A Muscle Building Diet (Guide)

The human body constantly reinvents itself. From time to time, a tissue breaks down and is replaced by a new one made from the nutrients of the food we consume. Every component in our body is relatively younger than our actual age. 

While the average age of muscle cells is 15 years, working out can cause the muscle protein to break down and build up much sooner. 

The entire point of working out is the protein turn over, but it is only useful if you end up with more by the end of it. In order to ensure that, it is important that your protein intake is more than usual and your workout routine disturbs your muscles in such a way that it results in them getting stronger and bigger. 

Considering diet is just as important as a good workout routine for building muscle, here is a diet plan that can help you reach the goal.

• Breakfast is important: Energize yourself soon after you wake up, with a healthy breakfast that includes smoothies, eggs and cottage cheese.
• Small meals every three hours: Eating several small meals throughout the days, as opposed to few big meals, will reduce the size of your stomach. This means you will feel full with less amount of food and will also reduce the size of your waist. This practice will also ensure that you get fewer cravings, as waiting for long periods in between meals often results in overeating. 
• Consume protein: Protein is important to not only build but also maintain muscle. They help with fat loss and make you feel full for a longer time than carbs. For every pound of your weight, you should consume at least one gram of protein in a day. For example, if you weight 180lbs, you should consume 180g of protein in a day. You can use protein supplements to meet this daily requirement. Some other protein sources include: 

1. Red meat
2. Poultry
3. Fish
4. Eggs
5. Dairy
6. Whey

• Consume Vegetables and Fruits with every meal: They are not only low calorie but are also rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and fiber, which aid digestion 
• Limit your carb consumption: While carbs are necessary for energy, a lot of people end up consuming more than they need. Only take carbs after a workout
• Not all fats are bad: Healthy fats can, in fact, improve fat loss. Avoid trans fats and consume healthy fats in each meal, saturated fats present in foods like whole eggs and butter can upsurge your testosterone levels. Virgin olive oil and mixed nuts have monounsaturated fats, which can help avoid heart diseases. Polyunsaturated fats found in foods like fish oil and ground flax seeds promote fat loss, decrease inflammation and increase testosterone levels 
• Hydrate yourself: You have probably heard this everywhere but drinking water is indeed essential, especially if you are strength training. Rigorous work out can cause a lot of sweating (and thus water loss), which can impair muscle recovery. Drink at least one US gallon of water every day to ensure you are not dehydrated. 
• Consume Whole Foods: Make sure that majority of your food intake consists of whole foods. Whole foods are unrefined and unprocessed foods that are as close to their natural state as possible.