7 Expert Nutrition Tips For Gaining Lean Muscle

As many researchers agree, nutrition is the most important aspect when you're looking to get lean and drop body fat. Most people train hard all week but fail to achieve their physique goals due to poor nutrition - the real challenge lies with correcting your diet and making the right choices to support your training. Here, we discuss 7 nutrition tips that will help you to gain lean muscle.    

1 - Eat Frequently & Never Skip Meals

Looking to lose fat? Then skipping lunch or not having breakfast will help right? Wrong. We would suggest consuming 5 or 6 meals a day ranging from 200-1000 calories (dependant on your goals) for the best results. By eating consistently throughout the day you keep your energy levels high, your metabolism working faster and boost muscle growth and recovery. If you struggle to find time to make all of these meals, then a couple of great choices would be our Whey Protein 80 or Protein Flapjacks to fill the voids between your main meals. We’re not suggesting eating 6 big meals but have a balanced breakfast (1) a small mid-morning snack (2) lunch (3) afternoon snack (4) and finally have dinner (5) a slow-releasing casein protein shake 30 minutes before bed (6).

2 - Stay Hydrated: Drink Lots of Water

A simple one but one that many of us don't follow. It is suggested that a gallon of water per day is sufficient for an individual with an active lifestyle. This will ensure that you stay hydrated throughout the day, detoxifying the body and allowing your major organs and muscle groups to work more efficiently.

3 - Eat Healthy Fats

Saturated fats are bad and are found abundantly in processed foods, but essential fatty acids as the name suggests are required to keep you fit and healthy. The main EFF's are omega 3 and omega 6, which can be found in fish (omega 3), vegetables, nuts and seeds (omega 6). Use flax seed oil to cook with or have mackerel now and again to ensure you are consuming enough essential fatty acids.

4 - Include The Big 3 In Every Meal

Protein - carbohydrates - vegetables These 3 nutrients are important to have as part of each meal to make sure you have a healthy and balanced diet. Proteins are used by the body to grow and recover so are essential especially when exercising. These can be found in poultry, cheese, red meat and fish. Carbohydrates provide you with increased energy levels, your body burns the sugars within them which are then used to give you a boost (Anyone who has tried a no carb diet will testify that you feel sluggish and tired without them!) Foods like brown rice and whole-wheat pasta are optimal sources, they provide you with a slow release which gives you longer and more sustained energy levels. Vegetables are the main source of vitamins and minerals for your body and they are a great source of fibre which will aid in digestion.

5 - Avoid processed foods

They may be time saving and cheap but processed foods contain high levels of saturated fats and usually have a much higher calorie and salt count than if you had made it yourself - so ditch the microwave curry and make your own from scratch.

6 - Eat More Fibre

Another important tip is to eat much more fibre. Fibre is vital when looking to trim off the excess fat because it decreases water retention, constipation and bloating. Good sources of fibre are from vegetables and fruit but another great option is Psyllium Husks.

7 - Drink Less Alcohol!

Last but not least is one that you’re probably already very aware of. However, do you know the exact reasons why you need to consume less alcohol? Basically, alcohol is every dieter's worst enemy because it adds ‘empty calories’ on top of the calories you already consume in your daily meals. On top of this, it slows the body’s metabolic rate which means that you burn less calories too. Essentially the result is more calories in and less calories out, which means a gain in weight. Another major negative of alcohol consumption is that it is hepatotoxic and results in fatty deposits on the liver. This means the liver is less efficient at lypolysis which means that you burn less fat overall.