Why Eating is Essential To Build A Perfect Body

What is needed to build a perfect BODY

For building a perfect Body food plays a very vital role.Many people who want to build a well-shaped body do not pay attention to the type of food they are eating.

Whenever we eat food we get calories which are the tiny bits of energy.Counting calories is not as important as knowing what calories is best for you to eat to get maximum effectiveness of your workouts. To carryout your workout plan smoothly you need different type of nutrients.One of the essential nutrients is Carbohydrates.

  

Carbohydrates :

These are the main source of body Glucose.Glucose is a  simple Carbohydrates stored in muscles and Liver as Glycogen. Glycogen provides energy for brain and for making food in the body.Glucose can be obtained from body protein by break down of muscles. If you are not intaking enough Carbohydrates your body will breakdown protein from muscle tissue to obtain glucose.

Intake Carbohydrates in bulk with your diet.Concentrate on unprocessed complex.Carbohydrates like Whole Grain,Potatoes,Sweet potatoes,Oat meal,Bread and Brown Rice.The natural complex carbohydrates contain 'Long Chain' sugar which are digested slowly.This helps the blood sugar level to be consistent which in turn helps to offset fatigue while promoting the release of insulin which is the principal anabolic hormone.The amount of Carbohydrates that a man should  intake can be obtained by multiplying their body weight by 3.The result obtained will be in grams,which is the required amount of the carbohydrates that a man should intake daily.For a woman, the amount of carbohydrates the she should intake can be obtained by multiplying her body weight by 2.

Along with carbohydrates you must take n enough fiber in your diet.Eating fiber make muscle tissue more active to anabolism by improving sugar and amino acid uptake,and helping in muscle glycogen formation and growth.Beans and oatmeal are two excellent source of fiber.

Divide your carbohydrate meal into six servings in a day.In doing so your body will stimulate a steady release of insulin to create anabolic or body building state. But if you eat too much in one sitting the net effect is that fat-storing enzymes kick into high hear and you lose lean and hard look.





Eat some simple carbohydrate after your workout and eat more of this simple carbs.Sugar,honey and refined foods such as white bread and white rice(typical simple carbs are digested quickly and easily).The resulting insulin spike is a double edged sword.After training,it can prevent muscle catabolism while promoting anabolism.If you are not working out intake of the simple carbohydrates can stimulate fat storage.A high carbohydrate intake at your post training meal will have less chance of being stored as fat,as carbohydrates must replenish depleted glycogen levels before they gain the ability to stimulate fat storage.Eat about one-fourth of your daily carbohydrates at this meal.

Breakfast is the most important meal day of the day and is the best time to load carbohydrates before your workout.After your overnight fast,the blood sugar and muscle glycogen levels are low.Your body must replenish this levels before stimulating the fat storing mechanism in your body.

As the day passes, your carbohydrates intake should decrease.At this time,your energy requirements will also decrease so your body would not require much.If you intake carbohydrate late in the day your body will store this extra carbs in the form of fats and increase weight gain instead of muscle mass.

If you want to lose body fats along with building your muscles,then you need to rotate your carbohydrates intake.The body builders who rotate their carbohydrates intake tend to lose more fats than those who follow a steady flow of carbohydrates in their diets.
As for example:instead of eating 600 gram of carbohydrates daily(for a 200 pound bodybuilder), try to rotate the intake.Eat 50% less carbohydrates for two days,then 600 gram for the next two days and then intake 50% more i.e. 900 gram for the next two days.
The total carbohydrates intake is the same but this rotating of carbohydrates works because it lowers muscles glycogen in the first stage which promotes fat loss, and then increases insulin levels which ensures no loss of muscles on the final two days.Carbohydrate rotation gives you the best result of decreasing fats with no loss in muscle mass.

Protein :

One of the most important nutrient every body builder needs is plenty of protein. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. As amino acids make up proteins, Glucose molecules make up carbohydrates .

Protein helps in growing, repairing, and replacing tissues. That is possible because proteins are the basis for body structures.

For body builders, nitrogen balance is important to be kept in mind while talking about proteins. Nitrogen balance is the difference between the amount of nitrogen taken in and the amount excreted or lost. If you lose more nitrogen than you consume, your body will break down muscle tissue to get it. On the other hand, if you consume more than you lose, you will be in an anabolic (or muscle building) state.

Protein intake exceeds output, and protein is retained in tissue as new muscle is added. Obviously, this is something that you want. Watch out, if your protein output exceeds intake you would have a negative nitrogen balance. This is not good because it will break down your muscle tissue to get it.
Your body is degrading muscle and other body proteins. You usually see this in people who are starving, burned, injured, or have a fever. This puts your body in what is called a catabolic state.
An anabolic state is when your body has a positive nitrogen balance. The term catabolic refers to the state of the body in which body compounds are broken down for energy purposes. As in body building, catabolic means muscle loss.So, your body would not grow when it is in a catabolic state.
The general rule is to consume daily the same amount of grams in protein as your body weight. A 200 pound body builder would need to eat 200 grams of protein every day to put the body in an anabolic state. When calculating the amount of protein you are eating, concentrate on the complete sources of protein like meat, fish, and eggs. While there are proteins in other foods, you need to focus on the complete sources rather than those that are incomplete.

Note: If you are dieting while body building, your protein intake should increase to 1 ½ times your bodyweight. Many diets have you cutting back on fat and carbohydrate intake. This forces the body to burn more protein for fuel which can put your muscle tissue at risk. To compensate, you'll need to eat more protein to counteract this effect.

Some people don't feel that loading up on protein is a good idea for anyone, but if you want to get ripped with your body building program, you'll need the amino acids in protein to work in your body. Be aware of the amount of protein you are eating and make them work for you instead of against you.

Fats:

When you want to build a perfect body, you'll need some fats in your diet. Fats are the main source of energy in our body. Fat combines with glucose for energy in order to spare the breakdown of protein. That way, protein can do what it is supposed to do, that is build muscle.
The key to fat intake is to stay away from bad fats and only eat the good fats. Saturated fat is bad. Saturated fats are those that contribute to heart disease and high cholesterol. Because of the chemical composition of saturated fat, your body cannot break it down very well.
Saturated fats are commonly found in animal products such as meat, seafood, whole milk dairy products like milk and cheese, as well as egg yolks. Saturated fats elevate blood cholesterol by increasing both the good HDL and the bad LDL. Elevated levels of LDL can clog arteries and cause heart disease. They are also more readily stored as body fat, so they should be limited.

Trans fats should also be avoided. This type of fat is often used in commercially processed food because they are preserved longer. Trans fats cause an over activity in the immune system and are linked to stroke, heart disease, and diabetes. You should truly strive to eliminate all trans fats from your diet.
Unsaturated fats are easier for your body to break down. Some of them can act as antioxidants that can actually help in losing stored fatty tissue in the body. These fats are found naturally in foods like nuts and avocados. These fats have a great effect on the cardio system as they work to lower the bad LDL cholesterol in the body.
The easiest way to tell the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats is to look at them. At room temperature, saturated fats are hard and solid. Unsaturated fats are in liquid form as in oils.
So basically, you should stay away from fats like animal lard and use oils such as olive oil or canola oil. Pay close attention to the fat content of any processed foods you are eating and keep it to a minimum or else your body will store that fat as, well, fat.

Probably the best type of fat to have in your diet would be Omega 3 Fatty Acids. These fats are most often found in fish and can have some significant health advantages. They can reduce inflammation, help prevent cancer growth, and improve brain function.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids can actually help combat conditions such as depression, fatigue, joint pain, and even Type 2 diabetes. Because they reduce inflammation in the body, they are good for the body builder because they help promote muscle recovery which can be important in the body building process.
Fats are actually an important part of any diet. They play an important role in protecting the body's vital organs. Fats keep the body insulated, maintain healthy hair and skin as well as providing a sense of fullness after meals.

Obtaining sufficient fat in its healthy form is one of the keys to good health and well being and a great body! However, you must be careful not to overdo on the fats, so consider the following suggestions for keeping your fat intake at a healthy level:

Snack on peanuts instead of chips or candy. About a ½ cup is a good amount.

Use olive oil in salad dressings and when cooking

When baking, instead of topping with chocolate or candies, consider using nuts and seeds instead

Try making sandwiches with avocado and tuna instead of higher fat lunch meats

Eat fish at least three times a week to increase your Omega 3 intake

Limit or even eliminate fast food as well as sources of trans fats like commercially processed cookies and cakes.

When you start on a body building program, you will want to pay close attention to the foods you are feeding your body. That includes alcohol as well. Many people like a drink or two or even three to help them unwind and relax. But when you are a body builder, alcohol can have a detrimental effect on your progress.
Alcohol contains nothing but empty calories. It has no nutritional value but it does contain high caloric content. In fact, just one shot of vodka contains 100 calories! Not only will drinking increase your caloric intake, it slows down your metabolism hindering your body's ability to process foods.
Alcohol consumption also hurts muscle growth. Not only will having a hangover lower your workout intensity, but drinking actually lowers protein synthesis by twenty percent. There are several reasons why it does this.

For one, it dehydrates your muscle cells. As many know, hydrated and even over hydrated muscles allows for a much higher anabolic environment. Because your cells aren't holding as much water, it becomes much harder to build muscle.
The second reason why alcohol can severely hurt muscle growth is because it blocks the absorption of many important nutrients that are key to muscle contraction, relaxation and growth including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and potassium.
Not only that, but alcohol lowers the amount of testosterone in your body and actually increases estrogen. Having higher levels of testosterone can help with your workouts by making you more aggressive, so when those levels are down, you will not be as intense in your lifting and weight training.
Probably one of the best things you can do to help your body building workout progress the way you want it to is to drink plenty of water. Water is good for you anyway, but for body builders, it can be especially important. Water is part of every single metabolic process that the body undertakes.
Most experts recommend everyone drink six to eight glasses of water daily to stay healthy. For body builders, you'll need much more. Soda, coffee, and tea don't count either. The caffeine can increase fluid loss, so you're not getting the hydration you need. Body builders need at least a half gallon to a gallon per day depending on the intensity of your workouts.

Water flushes out toxins and other metabolic waste products from the body. Water is especially important when following a "high protein" diet, as it helps remove excess nitrogen, urea (a toxic substance), and ketones. If you're eating big to gain weight, then you need even more water to help your kidneys do their work.
Without enough water, the kidneys can't function properly. When this happens, some of the load is transferred to the liver. The liver metabolizes stored fat for energy. If the liver is doing some of the kidneys' work, it burns less fat. In addition, water can actually reduce feelings of hunger.
Contrary to popular belief, drinking water can actually help you shed excess water weight. When water is in short supply, the body, thinking there's a shortage, begins hoarding it. This water is stored in extra cellular spaces. In other words, your skin starts looking soft and puffy.
If you're going to be using supplements in your body building program, and you should, water can help them work. Supplements like creatine work in part because it pulls water in muscle cells, creating an anabolic environment needed for muscle growth.

For this to work properly, you need plenty of water. Plus, if you're training hard, then you need a basic mega-vitamin. Many vitamins are water soluble, and water unlocks the power of those vitamins.
A good diet is essential to an effective body building program. You can workout with the intensity of a professional, but if your diet stinks, you won't be doing yourself any good. Consider the following general tips for your nutritional needs.

Drink skim milk or soy milk

Cut sugar from your diet. Use artificial sweeteners instead.

No regular soda! Diet is better for you anyway and doesn't contain sugar

Pizza and hamburgers are a big no-no. Not only are they high in bad fat content, they are highly caloric and can cause you to overeat

Eat lots of fish to increase your levels of Omega 3 fatty acids

Chicken breasts are good for you as well

Allow yourself one cheat day a week where you can indulge in something you've been craving. Just don't overdo it on your cheat days or you can undo all you've accomplished.

Limit the amount of fruit you eat. While fruit is healthy, it can have a detrimental effect on your workout.

Protein and complex carbohydrates are very important

Instead of eating three large meals a day, eat six smaller ones

Don't skip meals

Vegetables are always a good choice at mealtime

When eating out, choose foods wisely.

Avoid most fast food restaurants or opt for healthy choices - remember no burgers!



The body is very adaptable to change. At first, you may have problems getting used to your new diet. But once you get used to eating right, you'll find yourself not even craving the foods you used to eat.
 In case you're a little confused over what and how to eat, consider the ''sample meal plans'' in the next post.