Healthy meal planning can speed up your fitness goals. Choosing the right foods will help you boost your metabolism while building lean muscle. Whole foods will provide your body with plenty of nutrients as opposed to processed foods that contain few health benefits.
Foods
It's best to avoid foods that are high in calories, fat and/or sugar. Examples of these foods are fried foods, sugar-filled treats and processed breads and meats. Instead, consume foods that are nutrient dense and will provide quality protein, fat and carbohydrates. Healthy proteins include eggs, low-fat dairy products and lean meats such as fish, chicken and turkey. Get complex carbohydrates from brown rice or whole wheat bread; healthy fats can be found in avocado and nuts.
Meal Planning
Planning ahead will help you avoid diet pitfalls. To burn fat and build muscle it's best to consume many, small meals throughout the day. Eating every two to three hours can keep you satiated, boost your metabolism and give you stable energy throughout the day. These meals should contain a healthy protein and carbohydrate. An example would be turkey breast on whole wheat bread with plenty of veggies such as tomatoes, pickles and lettuce.
Water
Muscle consists of mostly water, which makes water an important component of your diet. Staying hydrated during a workout will give you more energy and remove toxins from your system. The effects of dehydration can be damaging to your performance. In fact, a decrease of just 1 to 2 percent of body weight from fluid loss begins to compromise cardiovascular and muscular function, and body temperature regulation; this can lead to decreases in aerobic power, according to MedicineNet.
Before the Workout
Fueling yourself before a workout is important but can be complicated. Many people think that working out on an empty stomach is the best way to burn fat; however, this is not true. Eating before your workout will provide fuel and give you the ability to exercise at a high intensity. For fat loss, consume a 1:2 ratio of carbohydrates to protein in before a workout, according to SouthFloridaPersonalTrainer.com.
After the Workout
A snack or meal after the workout is just as vital as before the workout. After exercise your muscle cells are depleted and need to be replenished quickly. The best way to deliver fuel to the muscles rapidly is to consume a shake that contains fast-absorbing protein and carbohydrates.
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