What's going on, guys?
Sean Nalewanyj on www.SeanNal.com and in this video today we're talking about the subject
of foods that are the best for building muscle.
And I actually want to basically dispel the idea by explaining why there's no such thing
as any single food or any single set of foods that you need to include in your bodybuilding
diet to get the best results possible.
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So this is a pretty common type of article or video that you'll see online.
You know, the top ten foods to gain muscle or twelve super foods that build muscle fast,
that sort of thing.
And it is true that there are certain types of foods you'll usually find in a typical
bodybuilding diet because they're more macro friendly and more nutrient dense, but the
truth is that there's a virtually endless list of different possible foods and food
combinations that you can use to meet your daily nutritional needs and no single food
is a must by any means.
Remember that proper muscle building nutrition isn't about one single food here and one single
food here and another one here, and this food is good and this food is bad and that food
is in between.
It's not about single foods.
Instead it's about your overall intake for the day as a whole in terms of the total calories,
the total macro, and micro nutrient content, and the fiber.
That's how your body actually looks at it.
And so it's really just about knowing what your total nutritional needs are for the day
and then using some combination of foods to meet those needs.
It's pretty much just a numbers game when it all comes down to it.
Now, you obviously want to be basing the bulk of your diet around nutrient-dense, minimally
processed Whole Foods and getting in a few servings of fruit and veggies in the mix.
Because it's not just about the grams of protein, carbs and fats, but it's also about getting
sufficient fiber and micronutrients as well.
But no single food has any special properties to where your bottom-line results are going
to be impacted based on whether you eat it or not.
And when I first started lifting, because of just bad information, I did fall into that
trap of thinking that I had to choke down certain foods because they were the best for
building muscle.
And I thought that an effective bodybuilding diet automatically was supposed to be bland
and boring.
So, I remember literally just eating tuna straight from the can and hating every single
bite of it, or eating plain egg whites every single morning even though I was totally sick
of them, or having, like, really bad tasting meal replacement shakes that were marketed
as being the perfect muscle building meal.
And I did that for quite a while before realizing just how unnecessary it really was.
The idea that a healthy diet should automatically be un-enjoyable is a completely outdated concept.
Or you hear these quotes like, you know, food is just fuel, or eat for results not for pleasure,
nothing tastes as great as being in great shape, but this is all just BS really.
I'm not saying that you're going to be able to sit there and eat high-fat, high-sugar
food all day long, you know, or that every meal is going to taste like a cheeseburger
or an ice-cream sundae.
You can mix those things in moderation but if you just take the time to plan things out
there's no reason why you can't legitimately enjoy all of your meals throughout the day.
And even healthy macro friendly meals can taste really good if you just put a bit of
effort into it.
So, just go through each main category of foods; protein, carbs and fats, and pick a
few good options within those categories that you most prefer and then just based your diet
around those foods.
So if you don't like tuna, then there's no reason whatsoever to eat tuna.
If you're not a fan of eggs, don't eat eggs.
If you don't like oatmeal, or bananas, or broccoli, then don't eat them.
No single food source is a must-have in your plan.
And rather than thinking in terms of an individual muscle building food, think more in terms
of an overall muscle building diet.
So if you really like, say, strawberries and grapes then use those as your main fruit sources.
Or if you prefer turkey and salmon rather than chicken and beef, use those as your primary
protein sources.
If you're a vegan then you don't need to eat any of that.
You know, you can go with beans, lentils, and tofu to hit your protein needs.
If you'd rather have sweet potato instead of rice for your carb sources then go with
that.
And if you're still a beginner and you want a good list of nutrient-dense macro friendly
foods that you can use to eat on your overall nutritional need, then I'll just list some
ideas for you in the description box in order to make things easier.
But just figure out your daily calorie needs and your approximate macronutrient needs and
then use whatever combination of foods you'd like.
And that list certainly isn't definitive but it's just there to give you some ideas.
And if you're willing to just put in a bit of extra time and effort then you can also
find tons of great tasting recipes and meal ideas using those foods if you just search
around a bit.
You don't have to eat totally basic combinations only, like chicken breast, rice, and green
beans.
I mean, that's fine if you enjoy it and you prefer the simplicity, but there are a lot
of different sauces and flavorings you can use.
I'll link a post I did on that in the description box for you to check out, outlining twenty
low calorie sauces and condiments that you can use to flavor your meals.
And again, lots of recipes out there, you know, wraps, quesadillas, omelets, healthy
pizzas, fajitas, things like that.
And lots of sweeter dessert type stuff too using, you know, protein powders, Greek yogurt,
oatmeal, there's just so many things to choose from beyond a plain piece of protein and a
carb source with salt and pepper on it.
Just run a basic online search using Google, YouTube, or any other social media platform
using terms like fitness recipes, bulking recipes, cutting recipes, and you'll find
an endless variety of different options from really simple recipes to more complex ones
that can be easily fitted into your nutritional needs for the day.
And going about your diet in this sort of way will get you the same bottom line muscle
building results, plus two huge benefits.
Benefit number one: is that you'll be way more likely to stay consistent with your diet
over the long term.
Remember that building muscle isn't a quick fix and if you want to get into great shape
and stay in great shape, it's a lifelong thing.
So if you take a look at your current diet and you can't say that this is a way of eating
that you'd be happy to maintain over the long term then something probably needs to change.
Food is just such a central part of our lives and most people out there, unless they're
doing intermittent fasting, they're probably eating three or more times a day.
And if eating is literally a chore because you're forcing yourself to eat things that
you really don't like, there's a pretty good chance that you are eventually going to burn
out and quit.
And then the second benefit, and it's a very simple one but your life will just be way
better, I mean that's such an obvious thing, but if you're eating four times a day and
you genuinely look forward to each meal and you actually enjoy it, you know, I consider
my own diet to be fully enjoyable, that's just a way better way of living than eating
four times a day and not enjoying it.
So by shifting your mentality to where you're just viewing your nutritional intake in terms
of an overall day or an overall week and focusing on hitting your calories and your approximate
macros from minimally processed Whole Foods and then laying your diet out in the most
enjoyable way possible, you'll get better muscle building results because you'll be
way more likely to stay consistent and your day to day life will just be more fun and
enjoyable.
{period} And if you're literally doing dumb things like I was, like choking down tuna
straight out of a can and forcing yourself to eat foods that you really dislike, then
you're going to save mental energy and willpower as well.
So, I hope this was helpful, guys.
If you want to learn all the details on how to apply this way of eating to your muscle
building program along with concrete workouts, meal plans, and supplement advice along with
one-on-one coaching, then you can download my Body Transformation Blueprint by clicking
here, or by heading over to www.BTBluePrint.com using the link in the description box.
Make sure to follow me on facebook and Instagram if you aren't already.
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The official website is over at www.SeanNal.com.
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Thanks for watching, guys, and I'll talk to you again soon.