Healthy, High Calorie Foods For Weight Gain

Who's sexier - Jennifer Lopez or Olive Oyl from the old Popeye
cartoons? Most people would emphatically reply, "J-Lo!" Some of
us are naturally endomorphs, and have difficulty losing weight.
At the other end of the spectrum are ectomorphs, who are thin
and actually have trouble gaining weight. Being skinny can be
emotionally difficult. That may be hard to believe, especially
for women, given our current "thin-is-in" culture of beauty.
Others who may want to gain weight include body builders and
those who are overcoming eating disorders.

The idea behind gaining weight is not to become obese of course
- so fast food is definitely out of the question. That's because
obesity is accompanied by serious health risks such as heart
disease and diabetes. Rather, people who want to gain weight
need healthy high-calorie foods for weight gain. The healthy
way to gain weight naturally is with high-protein foods - which
will also build attractive, lean muscle.

The three primary nutrients for the human body are protein,
which supplies amino acids; fats, which supply fatty acids; and
carbohydrates, which supply glucose. These three primary
nutrients are also the foods to gain weight with! Here's a
snapshot of how to optimize your diet with healthy high-calorie
foods for weight gain.

Protein should be the building block of every meal and snack.
Protein builds lean muscle. This does not mean fast-food
burgers! Be sure that your protein sources are lean: chicken,
fish, or vegetarian alternatives such as beans and tofu. Red
meat and dairy products are not generally recommended because
they're high in saturated fat. However, there are healthy ways
to eat red meat and dairy products, which we'll discuss
shortly. Your serving of protein should be the largest portion
on your plate. Lean protein snacks include hummus, nuts,
low-fat cheese and yogurt.

Enjoy hearty whole-grain carbohydrates. This does not mean
white, highly processed carbs such as potato chips, white bread
and bagels! Think brown. Whole-grain carbs include items such as
multi-grain crackers, whole wheat bread and basmati rice. People
who are watching their weight avoid highly processed carbs and
reduce their intake of whole-grain carbs to one or two servings
per day. Since your goal is to gain weight, feel free to eat
whole-grain carbohydrates with every meal. Seven-grain crackers
dipped in hummus makes a hearty snack!

Eat at least five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every
day. You can boost your serving intake by also drinking 100
percent natural fruit juices. Also, be sure to add a fruit or
vegetable to every meal. We could change that old saying "An
apple a day keeps the doctor away" to "Five servings a day
keeps sickness at bay!"

Enjoy healthy fats. Fats encourage nutrient absorption,
facilitate nerve transmission, and maintain cell integrity.
This does not mean eating greasy french fries! Not all fats are
created equal. There are good fats and bad fats. The good guys
are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Monounsaturated
fats lower LDL, or bad, cholesterol and they also increase HDL,
or good cholesterol. Tasty examples are nut, canola and olive
oils. Polyunsaturated fats lower LDL and total cholesterol,
too. Those healthy omega 3 fatty acids that you're always
hearing about are polyunsaturated fats. Salmon, fish oil, and
corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils are high in
polyunsaturated fats. Dip your whole-grain bread from a local
baker in gourmet olive oil! Make a big, creamy batch of
guacamole from hearty avocados--throw in some chunks of tomato
and onion. These are delicious, healthy, high-calorie foods for
weight gain! Avoid bad fats, as they instigate heart disease and
certain types of cancer. The bad guys are saturated fats and
trans fats. Saturated fats raise LDL and total cholesterol;
they're found primarily in animal products, including meat,
dairy and eggs. Trans fats come from hydrogenated oils.
Scientists whip hydrogen into any type of oil, even originally
healthy oils, to give processed foods a longer shelf life and a
creamier "mouth feel." French fries and buns, stick margarine,
vegetable shortening and countless packaged foods contain
partially hydrogenated oils. Read the labels, and avoid them.

If you're going to eat animal products occasionally, protect
your health by doing it the right way. If you want to enjoy
some red meat and dairy products as part of your healthy plan
to gain weight, here are some tricks to keep bad fats in check.
Opt for meat and dairy products that come from grass-fed
animals, preferably from local small family farmers in your
area. Now, organic and grass-fed meat is available at most
supermarkets. Not only are these products vastly superior in
flavor, but also contain more good fats, especially omega 3
fatty acids, than bad fats. They also have conjugated lineolic
acid, and are high in beta-carotene. These nutrients plummet in
ordinary mass-produced meat and dairy products, because the
animals are fed corn, which is less expensive and makes animals
larger. You might also be shocked to learn that the animals are
often fed truckloads of stale or ruined junk food such as snack
cakes from bakery outlets because it's so cheap.

Another method you can use to supplement healthy foods to gain
weight is by focusing on anaerobic exercise rather than aerobic
exercise. Aerobic exercise is moderate activity performed over
an extended period of time, such as running and bicycling.
Aerobic exercise burns fat. However, if you're trying to gain
weight, retain a little fat to sculpt into lean, attractive
muscle, and turn to anaerobic exercise. Anaerobic exercise is
high-intensity with short bursts of action, such as weight
lifting, sprinting and jumping. Weight lifting is the perfect
anaerobic exercise for someone who's trying to gain weight.
Body builders use this type of anaerobic exercise to build
muscle mass, and non-endurance sports athletes use it to build
power. Weightlifting creates a hard body for men that women
love, and it sculpts those curves on women that men appreciate!
Once you attain your desired weight, you can supplement
anaerobic exercise with aerobic exercise for overall
cardiovascular health.

In addition to these diet tips, you can supplement your healthy
diet with protein supplements. It is often difficult to eat
enough protein each day, so supplementing with a soy or whey
protein shake can help increase overall intake. Everyone who is
too skinny wants to gain weight, look great, and build strength.
Take the next step today, and enjoy the benefits of a fit,
healthy body.

About The Author: Want to learn more about the role of
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at http://www.naturalfitsupplements.com/