The best foods for building muscle are a topic of great interest to many, especially those interested in maintaining a healthy weight and sculpting their physique. When we talk about muscle building, we’re referring to a process that requires more than just intense exercise. It involves a nutritious diet, enough rest, and a balanced lifestyle.
The Role of Protein and Carbohydrates in Muscle Building
In the context of muscle building, foods rich in protein and carbohydrates are of utmost importance. Protein plays a pivotal role in repairing and rebuilding muscle fibers after a strenuous workout. It’s the building block of muscles, essentially, and a diet lacking in protein will limit the body’s ability to gain muscle mass. Examples of protein-rich foods include lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products.
In the same breath, carbohydrates are equally important. They provide the energy needed to fuel your workouts. Moreover, they play a vital role in replenishing glycogen stores in your muscles, which get depleted after intense exercise. Foods rich in complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, legumes, and starchy vegetables, are excellent choices.
Now, let’s talk about some specific foods that are considered the best for muscle building, including dark chocolate, bananas, coffee, and peanut butter.
The Muscle-Building Benefits of Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is often praised for its antioxidant properties, but did you know that it can also be an excellent addition to your muscle-building diet? It’s rich in magnesium, a mineral that plays a crucial role in muscle development, function, and recovery. Plus, the flavonoids in dark chocolate can help with inflammation and recovery after a tough workout. Remember, the darker the chocolate (with a higher percentage of cacao), the more beneficial it is.
Why Bananas Are a Top Choice
Bananas are one of the best foods for building muscle for a variety of reasons. Firstly, they’re packed with fast-digesting carbohydrates, which provide immediate energy for your workouts. Plus, they’re rich in potassium, a mineral essential for muscle contractions and overall muscle health. Enjoy a banana before or after your workout for a quick energy boost and efficient muscle recovery.
Coffee and Muscle Building: An Unexpected Pair
Coffee is a well-known performance enhancer, commonly enjoyed before workouts for its energy-boosting properties. The caffeine in coffee can enhance athletic performance, increase endurance, and reduce perceived exertion during exercise. Plus, it may also aid in muscle recovery and growth. A word of caution, though: moderation is key, as overconsumption can lead to sleep disturbances and other unwanted side effects.
The Power of Peanut Butter
Lastly, let’s talk about peanut butter, a favorite in many households. This creamy spread is not just delicious; it’s also packed with protein and healthy fats. These nutrients make it an ideal food for muscle building. Moreover, peanut butter is calorie-dense, making it a great choice for those trying to add more muscle mass. Pair it with whole-grain bread for a balanced, muscle-friendly meal.
Other Foods for Muscle Building
Alongside dark chocolate, bananas, coffee, and peanut butter, there are many other foods that can bolster your muscle-building efforts.
Chicken Breast: This lean meat is a great source of protein, which is essential for muscle growth and repair. Each serving also packs a considerable amount of B vitamins, which are necessary for a variety of bodily functions, including energy production.
Eggs: Eggs offer high-quality protein, healthy fats, and other important nutrients like vitamin B and choline. The protein found in eggs has a high biological value, meaning it’s exceptionally efficient at supporting muscle repair and growth.
Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt is rich in protein, often offering double the amount found in traditional yogurts. It’s also packed with calcium, an important nutrient for muscle function.
Quinoa: Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it contains all the essential amino acids your body needs. Plus, it’s a great source of complex carbohydrates and fiber.
Tofu: For those following a plant-based diet, tofu is an excellent muscle-building food. It’s rich in protein and contains all the essential amino acids, as well as healthy fats, and a variety of vitamins and minerals.
Salmon: Not only is salmon high in protein but it’s also packed with omega-3 fatty acids. These fats are beneficial for muscle health and can enhance muscle gain during strength-training programs.
Chickpeas: As a rich source of both protein and complex carbs, chickpeas can be a great addition to a muscle-building diet.
Lean Beef: Lean cuts of beef are packed with protein and also offer a good amount of vitamin B12, which is crucial for muscle growth and repair.
Cottage Cheese: Cottage cheese is loaded with casein protein that digests slowly and could be ideal for muscle maintenance and growth.
Almonds: Almonds are not only rich in protein but also packed with vitamin E, an antioxidant that can help prevent muscle damage after workouts.
Remember, while it’s important to include these muscle-building foods in your diet, balance, and variety are key. Consuming a wide range of nutrients will support not only your muscle-building goals but also your overall health.
Other foods that are good for muscle building related to weight loss
Importance of Hydration
Another often overlooked aspect of muscle building is hydration. Water plays an integral role in transporting nutrients to your muscles, including those necessary for growth and repair. Staying hydrated not only improves your overall health but also enhances muscle function and recovery. Therefore, make sure to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day.
Nutrient Timing
Understanding nutrient timing can also help optimize muscle growth. Consuming protein and carbohydrates before and after workouts can maximize muscle protein synthesis (the process of building muscle) and replenish energy stores in the muscles. For instance, you could have a banana or a peanut butter sandwich before your workout and a protein-rich meal with complex carbs afterward.
Supplements and Muscle Building
While a balanced diet should provide all the necessary nutrients for muscle building, some people may benefit from supplements. Whey protein, creatine, and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are commonly used to enhance muscle growth and recovery. However, it’s crucial to consult with a healthcare provider or a nutritionist before starting any supplement regimen.
Quality Over Quantity
When it comes to the best foods for building muscle, it’s not just about quantity but also quality. Consuming high-quality, nutrient-dense foods will provide your body with the essential nutrients it needs for muscle growth and repair. Choose whole foods over processed ones, and prioritize lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
The Connection to Weight Loss
You might be wondering, what does all of this have to do with weight loss? Well, increasing muscle mass can actually aid in weight loss. Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, even at rest. Therefore, the more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate, and the more calories you’ll burn throughout the day.
Building muscle doesn’t mean you’ll become bulky. Rather, it can help you achieve a lean, toned physique while improving your overall health and fitness.
The Final Takeaway
It’s important to remember that while certain foods can aid muscle building, a balanced diet, regular exercise, and a healthy lifestyle are key. Listen to your body and feed it with nutritious food. Remember that everyone is unique, and what works for one person may not work for another.
Incorporating foods like dark chocolate, bananas, coffee, and peanut butter into your diet can be a great way to support your muscle-building efforts. However, always consider your personal dietary needs and preferences, and consult with a healthcare provider or a nutritionist for personalized advice.
To wrap it up, muscle building is not just about what you eat, but also how you eat, when you eat, and of course, how you exercise and live your life. Be patient with yourself, and remember that lasting changes take time.
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A healthy diet will always lead to a healthy body and weight. And maintaining a healthy body and weight can sometimes be a hard goal to achieve. But thankfully, health communities have come up with diet plans to help you lose fat and maintain your ideal body weight. Also, being healthy definitely helps you prevent diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart diseases, and any other serious health conditions. These diet plans either restrict you from consuming certain foods or make you focus on a specific one. Either way, the complexities of these approaches to weight loss might make these diet plans not work for you… or they might be effective after all.
One of the healthiest components there is when it comes to weight loss management is adding fiber to your diet. Although not as “au courant” as other terms in the health community such as paleo, pescatarian, and keto; fiber is just as important of a nutrient as the ones highlighted in the previously mentioned diets.
Fiber and weight loss
What is fiber?
Unlike proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, fiber is part of a plant that our digestive system can not completely break down and absorb. This is due to human beings lacking the enzymes that help break them down, so what happens is that they pass through the digestive tract without any difference from their initial form. With adequate intake, fiber could help reduce your risk of chronic diseases. And one of the many benefits of taking fiber into your body is that it stimulates the trillions of bacteria that are in your digestive system, called the gut microbiota. Fiber is responsible for feeding the estimated 100 trillion bacteria residing in your gut. These microbes found in your digestive system are also oftentimes called the gut microbiome or gut flora. These various species of bacteria have specific and very important roles to play when it comes to your health, from brain function to controlling your blood sugar and managing your body weight. And like any other organism, bacteria need to eat to stay healthy, and that’s where fiber comes in. One type of fiber, called soluble fiber, reaches the good gut bacteria mostly unchanged despite passing through the digestive tract, is digested by the said bacteria, and turned into a form of usable energy. And after that process is where weight loss begins. This soluble fiber benefited by your gut bacteria is also called fermentable or prebiotic fiber.
So what is soluble fiber?
Fiber is categorized into two types: soluble and insoluble fiber.
One fiber is different from the other based on how they each interact with the water in your body, but they are just as important when it comes to health, digestion, and weight loss.
Soluble fiber
Slows down digestion by attracting water and turning it into a gel-like substance.
Soluble fiber may help lower the risk of heart disease and reduce blood sugar spikes.
Found in barley, oats, seeds, nuts, lentils, beans, and in some fruits and vegetables.
Can also be found in a common fiber supplement called psyllium.
Insoluble fiber
Helps food pass through the stomach and intestines quickly.
Does not blend with water.
Found in wheat bran, whole grain, and vegetables.
Adds bulk to the stool.
Legumes have fiber
Which type of fiber can help you lose weight?
Research studies show that high fiber intake does not only help you prevent serious health conditions but can also help you lose weight. (“One large study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that increased fiber intake helped subjects lose weight independently of other factors in their diet.”)
Interestingly enough, though, only soluble fiber appears to be helpful when it comes to weight loss and weight management. While soluble fiber affects your health and weight significantly, insoluble fiber mostly acts as a bulking agent by helping form your stool. Unlike insoluble fiber that doesn’t attract water, soluble fiber(glucomannan and beta-glucan) mixes with water and turns into a gel with a thick viscosity, which helps slow down digestion. Marissa Moore, R.D.N., L.D., a culinary and integrative dietitian, said, “Fiber slows down the speed of digestion, which makes you feel full and may help you eat less and stay satisfied longer.” Another significant role fiber plays when it comes to weight loss is: “Because fiber helps slow down digestion, it also slows down how quickly your body responds to the carbohydrates you eat and can help you better manage your insulin and blood sugar response to food,” explains Krista Linares, R.D.N., specializing in diabetes management in the Latino community.
Soluble fiber is also considered to be a powerful and natural appetite suppressant. Reduced calorie intake from your appetite being suppressed is another way to lose weight. One theory about how soluble fiber could help you reduce your appetite is that a high intake of the soluble fiber reduces the amount of ghrelin in your body, which is a hunger hormone. Soluble fiber also increases the body’s production of cholecystokinin, peptide YY, and GLP-1, all three are hormones that make you feel full.
Another theory is the slowing down of food movement through the digestive tract. This theory explains that when nutrients like glucose are released into the digestive tract at a slow rate, the release of insulin becomes slower too, thus the less hungry you feel.
Despite soluble fiber being more effective when it comes to weight loss, insoluble fiber could help relieve constipation and more. Due to its bulking agent action, insoluble fiber is vital for digestive health. “Fiber is not digestible, so that extra bulk is added to your stool, which helps you stay regular,” according to Linares. She also added that “having healthy, regular digestion can have long term health benefits such as reducing the risk of colorectal cancers.
Where can you get soluble fiber?
Soluble fiber can be found in a lot of plant-based foods, making it easy to add to your diet plan. Food such as sweet potatoes, apricots, flaxseeds, legumes, and grains contain a high amount of soluble fiber. It is advised to ease into a high fiber diet because taking in a high amount of soluble fiber right away can cause diarrhea, bloating, and cramps. The US Department of Agriculture recommends men consume 30-38 grams of fiber a day, and 21–25 grams a day for women. You can read this article to find out more about how much fiber to consume.
In this day and age, people who are keen on losing extra weight will try every remedy available to aid fat burning. And to further their weight loss journey, comparing these remedies with one another and choosing the best working one with the highest leverage among the rest is highly important. Two of the most popular beverages right now that can help you lose weight are apple cider vinegar and green tea. Green tea is known to have countless health benefits, and that includes having weight loss properties. Green tea also helps control cravings, does not contain calories, and is a great drink to eliminate toxins. Apple cider vinegar, on the other hand, is popular for its appetite-suppressing manner, which aids fat burning and helps reduce belly fat. And just like green tea, it is essentially calorie-free. But which of the two is the better aid for weight loss? Which one is more effective in body fat reduction?
So let’s talk about each of these beverages in detail: what’s in them, what they do to help you lose weight, and which one is better.
Let us start our comparison with apple cider vinegar and its countless health benefits, including the claim that it promotes weight loss. Despite it being raved about in recent years for its newfound weight loss properties, it has actually been used for hundreds of years as a health tonic with benefits such as lowering blood sugar. It has been used as a remedy for diabetes before insulin. One of the main reasons for the claim that apple cider vinegar aids weight loss is due to a component it has, acetic acid, which to an extent can help you lose weight. For us to fully understand how this liquid works, let us first know what it is and how it is made.
Apple cider vinegar is a fermented beverage made in a two-step process of fermentation.
The first step is to cut or crush apples and combine them with yeast so that the sugar in them is converted into alcohol.
The second step will be adding bacteria to the apple and yeast mixture, this will ferment the alcohol into acetic acid.
Traditionally, making apple cider vinegar can take up to one month. But with the latest technology in food production, some manufacturers have found a way to accelerate production in just a single day.
As aforementioned, the main active component in apple cider vinegar is ethanoic acid, also known as acetic acid. Acetic acid is derived from the Latin word acetum, which means vinegar in English. Apple cider vinegar consists of 5 to 6 percent acetic acid, the organic compound responsible for its strong odor and sour taste. Aside from acetic acid, apple cider vinegar also contains water and small amounts of other acids, such as malic acid.
Now, how important is the main active component in apple cider vinegar called acetic acid?
Acetic acid, a short-chain fatty acid, dissolves into acetate and hydrogen in our body.
Also, apple cider vinegar virtually contains no carbohydrates, for every tablespoon of the beverage contains only three calories. From that alone, you can tell that it is great for weight loss. So let’s dive deeper into the benefits acetic acid provides to aid weight loss. These are some of the ways acetic acid promotes weight or fat loss:
Acetic acid reduces the ratio of insulin to glucagon, which helps with burning fats.
Acetic acid increases the number of genes responsible for fat burning which leads to lesser buildup of body fats.
Acetic acid improves liver and muscle health and increases their ability to absorb sugar from the blood.
Acetate suppresses appetite, which means reduction of food intake.
Despite all these, apple cider vinegar can still have side effects for some people.
If consumed undiluted, apple cider vinegar might wear away your tooth enamel. To avoid this, one could use a straw or clean their teeth after taking the beverage. Some of the other side effects of apple cider might include:
Acid reflux
Low pottasium levels
Altering insulin levels
Nausea
To safely consume apple cider vinegar, it is best advised to have it diluted in water first. You may also add it to your food and drinks.
With all that being said, while it is claimed to help you lose weight, it would work better and faster if you take apple cider vinegar with a combination of exercise and low-calorie intake.
Now, let’s talk about green tea and how it could help you lose weight.
Green tea is deemed one of the healthiest beverages in the entire world. It is packed with antioxidants and loaded with various plant compounds that are highly beneficial to our bodies. Due to its being rich in nutrition and antioxidants, green tea is claimed to be a great beverage for helping you lose weight. Caffeine, one of the plant compounds found in green tea, is a stimulant well-known to improve exercise, thus aiding in fat burning and weight loss. Although the amount of caffeine in green tea is not as much as the one in coffee (20-40 mg in green tea and 100-200 mg in coffee), it still contains enough to have an effect on the body. Despite that, what puts green tea on top of the heap is the number of antioxidants it contains. Green tea contains, and is loaded with, the potent antioxidant called catechins. And drinking only a cup of green tea is enough to increase the number of antioxidants in your bloodstream. Another substance in green tea, which is one of the most important, is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). This substance can boost your metabolism.
Studies suggest that the compounds found in green tea help with weight loss by boosting the effects of some hormones that help with fat-burning, such as norepinephrine. EGCG, the main antioxidant in green tea, helps increase the amount of norepinephrine, by inhibiting an enzyme that breaks down the aforementioned hormone. As the amount of norepinephrine increases, fat breakdown is highly promoted. The combined power of caffeine and EGCG, both found in green tea, brings the fat cells in your body to break down more fat, which will ultimately be used as energy by your other cells, such as muscle cells.
Just like apple cider vinegar, green tea also helps suppress your appetite. Your weight loss journey will be furthered with its primary effect, which is burning fat by increasing your calorie expenditure. Couple that with a low amount of calorie intake, and your weight loss journey will be furthered.
“It certainly isn’t a cure-all, but if you like the taste and enjoy drinking it, a few cups of green tea daily can help complement a healthy eating routine and may help you gradually lose weight”, says Stefani Sassos, MS, RDN, CDN, Registered Dietitian for the Good Housekeeping Institute. According to her, these are some of the ways green tea can further your weight loss journey:
Workout booster.
An “ergogenic aid”, the caffeine in green tea activates your nervous system, helping you perform your routine slightly better.
Helps you cut back sugar.
Aside from being a sugar-free beverage, green tea helps you avoid sugary drinks, which are a threat to your overall health. And the polyphenols that green tea contains steer you away from heart disease risk factors such as high cholesterol and blood pressure.
Healthy metabolism.
“Some research suggests that the caffeine and catechins found in green tea may assist with modest weight loss, likely because they raise your metabolic rate” says Sassos. The metabolic rate is referred to as the number of calories your body burns when doing mundane things such as sitting down or sweeping the floor.
In conclusion
When it comes to weight loss, the impact both apple cider vinegar and green tea have is minimal at best. It all goes down to how you pair these two beverages, either by taking in low amounts of calories with either of the two or pairing them up with an effective exercise routine. But what’s certain is that both have various health benefits for your body when consumed, such as having amazing gut health or even having a positive impact on your heart health. At the end of the day, it will always be you and how you take care of your body.
Consumed by over 159 million tea-loving Americans in a single day, tea is the second most popular beverage next to water, being served in approximately 2.16 billion cups every day. Even though it is now widely popular in many Western countries, the Chinese have actually been using green tea for ages now in their traditional medicine, often using it as a remedy to a lot of illnesses, including minor ones like healing wounds or treating headaches. Containing boatloads of antioxidants and plant compounds that are highly beneficial to your health, green tea is considered one of the healthiest beverages in the entire world. Green tea can potentially protect you from illnesses like cancer and heart diseases, it can also boost your mental alertness. One of the associated health benefits of consuming green tea, and is now gaining a lot of attention, is weight loss. What links green tea to weight loss is its ability to help the body’s metabolism to function more efficiently. Apart from green, there are also other varieties of tea, from black to oolong and white. Nevertheless, all these varieties contain the substance known as catechin flavonoid, a health-promoting substance known to bring down inflammation and help fight illnesses like diabetes, cancer, and heart diseases.
But how effective is green tea in promoting weight loss?
As aforementioned, green tea contains caffeine and a type of flavonoid called catechin, which is also an antioxidant. The combination of these two compounds speeds up your body’s metabolism. As we know, metabolism is the way the body processes and converts the food and drink we consume into usable energy. So, while catechin breaks down excess fat and caffeine aids the fat-burning process, the combination of both on the other hand increases the amount of energy our body uses. Although a cup of coffee (100mg and more) contains a significantly higher amount of caffeine than a cup of tea (24mg and more), the amount of antioxidants a cup of green tea contains is where it takes advantage. By drinking a cup of green tea, you introduce a potent amount of catechin into your bloodstream while also receiving another kind of antioxidant, a bioactive substance called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which functions just like caffeine and has powerful effects on metabolism. The body’s process of burning fat starts in the actual fat cell, once the fat is broken down in it, it will move to the bloodstream where it is eliminated. This is where the compounds found in green tea come in, they aid and boost this breaking down the process and make the fat-burning hormones such as norepinephrine (noradrenaline) work more efficiently. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the main player antioxidant found in green tea, also promotes efficient breaking down of excess fats by inhibiting an enzyme that dissolves or breaks down the hormone norepinephrine. By inhibiting this enzyme, the actual amount of norepinephrine increases, thus, promoting an efficient fat breakdown.
But how much green tea should you consume for effective weight loss?
The University of Maryland Medical Centre suggests drinking 2 to 3 cups of green tea each day should be sufficient to aid weight loss, based on a medical study they have conducted. Still, the actuality in the amount of green tea one person should drink to be able to shed off some weight depends on one’s metabolism, varying from one person to another. Green tea is also considered a natural diuretic, which helps with combating fluid retention.
How to prepare green tea
Although preparing green tea sounds like an easy task, you actually have to be very careful about how you brew your tea for that can make all the difference. Never overheat the water for your tea, as this will damage the tea’s precious substance that you are after, the catechins. For the best taste, while retaining its nutrients, it will be best if you first boil the water and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Then, pour it over your prepared tea leaves and let it brew (brewing time depends on how you like it) before pulling out the leaves. Drinking green tea right after every meal is ideal if you’re consuming it for weight loss. Please take note that drinking green tea often may bother those with a sensitive stomach. Being alkaline in nature, green tea in your stomach would stimulate the secretion of more gastric juices than usual. Some people also drink green tea right in the morning and later at night, but those with sleeping issues should avoid drinking green tea close to their bedtime as it contains caffeine.
Green tea for weight loss and your health
Having wide varieties, some green tea types have more effective weight loss properties than others. Matcha green tea, for example, is the richest source of nutrients and antioxidants among any other green tea type. “The whole leaf is ground and consumed as part of the beverage, as opposed to other (most) types of green tea where the leaves are steeped and then the tea is consumed.”, as explained by registered dietitian Isabel K. Smith. Consuming matcha is known to be more nutritious because you actually drink the tea leaves themselves in ground form.
Weight loss, among others, is a health benefit you can get from drinking green tea.
This is possible because it contains a range of different compounds such as:
flavonoids
folate
magnesium
B vitamins and other antioxidants
Other health benefits linked to green tea consumption are:
Containing anti-cancer properties
Improving heart health and reducing cholesterol levels
Reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease
Contains brain-healthy properties
Although we have established in this article that green tea is an excellent aid for weight loss, it is also proven that green tea and its many nutrients and antioxidants, are great for you. And drinking it, regardless of what your intention is, be it for weight loss or to take advantage of its other health benefits, is something you should go for. As Isabel K. Smith said, “It contains many nutrients, including antioxidants and anti-cancer and brain-healthy compounds. All teas contain many healthful nutrients; it’s one of the healthier choices for a beverage!”
Experts have in recent years started using DNA-based techniques to help people lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. In order to understand all about DNA-based diets, we need to first understand what is DNA. Deoxyribonucleic Acid commonly referred to as DNA is a type of molecule that carries almost all genetic-related instructions. The information contained within such instructions includes those that relate to the reproduction, development, and functioning of a living organism.
The functioning of DNA has been a mystery to man for many years. However, in recent years, scientists started making headways in the ways food and genes make complex interactions. Such discovery was not only important in knowing how well people should now be eating but it also meant that scientists can explain what foods a person should eat to avoid certain diseases based on a person’s DNA composition.
Science has evolved to a stage where proteins from your body can be taken and passed through a spectrometer and be analyzed. Such a study can easily help a scientist advise you on the best nutritional food and mineral supplements that you can use to boost your physical form as well as your overall health. Many types of research done to date give a direct link between vitamins and several other nutrients and the way genes perform. Such nutrients have also been found to protect the genes from damage. Obviously good genes ensure you live a healthy long life.
Every other person has a unique composition of genes. Such genes affect the way our bodies absorb, digest, and store the nutrients we take. All the food that we eat is slowly broken down into molecules. These molecules then join with certain proteins in the body and this subsequently leads to making the genes in the body acquire a certain desired equilibrium. Studies in biosciences and the genetic sector have come to prove that genes impact the way our bodies work and they also influence our wellness and overall health.
Scientists are sure that there is a strong relationship between DNA and the diet of a person. Because every other person has a unique composition of DNA it is impossible to come up with a universal dietary program that will take care of all DNAs of different people. In the studies that have been done by experts, a gene has been found to comprise of very many bases. However, such bases are easily categorized into (Adenine –A, Thymine –T, Cytosine – C, and Guanine – G). A change in any one of the bases leads to the whole body reacting in a certain way. Such changes are called Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). A shift of an SNP in your body will cause your body to be prone to disease, live longer, increase metabolism, or be active among other things.
A Few Important changes in your DNA that are Influenced by your diet
Methionine Synthase Reductase – This is an enzyme that is vital in the making and reformation of Vitamin B12. This enzyme is vital in the body because it is the one that keeps desired levels of Vitamin B12 as well as controls the levels of other molecular elements. By extension, this enzyme helps keep away cardiovascular-related diseases.
Vitamin D receptor gene – The SNP VDR gene is very important because it directly influences the composition and the strength of the bones. It is critical in the body because it determines what level of calcium necessary in the body. For a person to be considered to have a healthy bone structure, their bone formation compounds should comprise 75% of the SNP VDR gene. The other functions that are directly related to this gene include blood sugar regulation, the growth of teenagers, production of parathyroid hormone, and cell division.
DNA Diet
Manganese Superoxide Dismutase – This gene whose acronym is SNP SOD is vital in the normal functioning of the body. Superoxide is important in fighting off free radical cells. This element is readily available in all cells and eating foods that contain it gives you an upper hand in eliminating all harmful free radical cells in your body.
Apolipoprotein – Its acronym is SNP APOB. This gene plays an important role in the metabolism of all lipids. Among the different lipoproteins that flow through your bloodstream, cholesterol is present. Cholesterol has for the longest time been seen as a bad thing in the bloodstream. For a person with adequate SNP APOB, the risk of encountering Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL), as well as High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) health problems, diminishes considerably. LDL and HDL are components of cholesterol.
Reasons why you should go for DNA Based Diet
It helps people know what foods to eat and in what quantity. A person could be gaining weight or not losing any of their excess weight because their body doesn’t have enough SNP SOD to help the body get rid of free radical cells. Once this person eats foods that are rich in manganese superoxide dismutase, they are likely to lose weight faster even without doing any exercise.
A person can easily know what to eat in order to counter an effect of a type of undesirable food they have already consumed.
A person is able to maintain a balanced DNA hence a healthy body.
The choosing of a DNA-based diet comes with many benefits such as stronger bones, improved willpower, strong physique, improved IQ and so many other things.
You are able to plan your day and journeys well. If you are visiting a friend in a different country and you know that a majority of the foods there don’t have your preferred gene enhancing nutrients, you can carry with you complimenting supplements.
A person has the knowledge of what their body needs at all times. You can easily tell what nutrients your body needs when your body shows certain undesirable symptoms. You can hope to become an expert in what your body needs to keep it healthy.
Knowing how DNA relates with the food you eat is a fun way of knowing your body and discovering different foods and recipes.
According to some recent studies and the World Health Organization (WHO) standards, everyone should eat a minimum of 25 grams of fiber every day. However, a larger intake of about 40 grams of fiber per day is considered more appropriate. Nutritionists and weight-loss experts suggest eating 30 to 40 grams of fiber every day to lose weight. If you are overweight, you can get back to shape by increasing your dietary fiber intake.
How does fiber intake help you lose weight?
A diet rich in fiber keeps you fuller for a longer period of time. It is because the fiber takes longer to break down and get digested compared to a diet rich in simple carbs. When you are feeling full and satisfied, you don’t reach for unscheduled snacks and cookies. Overall, you tend to eat less and it reflects on your weight that drops as you continue with your high-fiber food. When you aim to achieve 30-40 grams of fiber intake from your food, your food choices improve overall. This has an all-around impact on your health including your weight.
When you try to meet your daily quota of fiber intake, you start eating more whole grains, fruits, and veggies — that is where you find more fiber. For someone targeting weight loss, this is a good thing that instead of counting calories you are stuffing yourself with more veggies, fruits, and whole grains.
What are the other benefits of eating more fiber?
Fiber is an important nutrient for health. It helps reduce cholesterol that in turn prevents heart diseases. Since a fiber-rich food takes longer to break down and digest, it helps diabetic people by slowing down the supply of nutrients to the body. A major part of the digested food becomes glucose and gets into the bloodstream. A diabetic patient, therefore, may get a lot of sugar in a little time if he eats a carb-rich food. But if he eats a more fibrous food, the digestion will slow down and the body will get smaller doses of sugar over an extended period of time. Therefore, foods with more fiber in them are healthier for diabetic people.
Another major benefit of having more fiber in your food is that it keeps the bowel movement in a healthy state. With this kind of food, you will never struggle with constipation. How does this happen? It depends on the kind of fiber you eat.
Types of dietary fibers
When it comes to food, there are 3 types of fibers. These are soluble fibers, insoluble fibers, and fermentable fibers.
Both soluble and insoluble fibers help in digestion, but they have different roles. Soluble fibers come from things such as nuts, oats, and seeds. In the digestive tract, the soluble fibers act like a broom that sweeps, cleans, and pushes the food waste down the digestive tract. Insoluble fibers come from leafy vegetables, cabbage, and brown rice. These fibers promote bowel movement and help the passing of stool. These fibers are non-digestible so they easily get added up to the stool and increasing its bulk.
The fermentable fibers come from foods like garlic and beans. They play a very important role in the overall digestion of foods. They do this by promoting the growth of good bacteria in the digestive tract. These bacteria act similar to probiotics. You can learn more about the two types of fiber here.
How can you get 30 grams of fiber from your food?
To get 30 grams of fiber, you will need to eat 8 to 9 apples or 12 to 15 cups of broccoli. Since eating so many apples or cups of broccoli every day is not practical, you will have to draw your quota of fibers from different foods that you eat on a daily basis. Rather, you will have to include some of the more fibrous foods in your daily diet.
To conveniently cross the 30-gram fiber quota, you should aim to consume at least 10 grams of fiber in each of the 3 meals you eat every day. For an idea of how much fiber your favorite foods have, let me tell you that a medium-sized pear offers ~6 grams of fiber so does half an avocado. A cup of oatmeal has ~4 grams of fiber and quinoa has ~5 grams. Barley has a huge content of fiber — ~8 grams for every 1/4 cup. Chia seeds offer 10 grams of fiber per 30 grams and chickpeas have ~9 grams of fiber per 1/4 cup.
Other foods that have high amounts of fiber include:
Avocado
Raspberries
Pistachios
Apples
Pears
Roasted Chickpeas
Artichokes
Blackberries
Here is a list of some regular foods that are rich in fibers (Infographic):
Cereals: Eating whole grains compared to refined varieties of cereals always promises to supply more fibers to your body. Avoid added sugar in your cereals. Oat-based muesli and Bran flakes offer up to 10 grams of fiber in a 50-gram portion.
Bananas: A medium-sized banana provides 3 grams of fiber. But eat your banana just ripely, not overripe. An overripe banana is more sugar than anything else.
Apples: Apples are not a big source of fibers but they still supply 2 to 3 grams of fiber from a small apple of 80 grams.
Nuts: Nuts are another source of high-quality fibers. For every 30 grams, they supply 2 grams of soluble fiber.
Wholegrain Bread: White bread does not contain much fiber while wholegrain bread has up to 2 grams of fiber per slice of bread.
Baked Potatoes: Potatoes with skin on has more fiber. A medium-sized baked potato with the skin on has 4 grams of fiber.
Wholemeal Pasta: Whole-wheat spaghetti contains a high 8-gram of fiber from every 75 grams portion.
Pulses: Lentils, peas, and beans are good sources of fiber. 150 grams of baked beans provide 6.8 grams of fiber whereas 100 grams of boiled lentils offer 8 grams of fiber.
Can you overeat fibers?
Yes, it is possible to overeat fibers. This is more likely when you are taking fiber supplements. When you overeat fibers, you will feel it. Bloating, discomfort, nausea, gas, and even constipation are some of the signs that you have eaten more fibers than the dietary guidelines for you.
Final thoughts
A healthy intake of dietary fiber is good for your health. If you are overweight, it can help you in your weight loss plan or maintain a healthy weight. We have discussed various items that provide good amounts of fiber. You can include these items in your diet and maintain a good fiber intake.
Cereals: Eating whole grains compared to refined varieties of cereals always promises to supply more fibers to your body. Avoid added sugar in your cereals. Oat-based muesli and Bran flakes offer up to 10 grams of fiber in a 50-gram portion. 
