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Level up your fitness journey with MuscleBlaze

Shaivy Choubey

5 Ways to Gain Weight and Build an Impressive Physique

For individuals who find it hard to gain weight, attaining a muscular physique is quite a task. No matter how much they eat and what all stuff they fill themselves up with, the change in their weight is very less to none. The constant munching of unhealthy foods can lead to fat gain instead of healthy weight gain and muscle mass. 

In this article, we’ll tell you how to gain weight in a healthy way without putting on unhealthy fat.

Weight Gain Tips: How to Gain a Healthy Weight?

The golden rule of gaining weight is keeping a check on the calories you are consuming. Your body burns calories while doing various day-to-day tasks and other intense physical activities. If you are consuming less than what you are spending, you will never gain weight. Let’s have a look at some of the ways that can help you reach your ideal weight and form a good physique.

Consume More Calories

1. Consume More Calories than You Burn

This is the most important thing to consider while trying to gain weight. Your body needs calories to perform various tasks including daily routine tasks and even exercises. For people who want to lose weight, the calorie intake should be less than the burnt calories. But, if you are looking forward to gaining weight, make sure that you eat more than what you burn so that your body can have some store. Consume 300-500 calories more than what you burn and you’ll experience weight gain.

Include Protein

2. Include Protein in Your Diet

Well, we know, protein is known to be helpful in weight loss as it is a highly satiating component. But, protein can also help with weight gain. Protein helps in packing on muscle mass and results in a healthy weight gain. You can consume protein supplements or eat foods that are rich in protein such as eggs, dairy, fish, chicken, etc. These are healthy sources of protein that can help you gain weight and also build muscle mass. Do not over-consume protein as it is highly satiating in nature and might reduce your appetite. Strike a balance between your protein intake and other micronutrient intakes.

Carbs

3. Carbs and Fats are Your Friends

Now by eating carbs we don’t mean that you treat yourself to a large pizza! You need to include healthy carbs and fats in your diet in order to gain weight. Avocado, coconut oil, ghee, mustard oil, olive oil, etc. are some great sources of healthy fat. Try and eat at least 3 meals a day. Don’t forget to include fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet as they also fuel you with fiber along with various other nutrients.

4. Have Frequent Meals

By having multiple meals a day, you can help your body put on weight. But, be extremely careful with what you put inside your body. Having multiple meals in a day doesn’t mean that you have to indulge in unhealthy snacking. Switch to healthier foods. Have milk with nuts and seeds in-between the meals. You can also try eating on bigger plates so that you naturally eat more and fill yourself with more calories.

5. Try Weight Lifting

Weight lifting is considered essential when it comes to weight loss. But, it can also help with weight gain. Well, not exactly weight gain, but it actually prevents all the excess calories to turn into fat cells. Rather it makes all those surplus calories move to your muscles. Practice weight training 2-4 times a week and you will notice an enhancement in weight and muscles. Remember, our goal is to put on a healthy weight.

Let’s have a look at some of the best weight and mass gainers you can buy to accomplish your goal of gaining weight.

Best Supplements for Healthy Weight Gain

MuscleBlaze Super Gainer XXL

This is the best mass gainer crafted exclusively for elite fitness buffs who want to gain huge muscles and a chiseled physique. With a protein to carbs ratio of 1:5, it fuels your body with much-needed nutrition and fuel. With each serving of this mass gainer protein, you get 22.5g protein obtained from a blend of fast and slow-releasing proteins to keep you energized all day long. This weight gainer powder maintains a robust and sustained release of calories to keep your muscles fueled up for longer durations.

MuscleBlaze Weight Gainer with added Digezyme

This advanced gaining formula by MuscleBlaze is a simple yet effective weight gain supplement that is suitable for both men and women. It promotes healthy weight gain in lean individuals. This contains an ideal blend of high-quality proteins, fats, carbs, vitamins, and minerals to boost weight gain. It fuels you with optimum energy to keep you fit and active all day long. This comes with a blend of digestive enzymes to boost digestion and absorption of nutrients. This products is rich in fiber and comes in delectable chocolate flavor. Each serving contains 474 calories, 19.5g protein, and 72g carbohydrates.

MuscleBlaze Mass Gainer XXL

This mass gain formula by MuscleBlaze is crafted for all fitness lovers and bodybuilders who want to pack on some serious muscle mass. It has a high-protein blend with complex carbs in the ratio of 1:3. This blend is helpful in gaining muscles. It fuels your daily workout and helps with muscle building. In 3 servings of this mass gain formula, you get 82.5g protein and 1383 calories to amp up your workout sessions. This product is free from trans-fats and is fortified with 27 vitamins and minerals to keep a sustained supply of energy to smoothen bodily functions. These features make it the best mass gainer protein.

MuscleBlaze High Protein Lean Mass Gainer

Crafted exclusively for fitness buffs and bodybuilders who want to attain a lean and muscular physique, this product is the best protein powder for weight gain. This advanced mass gainer helps in building lean muscles. It delivers 59g carbs and 30g protein in the ratio of 2:1 per serving. It allows your body to prepare itself for intense training sessions and recover faster from fatigue. This formula has a high protein content to promote bigger muscles. It has a blend of fast and slow-acting proteins that enhance the protein value of this product.

MuscleBlaze Mass Gainer Pro with Creapure

This is the best mass gainer protein that contains the power of Creapure, the purest form of creatine. It helps in maintaining a balanced ratio of proteins to carbs. It offers a 1:3 ratio of nutrients and 15g protein per serving. Each serving of this mass gain formula powers you with 48g of complex carbs to boost gains. Since it is powered by creapure, it helps in boosting water retention in muscles and elevating muscle gains. It comes packed with powerful ingredients like MCT & CLA that help in converting accumulated fats to fuel and boost muscle synthesis.

Takeaway

All the supplements mentioned above help a lot with weight gain. You need to consume a calorie-rich diet that has its calories derived from healthy food sources. Do not ignore the importance of working out as it will help you develop a sculpted physique and prevent fat gain. Use these supplements in combination with your diet and workout routine to see positive results.

BEST 3 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNITY

Immunity is one of the most searched topics of the present time and finding the ways of improving your immunity is very important as never before. Immune system is made up of special proteins, cells, tissues, and other organs that build our body’s defense mechanism. This mechanism helps us to fight against harmful diseases, microorganism, illness and infections. Continuous attacks of these dreadful germs help them to break into our immune system if not taken care of it at the right time. You need various vitamins for better immunity that you can only get from meals, fruits, vegetables, or immunity boosting supplements. But immunity doesn’t only depend on the vitamin but also proper exercises, sleep, pure air, and improved lifestyle. Here we will only focus on foods, exercises, and supplements for boosting immunity.

FOODS TO BOOST IMMUNITY:

Foods To Boost Immunity

Maybe most of us have started giving more focus on immunity but it starts with taking birth. So, immunity boosting is not a phenomena or new year revolution that you can avail in one or two months. Just like Rome, immunity also doesn’t build in a day but you have to start someday why not from today. You have to incorporate the immunity boosting foods in your life and avoid or limit the junk foods. Healthy food is one of the best ways to boost immunity but you have to focus on certain kinds of foods to keep your immune system healthy. Here are my favorite foods that support immunity. 

  • Citrus fruits: These fruits are filled with vitamin C which contains antioxidant properties and help to fight against cold, caugh, free radicals, and seasonal infection. These are sour in the taste and include oranges, lemons, grapefruit, limes, tangerines, and clementines, Indian gooseberry, and others. 
  • Garlic: Cuisine around the world is incomplete without garlic. Usually it is used for its greatest taste and flavour but it has its own healthy effects. Ancient civilization used to recognize it for fighting the seasonal infections that is also approved by modern science. 
  • Red Peppers: If you are thinking that only citrus fruits are the rich source of vitamin c, think again. Red bell peppers are one of the biggest sources of vitamin C. But this immunity booster vegetable is also a very good source of beta carotene that gets converted into vitamin A which also helps to maintain the health of skin and eyes. 
  • Broccoli: An excellent source of vitamins and minerals that is packed with vitamin A, C,E along with many antioxidants, iron, and fiber. It is considered one of the healthiest vegetables.

Also Read: TOP 10 BODYBUILDING FOOD BEGINNERS SHOULD AVOID

EXERCISE TO BOOST IMMUNITY

Exercise To Boost Immunity

Immune boosting journey is not completed without exercises. Here are certain types of exercises that help to boost immune function in your body. Get out of your bed and put your shoes on and start these two types of exercises from now. 

  • Strength Training: Well, intense exercises are not always for show off. People who really improve their athletic performance and strength prefer to do strength training exercises. Muscles tear while training and the body needs enough nutrients to repair them. If your body will not get enough nutrients, you will get fatigued and injured that leads your immune system down.  So, incorporate this immunity boosting exercis in your lifestyle right now and let your immune system say thank you later. 
  • High Intensity Interval Training: Within a particular set time, you have to perform exercises as hard as you can. Along with reducing unwanted fat, stress, side effects of sedentary lifestyle, these exercises help to boost immunity in your body. 
SUPPLEMENTS TO BOOST IMMUNITY

Supplements To Boost Immunity

It is true that foods with the combination of exercise, has no match if you want to boost immunity. But it is also true that it takes a lot of time, efforts, pain, and willpower to see the final results. Amid this, there comes a role of supplements to boost immunity that will be really effective and show you the results faster. 

  • Omega 3 fatty acids:  It is known for reducing your stress hormones and enhances the immune cells functions. 
  • Zinc: To avoid nasal congestion, sore throat, nasal drainage, and cough, you must use zinc. It is the best supplement that also triggers your body when there is any attack of any infection. 
  • B-Complex: It is not only a vitamin but a collection of many vitamins that keep your immune system in its best condition. Make sure that you are taking enough vitamin B daily as a part of your daily diet or as a supplement. 
  • Vitamin D3: This is a well known immunity system booster that is championed for absorbing the calcium in our bones and stimulates antimicrobial peptides that is good for boosting immunity. These peptides have shown a wide range of anti- viral and anti- microbial activities in the body. 
  • Vitamin C: Fight with vitamin C against your cold and seasonal infections. It also helps to fight against lung inflammation and other respiratory distresses. It also helps to absorb other nutrients like vitamin E, iron, collagen, and others that help in wound healing, maintaining cartilage, teeth, bones, and immune system. 

Takeaway

Even the body never complains it’s overburdened unless it fails to cope up. It is not like that it doesn’t give signs but we take it for granted always. So, finally the organs of the body have to collapse. Immune system works like this. So, help your immune system by working on these important ways before it is too late to realize.

TOP 5 ABS WORKOUT – GET SIX PACK ABS AT HOME EASILY

Spiderman Press Up

“Fitness begins with initiative and continues with consistency. The six-pack abs is a byproduct of being healthy.”

You must have seen the six-pack abs of celebrities and wondered how to get those alluring cuts? Well! If you really want to get a toned body with lean muscle mass and well-formed abs, then you should read the whole article now. Since it is the time of Coronavirus and we are a bit scared of going to the gym, here are few techniques that will allow you to get the desirable body at home. You do not always need heavy gyming machinery or gym memberships to get the right body along with six-pack abs. Just follow a few simple steps and be ready to witness a massive change in your physique.

Let’s get started with some of the best at-home workouts for six-pack abs:

Spiderman Press-up

Spiderman press-up is a very good six-pack abs workout at home, which will help you to get those sculpted abs in a short span of time.  To do this exercise you need to first get into the press-up position. Lower your body toward the floor and then you have to bring the right knee towards your right elbow. This should be done while keeping your right knee off the ground. Press your knee to your elbow and then return your leg to the starting position. You should repeat the same abs workout with the alternate leg as well. When you are moving your leg forward, the abdominals muscles and other core muscles work even harder to maintain stability. The  spiderman press-up targets your core muscles and therefore is one of the best abs workouts at home.

READ ALSO: BEST SUPPLEMENT FOR SIX PACK ABS

Oblique Crunch

Oblique Crunch

Oblique crunch is another great six-pack abs workout, which can be done easily at home without the use of any equipment. For this home workout, you have to lie down on the floor with your knees bent, just the way you do regular crunches. You have to keep your hands behind your head, then contract your abdominal muscles to lift your shoulder off the floor and bend your shoulder towards the right side of your abs. Repeat the same exercise for the left side of your abs.

Leg Raises

To do leg raises you will have to lie down on a bench, then place your hands at the side of your head and tightly hold the bench. Join both your legs and try to lift them up together using the strength of your abdominal core muscles. This six-pack workout at home should be repeated in sets of 10 for 3 times to get the best results.

Jackknife Sit-Up

For Jackknife sit-ups, you have to lie down flat on your back on the floor with your legs straight. After this, you have to place your hands at your sides to get support. Raise your legs by flexing the muscles of your abs, until your legs are perpendicular to the floor. Then slowly try to raise your shoulder and torso from the ground and try to curl yourself. However, this 6 pack abs workout should be done without raising your back from the floor. Lower your legs and bring them back to the starting position. After that bring your torso and shoulders to the beginning position as well.

Stark Plank

To do Stark plank, you need to first get on to your hands and feet facing towards the floor. Then rotate your body onto your left side using the support of your left hand and legs. You have to then point your right up towards the ceiling of your room. After that, you should raise your right foot up in the air and hold this position for some time. Repeat the 6 pack abs workout with your right hand and leg. This will help in bidding goodbye to your stubborn love handles and give your waist a proper shape.

Conclusion

Along with these abs workout you can also do crunches, reverse crunches, dumbbell exercises and more. However, with proper exercise your body also needs nutrition. Do you remember the 80-20 rule? This rule says your body depends 20% on exercise and 80% on what you eat. Try to incorporate healthy supplements to your diet, this will be very helpful in amping your fitness regime.

Jeet Selal: The Himalayan Mustang Inspiring Many Bodybuilders

Your passion can take you places if you dedicate yourself fully to it. Your dreams can come true if you work hard to bring them to life. Does all this sound very filmy to you? But, it’s the reality for this man who dedicated himself to fitness and sports and breathed life into his dreams- the Himalayan Stallion, Jeet Selal.

Not just his name means to win, his actions too, prove that he is a winner. We bring to you some interesting facts and details about him so that you can know our new knowledge ambassador in a better way.

The Himalayan Mustang Inspiring Conversation with MuscleBlaze

1. MB: You sure rule the hearts of every fitness enthusiast. You are a story in yourself. Everybody would like to know where this story originated and what is the background?

Jeet Selal: I come from a small town in Uttarakhand, named Pithoragarh. I have grown up running down the hilly streets of this beautiful state. Walking and running down these streets is an exercise in itself (chuckles). I did my Bachelor’s in Sports Science and Marketing Management from Coventry University, UK, and went on to pursue my Masters in Sports Tourism Management.

2. MB: You do have a unique choice of courses! How does this small-town boy get into fitness? What was in your mind exactly when you chose sports as your education?

Jeet Selal: Ever since I was a kid, I had a thing for sports. I actively used to participate in various sports activities. I started learning the Korean martial art form ‘Taekwondo’ at an early age. Its very interesting and this got me excited to learn it even better. Some of you might know that I am a Blackbelt 1st dan in Taekwondo. During my school days, I also used to participate in other sports such as basketball.

I loved this game so very much and was involved in it till my senior high school. I realized that sports is what I am good at and I could definitely do something good with myself and my life if I pursued a career in this and this is why I went on to study sports science and management and also learned about the tourism aspect of sports.

How People Inspired By You

3. MB: That’s quite interesting and inspiring at the same time. It’s true that if you are good at something, take it professionally, and you can succeed in life and inspire others who are like you. Many people know you through your YouTube channel, so tell us something about it.

Jeet Selal: Yes, I like to motivate people to adopt a fit and active lifestyle. I want that more and more people in my country should be fit. There are many people who want to work out to achieve a certain level of fitness but do not have anyone to guide them on the workout plan and nutrition. This is why I started my YouTube Channel Jeet Selal Aesthetics in January 2016 where I post free nutrition and workout plans in Hindi for all the fitness enthusiasts and aspiring bodybuilders in India. I really wish to help all those who aspire to be a bodybuilder and I don’t want them to give up because of the lack of proper guidance.

How to Maintain Fan Base

4. MB: That’s so nice of you! We really need more and more people like you in India. This is certainly a great initiative that you’ve taken and this has just got us a bit more inquisitive. We want to know how do you focus on your fans and build & maintain trust with them?

Jeet Selal: I strongly believe in transparency and honesty. Not just in business, but in real life too, I respect people who are honest. If you are true to someone, you automatically establish trust. As a working professional, I have learned that working on customer retention and building trust is the key to growth for any business. I want my customers to believe in me and this is why I always stay true to them.

5. MB: Yes, we too believe that trust can be built only on transparency and honesty. We all have some plans for our future and I am damn sure that you must have thought something exciting about your future in fitness. We would really like to know what plans Jeet has for his future, any mission that you’re working towards, and how?

Jeet Selal: Yes, definitely. I have a dream and to fulfill it I have been working and I am planning to extend my efforts for the same. And it is to establish a drug-free India. And for this mission, I promote natural practices in fitness and sports. I am working hard to create awareness among people regarding the major side effects of using steroids and drugs. I also educate youth to achieve a great physique naturally, without the help of any drugs.

MB: Isn’t it great to learn how he is working towards shaping a better society? Jeet Selal has his YouTube channel through which he is imparting fitness education to youth in India. Owing to his impeccable understanding and knowledge of fitness, he gained over 3 million subscribers on YouTube in no time. 

About Himalayan Stallion Academy

6. MB: You have also founded the Himalayan Stallion Academy. Tell us something about it.

Jeet: I founded Himalayan Stallion in December 2016, Melbourne, Australia with an aim to motivate and create awareness among Indian people regarding fitness and stop drug use/abuse in sports in India. Himalayan Stallion organizes various events in various parts of India without any entry fees, to build a healthy India other than offering certain paid certification courses in the space of Nutrition & Exercise. These events give a golden opportunity to the young guns of India to show their talent and excel in sports and fitness by having a scientific outlook towards their training program. The focus is on natural sports practices.

Here is What Himalayan Stallion Events do:

  • Conducts seminars on awareness about fitness and health
  • Present stage demos of proven exercise methods and nutrition
  • Promotional activities to discourage the use of drugs in sports
  • Guiding regarding the right supplementation and its benefits
  • Free personal training session by selecting an athlete for “Train with me” session
  • Certification courses in Fitness Nutrition, Strength & Hypertrophy, etc.

MB: Do you guys know that Jeet has been invited by many major universities for seminars on health and fitness?

7. MB: Lastly, we are really eager to know what inspired or motivated you to join hands with MuscleBlaze?

Jeet: I strongly believe in the right nutrition for better bodybuilding or athletics. Being in this field, I know how important quality nutrition is for your body. And as I told you that I believe in transparency and honesty and I found MuscleBlaze’s character very similar to mine. I could strike a chord with the brand because just like me, MuscleBlaze also believes in purity, transparency, and quality. It’s amazing to see an Indian brand walking the extra mile to provide quality nutrition to all aspiring athletes, bodybuilders, fitness enthusiasts, and people in general who want to stay fit. My mission is to build a healthy India, and this goes in sync with the idea with which MuscleBlaze originated. I really believe that together we can take fitness and sports to a new level in India.

MB: This was Jeet Selal for you. Now that he has joined us on this great journey, together we will explore more by diving into the sea of fitness together and serve people even better.

To know more about your new MB knowledge ambassador, you can click on the links below:

Is Intermittent Fasting Effective in Weight Loss?

Intermittent fasting is one of the popular trends these days. It is known to be effective in improving metabolic health, weight loss, and perhaps even longer lifespan. According to various studies, it can have powerful effects on your body and brain.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

People spend thousands of money on weight loss supplements and fat loss products. But do you know with intermittent fasting you can achieve your weight loss goals? Yes, you read that right. 

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern between the periods of eating and fasting. It doesn’t specify what kind of foods to eat but rather tell you when to eat them. Basically it is not a diet but an eating pattern. Common intermittent fasting diets include daily 16 hours fast or 24 hours twice a week. Some of the common intermittent fasting methods are as follows:

  • Eat, Stop, Eat: It requires 24 hours of fasting once or twice a week. For example, By not eating from breakfast one day until breakfast the next day. 
  • The 16:8 Method: This method Includes skipping breakfast and restricting the daily eating period to 8 hours, like 1-9 pm. Then fasting for 16 hours in between. 
  • The 5:2 Diet: This diet plan you have to consume only 500 to 600 calories on 2 non-consecutive days of the week but eat normally on the other five days.

Reducing your calorie intake when following these methods can cause weight loss as long as you avoid eating much during the eating periods. Most of the people find the 16:8 method to be the most sustainable and simplest plan to stick with, making it the most popular. 

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss

What Are The Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting?

When you fast various things happen in the body on the molecular and cellular level. Like your body adjust hormone levels And also initiate important cellular repair processes and change the gene expression. Here are the intermittent fasting benefits.

  • Intermittent fasting for weight loss is the right pick. It changes the hormone levels to help in weight loss, By increasing growth hormone levels, lowering insulin levels and increasing the fat-burning hormone release. Because of this your metabolic rate also increases.
  • Intermittent fasting lowers blood sugar and reduces insulin resistance that can protect you against type 2 diabetes.
  • According to studies, it also reduces inflammation, the main driver of many chronic diseases.
  • Intermittent fasting is also known to reduce bad LDL cholesterol, inflammatory markers, blood triglycerides, insulin resistance, and blood sugar, all risk factors for heart disease.
  • It increases the brain hormone and also helps in the growth of the new nerve cells and may protect against Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Intermediate fasting can extend life span and also work as an anti-ageing.

Overall intermittent fasting can make things easier for you as you don’t have to eat too many meals and don’t have to spend too much time.

Intermittent Fasting V/S Keto Diet

Keto Diet: Keto diet is high in fat and low in carbs. The goal of this diet Is to develop ketosis, Where the body uses part as the energy source instead of carbohydrates by converting it to Ketone bodies. The importance of proteins, carbohydrates and fats depending on what type of keto diet you are following. There are four types of keto diet that varies as per the calorie requirement such as: 

  • Standard Keto Diet: 5% carbs, 20% protein and 75% fat
  • High-protein Keto Diet: 5% carbs 35% protein and 60% fat
  • Cyclic Ketogenic Diet: It includes 5 days of keto diet with 2 days of high carb consumption every week. 
  • Targeted Keto Diet: Carbs are added strategically before, during, or post-workout sessions. 

Advantages of the Keto Diet:

  • Effective in weight loss
  • As fat is used rather than carbs, Insulin resistance and blood glucose level improves, which makes the diet less susceptible to diabetes 
  • With the right food choices, it can help you to improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels
  • Reduces adult acne because of less sugar intake
  • Boosts brain health and improves mental performance

Disadvantages of the Keto Diet:

  • Dehydration may lead to indigestion and constipation
  • People report bad breath and increase in acetone production
  • Should be supplemented with multivitamins to avoid cramps due to lack of magnesium
  •  Strictly stick to the diet to get the full benefits that can be difficult for others 

Intermittent Fasting: Intermittent fasting means changing your eating behaviour then reducing the calorie intake itself. You can eat anything you want and you can do it at a convenient time. It is not harmful when done right. 

Advantages of the Intermittent Fasting:

  • It is a natural and safe way to lose weight
  • Reduces insulin resistance, decreasing the risk of type 2 diabetes 
  • Save you money and time for preparing and cooking 3 meals a day
  • It also protects the brain from cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease
  • It doesn’t cause muscle wasting, making it safe for fitness instructors and bodybuilders  

Disadvantages of the Intermittent Fasting:

  • For some people, it may be discomforting and can become difficult to resist hunger pangs
  • It can cause amenorrhea in women, where the menstrual cycle ceased, so it is recommended doing 12 to 14 hours for women 
  • People can rely on coffee to keep the hunger pangs at bay, some may develop caffeine dependency
  • It can develop eating disorders in some people

Ketogenic Diet or Intermittent Fasting plans have their fair share of advantages and disadvantages. But when done right, you can get the benefits.

ALSO READ: Calories vs. Macros: Is One More Important Than the Other?

Intermittent Fasting Diet Plan

To make sure you get the most benefits from intermittent fasting, it’s important that you eat nutritious foods and drinks during the eating periods. Having nutrient-dense whole foods will help you achieve the most health benefits. There is not a specific intermittent fasting diet plan, just incorporate the following through the eating periods: 

  • Whole Grains: Make sure to avoid all food items that contain refined wheat. Choose grains such as barley, buckwheat, quinoa, rice, oats, etc.
  • Vegetables: You can consume all the vegetables. Choose more green, leafy options as well as cucumber, broccoli, tomato, cauliflower, etc.
  • Fruits: All fruits are perfect options especially apples, oranges, pears, bananas, peaches, and berries. 
  • Protein: Pick lean protein options (without fat) like meat, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds, legumes, lentils, etc.
  • Healthy Fats: Avoid all the saturated fats. Choose oils made from olive, coconut, avocado, mustard, sesame, peanut, etc.

During the fasting period, you can consume calorie-free beverages such as coffee (no sugar), unsweetened tea (green tea), and water. This will help you to stay hydrated. Avoid overeating or munching on junk food during eating periods as this can sabotage your health regimen. 

BCAA’s – What Are Branched-Chain Amino Acids & It’s Benefits?

Branched Chain Amino Acids are a group of three essential amino acids from nine of them that includes leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Branched Chain is a chemical structure of these amino acids that people generally use for medicine. As essential amino acids are not made in the body itself, BCAA is taken from outside.

How Does BCAA Work?

Branched Chain Amino Acids enhance protein synthesis in the muscles that provide more protein in the muscles that help to reduce the breakdown of muscles in the body. These play an important role in various bodily functions as they fill a large part of amino acids in the body. There is around 35 to 45 percent of the BCAAs in the body wherein 14 to 18 percent of them are found in the muscles.

Unlike the many amino acids, these essential amino acids are broken down into muscles rather than life as they also play a role while doing exercises.

How does BCAA work in regulating Blood Sugar Levels?

It preserves the liver and stores sugar in muscles then it stimulates the cells by taking sugar from your bloodstream. Thus it regulates the blood sugar level.

How does BCAA work in Reducing Fatigue?

BCAA helps to limit the serotonin production in the brain. Due to production, we feel fatigued and exhausted after heavy training. Leucine is one of them that plays a very important role in enhancing the capacity of the body to develop the muscle protein so that the body is less exposed to fatigue.

The Sources of BCAAs:

 If you are looking for the sources that have BCAA in abundance, you should look for protein-rich food. Luckily we have a lot of foods which are a great source of protein.

  • Plant-Based Sources: If you are vegan or vegetarian, there are some best plant-based foods which are great sources of protein as well as BCAAs that includes soy-based tofu, mock meats, seitan made from wheat gluten, tempeh and edamame made from soybean, lentils, beans, chickpeas, legume, nutritional yeast, teff, spelt, barley, farro, sorghum, einkorn, hempseed, chia seeds, flaxseeds, green peas, spirulina blue-green algae, quinoa, amaranth, and many more.
  • Animal Based Sources: These animal-based foods are rich in protein and essential amino acids that are the building blocks of proteins. The body has to break protein down into amino acids for digestion. Some of the animal-based sources of protein are fish, eggs, red meat from deer and bison, poultry sources are quails, turkeys, and chickens, and others. You can also get the BCAAs from dairy products like milk, cheese, ghee, butter, and whey.
  • BCAA Supplements: It is quite hard to carry all these sources with you when you are on frequent travel. Also, it takes a great time searching for the things that work on you. The other easy option is to have BCAA Supplement with you for your all essential amino acids needs. However, it is not a complete replacement of natural food but if you use it in your busy days this would help you to stay nourished.

What are the Benefits of BCAAs?

  • Helps in reducing mental as well as physical fatigue while doing intense training.
  • Shown improvements in athletic performances
  • Improves muscle strength by reducing soreness. 
  • Protects against muscle damage by limiting creatine kinase, enzymes, and lactate dehydrogenase.
  • Lowers blood sugar level by increasing the usages of sugar by muscles from the blood.
  • Increases muscle mass by activating enzymes that build the muscles. 
  • Enhances the process of weight loss by converting fat into energy.
  • Helps your liver as these do not break out in the liver. Also limits the possibility of fatty liver and failure.

Are BCAA Supplements Safe To Consume?

Branched Chain Amino Acids are safe to consume as they are essential amino acids. What really matters is the source of BCAA. If you are using BCAA Supplements you should take care of some precautions.

  • However there is not enough information available but if you are a pregnant or breastfeeding mother, you should avoid taking the BCAA supplement. 
  • Try to take supplements by mouth. If you’re thinking of giving it to a child, make sure he/ she is more than six months old. But before it, consult your doctor.
  • In some medical conditions like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, you should avoid BCAA Supplements.
  • If you are a chronic alcoholic, BCAAs can be the cause of liver disease that leads to brain damage. So, avoid it and leave alcohol immediately.

Takeaway

Maybe these essential amino acids are three in numbers but have a plethora of benefits for the body to function properly especially decreasing muscle fatigue, soreness, and muscle building. Try to take all the nutrients from the natural sources but if you feel it hard to manage from food, inclining toward BCAA Supplements would be a guilt-free decision for you.