Best Bodybuilding Foods
July 3, 2008
You are what you eat, and no statement could be more accurate when it comes to bodybuilding. Proper nutrition is a vital part of the bodybuilding process — without it, all other bodybuilding efforts are literally wasted. But what exactly should the bodybuilder eat? Obviously, the first thing you need is protein, and lots of it. Do not, however, make the mistake of only looking for sources of protein, and excluding other foods with different minerals and vitamins that you need. You need a well-balanced diet. With that said, ideally, you should eat lots of whole fruits and vegetables, as well as fish and chicken. Oatmeal and eggs are also highly recommended foods for bodybuilders, and these two food items are typically included in breakfasts, along with a protein shake.
Bodybuilding Superfoods are:
Proteins
Proteins can be described as the building blocks that help the body to grow. Proteins are the only nutrients that contain nitrogen in addition to carbon,hydrogen and oxygen.The proteins that our bodies need are made up of many small units called amino acids. There are two groups of amino acids.Those that our bodies can make are called non essential amino acids.There are however some amino acids that the body can not make and must be provided by our diets.They are called essential amino acids.
Implications for catering
In catering various categories of people are considered. The provided by the caterer must contain enough of all the nutrients because for some people most of their day’s meals are eaten outside the home. Proteins foods would coagulate and shrink. Sometimes they loose some of their nutrients when high heat is applied to them. Overcooking makes protein foods like cheese indigestible and tough. Eggs become dry and the yolk may crumble. When over fried they become rubbery. Care must therefore be taken when cooking protein foods. Too much cooking would make the dry and unappetizing animal protein foods are very expensive and not may people can afford enough of it. A caterer can use a lot of the less expensive plant protein foods so as to serve foods which contain all the essential amino acids. A variety of plant protein foods should be used.
Milk.
Milk comes second in the bodybuilding foods list. A great source of protein, vitamins, minerals and essential fats.
A litre of milk contains 32 grams of protein. That’s around 8 grams in a single glass.
Milk protein contains whey and casein.
Whey protein is quickly digested while casein is absorbed more slowly and evenly. This combination supplies the muscles with protein over several hours.
Whey protein, when isolated as a powder is one of the best bodybuilding foods.
Mollusks
Low in fat, a source of protein, and high in essential minerals, mollusks can be a good addition to a bodybuilder’s diet. Three popular and nutritious mollusk choices are clams, oysters, and mussels. Clams, in particular, lead the way for all foods in heme iron content. Heme iron – found only in red meat, poultry, fish, and seafood – is iron bound to a nonprotein compound that is much more easily absorbed by the body than free iron. Clams are also an excellent source of vitamin B12 and copper. These three nutrients may help maintain good blood status for delivering oxygen to working muscles. Along with copper, mollusks are also rich in zinc and selenium. These minerals are necessary for the proper functioning of the body’s immune system and its antioxidant defenses. Mollusks can be cooked in a variety of ways, including steaming, stewing, roasting, baking, broiling, sautéing, poaching, and frying.
In addition to protein, your body also needs energy, and you get that from carbohydrates. Be careful, because carbs are converted to fat if you consume too much. As a body building food, carbs must be used in moderation during training. This may be difficult for most, but you want to build muscle and not fat. Without carbs you won’t have energy to do your workouts, but just don’t overdo it. Carb processing depends heavily on your metabolism rate. Again, it is best to talk to your trainer to see if carbs can be a good body building food for you.
Success as a body builder depends as much on eating the right food as it depends on eating the right amount of food that your body requires.
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