How you can GAIN weight the healthy way

Dr Raju AT of Healthcaremagic.com tells you the healthy way to put on weight

If your body mass index is less than 18.5, you are underweight. To gain weight you need to consume more calories every day from healthy foods and choose the right type of exercise.

What to do to gain weight:

To gain weight you need to consume more calories every day from healthy foods and choose the right type of exercise. Underweight can occur due to eating disorders, chronic diseases. Underweight individuals are more prone for heart failures, osteoporosis, fertility problems, and cancers.

What to eat to gain weight:

• Eat high calorie, high protein diet. Do not increase the intake of junk foods and greasy foods, this will contain unhealthy fats.
• Eat healthy fats like omega-3 essential fatty acids sources like salmon, walnuts.
• Eat good protein rich foods like lean meats, fish, poultry, egg white nuts, seeds, pulses and legumes.
• Eat healthy carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• Eat five to six small balanced meals per day rather than eating three large meals.
• Protein powder and nutritional supplement drinks can be added.
• You can mix the protein powder to the milk or can be blended with juices to improve the taste.
• Snack a lot: Consume a lot of high-calorie snacks (not junk foods) such as cheese sticks, milk shakes, muffins, dried fruits, yoghurts.
• Drink a lot of fluids that supply nutrients and calories like milk, fresh fruit juice and energy drinks.
• Eat starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn more often.
• Take dark chocolates. Dark chocolates have antioxidants.
• Drink at least 2 glasses of milk, replace tea with milk.
• Include finger millet (ragi) in the diet, it is very rich source of iron, calcium.
• Have eggs for breakfast. Custard is good for putting on weight.
• Eat bananas and 2 fresh anjeer daily. You can have banana or chickoo milkshakes.
• Keep a record of calorie intake each day. Try to increase calories intake by checking the record and continue to increase calorie intake until you gain weight.
• AVOID caffeine and nicotine.

Exercises are also important for healthy weight gain. Resistance training exercises such as lifting weights will help to increase the muscle size.

Diet to gain weight

• Eat at least these groups of food items.
• Milk group: Milk, cheese, yoghurt, cottage cheese, ice cream.
• Meat group: Meat, fish, poultry, eggs.
• Vegetable group: Dried beans, peas, nuts, potatoes.
• Fruit group: Fruit juices. Fruits like bananas, mango, chickoo.
• Grain group: Cereals, breads, rolls, pasta, pancakes, rice, muffins.