How To Make Your Own Homemade Shakes To Gain Weight

Approximately 2 percent of American adults are underweight, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Weighing too little for your age, height or gender may increase your risk of disease and chronic medical conditions. It's best to gain weight by exercising regularly and eating plenty of unprocessed, low-fat, nutrient-dense foods, says registered dietitian Joanne Larsen, though you can include homemade weight-gain shakes in your diet if you're careful not to overdo them. If you're struggling to gain weight, talk to your doctor about healthy ways to put on pounds.

Pour a liquid such as low- or nonfat milk, plant milk, 100 percent fruit juice, low-sodium vegetable juice, water, diet soda, a sugar-free fruit-ade such as lemonade or a combination into a blender. Plan on 8 ounces of liquid for a single serving. Add four to six ice cubes or several large chunks of frozen, unsweetened fruit like strawberries, blueberries or raspberries, if desired.

Measure a flavor extract such as lemon, orange, chocolate or vanilla extract into the blender, if desired. Use 1/2 teaspoon of extract for an 8-ounce shake. Put the blender's lid securely in place. Blend on high until the mixture has reached an even consistency. Add flavored or unflavored protein powder to provide no more than 25 grams of protein to the shake mixture.

Choose from commercially available whey, soy or hemp protein powders, or use your own prepared from finely ground seeds and nuts such as almonds or sesame, hemp or chia seeds. Place any desired additional ingredients into the blender: A commercial carbohydrate powder like maltodextrin, spices such as cinnamon, cocoa powder, rolled oats or powdered or fresh peanut butter are examples. Replace the blender's lid.

Process on high until well-blended and serve. Avoid making or consuming weight-gain shakes that contain more than 25 grams of protein per serving, advises the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The excess protein in high-protein shakes may place stress on your kidneys. To keep your protein intake within healthy bounds, it's best to use weight-gain shakes only under a doctor's supervision. Lose Weight. Feel Great! AGE lbs. WEIGHT ft. Is Whole Milk or 2 Percent Milk Better for Protein Shakes? How to Make Homemade Weight-Loss Tea Are Too Many Protein Shakes Bad for You? What Are the Benefits of Weight Gain?

However, whey and casein are the most commonly used in protein shakes. Whey protein is fast-absorbing and high in all the essential amino acids and branched-chain amino acids. Whey protein is derived in the process of cheese-making from milk. Great after intense workouts. Casein protein is slow-absorbing and the main protein found in milk. Casein provides a sustained slow release of amino acids into the blood stream over several hours, improving its use by the body.

Ideal to take before bed. Soy protein is a plant-based source of protein making it suitable for vegans. Soy protein is a “complete protein” as it provides all amino acids essential for human nutrition. However, soy is also the most allergenic food to humans after peanuts. Soy protein tends to be more popular with women.

Preliminary findings of a study published in medical journal Fertility and Sterility (December 2007) suggest that a daily serving of soy may prevent postmenopausal women from gaining fat around their abdomen (stomach area). In this study 18 postmenopausal women were given a shake every day for three months. However, half were randomly assigned to drink a soy-based shake each day, while the other half was given a shake containing milk protein (casein).

The women, who drank the soy-based shake, were found to have lower levels of abdominal fat. These findings are thought to be the first to demonstrate that soy protein can affect abdominal fat distribution. You can increase the calorie and carbohydrate content by mixing the protein powder with juice or milk instead of simply water and adding a variety of other ingredients (see below).

Add psyllium husks to increase the fiber content of their shake. Bananas are a great base for protein shakes. Calories in bananas are low, fat is low too and it is a good source of protein. Increase the protein content of your protein shake by adding a few egg whites. To improve taste sweeten the protein shake with some extra ingredients.

If you want to increase calories or flavor, add honey, cinnamon, maple syrup, cocoa powder, caramel, peanut butter or chocolate syrup - in moderation. To keep calories low add egg whites, with ice cubes and water to protein powder to make a very low calorie protein shake. Add fruits for sugar and low-fat yogurt to improve taste.

To boost nutritional content add essential fats (e.g. Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil Blend, flaxseed oil), which will it improve your protein shake by providing a more sustained release of protein, keeping you in positive nitrogen balance for longer. If you’re really brave try adding spirulina, chlorella or lecithin. Also good, multivitamin and probiotic powders.