Food for your muscles

Have you ever wondered which food you should eat to build muscles? Below are some tips that could be useful for your pole fitness training:

Eat enough! Enough nutritious food is essential for you to build muscles and have the energy required for your daily activities and exercises. In addition, eating right and enough food for training gives you energy and helps you perform better - both mentally and physically. In recent years, protein and protein-rich foods have become more popular, and sale of protein supplements has been increasing. While there is really no magic in protein powder, it may have beneficial to use this dietary supplement as long as you use it as a supplement and not a substitute for regular, nutritional food. And there are plenty of natural food for building muscles!

Proteins in each meal Proteins are composed of amino acids and this nutrient has many functions in the body - including muscle building and maintaining muscle mass. Proteins can be divided into two groups - "animal protein" and "vegetable protein". Animal protein is protein found in foods from animals, such as fish, poultry, meat, eggs and dairy products. It is said that "animal proteins" have better quality than "vegetable proteins" because they contain all the essential amino acids, i.e. amino acids your body cannot produce itself and therefore must be supplied through diet. However, combining different vegetable protein sources also increases the quality of your protein intake. It is best to consume some protein in your every meal to ensure that there are amino acids available for your muscles at all times. Although proteins are what most people think of when they hear "food for muscles", you should not to forget carbohydrates and fat. These two nutrients are also necessary for your body to function properly.

Here are eight tips about training food that your body requires:

1. Egg Egg contains all vital substances except for vitamin C. In addition, egg is a natural nutrient ingredient that has a long shelf life and can be used for breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner in various dishes.

2. Dairy products Milk and dairy products such as cottage cheese, cheese and curd provide high quality protein. In addition, they give you calcium, vitamin Bs and iodine. Both plain white milk and chocolate milk work fine as "sports drinks", especially after a workout because milk provides your body with both liquid, proteins and carbohydrates.

3. Clean and lean meat Meat is an important source of vitamins A and B as well as minerals like zinc, selenium and iron. And meat is one of our best sources of protein. Clean meat products have a higher percentage of proteins, less fat and contain more vitamins and minerals than processed products. Processed food often contains also some salt and additives that affect its taste, appearance and consistency. The healthiest meat selections are lean and trimmed meat.

4. Fish Fish and other seafood are simply nature's superfood. They are excellent sources of proteins, healthy fat, vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium and iodine. Fish oil is especially known for its high content of omega-3 fatty acids.

5. Nuts In addition to providing you with healthy fats, nuts are good sources of proteins and fibers. You also get vitamin E, magnesium, iron and zinc. Nuts help you keep your blood sugar levels stable. It is recommended that you consume some nuts every day.

6. Canned food Canned food may not sound so attractive, but they do contain a lot of good and nutritional food. For example, mackerel in tomato sauce, tuna, olives and canned tomatoes. An advantage of canned food is that they last longer.

7. Avocado This fruit is a great source of healthy fat and rich in vitamins C, A and folate. Avocado is also filled with fiber. Avocados can be a smart choice for keeping blood sugar levels stable. You can eat avocado as it is or include in other dishes such as guacamole or avocado butter. Avocado tastes great on both crackers, bread and wraps.

8. Vegetables Vegetables are not primarily a source of protein but they give your body essential vitamins, minerals and fibers. In addition, vegetables fill up your stomach quickly with relatively few calories. Eating both fruits and vegetables help strengthening your immune system, which is essential to keep your body healthy and strong.

Original article written by Silje Bjørnstad in Norwegian.

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