Body Building and The Mediterranean Diet

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By:Roy Barker

The Seven Basic Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet in Body Building

Introduction

As we move forward into the 21st century, more and more men and women are involving themselves in body building. In order to be successful at body building, a person needs to coordinate an ambitious exercise routine with an appropriate diet regimen. In the end, body building success depends as much upon what you do with your body in a gym as it does with what you put into your body at home.

Certain diet routines and plans have proven to be beneficial directly to the goals of body builders. One regimen that contains the elements of health eating that are essential for a dedicated body builder is found in the Mediterranean diet.

The Mediterranean diet is a perfect choice for an ardent body builder for seven basic reasons.

Body Building and Fruits and Vegetables

Nutrition experts believe that a typical diet should include at least five servings of fruits and vegetables during the course of a given day. A body builder needs to more than double this amount of fruits and vegetables. In this regard, the Mediterranean diet is ideal. In the Mediterranean diet, a person typically consumes upwards to over ten generous servings of fruits and vegetables throughout the day.

In body building, it is recommended that the fruits and vegetables included within the diet be taken in raw. (Steamed vegetables are acceptable. However, over steaming can result in a loss of some of the nutrients that naturally are contained in fruits and vegetables.)

Body Building and Raw Foods

Various raw foods, including fruits and vegetables, are also rich in anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants “clean up” oxidants that can form in the body. Oxidants are the negative byproduct of oxygen burnt within the body for energy. Anti-oxidants assist a body builder on many fronts, including lessening muscle atrophy which can be a significant problem in a body builder as he or she ages.

Benefits of Protein for the Body Builder

Protein is the essential ingredient necessary to build body mass -- which is the ultimate goal of the body building in training. Through the Mediterranean diet, a person interested in pursuing a healthy course of body building can take in protein through lean meats and whole grains.

Embracing a Diet Low in Saturated Fat

Saturated fats are destructive to any reasonable body building routine. Obviously, one of the ultimate goals of body building is to eliminate unnecessary and unwanted fat from the body.

While working out is a surefire way of eliminating fat, it is also important for a body builder to elect a dieting course that is low in saturated fat. The Mediterranean diet fits this bill perfectly. Although a person utilizing the Mediterranean diet will be taking in calories from fat -- primarily from olive oil which is used effusively in the diet regimen -- the that is being ingested is not saturated.

Satisfying the Energy Demands of the Active Body Builder

A person following the Mediterranean diet draws in calories and “energy food” from three primary sources:

-- carbohydrates

-- protein

-- unsaturated fat

The key benefit to the Mediterranean diet is rooted in the fact that it is balanced and draws energy in appropriate proportions from these three dietary sources. Because the diet is balanced by definition, your body does not end up operating “out of whack.” Through the Mediterranean diet you are able to obtain the extra energy boosts necessary for body building without causing your overall caloric and energy levels to end up out of balance.

Body Building and Moderate Portion Sizes

The key to establishing a beneficial diet to advance body building goals is eating in moderation at each meal. In addition, a body builder should elect to eat smaller meals throughout the day. Rather than the standard three square meals a day, a body builder is best served by eating six smaller, evenly spaced out meals throughout the day.

Diet Balance is Always the Key

In the end, the reason that the Mediterranean diet is so beneficial to body builders is precisely the same reason that it is a perfect plan for healthy eating for “average folk.” The Mediterranean diet is a solid plan because it consists of healthy food items eaten in balanced, appropriate proportions throughout the course of the day.

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