10 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

Can You Make Your Metabolism Better?

Boosting metabolism is the holy grail of weight watchers everywhere, but how fast your body burns calories depends on several things. Some people inherit a speedy metabolism. Men tend to burn more calories than women, even while resting. And for most people, metabolism slows steadily after age 40. Although you can't control your age, gender, or genetics, there are other ways to improve your metabolism. Here are 10 of them.

Build Muscle

Your body constantly burns calories, even when you're doing nothing. This resting metabolic rate is much higher in people with more muscle. Every pound of muscle uses about 6 calories a day just to sustain itself, while each pound of fat burns only 2 calories daily. That small difference can add up over time. After a session of strength training, muscles are activated all over your body, raising your average daily metabolic rate.

Step Up Your Workout

Aerobic exercise may not build big muscles, but it can rev up your metabolism in the hours after a workout. The key is to push yourself. High-intensity exercise delivers a bigger, longer rise in resting metabolic rate than low- or moderate-intensity workouts. To get the benefits, try a more intense class at the gym or include short bursts of jogging during your regular walk.

Fuel Up With Water

Your body needs water to process calories. If you are even mildly dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down. In one study, adults who drank eight or more glasses of water a day burned more calories than those who drank four. To stay hydrated, drink a glass of water or other unsweetened beverage before every meal and snack. Also, snack on fresh fruits and vegetables, which naturally contain water, rather than pretzels or chips.

Should You Try Energy Drinks?

Some ingredients in energy drinks can give your metabolism a boost. They're full of caffeine, which increases the amount of energy your body uses. They sometimes have taurine, an amino acid. Taurine can speed up your metabolism and may help burn fat. But using these drinks can cause problems like high blood pressure, anxiety, and sleep issues for some people. The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t recommend them for kids and teens.


Read More : www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-boost-your-metabolism#

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10 Popular Weight Loss Diets

Crash diets. Detoxes. Fasting. Ask your doc what he or she thinks of this way of dropping weight and you’ll be met with a quick, no. Generally speaking, these diets aren’t healthy and don’t set you up for weight loss within a well-balanced lifestyle – one that consists of nutritious meals, regular exercise and a healthy attitude towards food. Good diets do exist. Here are 10 that doctors approve of and that science says work.







1. Mayo Clinic Diet

Of course doctors recommend the Mayo Clinic Diet, because it was created by the famed and highly credible May Clinic. It starts off with a two-week phase, that has you lose as much as 10 pounds by honing in on healthy lifestyle habits and dropping bad ones, which includes at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. It’s basically an education in making good food choices, acceptable portion sizes and gives you the tools to make you a pro with meal planning. The second phase will still have you dropping weight (about 1 to 2 pounds a week). This part will set you up with success, as you learn to lose weight over the long term with diet and exercise.
2. The DASH Diet

The reason the DASH Diet works for many is because it was created to make people healthier – and losing weight was a byproduct. It has its followers lower their blood pressure (without medication) on a diet loaded with healthy fats, and low in sodium (just 3,300 mg a day). It’s been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. It’s been ranked by the US News & World Report as the number one diet in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. But since it wasn’t created for weight loss, the diet has been revamped to improve results. The meal plan consists of healthy proteins. fruits and vegetables, low-fat and nonfat dairy, along with nuts, beans and seeds, which has been shown in research to have better health results. You’ll feel fab on this diet, because there are no ups and downs with hunger and cravings.
3. Dr. Bernstein Diet

This is another doc diet. The Dr. Bernstein Diet is actually a health practitioner-supervised program. A nurse or physician will monitor your health and weight-loss progress, to ensure that body weight complications such as blood cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes are manageable within the diet. A natural well-balanced diet is prescribed, along with nutritional supplements. The goal is to create a sustainable lifestyle while undergoing major diet changes.
4. Mediterranean Diet

Who wouldn’t want to live like the folks live in the Mediterranean? The Mediterranean Diet is one of the most researched diets. It basically flipped the way we used to eat, and focused more on lean protein and veggies than whole grains and dairy. Essentially the diet was based on how the people of Crete and southern Italy in the 1960s, “where adult life expectancy was among the highest in the world and rates of coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and other diet-related chronic diseases were among the lowest.” According to this recent study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition the diet’s food pyramid is seriously healthy. The main sources of food are plant-based. Even the “treats” are healthy, as dessert is a typical daily dessert. Fats are healthy fats, such as olive oil, cheese and yogurt, and fish and poultry (eggs and red meat are rarely eaten). That makes it low in saturated fats but moderate in fat in total. “The pyramid describes a dietary pattern that is attractive for its famous palatability as well as for its health benefits.”
5. The Biggest Loser Diet

The popular reality show earned its stripe by following up with a solid diet that its fans could use. And like the show, the no-nonsense The Biggest Loser Diet consists of eating meals with fruits, vegetables, lean protein regularly, as well as whole grains. You’ll also get a master class in portion control, food journaling and motivation. There are a bunch of Biggest Loser books, which you can choose from to best suit your needs and goals.
6. Vegetarian

While not exactly a branded diet, a vegetarian diet has always had the reputation of being a healthy lifestyle. By giving up meat and meat products, you should consume less calories and bad fats. It’s been more an altruistic lifestyle, many consider it because of the physical changes it can effect on the physique. A study in the journal Obesity followed subjects on weight-loss diets and vegetarian diets to compare the results. The vegetarian groups stuck with their diet for longer (minimum one year, compared to 1 to 3 months for weight-loss plans). They weren’t bored or limited with their food options. In fact, the researchers suggest that the behaviors of vegetarians should be studied for weight-loss treatment.
7. Glycemic Diet

The Glycemic Diet is often prescribed by doctors for people who need to watch their blood sugar levels. It’s a ranking system of foods based on how quickly the food raises the blood glucose levels. By sticking with moderate- or low-glycemic index foods, you’ll feel even keeled and won’t experience the roller coaster effect that comes with most crash diets. A recent study in Pediactrics analyzed the effects of high GI meals in obese subjects and found that a high GI number induced over eating. Check out the values given to foods you eat.
8. The Doctor’s Diet

It’s all in the title here; but we’ll give you some more info. The Doctors show spin-off The Doctor’s Diet starts off with a “STAT” plan to initiate weight loss with “doctor-approved” meals to change the way you eat. Dr. Travis Stork promises it’s simple to follow and easy to commit to. The long-term plan is also adaptable and works for meat lovers to vegetarians and chefs to non-cooks.
9. The Food Pyramid

The Healthy Eating Pyramid and the Healthy Eating Plate were created by the government as guides to eating healthy and losing weight. This one isn’t just free (!), it’s also common sense, showing you which foods are healthy, proper portion sizes and what a balanced diet and meal looks like. But you’re not done there. There are also exercise recommendations. Harvard University writes that the program makes a lot of sense. It’s energy balance: “Weight change = calories in – calories out.”
10. Flavor-Full Diet

Not all doctor diets feel white-coat serious. Dr. David Katz created the Flavor-Full Diet because “flavor variety stimulates appetite, increasing the calorie count required to achieve fullness (think large family meal and feeling stuffed, then still finding room for dessert).” So this diet allows you to control cravings for salt, sweet and artificial flavors. With a deep understanding of appetite and satiety, the diet manipulates hunger through food – a healthy balanced diet. Sounds sweet to us.

Source : http://theheartysoul.com/best-weight-loss-diets/

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Friend or Foe for Weight Loss?

Do you allow room for indulgence in your weight loss program, or do you say no in fear it will sabotage your results?

“Treating” ourselves tends to be a hot topic among my clients. There’s often an underlying anxiety about never being able to eat x, y, or z food ever again once they start a healthier eating regime.

One concept I always teach, however, is that behind every long-term success story, there is always a healthy lifestyle that included an indulgence now and then.

Just how do we navigate the road of “progress, not perfection” in this way? How do we give indulgence room in our eating plans without setting us back in our habit change and fat loss? Read on for strategies to help discern how indulgence can best complement our healthy way of life.


Everyday Foods vs. Indulgences

“I had pizza last night. I know it’s bad!” As nutrition coaches, we so often hear this (in all its versions) when we’re consulting with clients about their food journals. As a food lover myself, I’ve never been a fan of labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” since it can associate emotional negativity with eating. I worry it can also promote impossible expectations - the idea of needing to eat “perfectly” to be successful in weight loss or healthy living. Instead,

I like to take the approach of identifying “everyday” foods as well as “indulgences” with the understanding that both are important and can fit into a successful journey.

Think of everyday foods as your whole foods, including fresh or frozen fruit, non-starchy vegetables, high quality meats and cheeses, nuts, seeds, healthy oils and your true whole grains. We should all be striving to increase our consumption of these foods each day because they provide optimum nutrition and support our basic health.

Indulgences are typically more of your processed foods that are generally higher in carbohydrates (although homemade versions can be healthier). They generally have sugar, fat and/or salt added to them to enhance their flavor profile. The most common indulgence foods I come across with my clients are pizza, pasta, ice cream and cookies.

Identifying foods this way puts clarity around what foods promote health and which do not, but it also gives the client an opportunity to consume something and not instantly feel guilty. It’s important to own each choice for what it is and to know we need to balance out these selections by consuming more everyday foods at our next meal.

The Psychology of Indulgence

Every client differs in terms of how often we can include indulgent foods in his/her routine. I’ve known some clients to have very unhealthy behaviors with specific foods (e.g. chocolate cake) Even if they had the smallest portion possible, consuming it spirals them off their healthy paths and submerges them in guilt.

I always suggest spending time exploring if you have any emotional connections with certain foods. Those foods might be best to avoid, particularly in the beginning of your journey until you feel more confident.

It’s also important not to use indulgent foods as a “reward” for eating healthily. This might be a change in mindset for most people, but - again - it’s better to own the reality that you consumed an indulgent food and that it has an assigned place in your healthy lifestyle than to justify its consumption because you ate healthily all week long.

It’s not about earning a “privilege” but living a balanced life that fosters good health and food experience. If indulgent choices still elicit guilt, you might also ask yourself if your eating plan is too restrictive. 
How to Incorporate Indulgences

Limit the indulgence to a meal or part of a meal.

 This way your day still includes ample nutrition throughout versus a “cheat day” filled with indulgent foods and nil on nutrients. You’ll be more likely to follow up the next day with a full routine of everyday foods versus feeling like you fell off your program.

Plan for it.

 A lot of my families plan for pizza or pasta nights each week. It’s something for them to look forward to, but - because it’s planned - does away with the guilt or “cheating” feeling.

There’s another significant reason I favor this approach. When you plan for an indulgence, it allows you to more thoughtfully select and prepare the foods that you are going to enjoy. For example, many of my clients end up making their own pizzas at home and, as a result, can choose the crust and toppings (e.g. gluten-free crust or nitrate-free meats).

They end up feeling even more satisfied because they’ve gone through the process of “providing for themselves.” Not to mention, their versions usually taste better! Maybe you plan on making cookies from scratch versus buying processed versions at the store. Either way, you’ll likely appreciate making better choices and will enjoy the flavor more.

Know what a true craving is.

In the beginning of a journey, this can be hard to identify. Especially if you’re eating a diet filled with processed foods, many times those cravings stem from the foods you're already eating rather than from what you’d like to enjoy.

If you’ve been thinking about pasta, don’t tell yourself to stop thinking about it (you’ll continue to anyway). Instead, own the craving and plan to allow yourself that pasta the following day after you plan for it. You might actually find yourself not wanting it the next day anyway, but this will allow you to think and plan versus giving into the craving right away and feeling guilty.

Use the 80% rule.

I always tell my clients that if they can practice good nutrition and other healthy habits 80% of the time, they will succeed. I live by and coach by the rules that you need to enjoy what you are eating. Otherwise, you won’t stick to the plan over time.

Eating a perfect diet filled with healthy foods that you don’t enjoy eating will never be a plan for long-term success. Take the time to learn or to be coached on filling your day with everyday foods that suit your palate (expanding your healthy cooking repertoire in the process). Make room for the most gratifying indulgences. 

Choose your splurges.

Although planning can be helpful, sometimes you’ll be faced with indulgent foods in the moment (e.g. at a family get together, evening with friends, etc.)  If you identify your foods clearly (everyday versus indulgent), you can quickly determine where the splurge could be most satisfying. When coaching couples, they often talk about this decision at dinner. For example, they’ll choose either dessert or an adult beverage – not both.

Make it truly worth it.

I’m a true foodie. That means when I indulge, I make sure it’s completely worth it. For example, if ice cream sounds like a good idea, you won’t find me in the grocery store purchasing a diet or a low sugar brand. I’m going for the gelato. In that case, however, I choose a brand that has a short, real food ingredient list and that I know will taste great and satisfy me.

I use the same example with pizza or other foods. Don’t buy the marketed “healthier” versions of these. They are often filled with chemicals and won’t genuinely gratify your taste buds. Go for the good stuff that will truly satisfy, and allow yourself to relish each bite.


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Lose Weight And Not Feel Hungry

6 wonder foods that help you lose weight and not feel hungry

Food is not really the main culprit when reducing pounds comes to mind, contrary to popular myths or beliefs. Actually, experts explain that it is best to consume fresh fruits and vegetables, along with nuts and seeds - which are known to contain fat-burning compounds - instead of cutting down on what one usually eats.

A nutrient-rich food helps to eliminate hunger and helps create fast metabolism.

Harju listed some fat-burning foods that could be included in your diet to help reduce weight:

1. Fish to reduce cravings. Include tuna and salmon, both healthy fatty fishes, in your diet for fast metabolism. These are known to trigger fullness, thus reducing the cravings to eat more.

2. Lean meat and other organics. Great sources of lean healthy protein are poultry products, such as chicken and turkey. We tend to burn calories more by digesting protein over carbohydrates.
3. Sip some green tea. Cathecin, an active ingredient in green tea and the other benefits of caffeine increases body metabolism for up to two hours after consumption. Studies show that dieters who are regular drinkers of green tea were observed to have lost more weight, compared to those who aren't.

4. Get some coconut. MCFA's or medium-chain fatty acids are some compounds in coconut which are not actually stored inside the body but are broken down for energy production.

5. Delight in avocados. An avocado can contain much more calories compared to a chocolate bar, but it offers more health benefits and has monosaturated fatty acids that are used for slow burning energy than stored as body fat.
6. Opt for green, leafy vegetables. Dark, leafy vegetables like spinach and broccoli are known to have fiber-rich components.

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Low-fat diet

Low-fat diet more effective than low-carb diet for losing body fat

 

When it comes to weight loss, opinions are divided as to what the best diet is for reducing body fat. To investigate, a team of researchers compared a low-fat diet with a low-carbohydrate diet, finding that cutting fat intake resulted in greater body fat loss.


 The small but precise study, published in Cell Metabolism, assessed the weight loss of 19 obese adults who were confined to a metabolic ward for two 2-week periods.

Kevin Hall, a metabolism researcher at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), states that many people have strong beliefs about what matters for weight loss, yet the data these opinions are based upon are sometimes lacking.

"I wanted to rigorously test the theory that carbohydrate restriction is particularly effective for losing body fat since this idea has been influencing many people's decisions about their diets," he explains.

Unfortunately, there are many difficulties that researchers can experience when attempting to monitor how effective a particular diet is. Ensuring that participants stick to meal plans accurately and are truthful in self-reporting can be tricky to achieve.

By keeping the study participants on a ward, however, the researchers were able to control and record precisely what was being eaten.

The participants were admitted to the metabolic ward for two separate dieting periods. During the first, 30% of the participants' baseline calories were cut solely by restricting carbohydrates while fat intake remained the same. In the second period, 30% of baseline calories were cut by restricting fat intake while carbohydrate intake was unaffected.

Body fat loss was calculated by measuring the difference between daily fat intake and net fat oxidation while participants were inside a metabolic chamber.

With a mathematical model, Hall hypothesized that the low-carb diet would lead to changes in the amount of body fat burned by the body and that the low-fat diet would result in the greatest overall body fat loss.

'Not all calories are created equal when it comes to body fat loss'

At the end of the study, Hall's hypothesis was found to be accurate. Although more fat was burned when participants were following the low-carb diet, more body fat was lost during the low-fat dietary period.

"There is one set of beliefs that says all calories are exactly equal when it comes to body fat loss and there's another that says carbohydrate calories are particularly fattening, so cutting those should lead to more fat loss," states Hall. "Our results showed that, actually, not all calories are created equal when it comes to body fat loss, but over the long term, it's pretty close."

The mathematical model suggests that over a longer period, the body will act to reduce body fat differences between diets that contain equal amounts of calories, regardless of their carbohydrate-to-fat ratios.

In addition to the small number of participants involved in the study and its short duration, the researchers also acknowledge that their research is limited by the fact that the experimental design of the diets and the strict control of food intake is unrealistic in free-living individuals.

As such, the researchers were unable to address whether it would be easier to follow a low-fat or a low-carbohydrate diet in real-life situations. Hall believes that the best diet is the one that an individual can stick to. However, he concludes that there is still a lot of research that needs to be done:

Source : http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/298172.php

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Mindful Eating

You Can Lose Weight and Keep It Off With ‘Mindful Eating’

The best thing about “mindful eating” is that you are not chained to impossible diet rules or bland menus, says Susan Albers, PsyD. She says mindful eating is being mindful is about balancing how you eat with what you eat.

“We have lots of mindless eating habits that lead to weight gain, such as mindlessly popping chips in your mouth while watching TV or eating when you aren’t really hungry.”

Two favorite foods to practice mindful eating
 Choosing these two foods if you find yourself needing a snack: Mandarin oranges and pistachios.

Mandarins are easier to peel than regular oranges and are less than 100 calories. They also provide a perfect meditative moment, since you can slowly peel the fruit and eat it segment by segment.

Pistachios, which have the lowest calorie and fat content among nuts, help you regulate your blood sugar when you are under stress because they have fiber and protein, Dr. Albers says. Having to open the shells helps you slow down and the shells are a visual reminder of how many you’ve eaten.

According to Dr. Albers, a study on what is known as the “pistachio effect” found that participants ate on average 86 fewer calories and felt just as satisfied when they were given pistachios they had to shell themselves versus those that were already shelled for them.

Other tips for mindful eating

Choosing these tips to help you practice mindful eating:

    Eat with your non-dominant hand. Switching your fork into your other hand jolts you out of autopilot. You can do it, but it takes more of your attention and concentration.
    Swivel away from your desk when you snack at work. This will prevent you from being tempted to answer your phone or type on the computer. When you eat, just eat.
    Use red plates or red cues like red napkins to help you slow down. When you see red, your mind automatically slows you down.
    Use a Bento box. It helps to keep your portion sizes consistent and also trains and rewires your stomach to be satisfied with a smaller amount of food.
    Practice “hunger checks.” Whenever your phone rings, ask yourself how hungry you are on a scale from 1-10.
    Intentionally eat “off the clock” as an experiment. Too often we eat at scheduled meal times instead of when we are actually hungry. Take a day or two to learn about your natural hunger periods.
    Practice mindfully eating foods you love in times of calm, not stress. In other words, practice eating chocolate mindfully on a good day, not when you are under stress.
    Add spinach to a morning snack. A recent study showed that this food helps you reduce how much you eat through the entire day because it contains nutrients that keep you feeling fuller.
    Keep reminders of what you’ve eaten. Research shows that we tend to have very poor memories of what we’ve eaten, so save the wrapper from your granola bar on your desk or snap a photo.

Source : http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2015/05/you-can-lose-weight-and-keep-it-off-with-mindful-eating/

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Do You Want to Lose Weight?

Do You Want to Lose Weight? Learn to Relax

One way to fight excess weight may surprise you. Besides clocking in time with a tread mill, it turns out we also need to do the opposite: learn to relax. Experts say managing stress effectively doesn’t only help with weight loss, but it makes us healthier overall.

According to Mladen Golubic, MD, PhD, Medical Director of Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Lifestyle Medicine, excess weight and high levels of stress contribute to lifestyle-related chronic disease — and the two are related.

“Relieving chronic stress leads to better eating and exercising. Those lifestyle practices are proven to stop the progression of — and sometimes reverse — some chronic diseases.

Is it all in my mind?

You’ve heard people talk about illness that’s “all in your mind.” They may not be completely wrong.

That’s not to say illnesses are imaginary. But, according to Dr. Golubic, improved mental well-being is an important ingredient for overcoming:

    Heart disease
    Type 2 diabetes
    High blood pressure
    Obesity

Excess weight and high levels of stress contribute to lifestyle-related chronic disease — and the two are related. “Relieving chronic stress leads to better eating and exercising,” he says. “Those lifestyle practices are proven to stop the progression of — and sometimes reverse — some chronic diseases.”

Why relaxation is so powerful

Relaxing by practicing meditation, yoga and other mind-body techniques can make us more accepting of our emotional states, says Dr. Golubic. This acceptance leads to:

    Better mental control: We’re less likely to give in to habits and impulses.
    Truer hunger (and fullness) signals: We’re less likely to soothe stress by eating.

Studies have also reported significant weight loss in people who practice meditation. “Weight loss requires a resilient mind,” says Dr. Golubic. “We need mental strength to confront the challenges of today’s sedentary lifestyles, surrounded by processed and addictive food-like substances.”

How you can try it

More Americans are using mind-body approaches to improve their health and well-being, according to a recent nationwide survey. About 21 million adults (nearly double the number from 2002) and 1.7 million children practice yoga. Almost as many practice meditation.

You can try it too, by:

    Watching DVDs on relaxation techniques. You can learn how to meditate, do yoga or tai chi, or use guided imagery.

    Attending yoga and/or meditation classes. You can learn stretching, breathing and meditation from an experienced yoga therapist or meditation practitioner. Be sure to find a class that works for you. There are many types of yoga and meditation practice available for people of every fitness and experience level.
    Seeing a lifestyle medicine professional. Lifestyle medicine experts will teach you a variety of techniques for relaxation, healthy cooking and eating, and effective exercise.

“The same approaches don’t work for everyone due to genetic or behavioral factors,” says Dr. Golubic. “Be bold, be persistent, and dare to experiment to find the most effective, sustainable self-care path for you.”

Source : http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2015/06/do-you-want-to-lose-weight-learn-to-relax/

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