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Right Approach Toward Muscle-Building

When it comes to fitness, muscle-building is the most misunderstood fitness goal. Most of us want to build muscles but we aren’t aware of the right protocol behind it. There are numerous misconceptions behind the concept of muscle-building. Whether you are a skinny person, trying desperately to break your thin frame and pack on size or an average person who just wants to build some quality muscles, bulking up in a right way is the biggest challenge. Everyone has the same question, and that is “How to build muscles?”

Role of nutrition:

When it comes to muscle-building, nutrition is one of the most important aspect. A healthy diet plan is the key to build quality muscle. Being a nutritionist by profession, my first preference will always be a well-balanced diet. A balanced diet should contain adequate amount of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fat sources. A nutrition expert will always focus on these three important macro nutrients while designing a muscle-building diet plan. Eating at least 5-6 meals at regular interval of time is also very important when you are striving for muscle gains. Those 5-6 meals should contain calculated amount of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fat.

There is a popular myth, that you have to consume large amounts of protein to accomplish your muscle-building goal, but that’s just rubbish. No doubt, that protein is the most important macro nutrient when it comes to building muscles but carbohydrates and fat also have their place.

Role of carbohydrates in muscle building:

When it comes to weight loss or muscle-building, there are many misconceptions related to carbohydrates. The most common tip you will come across is that you should decrease your carbohydrates to very minimum and increase your protein intake while targeting muscle-building or weight loss. However, this is completely absurd. Carbohydrates and proteins both play their own role during your fitness goal. Proteins helps in promoting positive nitrogen environment to facilitate muscle gains while carbohydrates fuels muscle so that they can perform well during workouts. Another important benefit of carbohydrates is its protein sparing effect which is again very crucial when you target for muscle-building.

Role of protein in muscle-building:

Protein is by far one of the most important macro nutrient for muscle-building and increasing muscle size. When you indulge in resistance training, the muscle gets damaged, and to repair it you require adequate proteins. When you provide enough proteins to your muscles, they recover and grow bigger in size.

Protein allotment to an individual depends upon several factors. Protein requirement of a college student will be different to an athlete. Nutrition expert/nutritionist after carefully analysing several factors can determine the amount of protein intake an individual has to consume. It is suggested that the requirement is fulfilled via multiple meals throughout the day rather than at a single meal. High protein diet along with resistance training will facilitate growth of new muscle tissues and also increase the strength of muscle. An average person who exercises regularly, can have 0.8 to 1gm of protein per kilogram of his/her body weight.

Role of healthy fat in muscle-building:

Fat is the most underrated macro nutrient and most of the time people ignore it. Fat contains twice the number of calories as compared to proteins and carbohydrates, which means that it can be a great fuel for our muscles. Fat also helps in absorbing nutrients and carrying out essential functions of our muscles. Dietary fats plays an essential role in formation of several hormones including testosterone, which is by far one of the most anabolic hormone that helps in muscle-building and muscle preserving. Keto diet which is one of the famous diet strategy for weight loss, focus on fat and protein.

Role of micronutrients in muscle-building:

Micronutrients are one of the major group of nutrients that our body needs to function properly. They include vitamins and essential minerals. Micronutrients are very important when you target for muscle-building but the sad part is that, people do not realize its importance.

Most of us ignore it while planning our muscle building diet plan, but this is a big mistake.

Micronutrients take part in several metabolic processes that affect muscle-building.

Micronutrients helps in proper assimilation and absorption of protein, fats and carbohydrates.

Micronutrients helps in muscle recovery which further facilitate muscle growth.

Micronutrients include several important vitamins and minerals that take part in hormone production which further help in muscle-building process.

Micronutrients also assist in better blood circulation which further promote better nutrient transport to our muscle cells. Better nutrition to muscles means, better muscle growth.

So at the end, I would like to conclude that muscle-building is a process which requires a well-balanced nutrition protocol, and not just proteins. Your muscle-building diet plan should contain everything including the right amount of protein. Always remember one thing, your diet and nutrition matters the most when it comes to muscle-building.

Pushpam Kumar

Founder of Ask-Fitguru

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RIGHT APPROACH TOWARD MUSCLE-BUILDING

RIGHT APPROACH TOWARD MUSCLE-BUILDING

When it comes to fitness, muscle-building is the most misunderstood fitness goal. Most of us want to build muscles but we aren’t aware of the right protocol behind it. There are numerous misconceptions behind the concept of muscle-building. Whether you are a skinny person, trying desperately to break your thin frame and pack on size or an average person who just wants to build some quality…

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Thyroid disorder happens when the thyroid gland becomes hyperactive or underactive, in both the cases individual gets affected negatively

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IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITION WHILE FIGHTING CANCER

Nutrition is one of the most important aspects of cancer treatment. Such treatments may involve radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, biological immunotherapy, or even surgery. These procedures and medications can cause symptoms like loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea vomiting, etc; putting them at an increased risk of malnutrition.

The food choices when a person is suffering from cancer or is undergoing cancer treatment might differ from their usual food habits. The main goal is to prevent the patient from malnourishment and maintaining muscle mass. In order to minimize weight changes, increase the response to the treatment and maintain the energy levels to cope up with all the new physiological/chemical changes the treatment may bring, the patient should try to eat a wide variety of high calorie and high protein foods. 

Nutritional counseling will be helpful for cancer patients to get essential nutrients such as protein, vitamins, and minerals. All macronutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, and fat should be planned in such a way that it helps the patient in maintaining his/her weight.

Ways to tackle side effects:

Cancer treatment often causes side effects, such as diarrhea, nausea, mouth soreness/ulcers, appetite changes, and taste changes. These side effects may create difficulty in eating. The below-mentioned tips might help the patient to get the required nourishment:

If the water tastes unpleasant, try having more liquids through food and other drinks. For example, have soup, watermelon, tea, milk, or its substitutes. One can have flavored water by adding a slight quantity of natural fruit juice.

If food tastes bland, try seasoning it with different flavourful spices. For example, try using lemon, garlic, cayenne, dill, and rosemary.

If the mouth is sore, one may need to choose some non-acidic and non-spicy food until the sores heal.

Eating frequently, at least 6 times a day. Small but frequent meals rather than 3 large ones will help in reaching the required calorie goal. Eating frequently also boosts metabolism.

If meat is no longer appealing, other protein sources can be sought after like eggs, cheese, nuts, tofu, or high protein smoothies and shakes.

If there is a persistent metallic taste in the mouth, suck on mints, chew gum, or try citrus fruits. Also, try brushing your teeth or rinsing your mouth before eating.

Consume enough amount of fruits and green leafy vegetables to get a good amount of antioxidants. Antioxidants play a very crucial role in strengthening the immune function, which is important while a patient is undergoing cancer treatment.

If a patient has mouth ulcers/sores or gum infection, a blender or food processor can be used to give a smooth texture to vegetables and meats. For added smoothness and calories, add butter, mild sauces, gravy, or cream. Smoothies can be really helpful as the extra moisture in the smoothie can help soothe a sore mouth.

Use of dietary supplements:

Low dose dietary supplements, such as multivitamins, may be helpful for people with cancer who are unable to get the required nutrients through food. Multivitamins are dietary health products that contain most of the required vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and trace elements. They may also contain some very important minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and iron. Apart from multivitamins, there are protein powders, specifically “Whey protein” which helps in fulfilling the protein requirement of the patient. Whey protein powders are highly bioavailable and easy to digest without creating any stomach discomfort.

Food safety:

People seeking cancer treatment should be aware of food safety norms. Some treatments may weaken the immune system which may further raise the risk of getting an infection.

In this immunocompromised state, a patient becomes very vulnerable to food/water-borne infections. Any kind of contaminated food or water might lead to severe bacterial, fungal, or viral infection. These infections might create havoc during cancer therapy which otherwise would have been mild.

Here are some basic food safety tips to reduce the risk of infection:

Hands should be washed properly before and while handling food.

Vegetables and fruits should be thoroughly rinsed before eating/cooking.

The fruits should be washed and peeled before consuming them.

Separate cutting boards should be used for meats and vegetables.

Only fully cooked food should be consumed. For example, raw eggs, vegetables, raw fish, or shellfish should not be consumed.

Processed and packaged food products should be avoided.

Unpasteurized foods such as milk should not be consumed.

Food should be refrigerated properly as per the storage guidelines.

Diet regimes:

Plenty of people tout “special” diets that they say will help treat cancer or keep it away from coming back. Many suggest to go vegan or vegetarian or start a raw diet. Before making any major changes in the diet, a doctor’s consultation is a must. There is no diet that can cure cancer. There is also no good research which shows that any eating plan, like a veg diet, for example, can lower the chance of cancer coming back. The best bet is to stick with a balanced diet with lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. Limit sugars, caffeine, salt, and alcohol intake.

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IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITION WHILE FIGHTING CANCER

IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITION WHILE FIGHTING CANCER

Nutrition is one of the most important aspects of cancer treatment. Such treatments may involve radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, biological immunotherapy, or even surgery. These procedures and medications can cause symptoms like loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea vomiting, etc; putting them at an increased risk of malnutrition.

The food choices when a person is suffering from…