POWER UP YOUR DIET!
12 Perfect Muscle Foods
Build muscle, crush cancer, boost libido, stoke metabolism, cleanse arteries, and dismiss excuses with our ultimate eating plan
By Phillip Rhodes; Photographs by James Wojcik
Your 20s
The Beat-Stress Decade
The average guy marries at 27. And although we’re sure it’s a coincidence, most episodes of major depression start around the same time. Perhaps the cause is a culmination of twentysomething stressors—the kind that come with 70-hour workweeks and late nights on the pub circuit.
But it’s not just your mind that pays the price. A busy, high-stress lifestyle often leads to a diet of convenience—one that’s lacking in vitamins and minerals, and overloaded with sugar, fat, and calories. The result: a body that never realizes its full potential.
See, this is the decade when your levels of muscle-building hormones—testosterone, dhea, and growth hormone—hit their peak, making it the best time for you to pack on muscle. It’s also your last chance to lay down new bone; by the time you’re 30, your skeletal system is set. Poor nutrition not only inhibits your ability to do both, but also increases your risk of disease, weight gain, and mental breakdown—now, and for decades down the road.
But you can fight back with food; start today and you’ll build a body that will last a lifetime.
THE PROBLEM
Undetected Depression
A Starbucks Frappuccino may boost your mood temporarily, but it won’t improve your long-term outlook. THE FIX: Eat one tablespoon of ground flaxseed daily. It’s the best source of alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA—a healthy fat that improves the workings of the cerebral cortex, the area of the brain that processes sensory information, including that of pleasure, says Jean-Marie Bourre, PhD, a nutrition researcher at Hospital Fernand Widal, in Paris. Find ground flaxseed in the health-food section of your grocery store. To meet your quota, sprinkle it on salads, vegetables, and cereal, or mix it in a smoothie or shake.
THE PROBLEM
Cancer Is Incubating
Every hour, your body replicates 6 billion cells, creating copies of your DNA. But if you don’t consume enough folate—a B vitamin that helps construct those cells—your body could produce irregular DNA, which can eventually cause cancer, says Ann Yelmokas McDermott, PhD, a nutrition scientist at Tufts University. Trouble is, folate is hard to come by. The best natural food source is chicken liver, and few men get the folate their bodies require from fruits and vegetables. THE FIX: Have a cup of folate-fortified cereal four days a week. Choose a brandthat provides at least 400 micrograms (mcg) of folate per serving. Then top it with ˝ cup of blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries. Berries aren’t just a good nonliver source of folate; they’re packed with antioxidants, which help thwart cancer by neutralizing DNA-damaging free radicals. They also offer a fringe benefit. Fructose—the sugar found in fruits and berries—can help you recover from another twentysomething problem: hangovers. That’s because it speeds the rate at which your body metabolizes alcohol by up to 25 percent.
THE PROBLEM
No Time To Eat Healthy
A recent study at the University of California at Berkeley found that nearly one-third of the average guy’s diet is pure junk—foods that provide no nutritive value, just calories. THE FIX: Try vegetable-and-lean-meat combination meals. Bonus: Harvard scientists found that every one-serving increase in daily vegetable intake decreases your risk of heart disease by 4 percent.
THE PROBLEM
Fast-Food Addiction
In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, researchers discovered that men consume 1,000 calories each time they visit a fast-food restaurant. And, on average, men eat 500 more total calories on the days they drive-thru instead of drive past. Indulge just twice a week and that’s 15 pounds of extra weight in a year. THE FIX: Limit yourself to one “single” burger or sandwich, and make it the only food item you order. (Choose water, diet soda, or un-sweetened tea or coffee as your beverage.) This damage-control strategy ensures that you won’t overeat. For instance, if you use this approach at McDonald’s, the fewest calories you’ll down is a filling 260; the most is a manageable 730. And even an occasional Big Mac falls in between, at 560 calories.
THE PROBLEM
You're Becoming More Injury Prone
Bones are a lot like reclusive coworkers; until one snaps, you aren’t likely to give them much thought. THE FIX: Drink two eight-ounce glasses of vitamin D–fortified low-fat milk every day. This provides your body with 600 milligrams (mg) of calcium and five micrograms (mcg) of vitamin D, the perfect combination of nutrients to build break-resistant bones. Plus, in a 20-year study, UK researchers determined that men who drink more than six ounces of milk a day have half the risk of stroke of men who drink less.
THE PROBLEM
Untapped Muscles
your 20s are your brawn-building years. But to maximize muscle growth, you need the right raw materials. THE FIX: Beef. It’s the perfect muscle food because it’s packed with protein, zinc, and creatine. Down a hefty portion of each with this taco-salad recipe from Men’s Health US cover model Gregg Avedon: Brown pound of extra-lean ground beef over medium heat. As it cooks, sprinkle it with black pepper, two teaspoons of chili powder, and a couple dashes of Tabasco. Place the cooked beef, one diced tomato, and two tablespoons of low-fat cheese over a bed of lettuce, and top with salsa.
» Health archive
Men's Health Philippines - July 2006 Issue
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berries- attack cancer
vegetables - fight heart disease
beef - builds muscle
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