Food for strength

Food For StrengthWhen you’re thinking about strength, it’s easy to assume you need to start carting around massive tubs of whey supplements and protein shakes! You will be in Lycra next! All you really need to do is add the right foods to your diet. These 10 are ideal for boosting energy and speeding muscle recovery before and after your workout and helping you to build strength

1 Greek Yoghurt Packed with muscle-nourishing nutrients, Greek yogurt is the ideal workout partner. It’s a good source of protein, calcium and vitamin D, which are good for muscles.Vitamin D is definitely important for your bones—you need strong and healthy bones to sustain muscles and it impacts protein synthesis. People with low vitamin D levels have been shown to have decreased strength and greater muscle wasting.

2 Beans The simple bean is actually an advanced fat-burning, muscle-building machine. Beans are a great source of protein that includes fibre.  One cup of black beans has 12 grams of protein and 9 grams of fibre; they’re also rich in folate, a B vitamin that strengthens muscles, and copper, which strengthens tendons. On top of that, a Spanish study showed that consuming four weekly servings of beans or legumes accelerates weight loss.

3 Cottage Cheese Turns out that this diet staple deserves a place on your plate. It’s very rich in protein, and it’s perfect for strength building and maintenance because it also contains calcium and vitamin B12 (pick up the low-fat variety). A cup of low fat Cottage Cheese has 163 calories and 28 grams of protein, as much as four eggs.

4 Bananas Bananas are an ideal source of fuel. They’re rich in glucose, a highly digestible sugar, which provides quick energy, and their high potassium content helps prevent muscle cramping during your workout. Each medium banana contains about 36 grams of good carbs. Their low glycaemic index means carbs are slowly released into your body, preventing sugar crashes and spurring the process of muscle recovery.

5 Beetroot A number of studies have shown that consuming beets can improve your performance. Subjects who drank beetroot juice experienced a 38 percent increase in blood flow to muscles, particularly “fast twitch” muscles that affect bursts of speed and strength. A study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that runners who ate beetroot before a 5k ran five percent faster, a result attributed to the nitrates found in beetroot, a natural chemical that increases endurance and lowers blood pressure. Spinach and carrots are also high in the muscle-aiding compound

6 Eggs A great source of protein is an egg. One egg contains seven grams of the stuff. Two eggs are a perfect portion for building strength

7 Almonds Nature’s magic bullets have been shown to have special fat-burning properties if you consume them before a workout. A study printed in The Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that the L-arginine in almonds can help you burn more fat and carbs during your workout. A quarter-cup of raw almonds has eight grams of protein and is high in magnesium, which boosts energy and endurance. Just watch the amount ,eating 20 max.. If you go over that, your body will be storing fat!

8 Chicken Aside from being high in protein — 54 grams per normal serving — chicken breast is also rich in leucine, an amino acid that’s key to muscle strength because it increases protein synthesis.

9 Beef Beef has the holy trifecta for muscles. It’s the best food source of creatine, which increases muscle mass by speeding protein to muscles; it’s rich in CLA, an anti-inflammatory fatty acid, and it provides more than one-half the RDA of protein in a four-ounce serving. It’s great for you, rich in iron, magnesium and B12, which you need to have for muscle building.

10 Salmon Salmon’s high protein content — 39 grams per serving — is supplemented by its heart-healthy, inflammation-busting, longevity-promoting omega-3 fatty acids. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that people with the highest blood levels of omega-3s lived two years longer, on average, than those with lower levels.