Power foods that you should add to your diet

Bodybuilding is an art whereby one dedicates their entire lifestyle in a bid to achieve physical perfection. In order to achieve this state however there are three principal factors that are worked on:

• Diet
• Rest
• Exercise

Now these three categories are said to have varying percentages of emphasis, such as 60% diet, 30% exercise and 10% rest. Many bodybuilders will say however that each one of these three go hand in hand and require utmost dedication.

The following are just some power foods that you should add or increase in your diet to help you burn fat and increase muscle gains:

Eggs

 

Eggs were considered one the big no-no's in dieting due to the fact that just two eggs puts one of the daily recommended value of cholesterol. This however is being overshadowed by the factor that eggs provide the highest biological value protein (a measure of how well the protein supports the body's actual needs) compared to any other food out there. Additionally research has shown that having two eggs a day will not raise your cholesterol levels. The majority of cholesterol found in eggs is comprised within the egg yolk so and alternative to get the maximum gains from eggs would be to consume the egg whites. A bonus as well about eggs is that it is high in vitamin B12 which is necessary for fat breakdown.


Water

Water is the essence of life, and has many benefits besides the obvious factors of hydrating the body and providing the body the feeling of "fullness". Studies have shown that by merely drinking 500ml of water, subjects experienced and increase in metabolic rate by 25%. What this entails is that during periods of inactivity, your body will consume approximately an extra 20 calories every hour. In contrast to this, when test subjects experienced 15% loss in body mass due to dehydration, it was recorded that the subjects experienced a significant reduction in strength, according to 2001 study by  Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

The daily recommended amount of water consumption, according to the Institute of Medicine, is 16 cups men, where as for women is 11 cups.

Dairy

Besides being a great source of calcium and additionally taking up room in your stomach signalling to your brain of being full, research into dairy products is gaining popularity in terms of the massive health benefits. Research posted in the July 2007 edition of the British Journal of Nutrition, indicated that milk offers better hydration than water or sports drinks. Besides these factors, dairy is a great source of protein and on top of this, milk has been proven in a 2006 study from the University of Texas Medical Branch, to boost muscle growth through protein synthesis.

Dairy products you should eat:

• Ricotta Cheese (High in protein)
• Milk (Muscle Booster)
• Cottage Cheese (High in Casein Protein)
• Yogurt (High in Probiotics, Helps digestion and absorption of vitamins)