While many diets are focused solely on losing weight as quickly as possible, there is often little regard for what the make-up of that weight will be---fat or muscle. The Anabolic Diet, however, is different. Anabolic is a word that refers to muscle building. This diet, developed by Dr. Mauri Di Pasquale, is designed to help build muscle while burning fat, explains fitness and nutrition website Strong Lifts. The website also explains that the Anabolic Diet involves eating very few carbohydrates, but plenty of fat and protein in order to prompt your body to produce anabolic hormones. The food choices on this diet are quite different from traditional diet foods, so be sure you understand the diet's principles before choosing these foods and check with your doctor before starting any diet program.
Chicken
According to the dieting and health website EveryDiet, one main Anabolic Diet food is chicken. Chicken is a lean source of protein, meaning it has little fat but is high in protein. Protein is important for muscle building because it contains amino acids, often called the "building blocks" of muscles. The lack of fat also makes chicken lower in calories than fattier meats, which makes it a better choice for dieting. A 4-oz boneless, skinless chicken breast contains 110 calories, 23.5g of protein, 2.5g of fat and 0g of carbohydrates.
Whole Eggs
Strong Lifts recommends eating whole eggs on the Anabolic Diet because eggs are an inexpensive source of protein. In addition, the fat content of eggs is also advantageous on the Anabolic Diet. Because carbohydrates are severely restricted on the Anabolic Diet, your body needs energy from fat intake to fuel activity. In addition, research suggests that fat---specifically saturated fat----may be beneficial for muscle building. A study from the January 1997 issue of the "Journal of Applied Physiology" found that increased levels of fat intake correlated to higher levels of circulating testosterone. As testosterone is the main muscle-building hormone, this can be beneficial for improving body composition.
Spinach
Strong Lifts also recommends consuming spinach when on the Anabolic Diet. While spinach does contain carbohydrates, it also contains fiber, which may help you feel fuller and thus eat less, which can help you lose weight. In addition, as the nutrition website World's Healthiest Foods explains, spinach provides a wide array of nutrients. These include vitamin A, C, K, E and iron, among others. Eating spinach is important because many of the other foods on the Anabolic Diet, such as fatty meats, do not contain any fiber and may have limited amounts of vitamins and minerals.
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