Metabolism

You Must Burn Them Up! It is great that some people are naturally lean and can eat whatever they want without gaining extra weight. I am sure you know them, your family, friends, and coworkers that are able to eat fatty high calorie foods, drink milkshakes, and still keep slim, trim, and bikini ready all year around. Wow, that must be nice. Then you have others that eat a high calorie meal and seem to gain weight instantly. There is no need for jealousy, envy, or hating on the people that are blessed with a high metabolism. They did not pick it. It's genetic. It is in their gene pool. So, what do you do if you are not blessed with a high metabolism? You need to watch what you eat, exercise, drink plenty of water, get plenty of sleep, and keep your stress levels as low as possible. Sounds easy, right?

Mark MacDonald, author of Body Confidence, shares that every single time you miss a meal, your blood sugar drops and your body releases a hormone that makes you burn muscle, not fat. This is why dieting fails in the long term because it creates a core deficit that makes you burn muscle, then you fuel your body with carbohydrates, which spikes your blood sugar. This causes insulin release which then leads to storing fat. So, how do you stop this cycle? You add high fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables in your nutritional meal plan. They are lower in calories and high in fiber which helps cleanse the digestive system. The more your digestive system is working, the more calories you are burning. This helps your metabolism stay high. Make sure you eat carbohydrates, proteins, and fats together to stabilize your blood sugar. This will help you avoid dips and spikes that affect your metabolism. Eating small frequent meals throughout the day will also keep your metabolism high so aim for 5-7 meals. Make sure your blood sugar stays level because when your blood sugar surges, your body stores the excess sugar as fat. When your blood sugar drops, your body thinks it needs to conserve energy. Your body must send fuel to vital organs and will breakdown muscle proteins to do so it your body goes into starvation mode. Hydration is super important for the overall functions of your entire body. Being properly hydrated also helps your digestive system which helps foods to be metabolized more quickly.

So, make sure you are doing everything you can to boost your metabolism through your nutritional efforts. Your exercise program will also help you with spiking your metabolism. Being active forces your body to burn calories. Find ways to move your body throughout the day such as ditching the elevator and taking the stairs. If you need to leave the office for lunch, find a location that is close to you, and walk. You walk to your lunch place, eat, drink, and walk back to the office and see how this activity will change your mind and body in 30 days. If you walk 5 days a week, for 4 weeks, that is 20 lunch time workouts in addition to whatever other activities you are doing through each day and on the weekends.

Source: Cynthia Ramnarace, Eat Your Way to a Faster Metabolism, WebMD