrates at every meal, leading to bloating, poor digestion, and excess body fat.
Second, about 35% of your total daily caloric intake should consist of protein. The general rule of thumb is to consume about 1 gram of protein for every pound of body weight every day. This should be around 40-60 grams of protein at each meal for men and 30-40 grams at each meal for women. When choosing your protein source, look for high-quality proteins, such as lean meats, poultry, and fish. For dairy, try cottage cheese, yogurt, and some part-skim cheeses. Eggs, egg whites, seeds, and nuts are also excellent sources of protein. If you need to, you can add a whey protein powder to boost your protein intake.
Third, you should eat between 60 and 80 grams of carbohydrates at each meal. Carbohydrates provide our body with energy. Without enough of it, the muscle building process will slow down because muscle tissue can be used for energy. You want to eat mostly complex, high-fiber, low-glycemic carbs rather than the simple carbs found in processed and junk foods. Try to eat mostly whole grains, brown rice, barley, oats, beans, buckwheat, and cornmeal along with a good variety of fruits and vegetables.
Fourth, getting the right type of fats in our bodies is essential to any healthy diet. About 30% of your caloric intake should be fat. There are 3 types of fats, saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated, and the key is to balance your intake by eating about 1/3 of each a day. Since most North Americans are lacking in mono (olive oils) and polyfats (fish oils) and saturated enough, you should be sure to increase the amount of olive oil and fish oil in your diet.
Finally, choose whole foods as much as possible. To optimize your health and muscle gain plan, eat good, healthy foods at least 80% of the time. By following these tips for eating good foods to build muscle, you’ll be well on your way to reaping the best health benefits that will promote the best possible muscle gain.
