Secrets to Healthy Weight Gain
Beverley Brooke

There is so much emphasis on weight loss in todays culture that it is easy for people to forget that many out there are actually people out there trying to gain weight, not lose it.

There are many different reasons why someone might be trying to gain weight. Many people for example may become underweight due to medical problems, such as hormonal problems or digestive diseases.

Still others have a very fast metabolism, and are naturally thin, to the point where they may feel uncomfortable about their weight.

You may be one of the few athletes out there that is looking to pack on more pounds to appear muscular. Regardless of your reasons, gaining weight requires that you pay careful attention to your diet to gain weight in a healthy manner.

The key to gaining weight healthily is taking in more Calories per day than you expend. The number of calories you burn during a day will depend on a number of factors.

If you are an athlete, you likely burn more calories than someone who leads a relatively sedentary existence. A physically demanding job might also result in greater caloric expenditure every day.

Once you take into consideration your activity level, adopt the following tips, which will guide you through the weight gain challenge in a healthy way:

1) Eat foods that are high in good fats including those that come from fish, avocados and nuts. Avoid high calorie sweets that will only add fat not muscle to your frame. You should also ensure that you are consuming adequate amounts of whole grains and proteins.

2) Take a multi vitamin and mineral supplement every day.

3) Exercise, particularly strength train. Strength training will help you build muscle mass, which in turn will help fill out your figure.

4) Try eating five to six smaller meals per day. Keep your body Full of high density and high energy foods that will keep you energized throughout the day.

The most important thing to remember is that it is possible to gain weight in a manner that is healthy. Remember above all else to stay away from foods that are highly processed, contain too much sugar or are full of saturated fats.

About the Author

Beverley Brooke, Editor of Health & Finesse – Free health, diet and fitness articles and weekly newsletters http://www.healthandfinesse.com

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Do you know these smart shopping tips for healthy eating?
Zaak OConan

Any healthy eating plan begins at the grocery store. Learning to make smart choices when shopping for food is the key to the success of any healthy diet plan. Learning to recognize the healthiest, freshest foods is a skill every grocery shopper must learn.

Of course, the logical place to start the healthy shopping trip to the grocery store is at the produce section. Most large modern supermarkets have huge produce sections, often taking up a large portion of the store. It is not unusual for the produce section alone to contain hundreds of choices, so it can be difficult to know the best foods to choose.

When it comes to the produce section of the supermarket, however, it is difficult to make a bad choice. That is because almost all fruits and vegetables are healthy, low in calories and delicious. While there are some high fat fruits and vegetables, such as avocados, they are the exception rather than the rule.

The most important thing to remember when shopping for fruits and vegetables is the old saw that variety is the spice of life. Trying a variety of different fruits and vegetables, including some you may never have heard of before.

Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is a great way to enjoy a healthier diet without becoming bored. Many new diets fail due to boredom, but eating a large number of different fruits and vegetables every day can virtually eliminate that problem.

One way to introduce this variety into a healthy diet is to seek out fresh, in season produce on every trip to the grocery store. Not only are fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables usually less expensive, but the changing variety will help guarantee fresh new recipes week after week.

Of course the produce section is not the only place to find healthy, nutritious foods. The other parts of the supermarket are also full of both good and bad choices. For instance, when choosing bread, it is best to buy whole grain breads and avoid the more processed varieties. The same is true of baked goods. Whole grain products contain large amounts of fiber and other nutrients that the more refined baked goods may lack.

Important healthy eating decisions need to be made in the meat section of the grocery store as well. This means buying the leanest cuts of meat you can find. In addition, extra fat should be trimmed from the edges of steaks, roasts and chops. You can do this trimming at home, or, better yet, have the butcher do it at the store. After all, why pay extra for what you won’t use?

Even though poultry is generally low fat, not all poultry is created equal. Some varieties, like duck and goose, contain significant amounts of fat. A roast goose or duck can be great for Christmas or other special occasions, but these meats are generally too greasy to be used for everyday meals.

Even low fat poultry like chicken breasts can benefit from some additional trimming. Removing the skin from chicken significantly cuts the amount of fat and calories it contains. In addition, using low fat white meat chicken instead of fattier dark meat is a smart move.

When buying ground meats, always try to buy the leanest varieties you can afford. Ground beef that is 97% lean is a good choice. In addition, ground turkey or ground chicken makes a good, lower fat substitute for ground beef, and it can be used in all recipes that call for ground beef, including tacos, burritos, barbeque, burgers, etc.

One important note about ground turkey and ground chicken, however. Processed ground poultry products can often contain surprisingly high levels of fat. That is because manufacturers often grind up unwanted skin and fat in addition to the lean turkey or chicken. This is a particular problem with lower priced varieties of ground chicken and turkey, so it pays to read the labels and monitor fat content carefully.

Learning to be a smart shopper is a vital part of enjoying a healthy lifestyle.. No matter what your reason for eating healthy, learning to shop smart and buy healthy foods is an essential first step.
About the Author

Zaak O’Conan discovers and presents useful information on how to enhance and/or repair your life, body and relationships. You’ll find his other articles on eating better and other ways how to improve your life at http://your-health-center.com

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Eating low carb diet meals will help you to lose weight. You will eat more proteins, good fats, fruit and vegetables.

Although you are following a diet low in carbohydrates, you will still need to eat some as they contain vital nutrients and minerals our body needs. To avoid blood sugar spikes that will leave you miserable, spread your carbohydrate intake over the day. Dont consume it all at one meal.

Speak to your souse before embarking on any trait of diet that excludes or significantly reduces a whole food group. You do not want to lose weight at the cost of your health. Most mortals will see an increase in first-class health when they start losing those amassed pounds and getting more movement.

When following a low carbohydrates diet, the best results come from imposing a curfew. No carbs after 5pm. Why? Extra calories that you consume are converted into fat if you do not use this excess energy. As you are likely to be more sedentary in the evenings it makes sense not to eat carbohydrates at this present. Foods such as white bread and pasta can cause bloating and cravings for additional sugar so best avoided.

When you start putting this carb curfew in place you should find that you wake up hungrier in the mornings. This is good news as breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We have exhaustive seen the diet research that says you are more likely to snack on additional foods if you skip this elementary meal. For your breakfast, skip the high sugar cereals. Old fashioned porridge made on water or skimmed milk makes a great breakfast as it releases energy slowly throughout the day as well as as very wrapping.

If porridge doesnt do it for you, try having a boiled egg with some wholegrain toast. Or add an avocado into the mix. Although avocados contain fats, they are the satisfactory ones that we all should be having more of. If you have time, have a bacon and tomato sandwich. Grill rather than fry the bacon and make sure the cookery is granary or wholemeal. No white bread allowed. Obviously you shouldnt have bacon every morning but the odd day wont put away.

For lunch you could have poached eggs or perhaps a tuna salad. You need to eat a variety of colored and types of sequence and vegetables in order to get the nutrients you need. They and help to fill you up.

For shag when your carbohydrates curfew is in place, fill up on protein and vegetables. For example, you could have a grilled chicken breast and roasted vegetables. Make a vegetarian chili. Experiment and try different things. When eating, eat more slowly, enjoy your food and listen to your body. When we eat too quickly we miss the signals that we are full and thus overeat.

Following these low carb diet meals will help you lose the pounds in no time.

24 Hour Fitness
http://www.www.24-hr-fitness.com

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