Healthy Living
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Foods That Feed Your Muscles
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- by FitSugar, on Thu Sep 24, 2009 12:38pm PDT
Your muscles are constantly
working for you, so feed them well. Recent news indicates that
muscle
mass, especially in the lower of half of the body, is essential
for good health. Muscle mass helps keep blood sugar levels even,
thus fighting type 2 diabetes. Plus, muscle requires more energy to
simply exist than fat, so more muscle means you burn more calories.
The added strength is a bonus too. Here are five foods to put on
your plate to help you maximize your muscle power.
- Fish - Fish is a great source of lean protein,
which will help your muscles since this macronutrient is the
building block of life. Fish like wild salmon, tuna, rainbow trout
and sardines are all high in omega-3s fatty acids.
Some studies suggest that consuming omega-3s could help slow the
breakdown of muscle mass that can occur during endurance activities
like long-distance running.
- Quinoa - Quinoa is chock-full of
protein, making it a healthy carbohydrate that fills you up,
provides energy, and is full of all the essential acids your
muscles need to grow. Also know that when lacking carbs as fuel,
your body will use the protein you consume for energy rather than
using it to create new muscle fibers. This whole grain is also full
of iron and potassium. Here's a recipe for curried quinoa
salad
- Lean Cuts of Red Meat - When eaten in
moderation, red
meat is no longer the harbinger of health doom. In fact, it is
a great source for vitamin B12, and if you eat grass-fed beef it
will provide some omega-3 fats too. Be sure to select the leaner
cuts like sirloin and tenderloin to keep your intake of unhealthy
saturated fats to a minimum.
- Eggs - Eggs are considered to be a
high-quality protein source. Egg protein helps preserve muscle mass
and provides steady and sustained energy. The study recommends eggs
as a protein source for endurance athletes since eggs are high in
the amino acid leucine, which helps muscles utilize the fuel
glucose.
- Cottage Cheese - Cottage cheese, like other
lowfat dairy products, is loaded with protein, potassium, calcium,
and vitamin D — all the things necessary for proper muscle
function. Cottage cheese just happens to contain more protein than
yogurt. To keep your fat intake down, make sure to opt for the
lowfat version
Related Content:
How to
Start Strength Training
5 Ingredients for a Healthier
Salad
5 Ways to
Tone Your Inner Thighs
Related: list, food, fitness, building muscle
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Posted by Mimi Fri Sep 25, 2009 11:28am PDT
Yes,I got the eating thing down ,but i am just not motivated to just go run a mile..How do i get motivated and stay?
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Posted by Jacob Mon Sep 28, 2009 11:42am PDT
I Love to play sports myself, but I really don't like to run. That's what I do. I do something that is fun so I won't focus on the fact that I'm running. Running just for the sake of running is kind of boring to me.
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Posted by KerryQ Tue Sep 29, 2009 1:46am PDT
If you find something that you like to do that is exercise, then great! If not, then you just need to set aside some time to exercise, and force yourself to do it everyday. (Or however many days you decide to run a week.) Eventually it will be a habit, like brushing your teeth or taking a shower. I use my elliptical machine everyday- not because I like it, but because I want to stay in shape. I take a shower not because I like it, but because I need to be clean. When it's routine, you don't even have to think about it. If I miss a day, no big deal, I'll work harder to stay on schedule the next week. Having a goal to aim for helps a lot. Train for a 5k, or just try to beat your personal best time or distance each time you run. Take it one day or one week at a time.
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Posted by Velvet Raindrops Wed Oct 7, 2009 8:54am PDT
Mimi, believe me, the hardest part is getting started! I used to hate running for exercise, heck, I didn't exercise whatsoever! Then I got chubby. So I had no choice but to start exercising and making smart eating habits. About two weeks into running 2miles pretty much every day, I realized that it wasn't that bad and I was actually starting to like it. After a month or so of this, I was motivated enough to join the gym and start strength training to up my results. I also started enjoying my runs so much that my daily runs started getting longer and longer and a hard workout at the gym always left me feeling pumped! Combined with the nutritious meals I was eating, I started feeling like a million dollars :D Now it has been about 4years since I started incorporating wellness/fitness into my lifestyle and now its something I'm extremely passionate about! From this, I actually started to enjoy life more and became more active (i.e. i started snowboarding, went skydiving, got physical) The benefits you will reap from simply walking/jogging 2 miles 3 or 4 times a week are spectacular :)
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