9 Foods to Avoid When Building Muscles and Losing Fat
Foods not to eat while building muscles
Everyone is fascinated by the idea of fitness and remaining in shape. They all want a ripped body. But to remain in perfect shape is easier said than done. Hitting the nearest gym and having quality sleep is a prerequisite for building muscle mass.
But the key is to opt for a perfect muscle-building diet and eat the right food. Progress effectively slows down if someone fails to have a balanced diet. The diet must include proper snacks and meals that can fuel the body and feed the muscles.
The diet has to be well-balanced and must include, fruit, whole grains, lean protein, vegetables, and dairy products with low-fat content. Muscles also require an adequate amount of amino acids. This is usually found in poultry, lean meats, peanut butter, and dairy products with a lower amount of fats.
Food for lean muscle is helpful, but you have to be extra careful about certain foods that can damage all the hard work done by you. Let us just showcase some of those foods that must be avoided as they can mar your endeavor to build muscle.
Muscle-building food you need to start including in your diet
All-purpose flour
Delicious goodies that are filled with carbohydrates are generally prepared with refined flour. The popular foods that are made with all-purpose flour are cakes, cookies, and of course bread.
Empty calories are provided by these foods and the slightest of indulgence can ruin your effort to build muscles. It is highly recommended to avoid such foods and shift to some other healthier option. If cooking bothers you, sign up for healthy daily meal plans that deliver freshly prepared food at your doorstep.
Alcohol
Alcohol is enjoyed by most people and it is pleasurable to enjoy a drink once in a while. But regular consumption can adversely affect health and people who are into building muscles must strictly avoid consuming it. Every gulp of alcohol can create stress on the body as the antioxidant demands are increased manifold. Muscle recovery is predominantly dependent on antioxidants but with the consumption of alcohol, these are used up in mobilizing the drink.
So, it is recommended to minimize alcohol consumption and only two servings of the drink can be allowed in a week to keep the muscles in the best shape.
Store-bought smoothies
People who go to the gym to build muscles often resort to ordering a smoothie. Most of them think it to be a smart choice as they found it quite healthy and it helps them to rejuvenate. But in reality, things are different as a square glass jar of pre-made smoothies has loads of sugar and chunks of calories. This is detrimental to your endeavor to build muscles as truckloads of sugars move into your system. This high amount of sugar needs to be avoided to be in the best shape.
One can grab a few fresh fruits as an alternative. Or else, homemade smoothies can serve the purpose where you can check the amount of sugar going into it and control every ingredient going into the smoothie based on their nutritional value.
Sausages
Sausages are processed meat that has huge amounts of calories in it along with saturated fat and sodium. Moreover, this food also contains preservatives like nitrites which are used to maintain the color of the meat and stop all kinds of bacterial growth. These harmful nitrites convert into a chemical which is known as nitrosamines.
This is a carcinogenic component and it not only affects muscles but can pose a bigger threat if it is consumed regularly. It is recommended to opt for sausages that are free of nitrites and whenever you have a craving for meat, choose the lean cut to remain in the pink of health.
Processed cheese
Fat and sodium are the basic components of all cheese available in the market. But certain important nutrients in cheese are vital for muscle growth. If you are looking for protein, unprocessed cheese has slightly more of it per ounce than its processed counterpart. Processed cheese is loaded with ingredients that can hamper the prospects of maintaining a well-kept physique with adequate muscle mass.
Unprocessed cheese is preferred over its processed version and one can easily opt for one ounce of it. Mostly it is recommended to opt for brie, cheddar, and parmesan as they pose no real threat while building muscle. Eating healthily and fitness are directly related to each other and one can't be achieved without the other.
Artificial sweeteners
If you have a sweet tooth and have a relentless craving for artificial sweeteners, you must put on the brakes immediately. These sweeteners are loaded with massive sugar in them and the nutritional value is zilch. The taste buds are satiated with sugar which can hinder your prospect to build muscles. It does not act as a catalyst to put on muscle mass. Avoiding it completely can go a long way to help you remain in perfect shape.
It is highly recommended to opt for natural sweeteners in small quantities. It is okay to have agave, maple syrup, and honey once in a while as these are less harmful and will not be an impediment to getting a ripped physique.
Breakfast cereals
Your breakfast is the most important meal if you are looking to remain fit. It gives you enough energy throughout the day and helps you to carry on with your daily chores. There are of course some healthy cereals in your daily breakfast but some food with high sugar content is also present. It is ideal to skip these foods with over 5 gm of sugar in them.
People who are interested to build muscles must consider cereals with a fiber content of a minimum of 3 gm. Some cereals with high protein content must also be included in your breakfast as they effectively promote building muscles.
Soda
Soda is very harmful to the prospect of building muscles and it is nothing more than pure sugar water. Consumption of too much soda can lead to severe health hazards. Cold drinks have oodles of caffeine in them and this can make the bones weaker to a considerable extent. Foods that are helpful to build muscles can be quite easily displaced if you drink enough soda.
It is preferred to opt for milk with low-fat content and also milk filled with protein. Having several glasses of water will also work in favour of you. Such smart swaps would save tons of calories for you.
Granola bars
Dried fruit, oats, seeds, and nuts are the basic ingredients of granola bars with a limited quantity of sugar and fat. In some cases, candy pieces, chocolates, and fudge are also added to these bars to make them tastier and more flavourful. The granola bars are loaded with a huge amount of calories from fat and sugar and can easily damage the menu for muscle-building.
If you still want to have a few bites of granola bars opt for the ones having lesser calories. Less than 200 calories can go well with your system but it is prescribed to check your temptations.
Final Words
Building muscles is tough and you don't need any extra hindrance on your path. The leanness and muscularity are achieved through regular exercise.
It is also important to provide special attention to the diet. Foods dense in nutrients must be included in the food chart. One must also restrict the intake of the above-mentioned foods for building muscles. This is the best way to improve overall health and remain hale and hearty.
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