It’s no secret that exercising, on its own, won’t give you an evenly toned body. If you’re looking to get into the right shape, you need to combine your exercise schedule with the proper diet.
Fitness is an overall condition that denotes wellbeing of the body as well as of the mind. Depriving your body of certain foods, especially as you maintain a strict exercise routine, is wrong. This will not only make you physically weak, but your stamina and health will also be affected. A perfect fitness plan should be able to strike the right balance between exercising and diet.
Top 10 Gym diet foods and their benefits
The choice of food to go along with your exercise plan can be modified as per your taste and preference. While you may add or remove some of the food items, make sure you balance out the available nutrition with a proper substitute.
The various food items mentioned below will help you enhance the effectiveness of your exercises while keeping your stamina and health in place:
1. Eggs:
Rich sources of amino protein, eggs are serious components for good muscle building. Earlier, egg was considered as a complete food in itself. These are a great source of animal proteins that you require for building body muscles.
2. Almonds:
A perfect blend of fibre, protein, and fats, almonds are the right snacks you need to add in your regular diet chart. Just one ounce of almonds or cashew offers 150-170 high quality calories. Almonds are ideal snacks, as they fulfil the calorie demand without creating fullness.
3. Milk:
Most gym goers will never deprive themselves from having a glass of milk every day. Just like eggs, milk is another complete food. It is an excellent hydrating agent that contains muscle-healing proteins. In addition, milk is a rich store of minerals like calcium and refuelling sugar.
4. Broccoli:
Broccoli contains a lot of free-radical-busting antioxidants suitable for body healing. The energy that you invest in the gym is perfectly replenished by eating broccoli. It contains high quality fiber that speeds up digestion. In addition, broccoli is a rich source of vitamins and minerals.
5. Protein shake:
When following a bodybuilding routine, your body’s requirement for protein may not be fulfilled from just milk and lean meats. Protein shakes are good pre-workout doses. These are multi-taskers. They not only prevent excessive muscle degeneration, but also create the platform for optimum nutrient usage and muscle building.
6. Salmon:
Salmon is an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acid. Omega 3 is extremely important for maintaining the health of your heart and brain. It is an excellent post-gym meal that helps repair and rebuild the muscles. Protein-packed salmon is also an alternative for eggs.
7. Cottage cheese:
Cheese, especially cottage cheese, won’t make you put on those kilos. Cottage cheese, or paneer, contains high amount of casein, which helps to steadily raise and retain the level of amino acid. It also contains good bacteria that helps absorb and breakdown other nutrients to be easily absorbed by the body.
8. Chickpeas:
Replace the rice and grain in your regular diet with chickpeas. Being a rich source of fibre, chickpeas are the perfect source of carbs.
9. Blueberries:
Blueberry is an equally affluent source of antioxidants as broccoli. The free radicals present in it travel around your body while repairing the damaging cells. It also helps in toning and reshaping muscles.
10. Lentils:
Since you need to focus on high protein intake as part of your gym diet, make sure you add lentils in your regular food plan. Just one cup of cooked lentils offers 18gm of protein and 40gm of slow digesting carb.
With the list ready, now you know exactly what needs to go in your diet plan during all the time that you’re working out at the gym. While you’re looking to tone up your body and stay fit and in shape, remember to put the right amount of attention towards what you eat. A healthy body can only be a reality with the right mix of exercise and diet. So don’t plan on eating less, but instead, have the right foods and see the difference!