Ultimate High Protein Seafood

Many athletes have a large part of their daily diets that consist of fish and seafood. The reason is obviously quite simple - protein. Exploit the following guide on fish types, benefits of Omega 3 & 6 fats, and mercury levels!

Many bodybuilder/physique athletes have a large part of their daily diets that consist of fish and seafood. The reason is obviously quite simple, the fish and seafood have high amounts of protein and little carbs.

They also have fats only available in the way of Omega 3's, which are good for our bodies. Many people have trouble eating seafood and with the threat of toxins in the fish, it scares a good number of athletes to the poultry isle.

Fish are more different than you might think. Some fish are higher in fats, often used by the fish to help absorb and maintain heat. Since fish are poikiotherms (cold blooded) some types can have large amounts of fat under their skin.

Cold water fish often have higher contents of this fat, which is has been proven by the literature to help with many diseases and specifically lowering cholesterol. As fitness enthusiasts, you should consider that eating the fat from fish is very different than eating the fat from a land animal.

Omega 3s & 6s Again

Once again you are hearing about omega 3's and also omega 6 fatty acids. What is so darn important about getting these in your diet? The answer is very simple. Without them you will die. Your body does not make them and so you must eat foods that contain them. Omega's play a crucial role in growth and development and brain function.

1. Yellow fin Tuna

Protein Power: 25 g per 3 oz. serving

This meaty swimmer delivers a boatload of easily digested, premium-quality protein. You'll also benefit from the healthy amount of B vitamins and the potent antioxidant selenium in its flesh.

Need to Know: When possible, look for troll- or pole-caught tuna, which are the most sustainable options.

2. Halibut

Protein Power: 23 g per 3 oz. serving

Among white flesh species, halibut reigns supreme when it comes to the protein you need to build muscle like a champ. Each 3-oz. serving also has a mere 2 g of fat, making halibut an even better catch of the day.

Need to Know: Pacific halibut is generally considered a more sustainable choice than Atlantic.

3. Octopus

Protein Power: 25 g per 3 oz. serving

An increasing number of fishmongers are now offering up this seafood choice. So if your goal is to pack on granite-dense muscle you'd be a sucker—pun intended—not to reel it in for its protein windfall.

Need to Know: Frozen octopus actually has an advantage over fresh because the subzero process works to help tenderize the meat.

4. Sockeye Salmon

Protein Power: 23 g per 3 oz. serving

Not only does wild salmon like sockeye taste better than its farmed cousin, it also supplies about 25 percent more protein. In addition, you'll reap the benefits of its plethora of fat-fighting long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.

Need to Know: Look for salmon with the skin still intact, as it provides added flavor during cooking.

5. Tilapia

Protein Power: 21 g per 3 oz. serving

Commonly available at most fish markets, tilapia provides an approachable, mild-tasting fish choice that will give you laudable amounts of protein to keep your muscles well-fed.

Need to Know: Look for American-farmed tilapia, which is a safer choice than tilapia imported from Asia.

Top 5 High Protein Meat Products

High-Protein Meat

1. Steak (Top or Bottom Round)

Protein Power: 23 g per 3 oz. serving

These leaner cuts of steak provide a fantastic 1 g of protein for every 7 calories; rib eye, on the other hand, delivers roughly 1 g of protein for every 11 calories. Plus, round steak is considered one of the more economical cuts.

Need to Know: Leaner cuts of steak like round and loin will become drier than the Sahara with overcooking, so prepare them quickly over high heat to just medium-rare.

2. Ground Beef (95% Lean)

Protein Power: 18 g per 3 oz. serving

Using 90 percent ground beef provides just the right amount of fat so your burgers and meatloaf won't taste like cardboard. Beyond a payload of protein, this red meat is also a good source of the almighty creatine.

Need to Know: If you've got some extra cash in your wallet, opt for grass-fed beef, which is more nutrient-dense than its factory-farm counterparts.

3. Pork Chops (Boneless)

Protein Power: 26 g per 3 oz. serving

The bounty of muscle-sculpting protein in easy-to-prepare pork chops gives you more than enough of an excuse to pig out on them.

Need to Know: By helping to break down muscle tissue, soaking your chops in brine can bring more tender meat to the dinner table. Simply cover the pork chops in a brine made with 1/4 cup salt for each 4 cups of water (use enough liquid so that the meat is completely submerged). Cover and chill for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

4. Chicken Breast (Boneless And Skinless)

Protein Power: 24 g per 3 oz. serving

This bodybuilding staple delivers more protein than other poultry cuts, which is why it should remain a constant presence in your shopping cart.

Need to Know: To keep more greenbacks in your wallet, get chummy with the meat guy at your supermarket, who can give you a heads-up when the poultry is likely to be marked down for quick sale.

5. Turkey Breast

Protein Power: 24 g per 3 oz. serving

As with chicken, this big bird can flood your muscles with a wallop of protein.

Need to Know: Like pork chops and chicken breast, turkey breast can benefit from a pre-cook brining. If you're concerned about antibiotic use in large-scale poultry farming, you can look for turkey breast labelled "antibiotic-free."

Ultimate High-Protein Dairy Products

Why do i need more Protein in my Diet?

Protein is an essential nutrient, responsible for multiple functions in your body, including building tissue, cells and muscle, as well as making hormones and anti-bodies. Everyone needs protein in their diet, but if you do endurance sports or weight training you may need to increase your protein intake, and to factor it into your training routine at specific times to reap its muscle-boosting benefits.

How much protein should I eat? 

For most people a daily dose of around 0.8-1g of protein per 1kg of body weight is recommended. For strength athletes 1.2-1.7g per kg of body weight is recommended per day, with a recommendation of 1.2-1.4g per kg of body weight per day for endurance athletes. After exercise, protein is particularly important since muscles need it to recover and grow. A portion of protein (15-25g) is recommended within 30 minutes of exercise, when your muscles are particularly receptive to protein synthesis.

For most of us, our daily protein requirements are easily achieved by a healthy, balanced diet. The Department of Health advises adults to avoid consuming more than twice the recommended daily intake of protein (55.5g for the average man and 45g for the average woman). This is because there is evidence that, in the long term, consuming too much protein can lead to health issues such as an increased risk of osteoporosis and a worsening of an existing kidney problem.

One of the main issues with our Western diet is that most of our breakfasts and lunches are low in protein but high in carbohydrates, with a protein-packed evening meal. It is better to aim to spread your protein intake out throughout the day.

High-Protein Dairy

1. Greek Yogurt

Protein Power: 23 g per 8 oz. serving

Made by straining away the liquid, deliciously thick Greek-style yogurts contain about twice as much protein as regular versions. You'll also reap the rewards of gut-friendly probiotic bacteria and bone-building calcium.

Need to Know: Plain Greek yogurt can contain up to three times less sugar than flavored types.

2. Cottage Cheese

Protein Power: 14 g per 1/2 cup serving

This curd-riddled cheese product is laced with casein protein—a slow-digesting protein that supplies your growing muscles with a steady supply of vital amino acids. Think of it as the MVP of snack time, especially before bedtime.

Need to Know: Cottage cheese is notoriously high in sodium, but you can now compare nutrition labels to find brands that contain less.

3. Swiss Cheese

Protein Power: 8 g per 1 oz. serving

Ounce for ounce, Swiss cheese provides more protein than other commonly available varieties in the supermarket, making it a muscle-friendly option for your sandwiches and burgers.

Need to Know: If you're concerned about the calorie density of full-fat Swiss, low-fat versions have a protein-to-fat ratio of around 8-to-1, while still providing good flavor.

4. Eggs

Protein Power: 6 g per 1 large egg

These white orbs are near-perfect muscle food. That's because the biological value—a measure of how much protein from the food can be incorporated into proteins in the body—of an egg is higher than that of nearly any other item in the grocery store. The biological value is largely dictated by the amount of essential amino acids a food possesses, and the humble egg has these in spades.

Need to Know: Keep an eye out for cartons containing eggs with beefed-up omega-3 levels to make your morning scramble work even harder for you.

5. Milk, 2%

Protein Power: 8 g per 1 cup serving

Moo juice remains a reliable source of top-notch protein with a biological value just shy of that found in an egg. But why try to chug watery, flavorless skim milk when you can still enjoy the richer taste of 2 percent without breaking the fat bank. Besides, the extra fat will help you absorb the fat-soluble nutrients like vitamin D present in the great white.

Need to Know: Studies show that cows raised using organic farming methods produce milk richer in a range of nutrients, including body-friendly omega fats.

6. Whey Protein

Protein Power: 24 g per scoop, on average

Whey protein is one of the cleanest, fastest-digesting proteins on the market. It’s the pefect addition to any fat-loss or muscle-building diet. Whey protein is low-calorie, fast-digesting, and perfect to take immediately after a workout, first thing in the morning, or even alongside low-protein meals!

Need to Know: Whey protein is extremely anabolic, or good for building muscle, because it’s a particularly rich source of branched chain amino acids, or BCAAs.ids, or BCAAs.

Check out - Top 5 High Protein Meat 

10 Superfood for fitness and Healthy Life

Eat, drink, and live longer!

Some things about life—and how long we get to enjoy it—are out of our control. But emerging nutrition science research, as well as data collected from people in their 90s and beyond, shows what, when, and how we eat has a profound influence on how long we live. Want to eat for a long and healthy life?

We're compiled the most compelling and surprising tips here!

Broccoli, grapes, and salad

We'll start with the scientific consensus: A diet rich in fruits and vegetables, high in nutrients and low in calories, is your best bet for a long life.

Need specifics? Eat more broccoli, grapes, and salad: Researchers have found that compounds in these three foods pack extra life-extending benefits.

Berries

These bite-sized fruit favorites are check full of antioxidants, known to boost immunity and stave off life-threatening disease. They'll help you age gracefully as well. A 2012 study from Harvard University found that at least one serving of blueberries or two servings of strawberries each week may reduce the risk of cognitive decline in older adults.

Olive oil

As delicious as it is healthy, this monounsaturated "good fat" is well known for its heart-health and longevity benefits. Studies also show that olive oil may also be linked to brain health and cancer prevention. Aim for two tablespoons a day.

Garlic

At a Pennsylvania banquet celebrating centenarians last spring, Nancy Fisher, 107, attributed her long life to her faith... and her passion for garlic. 

Fisher may be on to something, however: Studies have found that phytochemicals in garlic can halt the formation of carcinogenic chemicals in the body, and that women who eat more garlic have lower risk of certain colon cancers.

Bok choy

Studies suggests that cruciferous vegetables like this one contain nutrients, such as fiber, vitamin C, and folate, that can help you cheat death. And that's likely the case even if you've already had a close call: A study from Vanderbilt University found that breast cancer survivors in Shanghai who ate more cruciferae—specifically of the turnip, cabbage, and bok choy variety popular in China—had lower risks of death or cancer recurrence during the study period.

Avocado

How to prevent heart disease, the largest killer in the United States, according to the latest report from the National Center of Health Statistics? Eat more foods that help keep your heart healthy, like avocados and others already on this list, and improve your odds of a long life. Avocados can lower your LDL "bad" cholesterol while raising your HDL "good" levels, and they help your body absorb heart-healthy vitamins like beta-carotene and lycopene.

Tomatoes

Lycopene is also an important nutrient in the fight against cancer—the second leading cause of death in the United States. And there's no better source than rosy red tomatoes. Eating them cooked, in pasta sauce, tomato soup, or chutney, actually increases the amount of carcinogen-fighting carotenoids your body is able to absorb.

Beans

Beans, beans, are good for your... life? In a 2004 study conducted on elderly people in Australia, Japan, Sweden, and Greece, researchers found that participants had a 7% to 8% reduction in death for every 20 grams of legumes they consumed daily. A diet rich in beans and legumes increases levels of the fatty acid butyrate, which can protect against cancer growth, according to a study from Michigan State University.

Grains and seeds

Getting more fiber—specifically by switching from refined bread and pasta to whole grains—can reduce your risk of death from any cause by 22%, according to a 2011 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Experts say that fiber can protect against diabetes, heart disease, some cancers, and obesity, and can reduce cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure.