Pants that we would like to fill, curves that we would like to see happen here or there … Succeeding in weight gain is as much a challenge as losing it. How to advantageously increase one’s waist without having an unbalanced or dangerous diet? Elements of answers with the nutritionist Raphaël Perez.
The big responsible metabolism, but not only
Having a high metabolism means that the body burns very quickly all the calories of the food that is consumed. It is also possible that the diet causes this “hyper metabolism”, for example with overconsumption of excitants such as coffee. This is the first hypothesis to explore when you want to gain weight, but it is not the only one.
The second track to study is on the side of the stomach and intestines. If the stomach does not produce enough gastric juices, the food, poorly decomposed, will not be assimilated by the intestine. The intestinal walls are usually responsible for recovering complex nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fatty acids and redistributing them in the body via the blood system. When the intestinal walls are inflamed or irritated, assimilation is not done properly.
What to do if you have a high metabolism?
Divide the meals differently. If the body burns calories quickly, the first step is to eat more often. Without increasing the amount, spreading six small meals over the day will help you gain weight: the body secretes insulin every time you eat. Insulin is a so-called anabolic hormone, that is to say, it puts the body in the construction of new tissue and can therefore promote weight gain.
Make snacks in addition to meals. Nutritionist Raphaël Perez also suggests adding snacks during the day: two snacks with oilseeds – almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts – to bring in good fats and a snack with fruits, always with the aim of stimulate the production of insulin and provide the body with good quality calories.
What if the intestines do not assimilate well?
Restore the intestinal flora. The first thing you need to do to restore your intestinal absorption is to take care of the intestinal flora. We must then focus on foods that will have a prebiotic effect, that is to say favoring the installation of a healthy intestinal flora.
All the soluble fiber found in fruits – like strawberries, apples, pears, oranges or grapefruit – and in vegetables – like cabbages, carrots, beans or asparagus – and legumes such as lenses, have a prebiotic effect. It is a contribution to be dosed according to the sensitivity of each one, because an excess of fibers can be irritating for already weakened intestines.
Once the prebiotic base is installed, the flora is maintained with probiotic foods such as yoghurt, sauerkraut, curd and kefir. All these foods contain interesting bacteria to renew the flora and calm the inflammations of the intestine.
Simplify your meals. It may seem paradoxical, but stacking a squeegee on a burger with a huge tiramisu for dessert is not the key to lasting weight gain. Simplifying your meals by reducing the number of ingredients will help you digest better, so to properly assimilate each nutrient ensures Dr. Perez: dinner one night of the week with a single food such as potato, or a whole day where we Lighten your plate with meals consisting of fruits and vegetables is very useful for resting irritated bowels.
Which foods to promote?
The floury. Meal-based meals make it easy to hold or hold weight. Chestnuts, bananas, sweet potatoes and potatoes are highly digestible energy sources, containing water and nutrients of interest.
Increase your sugar consumption? White sugar and the products containing it (sweets, industrial cakes) are not to be banned, but to be consumed sparingly. The best source of sugar is found in fruits and honey, which will stimulate the production of insulin in the body without causing deficiencies.
The proteins. The proteins found in meat, fish or eggs are double-edged. Bodybuilding athletes who take protein 5 to 6 times a day are thought to build muscles. Indeed, protein overload helps gain weight but can have a detrimental impact on the body, including the liver and kidneys. The best is to keep a normal protein intake, 0.8 grams of protein for every kilo of its weight per day.
Vegetable oils. A cooked oil is less digestible because it is transformed by heat, a crude oil will always be better digested and better assimilated. Whenever possible, using a raw food oil to season dishes is a good way to fully benefit from its nutritional value.
An oil must be balanced in omega 3 and 6, a ratio of three omega 6 for omega 3, which will promote the functioning of storage and nutrient restoration. Raw rapeseed oil perfectly meets these needs, as well as olive oil, which contains a lot of monounsaturated fatty acids.
Should we avoid certain foods?
The vegetables? No. Even though vegetables are not very caloric, they should not be removed. They do not prevent weight gain, unless you only eat broccoli at every meal! Their prebiotic role is, on the contrary, essential for maintaining the flora and they are rich in vitamins and minerals. So you have to keep them in their diet geared towards weight gain.
The excitants? Yes. Coffee and black tea stimulate the metabolism and can aggravate weight loss by irritating the mucous membranes of the digestive system and preventing the assimilation of other nutrients. Also avoid energy drinks containing caffeine, caffeinated sodas that are very acidic and stimulating, soft drinks that, on already fragile mucous membranes, can cause burns.
Spices? Some. Spices such as ginger, cinnamon, pepper or clove stimulate the metabolism and have a heating and irritating effect. It is better to use softer spices and decorate her dishes with herbs such as thyme, rosemary, basil, parsley or coriander, which are better tolerated by the intestines.
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