Can I Build Muscle on The Kaufmann Diet?

The Kaufmann Diet is great for losing weight, but what if you want to build muscle? Cutting Fat is One Thing, Building Muscle Is Another.

The Kaufmann Diet is notoriously good for weight loss, which is good for the majority of people. Over 60% of Americans are considered overweight or obese, and we know that carrying extra weight can increase the risk of many serious health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. And while the Kaufmann Diet wasn’t designed specifically for weight loss, it seems to work very well towards this end; when people address underlying fungal problems via dietary measures, often effortless weight loss seems to follow. 

What if you have a goal other than weight loss though? If your goal is to build muscle, can you still use The Kaufmann Diet to promote health? In short, yes! For those whose goal is to build muscle, either for athletic or aesthetic reasons, the Kaufmann Diet offers an ideal nutritional platform for those looking to increase their muscle mass. 

Dietary Keys to Building Muscle

If you are trying to build muscle, chances are you are already involved in a lifting regimen. When you lift heavy things, tiny tears occur in your muscle tissue which must then be repaired by your body. Over a period of time, these repairs result in increased muscle mass and strength. Your body, however, must have the material with which to rebuild your muscles. 

This material is protein. Protein is one of the three macronutrients, including fats and carbohydrates. Protein is a source of fuel for the body, and also a source of material which the body repairs itself with. Protein is an essential part of the diet. Fortunately, The Kaufmann Diet is rich in foods that are abundant in protein. These foods include meats, eggs, and nuts. Certain other plant foods are high in protein too. 

To adequately fuel muscle growth, a good rule of thumb is eating at least half your weight in grams of protein per day. So if you weigh 160 lbs, you should be getting 80g of protein per day. To give you an idea: 

• • one egg contains about 6g of protein 
  • a scoop of whey protein contains about 25-30g of protein
  • 4oz of beef filet contains about 29g of protein
  • 4oz of chicken breast contains about 31g of protein

Another key to building muscle via diet is to eat foods which are abundant in complete proteins. Proteins are comprised of compounds called amino acids. There are 9 essential amino acids, and when a food contains a complete protein, that means it contains all 9 essential amino acids. Animal sources of protein all contain complete proteins. (This is primarily a concern if you are focusing on plant sources of protein.)

Build Muscle, Fight Fungus

The Kaufmann Diet is divided up into two different stages: Kaufmann One and Kaufmann Two. The Kaufmann One Diet is the most restrictive diet, wherein carbohydrate consumption is restricted. You can still get more than enough protein to build muscle, but if you are used to training regularly and eating more carbohydrates, you may initially feel less energy during your workouts. 

Kaufmann One is really good at starving pathogenic yeast and fungi, and if you suspect this might be an issue, even if you are trying to build muscle, it could be beneficial to spend 4-6 weeks on the more restrictive Kaufmann One Diet. Initially, you might feel worse as you experience a die off of yeast and fungi, but ultimately, you might feel better than you ever have. 

After that initial period on the Kaufmann One Diet, if you do not have serious issues health issues you are addressing, you may want to switch to the less restrictive Kaufmann Two Diet, which includes more carbohydrates from healthy sources like sweet potatoes, beans, and oats. These complex carbs will provide more fuel for workouts, and you will glean the added plant protein from sources like beans and oats. Carbohydrates can also be beneficial for post workout recovery. It is still recommended to skip sugar and most sources of grains and focus on Kaufmann Two sources of carbohydrates, which are less likely to facilitate fungal growth in the body and less likely to be contaminated with molds and their toxins.  

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