Are you vegan, or just looking to gain muscle? You’re looking for a high protein low carb diet. Well, the following is a list of high protein foods you can indulge in for the maintenance of your muscle, especially after a hard workout. Eating these foods after a workout is what we call a post-workout high protein low carb diet.
The majority of people who are looking to put on muscle are actually vegan (the vegetarian variety). Getting muscle is a very important part of muscular health and build muscle, and so it is very important to accompany your protein with a carb – for the simple reason that carbs assist the protein in its absorption and storage, as well as aid in the production of glycogen (sugar along your muscles). You will see a lot of people on the barbecue, or in the gym eating excessive amounts of pasta and rice, obviously not the best choice in regards to your health or your waistline.
So, here is a list of foods you can and should eat, mentioned by Dan Tencer, author of thebook “How to Build Muscle: Get Bigger, Stronger, and Happier”:
Poached salmon with lemon – iodine, selenium, vitamin D
Wild caught cold water fish – Omega 3 fats, protein, Vitamin B-12
Wild game meat – lean cuts, liver, and brains of chicken or turkey
Spinach, leafy greens, and yellow/orange vegetables
Apples – fiber, vitamin C, enzymes, iron
Oranges – vitamin C and fiber
Bananas – high fiber, potassium, and about 2 dozen
Peppers – high vitamin C content
Mushrooms – low calorie, high calcium, and enzymes
Looking at this list of high protein low carb foods is one way to hit your weight loss goal. Others include two popular diets: the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet. The problem with these diets is that they almost always eliminate carbohydrates from your diet. And in doing so, you become achy, tired, and the list goes on. So, as a result, you eliminate any chance of building muscle as you risk premature muscle loss.
There is a short term cost to following either of these highly restrictive diets. The most obvious cost is the unnecessary loss of hair and skin caused by your deprivation. Also, consider the fact that nutrient timing is a major factor in either diet, and that you are not going to have the energy it takes to follow one without the other. So, as a compromise, you can combine both of them to make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need.
Due to the high protein low carb diets, many people do not consume enough carbohydrates to support both an anabolic and catabolic environment. In a nut shell, the goal should always be to never put your body in a negative nitrogen state. That is reached by consuming fewer calories than you burn. That goes into effect by consuming high protein low carb foods.
That may seem like a tall order, but it can be done. The key is to keep your diet varied by focusing on proteins and carbohydrates, with enough total calories to feel full. The simplest way to do that is to eat more chicken, beef, fish, eggs, vegetables, and whole grain breads and cereals.
As you become more experienced with this level of food choices, it gets easier. Most people can consume several pounds of mostly protein low carb meals per week. Then you can switch to the other side of the spectrum, which is high carbohydrate meals per week. From there you can gradually switch back to your original diet. And ultimately you will become a expert at calculating the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fats to consume per day based on your body composition, workout goals, daily exercise, general nutrition, and hydration habits.
One issue to keep in mind is you should consume low carb secrets in conjunction with high protein meals. If you are aiming to lose weight at the expense of muscle, it might be wise to limit your carb and protein intake. If you are on a weight loss regime, you will need to flip the metabolic switch to low gear to properly preserve muscle. If you are on a fat loss regime, you will need to flip that switch. Neither of these approaches is right for everybody and there are plenty of smarter ways to approach it. experimentation and choice are key factors in your success at any level.
