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Women joke that it is not so difficult to take a man captive as to then feed him in captivity. There is some truth in this joke too. There is an opinion that proper nutrition for men
differs from what is commonly understood as “proper nutrition” with its restrictions and calorie counting. But is it? Is it really necessary to develop a separate menu for men?
Real men eat meat
Have you noticed that there are usually fewer men among vegetarians? Of course, vegetarianism is not just a refusal to eat foods of animal origin, but a whole philosophy, but we won’t go into details. It is more difficult for men to give up meat, and some of them consider meat dishes to be the main thing in their diet. There is not only a cultural subtext to this, dating back to the days of mammoth hunting, but also simple physiology.
Men need complete protein
, and the easiest way to get it is from
meat products
.
Protein is essential for maintaining muscle mass, which men have more than women, and for the production of testosterone
. In order for a man’s body to produce enough male sex hormones, he constantly needs protein. You can get protein from a variety of foods, including products of plant origin, but the protein content in meat products is usually higher.
However, you need to understand that not all meat is equally healthy, and it is better to minimize the share of meat products in the diet. Meat products, of course, contain meat, but in pursuit of profit, manufacturers skimp on ingredients, so they use meat trimmings, fat, animal skins and a whole range of “chemicals” in the form of preservatives, dyes and flavor enhancers. Sausages, dumplings, empanadas and other semi-finished meat products cannot be considered sources of complete protein. As a rule, such products contain too much fat, and this is a direct road to heart and vascular diseases.
lean meat for cooking
: veal, beef, chicken, rabbit, lamb. Not everyone likes boiled meat, and fried food is considered more harmful and high in calories, so it is better to cook meat in the oven or on the grill without adding oil. It is also better to avoid using ready-made sauces; ready-made mayonnaise and ketchup contain too much salt and sugar, but you can prepare homemade sauces from fresh herbs and vegetables to your taste.
For whom are weight gain diets relevant?
As already indicated, for people who have a hereditary predisposition to an asthenic body type, weight gain is mainly interesting from an aesthetic point of view. However, even for thin women there are their own diet options with a suitable amount of calories and a certain type of food offered.
For those who, due to certain mental disorders, cannot gain and maintain a normal level of body weight, diets aimed at gaining weight will help normalize the general condition of the body and the emotional background associated with it. Also, nutrition systems of this type are relevant for people who have undergone major operations or serious illnesses after the end of the primary rehabilitation period.
Separate diet plans are provided for athletes who engage in intense strength training to help build muscle mass.
Milk: to drink or not to drink?
They say that men are big children, and this is true, at least when it comes to milk and dairy products. Men, like children, benefit from drinking whole milk.
and consume
dairy products
, such as cottage cheese.
Cottage cheese contains a lot of calcium
and easily digestible
protein
, so when developing a proper nutrition plan for men, we must not forget about dairy products. Proteins will help with the “building” of muscles, and calcium will take care of bones and joints.
True, not all men older than school age, or even preschool age, are ready to drink milk, eating it with cottage cheese, so you will have to show your imagination and prepare dishes based on milk and dairy products, as well as buy fermented milk products. Look for recipes for cheesecakes, cottage cheese casseroles, dumplings and pies with cottage cheese. Just don't add too much sugar to your meals, it adds unnecessary calories.
Foods to Focus on When Gaining Muscle
When dieting for weight gain for men, it is important to eat the right foods in the right quantities that provide the muscles with the nutrients they need to recover from workouts and grow.
- Fitness Products for gaining muscle mass: list of the best
Here is a list of the best options.
Meat, poultry and fish
Sirloin steak, ground beef, pork tenderloin, venison, chicken breast, salmon, tilapia and cod.
Dairy
Yogurt, cottage cheese, low-fat milk and cheese.
Cereals
Quinoa, whole grain bread, oatmeal, cereal, crackers, popcorn and rice.
Fruits
Oranges, apples, bananas, grapes, pears, peaches, watermelons and berries.
Starchy vegetables
Potatoes, corn, green peas, green lima beans and cassava.
Vegetables
Broccoli, spinach, leafy greens, tomatoes, green beans, cucumber, zucchini, asparagus, peppers and mushrooms.
Seeds and nuts
Almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, chia and flax seeds.
Beans and legumes
Chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, black beans and pinto beans.
Oils
Olive oil, flaxseed oil and avocado oil.
When you want something sweet
If women sometimes eat up stress and suffering with sweets and cakes, then men can consume tons of sweets for no particular reason, they just have a sweet tooth for the most part and do not try to deny the obvious. However, sugar in large quantities is just as harmful to the male body as it is to the female. If we return to the issue of calories consumed, the required daily calorie intake for men is 800-1000 kcal higher
than for women, but this does not mean that you need to “catch up” with sugar.
Excess sugar in the body can lead to abdominal obesity
, increased blood cholesterol and blood pressure, and decreased insulin sensitivity.
If you want something sweet, it’s better to choose natural sweets.
: marshmallows, candied fruits, dried fruits or fresh fruits. Natural sugar is healthier than what is used in confectionery production, but if you still cannot deny yourself your favorite cake, then try eating in smaller portions and starting dessert only after the main meal.
Common causes of underweight
Doctors note that underweight may be a symptom of more serious diseases or a feature of the human body associated with the functioning of various systems in the body, for example, the gastrointestinal tract. That is why the first stage in the struggle to gain kilograms should be a trip to the doctor and a health examination.
Content:
- Common causes of underweight
- For whom are weight gain diets relevant?
- Nuances and features of dieting
- Diet: allowed foods, prohibited foods
- Sample menus for weight gain
Genetic predisposition is a factor that is not easy to combat - if close relatives in two or three generations have an asthenic physique, there is a certain probability of a thin physique in the next generations. This rule does not always work and is not a guarantee of a slim figure in the case of, for example, the presence of diseases that cause the development of obesity. Provided you feel normal and have a good level of ability to work, if everyone in the family is slim and skinny, there is hardly any need to worry. If you still need to gain weight, in order to gain weight, changes in diet and properly selected workouts will help.
If your weight was constantly at the same level, and at one point suddenly “went” down, you need to pay attention to the endocrine system, and especially to indicators of the functioning of the thyroid gland. Hyperfunction of this organ is a disease that must be dealt with by an endocrinologist, and self-medication is unacceptable.
Loss of body weight can be a symptom of such serious health problems as HIV, hepatitis, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.
A separate point of the causes of weight deficiency are disturbances in the functioning of the stomach, pancreas, intestines, liver, and kidneys. For example, pancreatitis causes insufficient breakdown of food, and, as a result, a lack of nutrients from food.
Nervous stress and anxiety can cause a decrease in appetite, which often leads to sudden weight loss. Eating disorders also cause weight fluctuations - from rapid gain to sudden loss of significant amounts of kilograms. Doctors work with these problems, because first of all it is necessary to eliminate the cause of underweight, otherwise no tricks for increasing body weight will help.
Parasites and worms can also contribute to sustainable weight loss. No one is immune from infection by them, so it is necessary periodically, approximately once every six months or a year, to take appropriate tests and take a preventive course of taking medications against parasites.
“Beer belly” does not come from beer
You can often see a picture where a man who previously could boast of “6-pack abs” has acquired a small belly. They say that you can tell a married man from a bachelor by his “beer belly,” but it’s not the stamp in the passport or even the beer that’s to blame.
Fat deposition around the waist is called “ abdominal obesity.
”, and it’s not beer that’s to blame, but sugar, although beer can also play a role.
Abdominal obesity indicates problems with the heart and blood vessels, which can result in a heart attack or stroke. Place your sugar intake under strict control and review your diet. During the day you need to avoid snacks
, especially fast carbohydrates, it is better to eat small portions, and consume slow carbohydrates in the first half of the day. For breakfast, it will be healthier to eat a plate of hot porridge than several sandwiches.
Menu options
Option No. 1
Breakfast
- Curd cheese + vegetables + boiled egg or fried egg.
- Tomato and cucumber salad + bran bread.
- Tea or coffee without sugar.
Snack
- Baked apple.
- Low-fat kefir.
Dinner
- Vegetable soup or borscht in low-fat broth.
- Vegetable salad.
- Tea or juice + marshmallows or oatmeal cookies.
Snack
- Low-fat cottage cheese with cranberries and raisins.
- Apple or orange.
Dinner
- Steamed fish with spices without salt + vegetables.
- Brown rice.
- Tomato and cucumber salad + feta or feta cheese.
Option No. 2
Breakfast
- Vegetable sauté + poached egg.
- Bran crispbread or rice biscuits.
- Tea or coffee without sugar.
Snack
- Plums/apricots/pears. You can have a fruit salad dressed with yogurt or kefir. Sugarless.
- Low-fat yogurt. Sugarless.
Dinner
- Vegetable soup or pickle. With vegetable broth.
- Sauerkraut salad without oil.
- Rose hip decoction.
Snack
- Fruit salad or low-fat cottage cheese.
Dinner
- Steamed shrimp with vegetables or baked chicken fillet with vegetables.
- White rice without oil.
- Caprese salad with mozzarella and olives.
By shuffling the dishes, a similar sports diet menu for men can be used throughout the week. You can replace some foods in this menu, but the fat content should not exceed 20% of the total calories per day.
Useful vitamins and microelements
A pumped up body and defined muscles are good, but a distinctive feature of a man is his reproductive function
. To support the reproductive system, meat and proteins alone are not enough; you need vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids, folic acid, zinc, selenium and another half of the periodic table, which means that the diet must be varied and balanced.
The most useful vitamins are found in vegetables, fruits and herbs, so men need “vitamin salads” no less than women. In addition, vegetables and herbs can benefit any meat dish. Vegetable oils are rich in vitamin E
, which are used as salad dressings, and
vitamin C is found in fresh berries, fruits and vegetables
. To maintain vitamin C levels, it is recommended to eat fresh fruit every day.
Fish in the men's diet
Men should not eat meat alone, this is back to the issue of Omega-3 fatty acids
, they are not nearly as common in products.
You can replenish the body's need for fatty acids by eating more sea fish and seafood
. As a bonus, you can get healthy selenium and zinc from seafood. There is also a share of Omega-3 in nuts, but nuts themselves are a very fatty and high-calorie product, so you should not abuse them.
It will be healthier to bake or grill fish and seafood. Dried squid and dried fish contain much less nutrients, but a lot of salt. This is a good beer snack, not a full meal.
Foods to Avoid When Building Muscle
While some foods will help you build muscle, there are also some that can hinder your progress. These include:
Alcohol
Alcohol can negatively impact your body's ability to build muscle and lose fat, especially if you drink it to excess.
Added sugars
They are high in calories but low in nutrients. Foods high in sugar include candy, cookies, donuts, ice cream, cakes, and sugar-sweetened drinks such as soda and sports drinks.
Deep fried foods
These foods can promote inflammation and, if consumed in excess, lead to various diseases. So avoid or minimize your consumption of foods such as fried fish, french fries, and onion rings and deep-fried chicken strips.
In addition to limiting the foods listed above, you should also avoid certain foods before going to the gym, as they can slow digestion and cause stomach upset during exercise.
These include:
High fat foods
High-fat meats, oily foods and heavy sauces or creams.
High fiber foods
Beans and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli or cauliflower.
Carbonated drinks
Sparkling water or diet soda.
Proper nutrition for men every day
A man's daily diet should be based on the general principles of proper nutrition. It must be balanced, contain the necessary vitamins and microelements, and take into account the needs of the male body. You can use almost everything, the question is “quality and quantity”. Homemade food is healthier than fast food, natural sugar is healthier than granulated sugar, slow carbohydrates are healthier than fast ones, and steamed or baked foods are healthier than fried ones. These are simple rules that will help you make your diet healthier without additional restrictions.
