Winter is on and this season is for bulking. Cold temperature naturally allows us to eat more food. Why? because we need more energy during cold days in order to generate heat in the body which keeps us warm throughout the season.
Weather you go to gym, work physically or work from the comfort of your home ideally you should eat more food and focus on preserving muscle mass and weight gain in order to stay healthy during this winter season and also as a preparation for summers.
With that said we picked 7 best foods for you to get bulked up in a healthy way and fill up the nutrition stores in your body. These foods are easy to incorporate for everyone and most importantly they are nutrient dense.
1.Red meat
Red meat contrary to popular belief by many medical authorities and health care professionals is a true super food and great for bulking especially in the winter season.
Red meat is an incredible source of highly bioavailable vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats. Compared to any other food red meat is high in good quality protein, healthy fats, vitamin A, D, E, K, B9, B12, iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, selenium, phosphorus etc.
You may ask why not choose chicken or any other meat? the thing is that red meat in general is more nutrient dense than any other kind of meat which makes it a superior choice for bulking up.
What about high cholesterol content of red meat?
In short, you need to know that cholesterol found in animal fats and red meat is not harmful.
It is a friendly substance which your body needs for many critical functions. Cholesterol in the diet does not cause heart attack or increase risk for heart disease, in fact it is protective and has may health benefits. (1.2.3).
What about Heme iron in red meat?
Heme iron is the most absorbable form of iron. Iron present in plant based foods like spinach is only little absorbed while the heme iron from meat and other animal products is absorbed very well.
Some claim that Heme iron is toxic but there are only associational studies on that. A clear causation study that proves Heme iron actually cause diseases cannot be found.
In fact, red meat is very good for the people who are deficient in iron.
2.Potatoes/Sweet potatoes
Potato or sweet potato is a very good clean carbohydrate source. They both are somewhat rich in B vitamins, magnesium, potassium and sweet potatoes in particular are rich in pro vitamin A. Second of all, they are delicious and act as a good delicacy when paired with meat dishes.
Because they are starch based vegetable they provide with clean energy which is good for bulking, brain function, thyroid, liver and muscle function.
Enjoy potatoes baked or in whatever form you like with animal fats like butter or cream and watch your bulking gains rise up.
3.Cheese
Another nutrient dense animal food for bulking and gaining mass this winter is cheese. Cheese is an incredible source of minerals like calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, selenium and fat soluble vitamins especially vitamin A.
It is a powerhouse of nutrients and provides the body with ideal body building nutrients necessary for bulking up.
One thing you should avoid is processed cheese as it is made from artificial ingredients and because of processing it’s nutritive value is destroyed.
4.Raw milk
Dairy especially raw milk is anabolic in nature and increase growth hormone in the body. Growth hormone is responsible for promoting the growth of bones and tissues.
Similar to cheese raw milk is rich in bodybuilding nutrients and is very easy to digest even for those with lactose intolerance. It also has a lot of other health benefits for skin, hair, immunity, allergies like asthma, arthritis and more.
This makes it one of the great choices for gaining weight/bulking this winter season.
If you are concerned about raw milk’s safety here’s an article about that.
5.Raw Honey
Honey is a clean carbohydrate source. It is rich in antioxidants, enzymes, has anti inflammatory, anti microbial and antiproliferative properties. Also, it has some B vitamins, vitamin C and trace minerals in it. That makes it a far better choice over table sugar.
It is important that you source raw honey instead of buying it from store. Most of the honey sitting on the market shelf is adulterated and made from sugar based syrups. It has none of the benefits mentioned above.
Raw honey together with raw milk makes a great combination for gaining mass and bulking. This combination supplies enough calories, protein, carbs and other body building nutrients to the body.
6.Whole eggs
Eggs are one of the best budget foods for bulking. They are a potent source of nutrients like high quality protein, good quality fats, fat soluble vitamins, vitamin B9, B12 and B5, minerals zinc, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese and more.
Eggs in particular contain good amounts of choline and cholesterol which is good for brain and liver function.
Always eat your eggs whole with yolk attached as most of the nutrition is in the yolk. Include 4-6 eggs in your diet on daily basis and see yourself bulk up this winter season.
7.White rice
We have already discussed about two one of the best carbohydrate sources for bulking, the third one is white rice.
White rice is delicious when paired with curries especially meat dishes. It also offers some nutritional value as it contains some B vitamins and is a good source of manganese. Most importantly it is easy to digest when cooked properly.
Carbohydrates are always good for bulking. Most people avoid all the carbs or reduce their carb intake in hope for a better health. While that works for short term, in long term avoiding carbs wrecks thyroid, brain, overall metabolism and induces stress in the body.
