Anybody new to body building, or outside of the body building scene, could be forgiven for thinking that body builders would keep their fat consumption to an absolute minimum. This is certainly not the case, good body building foods will include some fats ? the right kinds of fats.
Reducing your consumption of fat will have a significant impact on your daily calorie count. Obviously, you will need to grab these calories back through other sources ? probably carbohydrates and proteins (pasta, brown rice, fruit etc.) while these foods are very low in fat, they are very high in sugar. Any excess glucose ? not needed for muscles or brain fodder ? will be stored as fat.
Body building foods based on the normal required amount of fat content (typically 15-20%) are significantly more filling than fat-free or low-fat regimes ? eradicating cravings and temptations to `binge eat`.
Fat-free and low-fat diets can also have a negative effect on testosterone production, testosterone aids the fat burning process. When your body is subjected to less fat intake, its natural reaction is to slow down the fat burning process, and increase hormones ? which encourage fat storage. Beware! Cutting out too much fat could cause health problems. We all need fat intake for our bodies to function properly, however, we need to take in the right type of fat.
Saturated Fats
These types of fats are the enemy. Identifiable by being in a solid form
(fat on cooked meat, butter, full fat spread etc) at room temperature.
Try to limit your consumption of saturated fats and concentrate on good body building foods
which are;
Unsaturated fats
Usually liquid at room temperature, these kinds of fats are far more beneficial
and should make up the Lion`s share of your daily fat intake.
Good for fat burning and muscle gain, foods containing unsaturated fats include;
Oily fish (sardines, mackerel, salmon)
Nuts (peanuts, almonds,pecans)
Olives
Avocado
For cooking and flavoring your food, use healthy oils;
Sunflower oil
Extra virgin olive oil
fish oil
flaxseed oil
