Vim & Vigor - Spring 2014 - North Mississippi - (Page 26)

1 START SMART Eat breakfast within 30 to 60 minutes of waking up. Not only do breakfast skippers have more trouble losing weight, but they also miss the chance to kickstart their metabolism for the day as their bodies change over from foodstorage to food-burning mode. "Eating breakfast is your best opportunity to maximize what your body is already doing," explains Haylie Pomroy, the author of The Fast Metabolism Diet. 2 EAT FREQUENTLY "Processing food has a thermic effect," explains Jennifer McDaniel, a registered dietitian and an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokeswoman. "When you eat, your metabolism goes up to digest, absorb and process that food." That's not to say you should binge just to beneﬁt from the burn, but frequent meals and snacks will keep your blood sugar more stable so your hunger doesn't get out of control. 3 GO GREEN 26 SPRING 2 014 Studies have found that those who drink more water- particularly cold water-show a 30 percent increase in their metabolism rate for about 30 to 40 minutes afterward. McDaniel adds that drinking water also helps you feel more full, meaning you likely won't mistake thirst for hunger. 5 FORGO FAKES Food additives, including artiﬁcial colors, sweeteners and fat substitutes, are stressful to your body, particularly your liver. To optimize that organ's essential role in metabolism, get back to nature. Eat real foods, not processed ones-and eat organic whenever possible, Pomroy says. She recommends micronutrient-rich powerhouses like kale, kiwi, quinoa, avocado and pink grapefruit. 6 BRING THE HEAT Foods that contain capsaicin, such as jalapeño, cayenne and chili peppers, have been shown to raise your metabolic rate for about 30 minutes after you eat them, McDaniel says. 7 SAY NO-NO TO THE YO-YO Steady exercise and sensible eating are more effective for weightloss efforts than repeated extreme low-calorie diets that cause your weight to drastically ﬂuctuate and slow down your metabolism. To really rev up your burn rate, Jessica Matthews, an exercise physiologist and a spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise, recommends high-intensity interval training, which alternates periods of intense exercise and rest during a single workout session. One study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that a 45-minute session of high-intensity exercise can raise your resting metabolic rate 37 percent for up to 14 hours. Now that's a nice return! 9 MOVE A MUSCLE Strength or resistance training can make a dramatic difference to your metabolism. "Resistance training builds lean muscle mass, which is more metabolically active than fat," Matthews says. "By changing your body composition, your body will burn more calories- even while at rest." 10 STAND, STROLL OR STRETCH YOUR WAY THROUGH THE DAY Every little bit of physical activity helps. The more you move, the more your body composition moves to a higher muscleto-fat ratio. Give your metabolism a boost by doing jumping jacks during commercials, walking while you talk on the phone, or setting an alarm on your computer to stand and do a quick stretch every 30 minutes. 11 ADD SOME FAT Seems wrong, right? But our bodies actually have a good kind of fat called brown fat that burns calories! Where can you get some of that? "Chronic exercise is what helps convert white fat to brown fat by releasing a hormone called irisin," McDaniel says. PHOTOGRAPHY BY THINKSTOCK There are no magic bullets to increase your metabolism, but drinking green tea is about as close as you can get. Studies have found that drinking several cups per day or taking green tea extract can help ﬁre up your metabolism for a short time after you drink it. Tea's combination of caffeine, ﬂavonoids and the antioxidant catechin can help your body burn fat. 4 WET YOUR WHISTLE 8 GET INTENSE

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2014 - North Mississippi

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2014 - North Mississippi
Contents
Opening Thoughts
Cardiac Caretakers
Mending Hearts
Occupational Hazards
The New Rules of Play
Shopping for Two
Back to Basics
Burn, Baby, Burn
Angelina Jolie
Rock Your Health
Breaking Up with Salt
Disgusting! (or Not?)
Virtual Health
One Day at a Time
The Doctor Will See You Now
Catch the Spirit

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2014 - North Mississippi