Eating To Gain Mass

This is usually the forgotten element of most mass programs. Food. The truth is, no one will gain muscle without food. It seems so simple and basic, yet most don't get enough of it to build muscle.

Dieting for muscle gain is simply a matter of eating. You must eat more calories than your body burns off. Now, when I say eat, I do not mean just anything. All calories are not created equal. In other words, some types of calories are not equal to others for gaining muscle. For example, if I said that you need to eat 2,000 calories per day to gain weight, and you eat 4 bags of potato chips each day, do you think you would gain muscle? Not likely.

The majority of your weight would be fat. Why? Because potato chips, like most processed junk food, contains empty, totally nutritionless calories. These foods do not provide you with the correct nutrient breakdown essential for gaining muscle.

High quality protein, which the body breaks down into amino acids, should be the center point of all your meals. Intense exercise increases demand for amino acids, which support muscle repair and growth. When you train with weights, you should eat a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. So, for example, if you weight 100 lbs., you should be eating at least 100 grams of protein per day. You also must have protein at every meal.

To enable your body to actually assimilate and use the all the calories you will ingest, you have to reduce your meal size and increase your meal frequency. Splitting your calories into smaller, more frequent portions will enable food absorption and utilization of nutrients . I always eat six meals each day, evenly spaced out at three-hour intervals. My goal is to provide my body with constant nourishment throughout the day.

You don't have to have carbs or fat at every meal, but you must have protein. When I say protein, I am referring to high quality protein derived from animal sources. Soy protein, tofu and bean curd have their place, but for getting bigger and stronger, the only protein you need to be concerned with are those found in whey, casein (cottage cheese), eggs, beef, poultry, and fish.

High Protein Foods

Whey protein
Eggs
Egg whites
Chicken breasts
Turkey Breasts
Lean Beef
Fish (tuna, salmon)
Protein bar
Soy protein Isolate

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High Carbohydrate Foods

Potatoes (baked, fries, hash browns)
Sweet Potatoes, yams
Oatmeal, cream of wheat, cream of rice rice
Beans
Any green leafy vegetable
Bread
Pasta
All cereals (hot or cold)

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Healthy Fats

Olive oil
Sunflower oil
Safflower oil
Flaxseed oil
Walnuts
Avocados

Eating to Ease Arthritis Pain

Do aches and pains have you out of joint? Concerns culminating in the withdrawal of several selective Cox-2 inhibitors, like Vioxx, have many arthritis sufferers turning to the supplement aisle in search of relief.

Could diet and exercise provide more reliable solutions? Here's a roundup of recent research into those foods that help support healthy joints:

* Pineapple: Bromelain is an enzyme that can help ease joint pain and relieve muscle soreness. Scientists at the Dole Nutrition Institute found that fresh or frozen pineapple has as much, if not more, bromelain activity than supplements. Pineapples also provide an excellent source of vitamin C, which helps promote collagen formation and improve iron absorption, and manganese, which supports metabolism and bone density.

* Cherries: a top source of anthocyanins that reduce inflammation and may protect against gout (an inflammatory form of arthritis). One study found that cherry consumption lowered blood levels of uric acid, which can accumulate in joints, causing pain.

* Broccoli: Cruciferous veggies such as broccoli contain sulphoraphane, which triggers the body's own antioxidant defenses. New research suggests this process may help block effects of Cox-2 enzymes on inflammation. Broccoli sprouts are one of the most potent sources of these compounds, which you'll also find in cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts.

* Red bell peppers: Just one contains more than 470 percent of your daily vitamin C needs (yellow peppers contain 450 percent and green peppers contain 190 percent). According to a Boston University study, people getting under 150 milligrams daily of vitamin C had faster cartilage breakdown. Other top sources of vitamin C are citrus fruit, pineapple, kiwi, cantaloupe, papaya, strawberries, tomatoes, kale, collard greens and sweet potatoes.

* Black cod: Move over, salmon! Black cod has even higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which may help rheumatoid arthritis by reducing inflammation. Flounder, halibut and sardines also contain this healthy fat, as do flaxseed oil, pecans, walnuts, tofu and leafy green vegetables.

* Button mushrooms: an unexpected source of vitamin D, adequate levels of which decrease vulnerability to arthritis pain. Sunshine enables your body to produce vitamin D; other sources include oysters, sardines and fortified non-fat dairy.

* Kale: one of the healthier sources of calcium, which helps hold the line against osteoarthritis by slowing bone loss. Be adventurous - try collard greens, arugula, soy and beans in addition to some of the better-known calcium sources.

* Tea: Green and black tea contain flavonoids, antioxidant compounds that may block the production of prostaglandins, which cause inflammation and pain.

While the foods cited above have compounds with targeted joint health benefits, Harvard research found a more general link between high fruit and vegetable consumption and lower risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

What to limit? Red meat. British researchers found that too much red meat increased the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Those who ate the most red meat were twice as likely to develop the condition than those who limited their intake to less than 1 ounce per day.

Eating less meat and more fruit and vegetables also helps maintain a healthy weight - an important facet of managing joint pain. If you're among the majority of Americans who are either obese or overweight, slimming down can significantly slow progression of joint degeneration and ease pain. In fact, you can reduce knee stress by 40 to 80 pounds with a mere 10-pound weight loss.

Eating the Right Way

When you think about weight loss, what do you think of first? Which aspects of weight loss are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.

 Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there's more to weight loss than you may have first thought.

It probably comes to you as naturally as breathing—the art of eating.  However, you might never have been taught to eat well.  This is critically important because, unless you learn to eat well, you may never master the art of dieting.  In our society, certain inappropriate eating habits have become routine.  By attacking these habits, you can increase the likelihood that you will actually lose weight.

         To begin with, it is important that you learn to eat slowly.  At first, this might be quite a challenge.  We have been conditioned to live in a fast food world.  We rush meals in order to have time to run to soccer practice, to a piano recital, or to school and work.  We think that rushing saves us time—but such a routine can easily backfire, leaving us with unwanted pounds.  Studies have shown that at least 10 minutes is required before the brain receives the message that the stomach is full.  This means that you could be eating long after you are actually satiated.  Your meal—whether it’s in the morning, afternoon, or evening—should last at least ten minutes.  Train yourself to lengthen your meal by engaging in conversation, resting your fork between courses, chewing slowly, and drinking plenty of water between courses.  You should also wait at least ten minutes after your main meal before deciding if you need dessert.  Within that period of time, you may discover that you weren’t really hungry after all.

          Another trick is to place serving dishes on the counter and leave them there.  As a result, you’ll actually have to get up out of your seat in order to get more food.  You may decide that it’s not worth the bother.  Or you may find that you discover that you need no more food between courses.  Also, do not eat directly from an ice cream carton, tortilla chip bag, or cracker box.  Otherwise, you could find yourself easily overeating.

       You should always eat at the table.  This prevents you from trying to engage in multi-tasking, such as surfing the ‘Net, watching television, or flipping through magazines while you eat.  At the table, you’ll be forced to concentrate on how much food you are putting into your mouth.  If you eat anywhere else, you may lose track of how much food you’re consuming.

        Abandon the idea that you must clean your plate.  It is simply not true.  Research has shown that more than half of adults insist on cleaning their plates, even when they are already full.  This means that you are overeating simply out of politeness.  Such a habit only serves to add unwanted pounds.  Instead of cleaning your plate, try eating only that portion of food that makes you feel full.  You’ll be healthier and happier that way.

        Do not keep food in plain view during the day.  If the cookie jar is open or the pretzel bag is out on the table, you’ll have a tremendous urge to eat, even if you are not hungry.  After a meal, put your food away in the refrigerator, inside your cupboard, or in the Lazy Susan.  This way, you’ll actually have to do some work to get at food before you consume it.

         If you happen to overeat, don’t spend a great deal of time sulking.  Accept your mistake and move on.  If you’ve veered off course, take corrective action and forget about it.  Otherwise, you could find yourself eating out of frustration, or going off your diet entirely.  It’s better to sabotage a single meal than a lifetime’s worth of meals.

        You may be self-conscious at first as you attempt to change your eating habits.  Realize that your bad habits did not start overnight, so it will take some time to correct them.  While it may seem an arduous task initially, it is well worth the effort.  You’ll quickly find that your new eating habits have helped you to lose unwanted weight.  Granted, such techniques as hiding your food and eating more slowly will not in themselves cause you to lose weight, but they will help you to curb your overeating over the long run.  And you’ll be a better person for it.

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.