No more whiny “I have a slow metabolism” excuses allowed.
While genetics do play an important role in determining one’s metabolic rate,
that doesn’t mean it’s a done deal. You can take what the good Lord gave you and
make the best of it. There are many things you can do every day to help speed
up your metabolic rate and burn more calories.
First, let’s talk about what metabolism actually is. In
simple terms it is all the chemical processes that occur when the body turns
the food we eat into energy. We use this energy for everything that our bodies
can do. The metabolic rate is the speed at which you are able to burn calories
from food.
There are 3 different components of your Total Metabolic
Rate. The majority of the calories that you burn everyday actually comes from
doing nothing. Yep, I said nothing-well, that you are aware of anyway. This is
called your Basal or Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) and it includes all the
chemical processes involved in breathing, brain function, circulation, immune
function and anything else your body needs to do to keep living. It makes up a
whopping 60-80% of your metabolic burn!
Then there is the Thermic Effect of Food which is the number
of calories used to eat, breakdown, and digest the food you consume. Roughly 10% of your calorie usage can go to
this effort. Some foods require more calories to digest than others. Protein
requires the most energy to break down with roughly 20-35 calories burned for
every 100 calories consumed. Processing carbohydrates burns between 5 and 15
calories for every 100 consumed. Higher fiber carbohydrate foods such as
fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains require more energy to break down
than refined “white” carbohydrates. Fats take the least amount of energy to
break down and use only about 2-3 calories per 100 consumed. (http://www.jacn.org/content/23/5/373.full
and http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/86/3/980.full)
The final component
to your Total Metabolic Rate is the obvious- the calories burned from daily
activities and purposeful exercise, such as running. It may seem unfair, but physical activities
only account for 10-15% of your daily energy expenditure. But don’t despair!
There are many things we can do throughout the day to rev up each of these
areas of metabolism.
Metabolism Boosters
Wouldn’t it be awesome it there was a way to burn more
calories while resting? Well there is! You just need to build some muscles.
Think of muscles as little calorie and fat burning engines. While you cannot
turn fat cells into muscle cells, you can build more muscle with weight and
resistance training which will increase your resting metabolic rate, helping
you to burn more fat. When we have more muscle mass we burn more calories while
resting, even sleeping!
Move more
Include purposeful cardiovascular exercise 4 to 6 days a
week to burn more calories and reduce fat stores.
Even small activities like chewing gum, pen clicking, fidgeting, pacing, and toe tapping contribute to calorie burning. A 2005 Mayo Clinic study found that normal weight people “fidgeted” more than obese people. The obese people were found to sit for an average of 2.5 hours per day more than the lean study volunteers. The lean volunteers burned 350 more calories per day simply by being more active over the course of the day. Think about how long it takes to reach 350 calories burned on a treadmill! Get up and move around if you find yourself sitting for too long. Park far from the store, use the stairs, play with the kids, etc. Don’t get the mindset that just because you got your run in that you can be lazy the rest of the day. You could miss out on thousands of calories burned every year!
Eat Enough Calories
Over restricting calorie intake can put the brakes on your
metabolism. When you cut back too much on calories, your body responds as if
you are starving and will hold on for dear life (literally) to all available
energy stores. This is thanks to our pre-historic ancestors who were able to
stay alive even when food was scarce. Also when you don’t eat enough to support
your basal metabolic needs your body may start to break down muscle. Remember
muscle mass helps boost metabolism. Although everyone has different needs, try
not to go below a minimum of 1200 calories/day as a general rule of thumb,
especially if you training hard.
Eat Often
Eat smaller more frequent meals and snacks. Do not go more
than 4 hours without eating.
When your body knows
that it will soon be fed again, it will be happy to burn calories without fear
of an impending food shortage. Eating regularly will help prevent you from
getting to the “I’m starving!” stage where you tear open the cabinets and
gorge. Researchers from Georgia State University reported that athletes who ate
250 calorie snacks three times/day in addition to 3 regular meals increased
their metabolic rate, ate less at regular meals-lowering total calorie intake,
and reduced body fat levels. (Presented at the 2005 American College of Sports
Medicine Annual Meeting)
Protein, Fiber, Complex Carbs
Eat some protein and healthy high fiber carbs at each meal and snack. Protein, fiber, and healthy fats slow digestion and will help keep you satisfied longer. Some simple examples include: small bowl of high fiber cereal with a handful of almonds, an egg and a piece of fruit, salad with grilled chicken and a yogurt, hummus and carrot or celery sticks, handful of walnuts and ½ cup blueberries, Ezekiel bread and nut butter, lean turkey wrapped in lettuce leaf. Eat at least 2 fruits and 3 low starch vegetables every day. This is an absolute minimum, aim for more-especially the veggies! Protein and high fiber foods take the most energy to digest. Don’t forget to include some healthy fats from nuts, seeds, oily fish, avocado, and olives.
Drink Water
We know how important it is to stay hydrated, especially
when we are active, but it may also give our metabolism a boost. According to a 2003 study in the Journal of
Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, researchers found an increase in
metabolic rate of 30% shortly after drinking about 2 cups of water. The authors
of the study also noted energy was used to warm the cold water, so add some ice
cubes to burn a few extra calories. Now, there is no need to drown yourself
with ice water, over-hydration can be dangerous-especially for runners.
Tea, caffeine, and spices
Green tea, caffeine, and spices such as ginger, cayenne pepper,
and curry spice (which is a blend of spices including turmeric) may give your
metabolism a slight boost. They won’t be a magic bullet for weight loss, but
they can make your diet much more exciting and flavorful. Replace that awful
diet soda with a cup of green tea and you’ll also get a nice serving of healthy
antioxidants.
Omega 3 Fats
Omega 3 fatty acids found predominantly in cold water fish
have been shown to have a beneficial effect on metabolism with regular intake.
They help suppress appetite, increase fat metabolism and energy expenditure,
and reduce fat storage. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22254005) Did everyone just get a craving for salmon?
If you don’t like fish look for a high quality fish oil supplement containing
EPA and DHA-the potent part of “fish oil”. The amount of EPA and DHA should add
up to about 1000mg/day. Cheaper supplements will often have less EPA and DHA
per pill.
MegaNutrition Works, LLC
meganutritionworks@yahoo.com
Certified LEAP Therapist for chronic conditions caused by food sensitivities including irritable bowel, migraine, fibromyalgia and more.
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