A few months ago at the New Age Health spa where I love to go, I met a terrific person who was lecturing there on Healthy eating and nutrition and has become a friend. Sophie Pachella clearly walks her talk and she took one of her articles and also some advice from the book she is writing to share some thoughts on my blog. Take a look–and even though the holidays are coming, it is a good idea to start thinking –healthy eating—long term.
Five habits of highly effective metabolisms:
Your metabolic rate is determined by several factors, the most significant being your resting metabolic rate (RMR), or the number of calories your body needs just to keep your brain, heart, and cell functioning. RMR accounts for 60 percent of your metabolism. Digestion and daily activity make up the remaining portion of daily calories burned.
You may wonder “can my RMR be given a boost”? Several factors affect RMR, including genes, gender and age which slows RMR due to muscle loss. Clearly this is avoidable. Since we have neither the time nor inclination to spend more than 45 minutes at the gym on a most-days basis, following are some tips to get that engine back up to speed without pitching a tent by the treadmills.
1. Eat often. You’ve heard it so many times before: skipping meals immediately slows your RMR in order to conserve energy. When you skip meals on a regular basis, you RMR will most likely remain permanently depressed. Avoid this by eating at least six mini meals a day. Remember, every time you eat, you increase RMR. Yes, you can starve, but why?
2. Moo! The connection between calcium and fat burning has been confirmed. Calcium plays a key role in regulating fat-cell metabolism and fat storage, but popping a supplement won’t help as whey protein is required to the calcium to do its job. Simply put, when you eat enough dairy your body breaks down and uses fats. When you don’t, your body prefers to store it.
3. Stop the Fat Phobia. Mono unsaturated fats increase caloric burn. This is no reason to swig olive oil, just make an effort to include nuts, seeds, nut butters, avocado, olives and the occasional yolk in your daily plan.
4. More protein please! Little girls are made from sugar and spice, but we’re all made from protein. Without it, RMR will take a beating. No more snacking on fruit alone or granola bars. Instead opt for nuts, string cheese, yogurt etc…
5. Lift weights. Muscle – or lean tissue, is directly related to RMR (which is why boys have faster metabolisms than girls). In fact, adding muscle will have a greater impact on increasing your RMR than any other tip.
6. Eat more. This one deserves the first spot but I saved the best for last. Echoing tip#1, chronic calorie restriction trains your body to survive on fewer calories. If you’re struggling to lose while genuinely eating very little, you might be under-doing it. After a few days of eating a little more (of the right stuff) you might find that you’re hungrier – which is terrific, as it means RMR is up again. This is nothing to fear. Most of my clients tell me they’ve never eaten so much to lose weight. And that, my friends, is what a good plan is all about!.
Check out Sophie’s website which is full of amazing articles, tips and information on eating right and looking great!! www.eatstrong.com