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A NEW LEASE—on Life!

By Judit Rajhathy, B.A., RNCP, D.Ac.

Reviving Your Metabolism

 

Oops I did it again...just like the Britney Spears song. During a recent trip to Canada I totally got out of my exercise routine and spent nights raiding my daughter’s cupboards--even her freezer—socking back anything that contained sugar!  And yes, I am the supposed health guru but one whose huge addiction issues got out of hand. And the result?

My saddlebags and belly expanded quickly and nothing discourages me more than my clothes feeling tighter and tighter...well...that is not completely true. It was when my dance teacher grunted as he tried to lift me into the air with one of his famous ‘lifts,’ I knew it was time to buckle down and take it off again.  How easy it is to gain and normally so very difficult to lose - but not this time! I was so humiliated by this dance experience that I got right back onto my healthy dietary regime and cardio six days a week and off it came!   Yes, it was that simple!  If I can do it so can anyone, including you!

According to the John Hopkins Institute, we lose as much as 50% of our muscle mass between the ages of 20 and 90, the rate of loss being much more pronounced from ages 50-70.  This also means that as you lose muscle you gain that much in body fat.

Cutting back calories is one solution while the other is to burn body fat through regular exercise at least five to six days a week and in my experience, intense is the operative word - sweat, sweat and more sweat.  A leisurely stroll or dipping in a pool just ain’t gonna cut it - sorry.  There are several ways to boost metabolism and here are a few of them as suggested by John Hopkins Institute:

1.Eat breakfast since it gets your metabolism out of resting state and back into burning mode.
2.Eat frequently so that your metabolism stays working - burning and processing calories all day long.
3.Eat more lean protein since your body burns more calories when digesting proteins versus carbs or fats and of course protein leaves you feeling more full so you will eat less overall.
4.Exercise frequently most days of the week doing moderate to rigorous aerobic activity.
5.Strength train either with resistance machines or free weights.  This will encourage the growth of muscle and the more muscle you have the more calories you burn.
6.Get adequate sleep so that you are not too tired to exercise and so that you are not snacking to keep yourself awake in the evenings to get a second wind.

    Another great tip is to not eat anything white—only whole grain but with a focus on lean protein, veggies and low glycemic fruit such as apples and berries.  Drinking lots of water for hydration and to help curb appetite is also important. Finding out what food sensitivities you have is also very helpful in terms of fat loss.

    So eat healthy, be well and see you at the gym!