MuscleMag

New Food, New Muscle

October 2007

Goodbye sawdust, hello lip-smackin’ nourishment. Putting great taste back into muscle growth.

Online Version: http://www.emusclemag.com/content.php?cat=10&id=632

Face it. Bodybuilders around the world are food drones. More to the point, they are predominantly chicken, brown rice and tuna drones. While those foods are excellent muscle chow, bodybuilders are too often stuck in their ways, relying on the same grub day in, day out. “If it’s not broken, why fix it?” seems to be the bodybuilder’s motto. There is, however, one problem: Serving up the same foods everyday can lead to serious diet burnout and too many golden arches binges, leaving you a few cans short of a six-pack.

To save yourself such a ghastly dietary collapse, consider giving your shopping list a little creative boost. Grocery and health food stores, along with local farmer’s markets, are bursting at the seams with alternative muscle-building foods that will give your palate a much-needed breather from chicken and rice. Here, we’ve put together hip substitutions for trusty stand-bys that will transform your diet and your body. Bon Appetit!

Instead of: Salmon

Try: Arctic char

Long a protein staple of the Inuit, there are ample reasons why you should persuade your local fishmonger to carry this northern cold-water fish. Like its more beloved cousin, salmon, char is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which promote fat-burning, reduce undesirable blood fats, boost mood, fight heart disease and reduce inflammation, meaning it may soothe sore joints and stiff muscles after a workout. Arctic char is also swimming in top-notch protein, iron, zinc and the crucial antioxidant selenium, which mops up cell damaging free radicals. Need more incentive? It tastes less ‘fishy’ than most choices at the fish counter.

Make it Tonight

Once hard to find outside snooty specialty stores, arctic char is now widely available at well-stocked seafood markets. You can use it in any recipe that calls for salmon, and it lends itself to just about any cooking method. To prepare it right, cook char on medium-high heat until one side is slightly brown, flip, repeat on other side and then reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until lightly pink inside.

Instead of: Brown rice

Try: Quinoa

Native to South America, ancient quinoa (pronounced "KEEN-wah") is definitely deserving of its recently appointed superfood designation. Unlike most grains, this great-tasting whole grain ponies up good amounts of all the essential amino acids. This means that, like meat, eggs and chicken, quinoa is a “complete” protein that your muscles need to grow. That’s not all this light nutty grain delivers. Quinoa is also an excellent source of fiber, magnesium, zinc and copper with even a few healthy fats thrown in for good measure. More importantly, its low glycemic index means more balanced sugar levels. It therefore helps to combat high blood sugar, which sets off a surge of insulin, which signals your body to store fat. It seems the Inca were really on to something.

Make it Tonight

Before sending quinoa to the stovetop, make sure to give it a good rinse to remove any remains of a bitter coating. Prepare it like rice: add one part quinoa to two parts boiling water, reduce the heat, simmer and wait for the water to be soaked up (about 10 minutes). Yes, its cooking time is way faster than brown rice. To add flavour, try toasting quinoa in a skillet first or adding spices like curry or chilli powder to the cooking medium.

Instead of: Beef

Try: Bison

While fatty beef can lead to gridlock in your arteries, protein-rich bison (a.k.a. buffalo) is a very low-fat red meat (just 4 measly grams in a 6-oz cut) that’s bursting with good-for-you nutrients such as zinc, vitamin B12 and iron. Remember that iron delivers precious oxygen to your working muscles. In fact, bison has more iron and protein than regular beef. Since most of the bison raised for the purpose of becoming dinner are grass-fed, the fat they do have tends to be the healthy kind, such as omega-3s and conjugated linolenic acid (CLA), rather than the artery-clogging saturated type. Adding more CLA to your diet may result in greater cancer protection and a boost to your chances of maintaining more lean body mass.

Make it Tonight

You no longer have to live on the range to get buffalo since many well-stocked meat departments now sell this sweet and tender meat. You can use buffalo in recipes calling for beef, but make sure you prepare it carefully. Because of its leanness, overcooking will turn it into a hockey puck.

Instead of: Olive Oil

Try: Hemp Oil

Hemp flies high nutritionally. Like flaxseed, hemp oil is chock-full of the essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6. Since the body does not produce these EFAs on its own, you must obtain them from foods, and this far-out oil is a particularly rich source. So add more hemp to your crispy greens and you can expect a healthier heart, better skin, and lower cholesterol levels. You’ll also be awarded with a hefty dose of vitamin E – an antioxidant needed for muscle recovery. And because hemp cultivated for food production contains virtually no THC (the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana), you’ll get all these benefits without funky side effects. 

Make it Tonight

Hemp oil has an interesting green hue with a nutty taste. Try using it in homemade vinaigrettes or as a dip for fresh baked bread. Because it’s high in volatile fats, it should not be used for cooking purposes and is best stored in the refrigerator. Olive, canola and coconut oil are better suited for the frying pan.

Instead of: Peanut Butter

Try: Almond Butter

It’s hard to get tired of scrumptious peanut butter. But don’t let that stop you from occasionally switching it up with almond butter, which is higher in calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus – three important bone-building minerals. And your skeleton isn’t the only beneficiary. Study after study has found that incorporating more unsaturated fats, like those found in copious amounts in almond butter, into your diet can protect your heart and contribute to a better buff-to-blubber ratio. Not to mention that it’s spared the dubious oils and sugars added to many commercial peanut butters. Oh yeah, it also happens to taste amazing.

Make it Tonight

Anywhere peanut butter goes — from cookies to sauces — is a perfect place for almond butter.  Try adding a dollop or two to your next protein shake for a nutritional flavor boost. While traditionally only found in health food stores, this newfangled nut butter is starting to sneak its way onto the shelves of conventional grocery stores.

Instead of: Chicken

Try: Ostrich

We’ve got no beef with chicken, but when it comes to feathered red meat alternatives, ostrich is a serious heavyweight. It even has that same crimson glow and meaty texture as steak, but with one big difference. It’s leaner. Way leaner. Take tenderloin, which for beef weighs in at nearly 20 grams of fat in six ounces. The same portion of ostrich has a measly four grams of fat with all the protein you need to go from scrawny to brawny.

Make it Tonight

Ostrich is best prepared to no more than medium doneness, meaning an internal temperature of roughly 145°F. Boasting a ton of iron, ostrich burgers and steaks will still be red inside when they’re ready. With less fat, this game meat isn't strong on flavor, so you may want to season it up with a marinade or rub. The availability of ostrich is still rather spotty, but you can get all you can handle at blackwing.com.

Instead of: Spinach

Try: Kale

Kale’s nutritional might would have even Popeye dropping anchor. As a dark green leafy vegetable, kale is antioxidant-packed and extremely high in the vitamins A, K and C. Not to mention tongue-twisting phytochemicals such as glucosinolate – a sulphur compound that appears to help battle several cancers. Kale is also a surprisingly excellent source of calcium. One cup dishes out roughly 100 milligrams of this bone-strengthening and potentially fat-searing mineral.

Make it Tonight

Look for kale with firm, crips and deeply colored leaves. Choose bunches with smaller-sized leaves since these will be especially tender and have a milder taste. Kale’s robust flavor works well in salads, or try sautéing it gently with garlic, lemon juice, pine nuts and olive oil for a perfect sidekick to your chicken (oops, ostrich).

Instead of: Tofu

Try: Tempeh

Made with cooked soybeans that are exposed to bacteria and left to ferment, tempeh has all the amino acids found in animal meats but contains a lot more fiber, calcium, magnesium and potassium. As a fermented product, tempeh contains beneficial gut bacteria like those found in yogurt. These bacteria breakdown protein for easier digestion and also improve immunity. Tempeh is more “meaty” than tofu, so you’d be forgiven if you thought you were chewing a chunk of cow.

Make it Tonight        

Tempeh absorbs surrounding flavours, so try crumpling it into chilli, stir-fries and spaghetti sauces, or just soak it in your favorite marinade and grill it like a burger. Versions that have been fermented with rice and other grains are milder in taste and offer a good starting point for tempeh newbies. Note that tempeh will keep in the refrigerator for up to 10 days before it needs to be tossed.d.