While it’s a great idea to go to the gym more often to work out some muscles, I would say that you should probably also focus a little on your food intake. There is a reason why bodybuilders keep eating during training. They know that vegetables are good for their health, and that is why they tend to focus on their diet much more than we normal people do.
Protein packed foods are best for the muscles, and this is a well-known fact, but do we know what foods are packed with proteins? Don’t worry, if you don’t know these superfoods, I will tell you. And specifically for this article I will focus on five vegetables that you can use to give your health an immediate boost.
5 Vegetables Which Boost Your Muscle Strength Fast
1. Kale
Kale is a trendy food these days. Everybody likes it, it is cheap (at least in my country) and quite accessible to people. It is basically a low-calorie vegetable and rich in calcium: a cup of kale contains about 101 mg of calcium.
You probably already know that we need calcium to keep our bones strong and healthy. But what you probably didn’t know is that we need calcium even for the movement of our muscles. It also signals the nerves to send a message to our brain and the rest of the body. That is why I recommend that you do not deprive your body of the most important nutritional element that allows you to function actively.
Now let me tell you why weightlifters prefer calcium intake so much. You see, it acts as a bone strengthening element that helps the muscles do their job. This is why weightlifters use it to prevent injuries during their training. Your recommended daily dose should be around 1000 mg; get some of it from a few bowls of chopped kale. You can also put it in your salads.
2. Broccoli
Another superfood that is an absolute favourite of mine. Before I set out to eat healthy, I was not aware of the health benefits of this incredible food. According to the howtogetrid, broccoli is full of iodine; it acts as a phytochemical that metabolizes the excess oestrogen present in our body in the forms that inhibit the proliferation of prostate cancer. It also helps to reduce the level of cholesterol present in the blood.
This will prevent you from falling victim to cardiovascular disease and you will also receive cardiovascular support. Besides iodine, broccoli is also enriched with calcium and vitamin D. All these nutrients are excellent for promoting bone strength and muscle activity.
Now there are many ways to cook broccoli, I like mine steamed and sometimes stir-fried. But you should also consider adding mushrooms, because they are also a great source of vitamin D. Oh, and if you are completely ripped after a strenuous workout, consider a massage in massage chairs, because massage chairs relax the muscles very much: check this out for more.
3. Beets
Beetroot is probably the only food I have personally detested since childhood, but at some point in adulthood I was forced to eat beetroot during gymnastics and I found it wasn’t so bad. They have an earthy taste, especially the ones that are organically sourced, but apart from that it wasn’t “disgusting” at all. These vegetables are rich in potassium, magnesium, fibre and many other vitamins.
This incredibly earthy vegetable can give you a great energy boost when you’re lifting weights, especially during aerobics because of its high sugar content. Beet juice has also been shown to play an important role in increasing endurance and can enable users to train about 16% longer.
One scientist said that beetroot juice can reduce oxygen uptake by the body “to an extent that cannot be achieved by any other known means, including exercise”.
A test was conducted with weightlifters, with half of them receiving a placebo and the other half receiving beetroot juice for six days, with those who consumed the juice doing better.
4. Avocado
I could not overlook this wonderful dietary food that has helped to turn the world of healthy eating upside down. The USDA has classified this food as a vegetable and they are an incredible source of protein. Each cup of avocado contains about 3-4 g of protein. This food provides variety in the consumption of protein.
This food has the ability to improve your muscle recovery and it can help to increase your muscle size. In addition to all these benefits, avocados also provide about 10g of fibre per serving, which means they offer an increased feeling of satiety.
It is a phytonutrient that helps fight heart disease and cancer. So I can guarantee with certainty that it will keep your heart healthy. If you eat an avocado after training, it can be very helpful for muscle growth. Avocado juice is also good for the detoxification process. It also helps to increase the absorption of nutrients and makes you feel satiated.
5. Beans
It’s my omelette ingredient and I’m not sure if it’s right to throw some beans into an omelette according to the rules of cooking, but I can tell you that they make me full and satisfied for a long time. The protein content of beans is up to 15.2 g per cup. If you eat beans post workout, this has a big impact on your muscle growth.
Vegetarians like me suffer greatly from this dilemma; they keep asking themselves how they can increase their protein intake without eating meat. This is a surefire way to increase protein intake: by simply eating beans without trans fatty acids. They are also an excellent source of iron. Iron is one of the essential elements you need in your diet. So your muscles can grow and become stronger if you eat beans regularly.
I’m sure many of you didn’t know about these benefits of beans; I was also unaware of these benefits before I became a vegetarian and started a healthy diet. But this discovery has changed my life. Eating vegetables as a source of protein and other minerals will also make your system work better.
Author Bio: Sara is a psychologist by profession, and she loves massage therapies. She enjoys home-based work and travelling. She is obsessed with massage chair therapies and other relaxing techniques. She regularly blogs at my massage chair.
