Today, we live in the age of the superfood. Foodstuffs long-forgotten or simply ignored emerge from the deep to offer their consumers a variety of health benefits from killing cancer cells to helping the body become more efficient at absorbing nutrients and keeping itself in a peak form.
While superfoods are by no means wonder-drugs that can take away all the issues our body can have, they are useful and helpful in maintaining our health and even to help our body build a larger muscle mass. So, here are 3 superfoods that can aid it to do just that.
Wild salmon
Salmon is one of the tastiest varieties of fish you can find – but not all salmon is created equal. The farmed variety has all the shortcomings of industrial food – the fish are fed grains that make them less healthy by reducing the Omega-3 fatty acid content. Wild salmon, in turn, is caught in the fish’s natural habitat, and the fish eats its natural diet, so its health benefits are at the peak. Besides, it also has around 6 grams of protein per ounce, helping your body build muscle much better.
Almonds
Almonds are tasty snacks that can help you through a day of your diet – but they also deserve to be called a superfood thanks to their many health benefits. Almonds have a ton of nutrients, from a ton of calcium to fiber, trace elements, and a lot of vitamin E, they also contain around 6 grams of protein per ounce, contributing not only to a better bone density but to a more efficient muscle building routine.
Quinoa
Grains, in general, are frowned upon due to their imbalanced nutrient content – they come with too much gluten and starch for a relatively small quantity of protein and fiber. Quinoa, in turn, is not a grain but still serves as a great replacement to rice, for example, in your diet. Quinoa comes with up to 8 grams of proteins per cup, not to mention its magnesium, manganese, and amino acid content that makes it a choice healthier even than brown rice.
Choose quality food
As a conclusion, let us deviate a bit from superfoods and take a look at the “average” ones for a while. Food has many labels from natural to organic that, in turn, don’t say a thing about their quality. Yet if you want a balanced diet that can help you build muscle and maintain a healthy body, it’s the quality of the food you eat you should focus the most on. There are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for food that have nothing to do with the “organic” label.
First and foremost, try to choose as many local foods as you can – instead of shopping at a supermarket, visit a farmer’s market for the products that have spent the least time in a warehouse. Any product starts to lose nutrients as soon as it’s harvested – make sure the time it spends between the place of picking and your table is as short as possible. Keep your food as free of additives as possible, and focus on its quality – it might not have a specific effect on your muscle-building efforts but it will help you stay healthier in the long run.
Tags: amino acids, Diet, eating, EFA, health, healthy food, nutrition, superfood
