One of the best ways to improve your overall health and speed up your metabolism is by gaining muscle.
Along with weightlifting, it is important to properly fuel your body by eating the right foods. Eating the right foods at the right times will also increase your chances of success when it comes to building muscles.
It has long been thought that those of us aiming to increase our muscle mass should fuel our bodies with some Protein right before bed, so our muscles grow even while we sleep.
This is a very good idea because even when we are sleeping, our bodies are working and our metabolism is running, and we do not want to waste that work. Here are some of the best meals you can eat before bed to help your Body build muscle.
| image from simple nourished living |
1. Cottage cheese with fruit and nuts.
Cottage cheese contains a type of protein called casein, which is a slow-releasing protein that is found mammal’s milk. Due to its slow-release time, dairy products like cottage cheese will nourish your body with protein over several hours, instead of overloading it all at once.
This means that virtually no consumed protein will be wasted, and you are essentially giving your body doses of protein throughout the entire night. Add some healthy nut options like almonds to feed your body the right fats it needs, and treat yourself with some fruit for taste and additional nutrients.
Cottage cheese contains a type of protein called casein, which is a slow-releasing protein that is found mammal’s milk. Due to its slow-release time, dairy products like cottage cheese will nourish your body with protein over several hours, instead of overloading it all at once.
This means that virtually no consumed protein will be wasted, and you are essentially giving your body doses of protein throughout the entire night. Add some healthy nut options like almonds to feed your body the right fats it needs, and treat yourself with some fruit for taste and additional nutrients.
2. 5-8 ounces of turkey, fish, or chicken.
Lean meat has a whole host of nutritional benefits, from being low in fat to high in protein. Meats like turkey, chicken, and fish are good options for a pre-bedtime snack because, just like dairy products, they contain a slow-burning form of protein.
Meats tend to contain high amounts of protein per calorie compared to other types of food, so you can eat a relatively small portion while still consuming a significant amount of protein. Add in some green vegetables like spinach or broccoli to your lean meat, and you have a balanced snack that will nourish your body all night as you sleep.
Lean meat has a whole host of nutritional benefits, from being low in fat to high in protein. Meats like turkey, chicken, and fish are good options for a pre-bedtime snack because, just like dairy products, they contain a slow-burning form of protein.
Meats tend to contain high amounts of protein per calorie compared to other types of food, so you can eat a relatively small portion while still consuming a significant amount of protein. Add in some green vegetables like spinach or broccoli to your lean meat, and you have a balanced snack that will nourish your body all night as you sleep.
3. Peanut butter.
If you are not feeling very hungry but still looking to give your body a dose of protein before sawing some logs, consider a few tablespoons of natural peanut butter. Peanut butter usually contains roughly 8 grams of protein per serving.
Some people recommend mixing in a casein protein powder with your peanut butter for a quick, protein-dense snack. This snack idea can easily contain up to 50 grams of slow-release protein, depending on which particular brands you choose to use.
This particular meal can get a bit “expensive” when it comes to calories, though, so make sure you plan ahead and leave room for it in your daily caloric regimen.
If you are not feeling very hungry but still looking to give your body a dose of protein before sawing some logs, consider a few tablespoons of natural peanut butter. Peanut butter usually contains roughly 8 grams of protein per serving.
Some people recommend mixing in a casein protein powder with your peanut butter for a quick, protein-dense snack. This snack idea can easily contain up to 50 grams of slow-release protein, depending on which particular brands you choose to use.
This particular meal can get a bit “expensive” when it comes to calories, though, so make sure you plan ahead and leave room for it in your daily caloric regimen.
4. An omelet.
Eggs are a wonderful source of clean protein.
Add some low-fat cheese to your omelet along with plenty of vegetables, and you are on track to having a protein-packed, nutrient-rich meal that will fuel your body for hours. Both cheese and eggs also contain some essential fats that will help your body process the proteins you eat. If you don’t have time to cook the omelet, consider hard-boiling some eggs and slicing some cheese for a quicker, on-the-go ready snack.
Eggs are a wonderful source of clean protein.
Add some low-fat cheese to your omelet along with plenty of vegetables, and you are on track to having a protein-packed, nutrient-rich meal that will fuel your body for hours. Both cheese and eggs also contain some essential fats that will help your body process the proteins you eat. If you don’t have time to cook the omelet, consider hard-boiling some eggs and slicing some cheese for a quicker, on-the-go ready snack.
Yogurt is convenient, delicious, and packed with casein protein.
Grains such as granola, chia seeds, and flax seeds all contain even more protein along with essential fatty acidsthat assist your body in slowing down the protein digestion process.
These five meal ideas will help you in your quest for muscle gains.
If you eat these meals within thirty minutes of going to sleep, your body will have the tools it needs to rebuild your muscles. This way, you can maximize everything that your body does on its own, and guide it to working for you.
This post was written by Rudy Dewatine, a fitness and weight loss blogger from France. You can find more of his work at http://bodyfatgenius.com
This post first appeared on ZuLu MuScle ExpreSs - Building Lean Aesthetic Func, please read the originial post: here
