Building muscle mass is an important part of anorexia recovery. These are the basics for how to gain muscle mass in a healthy way - one that will hopefully prevent further muscle atrophy.
Building muscle mass is more than likely going to be a frequent topic of discussion during your anorexia recovery.
This is mainly due to the fact that one of the most common symptoms of anorexia is muscle atrophy. This must be reversed through proper nutrition and balanced exercise so you can start feeling better and becoming truly healthy again.
A favored way of building muscle mass is to get involved in some sort of a weight training routine, however your physicians or treatment team must agree that it's right for you.
Given the fact that anorexics are often known for excessive exercise, the idea of weight training to gain muscle mass should be discussed thoroughly before beginning any program.
They will likely want to consult with you to make sure that you are medically stable, and your attitudes and thought processes are in a healthy place. This will ensure that a weight and strength training routine doesn't do you more damage than good.
So if any form of exercise ends up being out of the question, are there any other ways of building muscle mass?
Glad you asked! You're in luck :)
You can learn how to build muscle mass through proper nutrition and muscle building foods.
Recovery from anorexia usually requires a high protein diet, and there are specific types of proteins that are especially good for gaining muscle mass.
Proteins that contain amino acids are easy to digest. Also known as complete proteins, they can help repair muscles and connective tissue.
One of the best sources of protein is found in eggs. You can even separate the yolks and just scramble the egg whites for a good dose of pure protein and next-to-no saturated fat.
If you like fish, tuna, trout and salmon are often a great source of lean proteins. They also contain good amounts of omega 3 fatty acids, and even calcium.
If you're looking for something that's high in both protein and fibre, try beans! Kidney beans have an especially high amount of protein, plus they can be a source of iron and potassium, which also tend to be missing from the anorexic diet.
You can also purchase vitamin supplements to help with building lean muscle mass, but I don't think this should be your first choice.
In fact, I think you should have a serious conversation with your doctor before you even consider such a thing.
The reality is - if your diet is already healthy, then it would be an exceptional circumstance if your doctor recommended a supplement.
There's no need to purchase any of those "miracle supplement" vitamins. All that's necessary for building muscle mass is protein, creatine and glutamine. These can all be obtained through a proper, healthy diet.
See your dietitian or nutritionist if you'd like to have a high protein meal plan designed just for you!
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