With proper nutrition, we can stay healthy, but also strong, and model our bodies properly. Having a good and quality meal is crucial for all those who want to stay healthy and strong. In order to build muscles, you need to gain strength and have a proper nutrition plan and habits. You have to create some goals first, and then see how you can affect them with a combination of food and exercising.
In the past, people thought food is not an important part of gaining weight, so they ended up suffering malnutrition and exhausting their bodies with HIIT exercises. That’s not the right way to lose or gain weight, and to build and define muscles. Surely, sometimes supplements must be added, especially if you combine eating and exercising, and you can (and should) read more on that, before you incorporate anything new into your daily habits.
There are so many reasons why nutrition is important for building muscles, so let’s see some of them:
- It helps you get all the nutritive ingredients, and focus on using them, with a balanced diet and proper exercise.
- You will never feel hungry during the process.
- You don’t need to feel exhausted because of the lack of nutritional ingredients.
- You can balance your daily habits and tasks, and have the energy to do that.
- It won’t make you tired after the first try to do something different than the routines.
- You can do these things step-by-step because no immediate results can be good or healthy for you.
- You learn which foods contain the best balance of nutrients
And now, we will see which products can help you gain mass, so you can turn it into muscles:
1. Water
Probably you didn’t expect this one, but water is the key ingredient for every process that happens in our body. We all know that hydration is crucial for us to stay healthy – both mentally and physically. The best way is to drink enough water during the day, but you also can take it from watery fruits and vegetables, like watermelon or cucumber.
2. Protein
We all know this one, but it’s always a nice idea to repeat it as needed. Proteins help the body to build a mass but also balance the hormones and enzymes. It also boosts the ability of the body to heal itself, and muscle building is exactly healing after it was broken during the exercising. Also, you surely know which foods are rich in proteins, but anyway, we will say it again. Of course, dairy is in the first place, and then meat, eggs, but also beans and legumes, seafood, and soy. That means, that even vegetarians and vegans can take enough protein from their foods.
3. Carbohydrates
The old beliefs made us afraid of carbs. But, now we know that there are both good and bad carbs, and we must be afraid of the bad ones. You need them to build muscle because it boosts and renews your energy. Also, it increases the building potential. Therefore, you should not be afraid of carbohydrates, but learn how to combine them in your diet. For example, they are found in beets, potatoes, carrots, and rice, but also in most of the fruits you eat. Of course, you should avoid industrial desserts and carbonated drinks, which are full of sugar and have no nutritional value.
4. Fats
Fats won’t make you fat if you know how to balance the intake. Fortunately, there are many foods that are high in beneficial fats. Do not feel guilty if you eat a piece of dark chocolate, avocado, fish, olives, or eggs. All of these products are high in fat, which is needed to nourish your muscles. This is especially important in the process of building muscle, as it restores energy as well as maintains vital functions. Fats keep the body warm, and thus the muscles are in working condition. You will maybe want to skip on the fries, but don’t mind eating a handful of nuts, to balance your needs.
5. Calcium and magnesium
Both of these nutrients are great, because they make your bones stronger, and relax the muscles in a proper way. While you are exercising, there are muscle contractions, and you need calcium to reduce the overall stress you are doing to your body. Drink yogurt and eat your cheese. And when it comes to magnesium, we suggest you eat a lot of leafy greens, beans, nuts, whole grains, seeds, and legumes.
6. Potassium
An important electrolyte, that can help you release the excess sodium from the body. Also, it promotes cell renewal, which is also important while building muscle mass. Of course, you already know that you can take it from bananas, but try to add sweet potatoes, broccoli, salmon, and chicken to your diet too.
7. What else do I need to know?
Don’t stick to pre-written diets. Every person in this world is different, and our bodies have different nutrition needs. You first need to determine the calorie needs and then focus on the goals. That will help you accomplish the goals step by step, and you can adapt to your new way of living in just a few weeks. It’s really important to give your body enough time for that.
And of course, don’t change the habits in a day. Take small steps, so you can change anything that doesn’t work for you.
Conclusion
Proper nutrition is a part of our life, from many possible aspects. It takes a lot of effort until you get used to healthy food. But, it can be pretty unpleasant if the nutrition plan is not appropriate for you. That’s why we suggest working with an expert, so you can replace the foods your body can’t handle with something else.
Don’t make your diets, especially if you don’t know a lot about nutrition. Some experienced people can do this. But, when your goal is building muscles – this article is a nice starting point for you, so you can explore the topic deeper.
