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Weight Loss Exercise

Healthy Foods to Help You Gain Weight


Overweight and obesity problems plague two-thirds of the American population, but there are also people who have exactly the opposite problem – they are much too thin. Some people are underweight due to medical conditions or eating disorders, while others are just naturally thin. If you are someone who needs to put on some extra pounds, your goal would be to increase your calorie intake every day by eating healthy foods to gain weight and build a more muscled physique.

Being underweight can be a problem but it doesn’t mean that you want to become fat and flabby. You need healthy foods and exercise to help you build strong muscles and a bigger body. Avoid foods that are high in saturated fats; they may make you gain weight quickly but are bad for your health. The following foods will help you gain weight and increase muscle mass while providing the calories, vitamins and minerals your body needs.

Healthy Foods to Help You Gain Weight

Healthy Foods to Help You Gain Weight

Healthy Foods to Help You Gain Weight

Pasta and Other Carbohydrate Sources – Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy and should provide up to 65% of your total caloric intake. One cup of cooked pasta contains approximately 200 calories. Pasta topped with marinara sauce and shredded cheese is a great source of carbohydrates, protein, calcium and lycopene.

Other excellent sources of carbohydrates are bagels, potatoes, oatmeal, whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes and yams. If you are trying to gain weight, you need plenty of carbohydrate-rich foods to supply your body with energy. Provide your body with enough carbohydrates for energy, otherwise it will break down muscle tissue and use it for energy.

Dried Fruits – Raisins and dried berries, apricots, pineapple, cranberries and mango are packed with calories, vitamins and minerals. Dried fruits, without the water content, are more calorie-dense than fresh fruits. A half-cup of raisins has over 200 calories while a cup of fresh grapes has only about 60 calories. Snack on raisins and other dried fruits to help you gain weight more quickly.

Nuts and Seeds – Nuts and seeds are some of the healthiest foods to gain weight. Polyunsaturated fats in nuts and seeds provide healthy calories. Walnuts, almonds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and pecans offer a variety of flavors for a delicious, nutritious and calorie-dense snack.

Lean Meats and Other Protein Sources – Your body needs quality protein to build muscle mass. If you want to gain weight and maintain or add more muscles, you need high-protein foods such as lean meats, poultry, eggs, salmon, tuna, cottage cheese and tofu.

Avocado – Avocados are nutrient-dense and calorie-dense. A single avocado provides over 200 calories of nutrition. Avocados are rich in healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, potassium, B vitamins, and folic acid. Enjoy this wholesome fruit in sandwiches, salads and guacomole.

Healthy Fats and Oils – One of the quickest ways to boost your calorie intake is by adding extra fat to your food. Choose healthy fats and oils, and stay away from saturated fats. Olive oil, canola oil, flaxseed oil, and grape seed oil are rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on your pasta, salads, vegetables and other foods to gain weight in a healthy and natural way.

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Weight Loss Exercise

Healthy Foods for Weight Loss

Healthy Foods for Weight Loss are very important for anyone trying lose weight. A lot of people focus on what they cannot have while they are on a diet. This is a very negative way to view dieting and weight loss. Instead, take a look at what you should be eating while you are on a diet and you just might find the eating healthy foods for weight loss changes your whole outlook on your diet.

Healthy Foods for Weight Loss

Portioned controlled healthy foods for weight loss. Remember to eat all of these in moderation and some of them maybe all daily.

Whole Grained Breads– These foods will make you feel fuller and they are full of fiber. This means that they digest slowly and help you to maintain a stable blood sugar level.

Oatmeal– This breakfast food should be the rolled oats kind, rather than the instant oatmeal. This is a whole grain food that is low in sugar, high in fiber and high in protein. It will make you feel fuller longer.

White Meat– White meat is generally considered the breast meat of a bird. This meat is leaner and often favored for cooking anyway. Enjoy this healthy meat, but be sure to eat it without the skin.

Lean Beef– No one can blame you for eating beef. By eating lean beef and then draining any fat that comes off of it, you can save yourself some cholesterol and fat, keeping this meal healthy.

Healthy Foods for Weight Loss

Healthy Foods for Weight Loss

Fresh Fruit– Fresh food is significantly better for you than canned or frozen food because it is fresh and unaltered. Enjoy fresh fruit whenever you feel a craving for something sweet.

Canned Fruit– This can be good for you if it is canned in unsweetened juice or if it is canned in water. However, this fruit has been cooked; therefore some of the vitamins might not be as prevalent.

Frozen Fruit– This is the second best way to enjoy fruit. Use these frozen fruits when making protein shakes or other frozen treats. These are also great on hot days for cooling off and enjoying a sweet.

Fresh Vegetables– Fresh vegetables are ideal because they have a lot of protein, very little sugar, and a lot of fiber. Feel free to enjoy these at every meal.

Olive Oil– While oils are fats, this fat can actually help you to lose weight and look better. Olive oil is high in vitamin E, therefore it can keep your skin soft and your hair manageable.

Skim Milk– This fat free milk has all of the vitamins and minerals that whole milk has but without the fat. This beverage can take time to get used to, but one you have gone skim, you never go fat again.

Enjoy these health foods for weight loss, and you can soon find yourself in the best swimsuit shape you have ever been in. It is important to remember that even though these are healthy foods, they should not be eaten in excess. Always practice portion control to lose weight. Eat all the above foods in moderation and always remember these Healthy Foods for Weight Loss


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Weight Loss Exercise

The Basics of Healthy Detox



It’s easy to distinguish a healthy detox plan from an unhealthy one ? how it feels. And for each detox plan, there’s someone out there whose body will respond in a positive way and someone who will respond to the same plan in a negative way. Everyone’s body and lifestyle is different, so research carefully before you embark on the process.

The basics of a healthy detox plan mainly involve eating healthy foods to produce a healthy outcome. You should have an abundance of energy and never feel hungry. If you’ve been consuming an unhealthy diet, you may experience cravings or withdrawals, but those should pass in a short amount of time.

There are 3, 7 and 21-day detox plans and even 1 day plans, depending on your lifestyle. Some ask you to drink a liquid diet for at least one day and take a laxative to flush out the toxins. For some, this is too drastic — to ease into the plan is a much better option. And always check on your overall health before embracing any severe diet plan.

When you decide upon a healthy detox plan, it’s important that it’s at the right time in your life. You should plan to have as few distractions as possible during the beginning phase, so that means you should time it so that you can slow down, meditate and avoid the triggers (television and stress) that cause you to consume food mindlessly.

Among the basics of a healthy detox plan is to break away from unhealthy foods. You probably already know what they are:

· Alcohol and drugs ? Check with your doctor before you quit taking prescription drugs, but basically ? don’t drink alcohol or take over the counter drugs during the detoxification process.

· Don’t eat unhealthy foods ? Stay away from allergy-promoting foods, those that contain additives and unhealthy fats. Don’t eat meat during the detox plan. It can contain harmful hormones and other additives.

· Dairy and soy products ? Eggs and milk often contain antibiotics, causing digestive problems. Rather than soy, choose nuts and grains to get your protein requirements.

· Processed foods ? Products made with white flour and processed grains can cause an allergic reaction ? and they also contaminate your immune system.

· Don’t use saturated fats or hydrogenated oils in cooking ? Use healthy oils instead, such as olive and sesame oils.

· Avoid drinking carbonated beverages. Instead, drink pure, filtered water ? and plenty of it.

When you’re researching for a healthy detox plan, keep in mind the word, ‘natural.’ If you can’t say that a food is natural, don’t eat it.

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