"Foods that Aid in Building Muscles"

The biggest challenge for most guys wanting to gain muscle mass is their diet.

Some guys want to gain bigger muscles and are looking for overall gains while some are more attuned towards developing leaner, stronger muscles. Irrespective of your bodybuilding goals, you need to have access to some basic muscle-building foods. These can be understood as the most common and best of bodybuilding dietary recommendations that will ensure faster recovery from workouts and help you gain a muscular physique. This includes:

Daily Protein Foods: Eggs

• Whole eggs are your most elementary and the most recommended choice for daily protein intake.
• Egg protein contains one of the purest forms of animal protein containing nearly all of the essential amino acids.
• Don’t dump the yolk since it is fortified with the densest concentration of vitamins and minerals though it does have some cholesterol.
• The yolk is vital for stimulating more production of testosterone hormone.
• Egg whites are a rich source of proteins with high Biological Value. This means that their concentration of amino acids is closely matched to the amino acid configuration found in the human body.

Weekly Protein Foods: Chicken, Meat & Fish

• Chicken Breast is regarded as one of the best animal protein sources among serious bodybuilders. It contains almost zero carbs
and a minimal amount of fat.
• Fish Oil, whether eaten in the form of supplements or whole fish, is vital for ensuring that your joints are kept strong and in shape for your increasing weights on the rack. These oils also boost your testosterone levels.
• Salmon remains one of the most recommended muscle foods if you are ready to eat fish on a weekly basis, closely followed by tuna.
• Red Meat might contain some unhealthy fats but meager, weekly servings are recommended for its very high concentration of proteins along with creatine, Vitamin B12, Iron, Zinc and Carnosine apart from Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

Muscle Recovery Foods: Berries

• Muscle recovery is the most misunderstood aspect of muscle growth. Unless you can conquer the inflammation and destruction of muscle fiber induced by your workout, you cannot grow new muscle fibers. This is where berries come to your rescue.
• Berries that are dark in color are the best source of antioxidants. These are required for preventing many types of diseases and ensure you don’t fall ill during your training period.
• All sorts of berries can be used including cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc. Just ensure you buy and eat them fresh.

Recommended Dairy Protein Foods

1. Yogurt
This is recommended because of two reasons. Firstly, it helps to maximize the concentration of friendly bacteria in your gut. This ensures better absorption of nutrients and good digestion. This is vital for sustained muscle gains. Choose homemade, fresh and low-fat yogurt. Secondly, unlike milk yogurt doesn’t induce gastric troubles and can be consumed daily for milk protein, i.e. Casein.
2. Tofu
Tofu is actually a form of coagulated soy milk. It contains lesser fat than animal milk and more proteins per serving. If you are a dedicated vegetarian, this is your best bet to replace meats in your diet.

Basic Fats for Muscle

1. Flax Seeds
These are an excellent source of dietary fiber, protein and Omega-3 fatty acids. Try to mix some ground flax seeds in your flour to consume flax seeds as a part of chapattis.
2. Virgin Olive Oil
This is the easiest food alternative to boost your immunity and reduce internal inflammation due to heavy workouts. You can consume it daily as a part of your salads and sandwiches.
3. Mixed Nuts
Containing a high density of mono and poly unsaturated fats apart from dietary fiber and proteins, nuts are your daily shot of nutrition required to sustain muscular growth. Walnuts, peanuts, almonds, pistachios and even cashews are a great source of potassium, magnesium, Vitamin E and zinc. These nutrients are vital to make serious gains in the gym.

Vitamin C & Muscle Boosting Foods

• Tomatoes—being high in lycopene, tomatoes are natural anti-inflammatory agents that ensure faster muscle recovery.
• Oranges—being high in Vitamin C, oranges help your stamina levels. The high magnesium content and beta-carotenes aid faster creation of muscle fibers.
• Spinach—this rare, alkaline food that prevents bone and muscle loss. Try to have spinach at least twice a week to ensure better, overall and muscular health.

Complex Carbohydrate Foods

You need to consume more than an average amount of complex carbohydrates. This includes whole wheat breads and rotis apart from brown rice, oats, barley and potatoes. Ensure you eat these more during the morning and daytime and lesser during the night to ensure muscle gain and not weight gain. (Health, MensXP.com)