Who’s sexier – Jennifer Lopez or Olive Oyl from the old Popeye cartoons? Most people would emphatically reply, “J-Lo!” Some of us are naturally endomorphs, and have difficulty losing weight. At the other end of the spectrum are ectomorphs, who are thin and actually have trouble gaining weight. Being skinny can be emotionally difficult. That may be hard to believe, especially for women, given our current “thin-is-in” culture of beauty. Others who may want to gain weight include body builders and those who are overcoming eating disorders.

The idea behind gaining weight is not to become obese of course – so fast food is definitely out of the question. That’s because obesity is accompanied by serious health risks such as heart disease and diabetes. Rather, people who want to gain weight need healthy high-calorie foods for weight gain. The healthy way to gain weight naturally is with high-protein foods – which will also build attractive, lean muscle.

The three primary nutrients for the human body are protein, which supplies amino acids; fats, which supply fatty acids; and carbohydrates, which supply glucose. These three primary nutrients are also the foods to gain weight with! Here’s a snapshot of how to optimize your diet with healthy high-calorie foods for weight gain.

Protein should be the building block of every meal and snack. Protein builds lean muscle. This does not mean fast-food burgers! Be sure that your protein sources are lean: chicken, fish, or vegetarian alternatives such as beans and tofu. Red meat and dairy products are not generally recommended because they’re high in saturated fat. However, there are healthy ways to eat red meat and dairy products, which we’ll discuss shortly. Your serving of protein should be the largest portion on your plate. Lean protein snacks include hummus, nuts, low-fat cheese and yogurt.

Enjoy hearty whole-grain carbohydrates. This does not mean white, highly processed carbs such as potato chips, white bread and bagels! Think brown. Whole-grain carbs include items such as multi-grain crackers, whole wheat bread and basmati rice. People who are watching their weight avoid highly processed carbs and reduce their intake of whole-grain carbs to one or two servings per day. Since your goal is to gain weight, feel free to eat whole-grain carbohydrates with every meal. Seven-grain crackers dipped in hummus makes a hearty snack!

Eat at least five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day. You can boost your serving intake by also drinking 100 percent natural fruit juices. Also, be sure to add a fruit or vegetable to every meal. We could change that old saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” to “Five servings a day keeps sickness at bay!”

Enjoy healthy fats. Fats encourage nutrient absorption, facilitate nerve transmission, and maintain cell integrity. This does not mean eating greasy french fries! Not all fats are created equal. There are good fats and bad fats. The good guys are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats lower LDL, or bad, cholesterol and they also increase HDL, or good cholesterol. Tasty examples are nut, canola and olive oils. Polyunsaturated fats lower LDL and total cholesterol, too. Those healthy omega 3 fatty acids that you’re always hearing about are polyunsaturated fats. Salmon, fish oil, and corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils are high in polyunsaturated fats. Dip your whole-grain bread from a local baker in gourmet olive oil! Make a big, creamy batch of guacamole from hearty avocados–throw in some chunks of tomato and onion. These are delicious, healthy, high-calorie foods for weight gain! Avoid bad fats, as they instigate heart disease and certain types of cancer. The bad guys are saturated fats and trans fats. Saturated fats raise LDL and total cholesterol; they’re found primarily in animal products, including meat, dairy and eggs. Trans fats come from hydrogenated oils. Scientists whip hydrogen into any type of oil, even originally healthy oils, to give processed foods a longer shelf life and a creamier “mouth feel.” French fries and buns, stick margarine, vegetable shortening and countless packaged foods contain partially hydrogenated oils. Read the labels, and avoid them.

If you’re going to eat animal products occasionally, protect your health by doing it the right way. If you want to enjoy some red meat and dairy products as part of your healthy plan to gain weight, here are some tricks to keep bad fats in check. Opt for meat and dairy products that come from grass-fed animals, preferably from local small family farmers in your area. Now, organic and grass-fed meat is available at most supermarkets. Not only are these products vastly superior in flavor, but also contain more good fats, especially omega 3 fatty acids, than bad fats. They also have conjugated lineolic acid, and are high in beta-carotene. These nutrients plummet in ordinary mass-produced meat and dairy products, because the animals are fed corn, which is less expensive and makes animals larger. You might also be shocked to learn that the animals are often fed truckloads of stale or ruined junk food such as snack cakes from bakery outlets because it’s so cheap.

Another method you can use to supplement healthy foods to gain weight is by focusing on anaerobic exercise rather than aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise is moderate activity performed over an extended period of time, such as running and bicycling. Aerobic exercise burns fat. However, if you’re trying to gain weight, retain a little fat to sculpt into lean, attractive muscle, and turn to anaerobic exercise. Anaerobic exercise is high-intensity with short bursts of action, such as weight lifting, sprinting and jumping. Weight lifting is the perfect anaerobic exercise for someone who’s trying to gain weight. Body builders use this type of anaerobic exercise to build muscle mass, and non-endurance sports athletes use it to build power. Weightlifting creates a hard body for men that women love, and it sculpts those curves on women that men appreciate! Once you attain your desired weight, you can supplement anaerobic exercise with aerobic exercise for overall cardiovascular health.

In addition to these diet tips, you can supplement your healthy diet with protein supplements. It is often difficult to eat enough protein each day, so supplementing with a soy or whey protein shake can help increase overall intake. Everyone who is too skinny wants to gain weight, look great, and build strength. Take the next step today, and enjoy the benefits of a fit, healthy body.

If you have been asking yourself about what type of foods to lower cholesterol levels should you consume on a daily basis, I can only assume that you are taking your health very seriously. So here is the good news. There is no need to travel to the jungles of Borneo to seek out a certain, exotic food to eat for high cholesterol. Every list of foods that help to lower cholesterol can be found at your local mart.

Cholesterol reducing diets does not mean liquid diets. You can be assured that there are actually numerous choices of food to eat for high cholesterol. But it is helpful to remember that a daily consumption of cholesterol is usually recommended at or below 100 milligrams per day.

Quite obviously, it is a cumbersome task to keep track of the amount of cholesterol consumed per day, so, here is a handy tip – cholesterol is found in products of animal origin. Knowing this, you can roughly gauge the type of foods that lower your cholesterol (Nutritionists recommend writing down and keeping track of your daily intake of calories, cholesterol, etc.).

Foods to lower cholesterol – Meat, Rice, Vegetables and Potatoes

As alluded to earlier, going on a cholesterol reducing diet does not mean starving yourself of the good stuff. Take meat for example. Though cholesterol is found in products of animal origin, this does not mean you have to become a vegetarian. You can reduce cholesterol levels simply by removing the fats from meat, throwing in a couple of vegetables and stir-fry them.

“But, isn’t oil bad for my cholesterol,” you ask? Not vegetable oils like, canola, safflower and olive oils. But, a better alternative would be cooking sprays. You can save on fats and calories with such sprays. It would be a good idea to use cooking sprays instead of oils and they do come in a variety of flavors as well.

Rice and potatoes go great with that meat and vegetable dish but why don’t you substitute white rice for brown rice? Brown rice contains more nutrients. And try yams or sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes for better nutritional value as well. While you are at it, keep an eye out on your portion size. If you really want your food to help lower cholesterol, then monitor your intake of food per serving. You can be guilty of eating too much of the right foods.

Keep consumption of red meat like beef, to about once a week. Make it a habit to eat more fish, or even shellfish. You would have probably heard that shellfish is high in cholesterol but in fact, shellfish are far less rich in cholesterol and contains less fat than red meat. Chicken makes for a good addition to foods that reduce cholesterol too (just remove the skin and fats).

When you are removing saturated fat from your diet, you are not just lowering your bad cholesterol, but you are also reducing your risk of getting diabetes, digestive disorders and even certain kinds of cancer.

Foods to lower cholesterol – Soup

So many folks underestimate the power of soup when it comes to health. Soup should really be added to the list of foods that help to lower cholesterol. It is a great example of moderating your food portions as soup is usually taken with a spoon (unless you are from certain parts of Asia where drinking soup from a bowl is a sign of respect). Minestrone soup is a good way to go. Be creative with what you add to it. You can make soup a main meal by taking it with wholegrain bread.

And when it comes to vegetables, there is no shortage of variety. Nutritionists usually recommend eating vegetables of a different variety as often as possible to extract the best possible nutritional value from them. So, look up on all the different kinds of vegetables available and add them to your list of foods. If you are ever stuck on what kind of food to eat to lower cholesterol, you will never go wrong with vegetables.

Foods to lower cholesterol – Sandwiches and Salads

Who can resist a tuna or chicken sandwich? Almost everybody loves a good sandwich and it is another fantastic addition to – food to eat for high cholesterol. What will make a good sandwich even better for health is to lay that tuna or chicken in whole grain bread. Replace regular mayonnaise with low-fat mayonnaise. Sandwiches are ideal for a low-fat meal and it is so quick and easy to make. Do not overlook its simplicity. You can create a great-tasting cholesterol reducing sandwich in as little as five minutes for all the nutritional value you can get for a day.

Salads are another fantastic addition to your diet, but you should keep in mind that regular dressing and croutons are high in fat and calories. Go for the low-fat options to reap the benefits of a salad dish. Again, add a variety of vegetables with chicken or fish. Like soups, salads can be made into a main dish.

Food to eat for high cholesterol – Fibrous Food

Here is something else to think about – recent studies have shown that we need to consume at least 35 grams of fiber a day to reduce the risk of suffering from heart disease. This proves you need to consume fiber found in certain types of foods – to reduce bad cholesterol. There are so many benefits you reap from a fiber-rich diet that it is impossible to list all of them here. But, know that grabbing an apple instead of a bag of chips is a very wise choice for someone trying to eat to lower cholesterol!

How you can get more fiber into your day

• Start your day off with whole-grain cereal topped with bananas, raisins and berries.
• Fit more vegetables into your main meals as mentioned earlier. But to gain more fiber out of vegetables, try eating them raw, microwave or steaming vegetables instead of frying them.
• Instead of juicing fruits, eat them as they are with the skin on where possible. You are extracting every bit of fiber from fruits this way. Snack on fruits instead of the usual chemically laden products. This is a great way to curb your appetite and lose weight at the same time because fiber-rich foods, such as fruits are more filling than other types of food.
• Throw in beans where you can – like into soups, salads and stews.

A powerful natural source to reduce cholesterol – Garlic

Such a common spice but yet one of the most powerful natural medicines for lowering cholesterol could already be lying about in your kitchen. Studies have been proven to show that garlic has the properties to ease the damaging effects of cholesterol on your artery walls, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, stop the growth of cancer cells, fight infections and prevent heart attacks. Add to that, garlic has been proven to stop the heart from aging.

Garlic is such a powerful source of medication for lowering cholesterol and maintaining a healthy heart that it would be silly not to include this common yet wonderful spice to your daily diet. Work garlic into soups, pastas, stews whole-wheat French bread, vegetables, etc. Sometimes the most common types of food are the best types of cure.

While people roam the world looking for the “quick fix” or the “magic bullet” for combating aging, many fail to realize that the most important ingredient is one that is in our lives multiple times per day: our diet. What you eat is an incredibly important factor for fighting the physical effects of aging. A healthy, balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants will keep your internal body healthy and will also help to promote healthy, clear skin that will return a more youthful look into your life.

Aging is not only skin deep, rather it affects the whole body. Memory loss, organ problems, decreased brain function, bone and cardiovascular disease, etc., are all compliments of the aging process. When planning out your personal anti-aging process you will obviously want to address all of these issues. Thankfully, your diet is the best way to fight all aspects of aging at once.

While planning out your own anti-aging diet, be sure to target fruits, vegetables, green tea, and other foods that are high in vitamins and anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants are arguably the most important key for the anti-aging process. Not only do these amazing little parts of our body gobble up unhealthy free radicals in our system, they also help to clear the skin by fighting wrinkles and preventing excess oil buildup that can damage the skin.

Other important vitamins to include in your diet are the vitamins A, B, C, E, and K. All of these vitamins are extremely important in relation to the health of your skin, and therefore the anti-aging process. Researches from dermatologists have proven that each of these vitamins is necessary for healthy skin, so be sure to include healthy amounts of each in your dieting plan.

Next time you are in the doctor’s office or speaking with a dermatologist, speak with them about your desire to eat a healthier diet and what foods would be good for maintaining a healthy body and healthy skin. They can make great recommendations for your personal diet to help get you on the right track.

Combining a healthy diet with anti-aging creams such as anti-aging face cream is the best way to fight aging in your life. Anti-aging creams are safe and effective ways for helping to heal and keep your skin healthy and youthful.

Quite a few of our favorite snacks are sweet: chocolate bars, muffins, donuts and many more. They safe our life when we need energy quickly, and they just make us feel good. But an increasing number of people is affected by conditions like diabetes and overweight and therefore need to drastically cut down on sugar.

“A life without sugar – that’s impossible!” you may say. I also thought so. Until I gave this problem a serious thought and did some research. In fact, in our days it’s quite easy to live without sugar and still enjoy the greatness of sweet food. There are plenty of natural sweeteners on the market, most fruits are available during the whole year, either fresh, canned or deep-frozen, and you can find uncountable sugar-reduced or sugar-free recipes.

Here are some healthy snack ideas that can do without sugar added and still are indulgingly sweet:

Snack #1: Fitness Muffins
1. Mix 170 g flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl.
2. In a second bowl, beat 2 eggs, 50 ml vegetable oil, 75 ml low-fat milk and 50 g honey until smooth. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix well.
3. Add 180 g chopped apple, 150 g grated carrot, 1 tablespoon fine coconut, 40 g raisins and 20 g chopped almonds and mix well.
4. Set 12 paper moulds into a muffin pan and fill them to 3/4 with dough.
5. Bake the muffins in the preheated oven on 180°C for about 25 minutes. Afterwards, allow them to stand in the pan for 5 minutes before taking them out.

I love these muffins for two reasons: Firstly, they are easy and quite quick to make. And secondly, you can keep them in a closed container in the fridge for quite some time. I once forgot about some muffins, and after a month they still tasted as juicy as when I just made them.

Snack #2: Fruity Yoghurt With Almonds
Mix 125 g plain low-fat yoghurt with a handful of blueberries or quartered strawberries and a tablespoon of almond flakes. You may want to add a bit of cinnamon to make it more special.

Snack #3: Fruit Salad With Nuts And Mint
Cut a small apple into bite-size pieces and a small banana in thick slices. Cut a handful of seedless grapes in half. Chop 2 tablespoons of walnuts. Add 2 heaped tablespoons of oats and mix all the ingredients well. Create some exotic flavor with fresh or dried mint.

Snack #4: Banana Pineapple Shake
Cut a small banana in thin slices and blend it in your blender together with 125 ml of low-fat milk and 125 ml pineapple juice (100% fruit juice, unsweetened). It’s heavenly sweet and gives great energy too.

Snack #5: Banana And Oat Biscuits
1. Mash 2 ripe bananas until smooth. Add 1/3 cup unsweetened peanut butter, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons low-fat milk, 2 tablespoons honey (only if you need to sweeten it, otherwise you can leave it), 2 ½ cups rolled oatmeal and 1/4 cup flour and mix well.
2. Cover a baking tray with baking paper, place teaspoons of the dough on it and bake the biscuits for 10-15 minutes in the preheated oven at 350°C.

All of these snack ideas have no sugar added. Their sweetness comes either from honey or the fruit sugar. Both of these do way less damage to your body as plain sugar would, so you don’t have to feel bad at all enjoying these sweet snacks, even if you want to lose weight. And the great thing about using fruit as a sweetener is that you also get plenty of important vitamins. You see, it’s pretty easy to enjoy sweetness without sugar!

Eating healthy can be very simple if you have a good game plan, the desire to look and feel good, and a good blender! With the right amount of protein and essential nutrients, a simple shake from the blender can fill you up and keep you energized the entire day. Here are some of my favorite health-conscious ways to use the blender:

1. BlueNana – Blueberry, banana, flaxseed, plain fat-free yogurt. Don’t add any preservatives, sugars, or anything else that can turn this healthy masterpiece into a fast-food, preservative-laden beverage. When this one hits your lips, you will see exactly how delicious a healthy treat can be. Say goodbye to candy bars and high-sugar protein bars- say hello to natural fruits and healthy choices!

2. Sweet Tooth- vanilla extract, peanut butter, flaxseed, plain fat-free yogurt. Even a sweet-tooth temptation can get away with a healthy blender recipe! Be sure to use low-fat peanut butter, and just a few drops of vanilla extract. The flaxseed and fat free yogurt are both icing on the cake for this sweet yet healthy blender treat.

3. Healthy Protein Blast – Strawberry, blueberry, granola, flaxseed, plain fat-free yogurt, whey protein. For those who workout intensely, lack sufficient protein from eating meats and fishes, or those who need an added spike to their day- the protein blast is a great way to get YOURS! Feel free to add or subtract fruits, but this particular combination seems to mesh together nicely.

Flaxseed, the new wonder-food is high in Omega-3, known as the good fats. It has been known to lower cholesterol, fight heart disease, and even help prevent breast cancer. Read more on WebMd about the true powers of Flaxseed: www.webmd.com/diet/features/benefits-of-flaxseed.

When you think of losing weight, does the image of choking down raw carrots and celery followed by a tall glass of water come to mind?

Dieting does not have to be this way. You can create and follow an easy diet plan that is suited to your needs. You do not want to starve yourself, and risk losing your focus in everyday life.

An easy diet plan can consist of many different types of food. The trick is to eat them in moderation. You cannot gorge yourself on fried food and still achieve the weight loss goals you have set for yourself.

The success of any easy diet plan relies on your determination. Setting weight loss goals is good, but if you set your goals too high, and cannot attain them, you will ultimately fail.

Medical experts believe that no matter the type of food that you eat, you need to take your time in eating it. This gives your body the time it needs to recognize when your stomach is full. Often, using this easy diet plan method will have you leaving the table with food still on your plate.

A lot of people who are overweight do not plan their meals. They pick up dinner on their way home either at a fast food place or a convenience store. This leads to poor dietary habits and ultimately weight gain.

Planning your menu for the week and then shopping for it is an easy diet plan method that will not only help you lose weight, you will also feel healthier.

You have heard all of your life, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”- it really is. When you eat breakfast, metabolic rate is kicked into high gear for the rest of the day. Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast everyday achieve and sustain their weight loss goals more often than those who do not eat breakfast.

Consulting your physician with your weight loss concerns will alleviate any stress you may feel about starting a weight loss routine.