Calories & Energy Balance

How to Gain Weight in a Healthy Way

October 4, 2022

Whether you are burdened with work or your studies, it can be quite tough to stay healthy. Things can get quite complicated when you have to plan your meals and take care of your nutrition as well. And if not taken care of, you may gain weight or lose weight at extreme levels. And while people are generally aware of overweight issues, people need to know more about underweight issues. Being underweight can have serious implications in the long term leading to a weakened immune system, poor bone health, fertility problems, nutritional deficiencies, and more! Apart from a poor lifestyle, certain medical conditions can be responsible for making you underweight. People try out a lot of different remedies to reach their ideal healthy weight range like working out in the gym and other diet forms hoping that it would help. But, in most cases, they miss out on the right strategy suitable for them and are unable to see results. In this article, we will understand more about the harm of being underweight and how you can gain weight in a healthy way. How to Check if you\’re Underweight? In the current day and age, all of us see the crazy glorification of being skinny on the internet. Thus, it can be hard to determine whether you are skinny with a healthy BMI, or you are dangerously close to being underweight. The most common way used by the majority is to calculate one\’s body mass index or BMI. It is a measure that considers your height and weight and gives out a number through which you can determine if you lie in the healthy weight category or underweight. A BMI range of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered to be a healthy weight range. But if you have a BMI less than 18.5, then it means that you are underweight. If you fall into this category, it\’s time to make changes in your lifestyle for the better. Why you can\’t Gain Weight? If you aren\’t able to gain weight, the chances are that you have already tried stuffing yourself with food. You may have even gone for hours of exercise without seeing any progress. This indicates that there is something you are not doing right. While there are various factors at play, it is your daily calorie intake that will help you with gaining weight. This basically means that without consuming enough calories, you won\’t gain weight no matter what you do. To be more specific, you need to be in a calorie surplus to gain weight in a healthy way. However, there might be a few cases where you are already in a calorie surplus but still cannot gain weight. This can happen due to various other reasons some of which include the following: Factors Affecting your Weight Gain Fast Metabolism: A fast metabolism means that your body burns all consumed calories at a very fast rate. Thus, the current calorie surplus you are in may not be sufficient to gain weight. Intense Physical Activity: Since regular and intense physical activity burns a lot of calories, you may not be eating enough calories for the same. In other words, you might not be in a true calorie surplus and unable to gain weight. Medical Conditions: Certain medical conditions like hyperthyroidism, diabetes, PCOS, and others can affect your appetite and metabolism. And for many people affected by these, it can cause unintentional weight loss. If you have disturbed hormones, that too can affect your weight. Mental Health Issues: In case you are unfamiliar, both your mental health and gut health affect each other due to the gut-brain connection. If you are going through any kind of mental health issues, then it can definitely affect your gut health and metabolism. And hence, it can affect your current weight. Family History: According to recent research, your weight might be affected due to genetic mutation. However, usually, families with a history of a low BMI tend to be underweight because of their common lifestyle habits. Healthy Tips to Gain Weight While there might be multiple reasons for you being underweight, you can still overcome them by making the right lifestyle changes. You simply need to make the right lifestyle changes and essentially get into a healthy calorie surplus. Some of the simple changes that you can make in your lifestyle to gain weight in a healthy way include the following: 1. Calorie-rich Food to Gain Weight Your daily food intake plays the most important role in both weight gain as well as weight loss. When it comes to gaining weight, you can either start eating more or replace your current food meals with other calorie-dense options. Such calorie-rich food meals will allow you to increase your calorie intake without increasing your meal portions. However, it is highly important to make sure that you are also taking care of your nutrition intake for a healthy weight gain. For starters, you can try adding things like dates, nuts, smoothies, full-fat yogurt, eggs, meat, potatoes, and others to your diet. With the right combination of these and other food items, getting into a healthy calorie surplus will be fairly easy. 2. Regular Eating Intervals for Gaining Weight Even with calorie-dense food options, you may have to eat a lot of food. And depending on your calorie surplus food intake, you may have to eat large food portions. Because that is not possible for everyone, you can simply eat at regular intervals instead of eating in large portions. Even if you have a small appetite, managing multiple meals in a day is much easier than eating large portions of food. In other words, try having multiple meals in a day instead of three major meals with extreme portion sizes. 3. Avoid Junk Food for Healthy Weight Gain The other thing to keep in mind is that all calories are not equal. Since you would want to go for a healthy weight gain, choosing calories dense but healthy food

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Best Pre and Post Workout Meals

September 20, 2022

These days, more and more people are becoming more aware of the importance of working out. Hence, everyone is hitting the gym or training at home. However, very few know the importance of pre and post workout meals. Apart from training regularly, taking the right diet is also highly important if you wish to gain muscle mass. And this not only includes your food meals throughout the day but also your pre and post workout meals. Unfortunately, there is a myth widespread among people that one should keep their stomach empty before hitting the gym. But in reality, eating right to get energy and proper nutrition for your workouts is highly crucial. And this is only possible by having the right pre workout and post workout meals. So, if you also work out on an empty stomach, this guide is just for you! We have covered all the important information about pre and post workout meals down below. You can also find their nutrition info, ideal timings, and most importantly, the best pre and post workout meal ideas. What are Pre Workout Meals? So as you can guess by the name, a pre-workout meal is something that you eat before your workout sessions. But is any meal taken before workouts going to be a pre-workout meal? The answer for this is obviously no. In short, pre-workout meals are the ones that offer sufficient energy for exercising without making you bloated or feeling full. However, there is still more to pre-workout meals as you will see later on. To better understand what exactly a pre-workout meal is, you need to consider these two vital points: Nutrition from Pre Workout Meals: While all three macronutrients are equally important, your focus needs to be primarily on carbohydrates when choosing a pre-workout meal. And to be more specific, should go with meals that offer simple carbs instead of complex carbs. By eating simple carbs, your body can get energy much faster than it gets from complex carbs. Because of this same phenomenon, you may have even heard about carbo-loading in the past. It essentially means eating meals with simple carbs to perform your best while working out. Without a proper pre-workout meal, your muscles may run out of energy. This may resulting in feeling fatigued and exhausted while working out. While fats and proteins also provide energy, your top priority should be simple carbs for pre-workout meals. Timing of Pre Workout Meals: Speaking of time, eating your pre workout meals at the right time is also quite important. If you have ever tried a pre-workout meal in the past, then you must know that you should refrain from eating right before exercising. Because if you eat anything right before your workouts, it can make you feel stuffed and even bloated which will certainly affect your performance during workouts. Since even simple carbs take time to break down, a time gap is needed between your meals and workouts. However, a long gap will make you run out of energy by the time you start exercising. Based on these facts, it is recommended to eat your pre-workout meal 30-60 minutes before your workouts. It depends on what you\’re eating and the type of exercises that you do. But most people also eat three primary meals in a day including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Thus, while choosing the timing for your pre-workout meals you need to consider these too. Depending on your workout timings, you can either eat your primary meals as a pre-workout meal. Otherwise, you can eat your pre-workout meal between your primary meals and workout sessions. For most, it is going to be a small meal or snack for a pre-workout meal. Best Pre Workout Meals for Muscle Gain Now that you know the important things to consider while picking a pre-workout meal, choosing one should be fairly easy. But, if you\’re unfamiliar with nutritious meals, then check out these best pre-workout meals for muscle gain: Coffee & Biscuits: Even though it may sound quite simple, the caffeine from coffee and carbs from multigrain or digestive biscuits can give you a good amount of energy for your workouts. Fruit Bowl: In case you want something even simpler as your pre workout meal, then you can go with a simple fruit bowl which will offer you a good amount of carbs, natural sugars, and a wide range of micronutrients. Banana Smoothie: You can also consider this since both banana and milk offer you plenty of energy for your workouts. Peanut Butter Sandwich: A peanut butter sandwich offers more than just carbohydrates. It also contains fats and proteins which makes it an all-rounder pre workout meal. What are Post Workout Meals? By now you must know pretty much everything about pre workout meals. However, to get the best results from your training, eating the right post workout meal is also quite important. As stated above, a pre workout meal is there to help you get the energy needed for workouts. On the other hand, a post workout meal is needed for post workout recovery. Your muscles go through a lot of wear and tear during heavy workouts. And when provided the right nutrition while repairing, the muscles grow bigger than before. This is the phenomenon behind muscle build-up from workouts. So, for this process, your muscles need to restore glycogen, which is the stored energy used during workouts. All this can happen only if you consume the proper nutrients. Thus, it is imperative to take care of your body to speed up your muscle recovery. Coming up, we will dig more into the nutrients you should be focusing on for post workout meals. You will also learn about the ideal timing for your post workout meal to get the best results. Nutrition from Meals: After a workout, the right meal can really make the difference you need in your fitness journey. So, while a balance of every macronutrient is desirable, you need to focus more on the consumption

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White vs Brown Sugar vs Jaggery vs Honey

July 5, 2022

What is the best part of a meal? Most people will agree it to be the dessert! Any sugary dessert that you may have after a meal or as a snack during the day, can be quite satisfying. But more than its taste, sugar has a large number of health effects that we will be discussing here along with the difference between white vs brown sugar vs jaggery vs honey. Sugar happens to be one of the most commonly used ingredients in modern food culture. Many of us start our day with a cup of coffee or tea along with some sugar cubes. Others consume chocolates and other desserts containing sugar after their meals. Moreover, sugar also happens to be a key ingredient of foods and beverages such as ice creams, packed juices, cold drinks, energy drinks, energy bars, etc. In short, all of us consume sugar on a daily basis. While sugar may tempt your taste buds, consuming it in excess can be quite problematic. And because of the health risks associated with sugar, many people have started using other alternatives such as honey and jaggery. People who are diabetic or have cholesterol problems use stevia to balance the sugar portion in their diet. However, choosing the right sweetener for your meals and desserts can be quite confusing since there are various options available out there. Apart from artificial ones, you can find various natural sweeteners like white sugar, brown sugar, jaggery, honey, and others. Thus, today in this article, we will take a look at the differences between white vs brown sugar vs jaggery vs honey. You can learn everything about these sweeteners and their properties down below. What are the Different Types of Sugar? Sugar itself can be classified as white and brown sugar which are explained down below: What is White Sugar? White sugar contains 99.9% sucrose. Also known as table sugar, it is manufactured by processing and refining the natural sugar found in sugar beet or sugar cane. Elements such as moisture, ash, minerals, and compounds that give sugar its color are removed by refining the sugar which makes it colorless. White sugar is considered an empty-calorie food since it only has calories and does not offer any nutrients. As for its calorie content, white sugar contains 390 kcal per 100 grams. What is Brown Sugar? Brown sugar is manufactured by either limiting the refinement process to retain the content of molasses or by mixing refined sugar with additional molasses. In other words, brown sugar is nothing but white sugar which has a higher molasses content. Brown sugar comprises 93.5-96.5% of sucrose and 3.5-6.5% molasses. The content of molasses in this sugar makes it appear brown in color. The higher the molasses content, the darker the color. When compared to table sugar, the calories present in brown sugar are lesser since it contains 375 kcal per 100 grams. Although, unlike white sugar, brown sugar also comprises 11 percent of the daily value of iron along with other nutrients like calcium, potassium, and magnesium in small quantities. What is Jaggery? Those who do not want to consume sugar can rely on jaggery to fulfill their sweet cravings. The production of jaggery is much simpler compared to sugar. It is made by crushing sugarcane to obtain sugarcane juice. After that, the sugarcane juice is heated to produce thick crystals. These crystals are further solidified to offer them the shape of blocks or rolls. Compared to white or brown sugar, jaggery is a slightly healthier alternative. The nutritional value of jaggery is higher than its counterparts, and it comes with some health benefits. Starting with its calorie content, jaggery contains 380 kcal per 100 gram. But unlike sugar, it even has other nutrients like 0.4 grams protein, 11 mg iron, 100-150mg magnesium, and 0.5-2 mg magnesium. While some people use jaggery for home remedies, it can lead to various side effects such as increased blood sugar levels, weight gain, nose bleeding, and indigestion if consumed in excess quantities. White vs Brown Sugar The main difference between white and brown sugar is the content of molasses. When molasses is separated from sugar, it gets refined and becomes white sugar. When molasses is added to the sugar during the manufacturing process, it becomes brown, hence the name. The texture and color of the latter are defined by the quality of molasses and the level of processing. In short, they both have almost the same nutritional value and taste. And the primary difference between these two is their color. Brown Sugar vs Jaggery Although brown sugar and jaggery have the same brown color, there are differences between the two. Manufacturing Differences between Brown Sugar vs Jaggery Brown sugar is made by mixing refined sugar and a controlled amount of molasses. It gives sugar a toffee-like flavor and color. Because of these factors, this sugar is used to make cakes, barbecue sauces, cookie dough, and other food items. On the other hand, jaggery is made using palm sap or sugarcane juice. The juice is heated and reduced into a thick brown paste, after which it is hardened. As it remains unrefined, jaggery has many flavors. The predominant flavor tastes like caramel or fruit along with notes of smoke. Nutritional Value Differences between Brown Sugar vs Jaggery Both brown sugar and jaggery have varied nutritional values. The content of molasses in brown sugar results in small quantities of minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron. Despite this, there are no real benefits of consuming brown sugar as it is nothing but empty calories. On the other hand, jaggery has a slightly higher quantity of iron and essential minerals. The rich content of jaggery makes it a slightly healthier alternative to white and brown sugar. Sweetness Difference between Brown Sugar vs Jaggery The level of sweetness is another point of difference between brown sugar and jaggery. In comparison, brown sugar is sweeter than jaggery. If you want to substitute brown sugar with jaggery,

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Calorie Deficit : Everything You Need To Know

April 2, 2022

Do you get confused about what exactly is a calorie deficit every time someone mentions weight loss and why do you need to be in it to lose weight? Nowadays, calorie deficit diets are trending everywhere but it is still a complex concept to understand. And so, we are here to help you in understanding everything about calorie deficit diets! In this article, you will learn what a calorie deficit is and the different factors that are important to get into a calorie deficit and achieve your dream body. What is a Calorie? To better understand calorie deficit and calorie deficit diets, you must first be familiar with the term calorie. Every cell of your body requires energy in order to perform its functions effectively. Hence, a calorie is a unit that is there to measure energy. To be more exact, a calorie is defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water from 0 to 1 degree Celsius. For example, 1 gram of carbohydrate is equal to 4 calories. Every food item has some calories but the difference is whether it has any nutritional value or not. The calories present in junk food are empty calories because they do not contain any nutritional value. What is Calorie Deficit? If you are on a weight loss or fat loss journey, then you would have certainly heard about a calorie deficit diet. When you consume fewer calories than your body burns during the whole day, it\’s called being in a calorie deficit. Creating a calorie deficit helps in aiding weight loss, hence it is a crucial thing to do if you want to lose weight or fat. For example, if your daily calorie requirement is 2000 Kcal where you consume1800 Kcal a day depending on your goals. Doing this will create a deficit of 200 Kcal. Now, in order to dig deeper into this topic, you will have to be familiar with the concept of TDEE. TDEE TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. As the name suggests, it is the total energy you need to consume in terms of calories from food to perform your daily bodily functions. This includes body functions such as breathing, digestion, and others even while being at rest. TDEE also considers the extra activity you perform throughout the day. It includes physical activity like exercising, walking, daily chores, and more. To better understand TDEE, let’s look at the different components required to calculate it. BMR: It stands for Basal Metabolic Rate. It is the rate at which your body burns calories to keep the body functioning at rest. It accounts for about 60-70% of the daily calories burned. TEF: It stands for Thermic Effect of Food. It is the energy which is there to digest and process different macronutrients in your diet. TEF can vary from person to person based on the amount of macronutrients consumed. While TEF is different for different macronutrients, the most common estimate for TEF is around 10% of your total calorie intake. TEA: It stands for Thermic Effect of Activity. It is the measure of how many calories you will burn during your training and workouts, or any other extra physical activity that you do on a daily basis. How to Calculate Calorie Deficit? When you calculate your calorie deficit, you have to first calculate your TDEE which includes multiple components. And then, you can create a deficit according to how much you think should be the ideal deficit according to your goals. It\’s better not to go above a deficit of 25-30% generally in order to stay in a healthy deficit. Let’s have a look at the formulas that can be used to calculate the BMR, TEF, TEA, and finally TDEE. BMR For Men: BMR = 10*weight (Kg) + 6.25*height (cm) – 5*age (years) + 5 For Women: BMR = 10*weight (Kg) + 6.25*height (cm) – 5*age (years) – 161 TEF As explained earlier, it is around 10% of your total calorie intake. TEA The thermic effect of activity depends on the intensity of training you are involved in. So, the formulas are also modified according to the different levels of activities: Sedentary: if you have little or no exercise may be because of a desk job, then TEA=BMR*1.2 Lightly Active: Light exercise or playing sports 1-3 days per week, then TEA=BMR*1.375 Moderately Active: Moderate exercise or playing sports 3-5 days per week, then TEA=BMR*1.55 Very Active: Intense exercise or playing sports 6-7 days per week, then TEA=BMR*1.725 Extra Active: Highly intense exercise, training twice a day, playing sports, or having a physical job daily, then TEA=BMR*1.9 TDEE After using all of the above formulas you are ready to calculate your TDEE, which is as follows: TDEE = BMR + TEF + TEA This is the formula used to determine a person’s daily energy expenditure and a calorie deficit can be created using this. Although, these are not the only things a nutrition coach keeps in mind while devising a plan. They take many more factors into account while planning your meals in a way that you get proper nutrition while having fewer calories. Factors Affecting Calorie Requirement By now, you would have guessed that there is no \”one size fits all\” criteria for a calorie deficit. You can’t go into the same deficit as someone else because everyone has different bodies. As for the factors that can affect a person’s calorie requirement, you need to consider the following to calculate a calorie deficit: Age: As a person’s age increases, their calorie requirement decreases. Sex: Males naturally have a higher calorie requirement than females. Hence, their deficits are different. Height: Height has a direct impact on a person\’s BMR, and the higher the BMR, the higher is the calorie requirement. Thus, it is an important factor while creating a deficit. Weight: Similar to a person\’s height, their weight is also a direct factor of BMR. Hence, it also affects a person’s calorie requirement. Metabolism:

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How to Gain Weight in a Healthy Way

Best Pre and Post Workout Meals

White vs Brown Sugar vs Jaggery vs Honey

Calorie Deficit : Everything You Need To Know

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