Q. I have a question about caloric intake. I am thin and a hard gainer, I'm 41 yrs old, 5'9" and 137 pounds and I work out two to three times a week. After each workout, I drink a high calorie protein shake but I am unable to gain weight. I am wondering what other kinds of food are good for keeping weight on, but not too high in fat, as I don't want other health issues to develop from eating a high fat diet. - Lisa

A: Unlike fats and carbohydrates, protein is not stored in the body. Therefore, only adding additional protein to your diet will not necessarily help you gain weight. Instead of a regular protein shake, try consuming weight gainer formula or a shake with a significant amount of carbohydrates. You can also try snacking on raw nuts and seeds as they provide good fats, mainly omega 6 and omega 7, a significant number of calories and little or no carbohydrates. Limit your intake to about 1/2 cup daily and rotate the nuts on a regular basis.

Lisa Tsakos