Healthy Food or Junk Food: What Works Best for Muscle Building?

Nutritionists often declare some foods as dirty whereas many bodybuilders deny saying it benefited them immensely. Actually there is no clear definition separating the two. Each group has its own theory they use to support their arguments.

Both groups have one common goal: muscle growth. Their intention is good but their stance often confuses the newcomers. Some third parties jokingly suggest using 50 per cent recommendations from both and “be safe”. This looks okay, but it could be better if we had some clear understanding. Through this article we try to arrive at some unbiased conclusion.

What Foods can be termed Healthy?

Healthy FoodsNutritionists often point to articles in bodybuilding magazines and opine “they are written for your benefit”. Most of these recommend “sprouted lentils, whole grains, bright coloured fruits & vegetables, high quality cooking oil” etc. As long as you have your daily dose of Whey Protein, the above items can easily help you achieve your goal.

Not everyone likes raw vegetables and all bright coloured fruits. Obviously, they may consume reluctantly, reducing their Clean benefits completely.

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What Foods are Unhealthy?

Junk FoodsProcessed foods like Ice cream, packaged savoury items like burgers, pasta, which have loads of additional, but empty calories are termed dirty.

For example, brown rice has nutrition but white, polished rice tastes best. The former is Clean and the latter is Dirty.

Who adds to the Confusion?

Well, there are many other topics floating around, like “weight loss, dieting for long life …” that shun using processed foods and the concept of Junk Foods (like Samosa).

Insufficient exercise is another topic which confuses many. Muscle building needs spending a certain time in the gym burning your calories. If you burn fewer calories, you put on weight else you gain muscles. Without knowing how many calories you consumed and how many spent, you are only inviting trouble.

Again, if you eat fewer carbohydrates you won’t get enough energy for your exercises. Without protein, you won’t be able to get the muscles either. Some of these worries can be wiped off if you consume tasty, Protein Supplement as a shake as it contains both: carbohydrates and proteins. However you can also add a banana/orange/juicy fruit to a plain protein supplement as an alternative.

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Can Healthy Foods be always Beneficial?

Most healthy foods, though provide good nutrition, are often rejected because of poor taste. We consume them no doubt, but even our body processes it reluctantly. Obviously in these conditions we do not get ultimate benefits.

Do Junk Foods are Harmful Always?

In comparison, Junk Foods though very less beneficial are accepted by us and our body readily. Many a time they are metabolized quickly. Our body greedily separates the nourishing part (even though it may be tiny) and throws the useless out.

How to get the Best of Both Worlds?

By adding a third dimension, we can easily balance out the situation. For muscle building, experts recommend at least 2-3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For a 60 kg person the ideal quantity becomes 120-180 grams of protein.

Every protein supplement bottle has a scoop, with measured quantity of protein per serving. Ensure you get at least 70% of your daily needs and then you are free to consume whatever foods you cherish: Healthy or Unhealthy, and you should be fine.

Concluding Note
As long you exercise well and consume your necessary protein, serving to your taste buds is fine. Don’t get caught into this battle, healthy food for one may not be so for other. But avoid over-indulging, overeating as it always backfires.