Diet is one of the most often overlooked aspects of training, athletes don't always associate eating with getting the results that they are after from their workout sessions, but consuming the right nutrients from the best sources is a huge part of the equation.
The greatest performance diets may seem complicated and fancy, but they are all built on a foundation of basic principles and simple foods. Eat the right ones, and your body will respond accordingly. If your current regimen doesn't include the following body-builders, beeline to the grocery store and stock up on them, stat. Bonus: They're also all pretty delicious.
Egg Whites
Show us a bodybuilder without egg whites in his diet, and we'll show you someone who's missing out on the best protein money can buy. Paired with oatmeal, an egg-white omelet can turn your breakfast into a power meal to fuel the rest of your day.
Fish
As far as a high quality protein, fish is pretty hard to beat. There are a wide variety of fish to choose from, many of which have a very high protein content and very low saturated fat. Fish are also high in the Omega three fatty acids that help to promote good heart health. Tuna, which is high in protein as well as iron and calcium, is very versatile and can easily be added to regular and pasta salads, is excellent in a sandwich, can be prepared in a casserole or serves as an excellent centerpiece to a meal in a filet.
Nuts
I know what you're thinking - nuts are way too high in fat. Well some nuts are high in fat, but much of the fat that they contain is a "good" fat. Aside from being high in protein, many nuts have a host of other benefits like lowering cholesterol, keeping your heart healthy and potentially helping the fight against cancer.
Fruit
Fruit has a place in just about everyone’s diet. For bulking, it provides a great source of antioxidants that can help you cope with the oxidative damage caused by high-volume or heavy training. Certain antioxidants in fruit may also help with insulin sensitivity. When a client wants to gain weight, I have him add fruit to his shakes for more calories.
“With respect to getting lean, I keep fruit in fat-loss diets longer than people might expect. Cutting carbs is key to losing fat, but more often than not, total carb content trumps the type of carbs. I first cut out grains and starches, and then—when weight loss plateaus—I remove tropical fruits, as they generally have a higher sugar content. Berries are the last to go, after which the client is left with eating protein, healthy fats, and green vegetables.
Fruit and vegetables for good health
Fruits and vegetables are low in fat, salt and sugar. They are a good source of dietary fibre. As part of a well-balanced, regular diet and a healthy, active lifestyle, a high intake of fruit and vegetables can help you to:
Reduce obesity and maintain a healthy weight
Lower your cholesterol
Lower your blood pressure.
Types of vegetables
Vegetables are available in many varieties and can be classified into biological groups or ‘families’, including:- Leafy green – lettuce, spinach and silverbeet
- Cruciferous – cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and broccoli
- Marrow – pumpkin, cucumber and zucchini
- Root – potato, sweet potato and yam
- Edible plant stem – celery and asparagus
- Allium – onion, garlic and shallot.
Red Meat is a staple of many body builders' diets and can be an excellent source of protein an iron. The down side is that good quality cuts of red meat can be fairly expensive, and red meat as a whole contains a lot more fat than some of the other choices here that offer just as much protein and a good mix of other potential health benefits.
Getting enough protein in your diet is essential to your body's recovery and its ability to build muscle, so make sure that you are consuming enough protein for your size and your workload, but try to do so in a fashion that doesn't overload your diet with unnecessary fat. The lean sources of protein mentioned above will help you to truly reap the rewards of the long hours that you put in at the gym.