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Jump Start Your Metabolism Americans
are gaining more and more weight. In the last two decades, the number of American
adults that were seriously overweight has increased by 20%. At the same time,
the incidence of teenage and adolescent obesity has significantly risen, despite
the natural tendency for children to be lean. Counting calories: Too often with caloric counting, the emphasis is placed on quantity rather than quality. Although many foods may be low in calories, they may also be void nutritional benefit for out bodies. Counting fat grams: Our bodies need fat. Many times we try to avoid all fats, but in actuality, there are good fats that we need as well as the fats we should avoid. Weighing in on a daily basis: In addition to not aiding the metabolism, this tactic will also place you on an emotional roller coaster. If you are on a good exercise program, the weight you gain will be in muscle mass. Increased muscle retains more water weight, therefore your scale will not give an accurate reflection of your progress. I suggest checking body fat with calipers, which gives you a clearer indication of a loss of body fat while gaining lean muscle. Low calorie diets: Low calorie diets will allow you to lose weight, but the weight loss will come from a decrease in muscle, which will lower your metabolism. Each time you go on a low calorie diet you will loose more muscle and actually gain more fat. Low carbohydrate/high protein diet: Yes, it is true- you will lose weight at first, however much of it will be water weight. Through the extreme levels of protein ingested with little to no carbs to balance, your body goes into ketosis, a state of low insulin level in which muscle protein is digested, creating the bi-product ketones. The body eliminates ketoses by flushing them out through urine. Also, by not eating enough carbohydrates, you can actually prevent yourself from building muscle and staying lean. Participants may notice side effects over time, including bad breath, constipation, kidney damage, and a greater risk of heart disease. We are noticing that the obesity epidemic continues to grow, mostly due to the over-processing of our food supply. The changes in our food have simply out-paced our ability to adapt metabolically. An example of common ingredient in processed foods is fructose. Fructose will set your metabolism in fat storage mode by promoting the formation of long-chain fatty acids, that are resistant to oxidation. What doesn't get oxidized or "burned for fuel" gets stored in the body. Therefore, the more long-chain fatty acids you produce, the more fat you will have on your body. Scientific research recommends avoiding food products that uses fructose as a primary ingredient because it may increase the risk of osteoporosis, due to disruption of the normal balance among magnesium, calcium and phosphorus, minerals that are essential for the construction and maintenance of bones. Fructose can increase the amount of uric acid produced by the body, resulting in an increased risk of developing gout, a common form of arthritis. By eating fruits, you actually get a tiny amount of pure fructose along with natural substances for the body, such as water, fiber, and beneficial phytochemical (disease-fighting substances), vitamins, and minerals. So eat plenty of fruits and vegetables daily. After all that, I'm certain you are asking " We'll then, what does increase metabolism?" Okay. Here's my list. Nutrition: First and foremost, to change your body, you need to change how you eat. 70% of being lean is eating the right foods Protein: The addition of more protein to your diet will turn on your fat-burning/muscle building switch-even if you make no other lifestyle changes. Unlike the low carb/high protein diets, increased consumption of protein enhances the metabolism when the levels are raised in conjunction with an increase in dietary fiber. Fiber: Everyone needs to add natural fiber like that found in fruits and vegetables, to their diet. When fiber is digested, it is converted into short-chain fatty acids, which can be burned for fuel. This causes a wonderful "chain reaction" in your body. The burning of fatty acids from fiber sends a signal to your fat cells telling them to release fat, which your body uses for fuel. The fiber in food also creates a sensation of feeling full, so you feel more satisfied after eating your meal. By adding more protein and fiber together you have the most powerful fat-burning food combination there is. Protein will get you in fat-burning mode, while eating more fiber will keep you there. Eat: Your metabolism works best when it is well fed throughout the day (6 times/day), so eat often to turn up your metabolism. When you eat, you stimulate your body to burn energy. Also, your blood sugar levels will stay more even throughout the day. Weight train: This is the only exercise that can produce significant changes in your body composition. For each pound of lean muscle mass you put on, your body will burn 200-250 calories each day to maintain that mass. Always perform your cardiovascular (walking, running) exercise after weight training. This will help your body to burn fat more effectively. Weight training will cause you to deplete most of your glycogen storage, so you will get into your fat storage sooner. If you truly want to change your body and get your metabolism going, start with your diet. I recommend 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, and 30 grams of fiber or more daily. You will need to supplement your proteins to get to the levels we are talking about - the average person simply does not consume that much food in a day. Try adding protein powder to your favorite fruit smoothie or a protein bar as a between meals snack. When eating meats, always choose lean cuts and eat fish at least twice a week. Cut back on the starchy carbohydrates (pasta, breads, etc.) and eat fresh frits and vegetables. When weight training, be certain to change your program every 4-6 weeks. To receive maximum benefit, change the number of repetitions and intervals sets of each exercise. The key is to always work to a high intensity so as your muscles adapt, they get stronger. And finally drink plenty of water, get 7-8 hours of sleep, stay focused and work hard.
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