Your muscle health is very important to your overall physical and mental well-being. Excellent muscle health can reduce your chances of getting muscle strains, reduce and even eliminate muscle pain, and help you live a longer and happier life.
There are many ways that you can help to make sure that your muscles are happy and healthy, including following a muscle-friendly diet that is filled with foods designed to keep your muscles strong and in good health.
The following guide will help you understand how food can improve your muscle health and which foods you should be adding to your diet to make sure your muscles are in the best shape possible. Muscle-Friendly Food Guide.
Like your organs, your muscles require certain nutrients to properly function. These nutrients include protein, carbohydrates as well as certain healthy fats. Vitamins and minerals are also important when it comes to making sure your muscles are in great shape.
In addition to improving your overall muscle function, certain foods can help you build better lean muscle, which will not only make you physically stronger but can reduce the chances of obesity, heart problems, heart attacks, and stroke.
Best Muscle-Friendly Foods to Add to Your Diet
There are a surprising amount of foods that can help improve your muscle health, and most of them are beneficial to your overall health as well. If you need to make sure that your muscles are in great shape, make sure that you consider adding the following muscle-friendly food guide to your regular diet.
Greek Yogurt
Dairy is one of the more surprising muscle-friendly foods; Greek yogurt is a great source of dairy for improving muscle health because it contains a healthy mixture of whey protein and casein protein.
Whey protein is a fast-digesting protein, whereas casein is a slow-digesting protein; the mixture of these two proteins has been shown to improve lean muscle mass. Make sure you add Greek yogurt, not just plain yogurt, as Greek yogurt has about twice the amount of protein as regular. Just avoid Greek yogurts that are filled with added sugars.
Eggs
Eggs contain many important nutrients, including protein, healthy fats, and even certain types of B vitamins. The proteins contained in eggs are especially helpful for muscle health because they contain leucine, an amino acid that is necessary for gaining lean muscles.
The B vitamins found in eggs are also important for producing energy, which will be essential when you want to improve your muscles.
Chicken Breasts
Chicken breasts are an excellent source of protein and B vitamins, both of which are essential when you want to improve and maintain muscle health. A 3-ounce serving of chicken breast contains about 26 grams of protein, which is a truly significant amount compared to the protein found in other foods.
In addition to containing a good amount of protein per serving, chicken breasts also have plenty of niacin and B6, which are two of the most important B vitamins for staying healthy and active.
Salmon
Salmon is one of the healthiest protein options in the world thanks to a whopping 17 grams of protein in each 3-ounce serving. A single 3-ounce serving of salmon also contains about 2 grams of essential omega-3 fatty acids as well as various B vitamins. Omega-3 fatty acids are important for muscle health, whether you are trying to gain muscle or simply improve muscular health and function.
Beans
Beans aren’t just good for digestion: they’re also excellent for gaining lean muscle and improving overall muscle health. The most common types of beans contain about 15 grams of protein per single cup serving; black, pinto and kidney beans are among these.
Beans also contain a healthy assortment of B vitamins, fiber, along with healthy doses of iron, magnesium, and phosphorous. These are essential for improving your overall health, including the health of your muscular system.
Turkey Breast
Turkey breast is another great meat to add to your diet when you want to improve your muscle health. A 3-ounce serving of turkey breast has about 25 grams of protein while having almost zero fat and carbohydrates. Turkey also has a good amount of niacin, a Vitamin B that is essential for processing fats, carbohydrates and building lean muscle.
Quinoa
Quinoa is a healthy protein source that contains every single of the nine essential amino acids, making this one, particularly essential food to add to your diet when you want to improve muscle health. A serving of around 100 grams of quinoa has 14 grams of protein, along with a high assortment of magnesium, iron, and fiber. Quinoa is an excellent alternative to white rice when you want to improve your muscles and overall health.
Chickpeas
Chickpeas, which are sometimes sold under the name garbanzo beans, are a great source of healthy carbs and protein. A one-cup serving of chickpeas contains about 12 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber and 50 grams of carbs.
While you will need to incorporate meat-based proteins into your diet for optimum muscle health, you can improve the health of many meals by tossing in some chickpeas.
Almonds
Just half a cup of almonds contains about 16 grams of protein, along with a healthy dose of phosphorous, magnesium and vitamin E.
Phosphorous is essential for muscle health because it helps your body process through fats and carbs when you’re at rest or exercising, which will make it possible for you to gain lean muscle easier. Make sure you don’t consume too many almonds, however, as they do have a high-calorie count.
Final Thoughts
Muscular health is important to your overall health and wellness. To make sure that you have a Muscle-Friendly Food Guide, you will need to exercise regularly, practice good health habits, and eat a healthy diet that is rich in muscle-friendly foods.
If you want to improve your muscle health, make sure you start incorporating some (or all!) of the above foods into your diet. The nutrients contained in these foods will go a long way towards improving your muscle health and making sure you—and your muscles—are healthy and happy for years to come. Muscle-Friendly Food Guide.