Lose Fat, Build Muscle Naturally

You are about to learn how to lose fat and build muscle naturally, without diet pills, body building protein powder, drugs or other gimmicks. Losing fat and building muscle is not too hard once you know what you are doing. The main things you will need are knowledge and effort. The kind of knowledge needed is how to eat and how to workout. What are the most effective foods and workouts? What do fitness models do to get and keep ripped six-packs? What is the best way to lose fat and turn it into muscle? I am going to deal mainly with how and what to eat to lose fat and build muscle.

Your body needs protein, starches, vegetables, fruit and healthy fats. All of these foods will help your body shave off the fat, develop muscle and get you on your way to some decent definition. If you are eating right you can actually get away with working out less.

If you have done any research at all on building muscle, then you already know how important it is to consume adequate protein levels, right? The best kinds of protein are leaner cuts of protein that do not have alot of additives. Lean proteins like fish, white chicken and turkey, lean cuts of beef and hamburger will melt fat off your body and build muscle. Eggs and low fat dairy are good as well. Eat the yolk or don't, I like yolks, so I usually eat them. Some kinds of meat should only be eaten once or twice per week, such as bacon, ham and deli meats, since they usually have higher fat levels and other additives, even sugar.

Whey protein powder is very popular for losing fat and building muscle, but not necessary. I personally avoid protein powders because the ones I have tried, quality brand names, either gave me rashes on my inner forearms or itchy ankle and arm joints about 30-40 minutes after consumption. An isolate protein powder was the one that gave me itchy joints. I am pretty sure that the cause was the sucralose in the protein powder, which is essentially aspartame, which is also really bad for your brain, not to mention your whole nervous system.

Your body needs starches and healthy carbs for energy and to help fill you up. Try to consume more whole grains, potatoes, beans and starchy vegetables. As long as you don't over consume these, your body will lose fat and you will have the energy to turn that fat into muscle. Your body will thrive on the nutrients in these foods. Carbs that you need to cut back on, or cut out, if you haven't already, include pop, candy, chips and all sweets. As you start to eat healthier foods, your cravings should subside. I still like to have some chocolate and apple crisp occasionally, and you should have your favorites occasionally, too.

You also need vegetables and fruits. These might be a little harder to get into your diet, but it is really important to eat some of these because they provide essential nutrients like vitamin A, C, E, B vitamins and many other nutrients. They also contain fiber which helps move the food through your digestive tract and out of your body. Also, that fiber absorbs some of the toxins in your body that are contributing to your fat levels. What many people do not realize about vegetables and fruit is that they contain high levels of potassium, which helps prevent your muscles from getting overly sore from heavy workouts and increases the rate of recovery.

Other nutrients that are considered to be possibly more effective in reducing muscle soreness and speeding recovery rates is calcium and magnesium. I take a supplement, but broccoli is a good source of calcium and lemons and apples are good sources of magnesium. By the way, caffeine hinders the absorption of calcium, so take your calcium at a different time of day if you consume anything that contains caffeine. Also, calcium is really important for muscle contraction, so if you are deficient, it will affect muscle contraction (and muscle relaxation). Bottom line, fruits and vegetables will help you lose fat and build muscle.

You also need healthy fats. Nuts, seeds, flax oil and cold-pressed oils are excellent for losing fat and revealing muscle. Many natural bodybuilding experts recommend and use these oils, because they work. You don't want to overdo this category of food, but it is important. If you want to keep it simple, try adding some flax oil capsules to your meals, or have 1-2 tablespoons in a shake, in soup, in salad or on your baked potato. I consume 1-2 teaspoons per day, so you will need to find out what feels good for you. I do know that the day after I have consumed more flax oil than usual, such as a full tablespoon, the next day my abs, my butt, my legs and my waistline are leaner. I am totally serious. My legs have more spring when I walk or run. Flax oil really fills me up, too.

Nuts and seeds taste great, but can be hard to find fresh and mold-free. The nuts you buy in a can that taste so good, are not so good for you, they have been roasted in oil, which has plenty of harmful additives, deodorizers, bleaches and other junk to give them a long shelf life. You can often get better nuts and seeds in the bulk section at your grocery store, such as raw almonds, raw sunflower seeds, raw pecans and raw walnuts. A problem with some raw nuts and seeds is that they occasionally have mold. You have to examine them closely, look for black or moldy spots. Raw almonds are the least likely to have mold. Also, some nuts and seeds have been treated with various pesticides and insecticides. Sunflower seeds taste great and are an excellent source of zinc (great for building muscle), but it can be hard to find a handful that doesn't have any rancid ones or ones without black spots of decay. Nuts and seeds are best when you have shelled them yourself or are organic.

When you are fueling your body with lean proteins, the right amount of starches and wholesome carbs, vegetables, fruit and healthy fats you can actually work out harder. Also, because you are getting a good supply of quality nutrients, you will lose fat and gain muscle with much more ease. If you found this article interesting and want more information about nutrients and foods and cutting edge workouts designed by experts (who have incredible definition) to lose fat, build muscle and get ripped Click Here!

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