Bodybuilding Diet Rules
Understand that the goal of a bodybuilding diet is to provide the body with slightly more calories than you burn each day, facilitating muscle growth without promoting unwanted fat gain, which would come from overfeeding the body too heavily (or with unnatural or nutrient-poor foods). The key to muscle development is the consumption of protein, the building block the body uses to build new tissue. While eating a bodybuilding diet, you should attempt to consume between 0.8 grams and 1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily. For example, a 200-pound man should eat between 140 grams and 200 grams of protein each day, ideally split evenly across meals. Beyond protein, additional calories are required from carbohydrates, consumed before and after the workout to provide the body with extra energy and begin the muscle-building process. Quality carbohydrates come fruit and vegetables (consumed throughout the day) and from whole grains (consumed before and after the workout). Fats are also used to promote healthy hormonal response and add extra calories into the diet. The best fats are those found in cooking oils like olive, fish, flax, coconut and peanut, along with fats that occur in nature, like fats from fruits, seeds and nuts.
Food Sample Menu
Start your day on the bodybuilding diet with protein from an Indian omelet, prepared by combining three or four eggs with diced onion, chopped tomato, chili powder, green chilies and a bit of milk. Blend the ingredients together, then fry them in healthy cooking oil, like olive, until the eggs are solid. Serve with a bowl of oats or paratha, a healthy type of Indian flat-bread. For lunch, prepare a high-protein Indian dish like coconut chili chicken, a dish combining cashews, ginger, peas, onions, garlic, coconut milk and spicy ingredients like black mustard and cumin seeds. For dinner, prepare another healthy Indian dish like fish curry, prepared with white fish, tomatoes, garlic, onions and ginger. Serve all of these dishes with fruits and vegetables to round out the nutritional content of the menu, along with rice or another type of grain before and after the workout.