Hey guys, as we all know food is the most anabolic substance. without proper food, how much gear you run doesnt matter. gear primes our body to absorb and use food more effectively. with that being said, i think something that alot of guys here forget to look at is their digestion.

alot of guys are stuck at 200-220 thinking im eating a ton and not gaining weight! whats wrong? they think that more gear is the answer, they think oh instead of 500mg test ill run 1000mg test and 500 deca, then ill grow for sure. but the truth is they are failing to look at their diet. yes eating 4000, 5000, 6000+ calories is very difficult. but there are things we can do to improve our digestion and make handling these massive amounts of calories more efficient. these are just some tips that over the years have helped me with my digestion and helped me push past 245+ in weight (while staying somewhat lean, never about 12%bf or so).

Fresh Pineapple: I know i have seen this mentioned on here numerous times by Vike and other vets. Pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain. this is one of the most powerful digestive enzymes and it specifically helps break down protein. this way our digestive system has to do less work. plus pineapple tastes awesome and makes for a good dessert at any meal.

papaya also contains powerful digestive enzymes papain.

no water around meal times: this one made a huge difference for me. our stomach naturally contains a wide variety of digestive enzymes. when we eat they help move along the digestive process once the food arrives in our stomach. drinking large amounts of water around meal time will only dilute these enzymes, making them less effective overall. yes, water is very important, we need to remember hydration if we are trying to grow as well, but i personally avoid much more than a few sips for around 15-20mins before meal time and 15-20mins post meal for this reason.

fermented foods: Kimchi, Sauerkraut, kombucha, etc. this are all examples of fermented foods. fermented foods contain a massive dose of probiotics as well as good amounts of enzymes that aid in digestion. a small severing of these foods several times a day can really help with gut health and keeping your digestive track filled with the good bacteria that promote healthy digestion.

yogurt also contains tons of probiotics.

digestive enzyme supplements: these are pretty self explanatory, they can help to some degree. I find pineapple to personally be more effective, but this can be more convenient.

avoiding food we dont digest well: this one is also pretty self explanatory. if your lactose intolerant, dont go around eating yogurt and cheese etc. this can wreck havoc on your digestion. you may think well they are foods i like and easy to eat. but overall if your body doesnt tolerate them it wont be beneficial to eat these foods. a personal example of this for me is sweet potatoes. I LOVE sweet potatoes, but every time i eat them i get bright orange diarrhea (sorry to be graphic). most likely what i am eating with the sweet potatoes isnt being absorbed and is just being rushed out of my body with the sweet potatoes.

avoid eating out too much/junkfood: alot of guys think, oh yeah its bulking season, cheeseburger and icecream time! for me personally, these types of foods shut down my appetite. while yes these foods do provide a good surplus of calories, if your are too full to eat for 6 hours after your big cheat meal, it may not be worth it. if im gonna have a cheat meal its usually the last meal of the day for me, that way i can give my digestive system plenty of time to digest and rest after such a large amount of food/calories.

avoid oral steroids: this is another big one, alot of orals will shut down your appetite. some can cause acid reflux. there are plenty of reasons why i dont use orals except for precontest personally, but this one is a huge one for me. whats the point of taking dbol/drol if it causes it to be a struggle to eat 3 meals a day

fiber: i have experimented with some Metamucil and fiber supplements, and they were ok. but i really prefer veggies. alot of guys think its hard in the offseason to eat your veggies when your already pushing so much food. but a handfull of broccoli 3-4x a day (i usually skip the veggies pre and post workout meals) really keeps things moving for me. another easy option that isnt so bulky is to throw some spinach in a pan for a few minutes. 100g of spinach seems like alot, but cook it on the stove for 3 minutes and watch a salad bowl full of spinach shrink into a tiny golfball size chunk of greens, soft and easy to add to any rice meal!

remember guys EAT to grow. kill the gym, break down tissue, and feed your body. this is how you grow. its difficult to eat as much as we need to eat to really grow sometimes, but we can avoid making it harder for ourselves by paying attention to our digestive health.

i would love to hear anything that other people do to help improve their digestion or in general tips to help people at more. thanks guys!