S B Coaches College - Tip of the Month February 2007




		S B Coaches College Tip of the Month February 2007

As the winter months pass us by (especially if you live in New England), there tends to be a trend to stay inside more, be less active and ultimately pack on the pounds, but in this month’s tip we’ll show you 10 ways to boost your metabolism to beat the winter blues.

What is your Metabolism? Metabolism is the process by which the body makes and uses energy (calories) for everything from the cellular absorption of nutrients to playing a game of basketball.

Sounds like pretty boring science on paper. Except that knowing how to efficiently metabolize calories could translate into a healthier and leaner body.

Without further ado, here they are:

1. Build lean body mass. Metabolism slows as we age – by as much as two percent a year! But there is something you can do to counterbalance nature. Muscle is the single most important predictor of how efficient you are at metabolizing food, burning calories and losing body fat. If you’re not strength training you are doing yourself a huge disservice to changing your body composition. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat and requires more calories to maintain. Strength training actually keeps your metabolism high even after your done training as opposed to aerobic exercise which primarily burns calories during exercise.

2. Get moving. It’s as simple as that; the more you move, the more calories you burn. I’m sure that you’re already exercising so other ways to make sure you’re moving is to use the stairs vs. the elevator or escalators, park farther away when going to a store, get up during commercial breaks to do some push-ups or squats or stretches. Make the most of your time.

3. Eat. It may sound crazy to those trying to lose weight by severely restricting their daily caloric intake, but the problem with this old school of thought, explains Michigan dietician Julie Beyer, is that it actually slows metabolism. “Every cell of the body is like a flashlight bulb,” she explains. “When our bodies don’t get enough food, or fuel, every cell burns less brightly.” Recent studies show that eating smaller meals every three to four hours aids metabolism and weight loss.

4. Lose the sugar. You have to eat, but you also have to make good food choices. Consuming a diet high in processed foods, and higher glycemic foods can throw a halt to your metabolism and actually cause to store more body fat. The best choice for your diet should be low glycemic foods, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables. These are broken down much more slower which helps to maintain and even blood-sugar level. If you can’t grow it, it’s not a good option. Check out the July 2006 Tip of the month for more facts about the glycemic index.

5. Don’t skip breakfast. This is extremely important to break the overnight fast. The longer that your starve your body of calories, the more you’ll keep body fat on. Your body thinks it’s starving itself and would rather burn muscle protein as a fuel source to survive rather than body fat. Fat is the most abundant fuel source in your body and when it’s in survival mode, it would rather keep fat than protein. Not a good equation when it comes to losing body-fat. Make sure that you’re eating something everyday when you wake up.

6. Include hot foods. Spicy foods and meals are great at boosting metabolism. Adding a variety of peppers or hot sauces are not only a nice way of increasing the flavour in your foods but also to boost your metabolism. Next time you eat spicy foods, notice how warm your body gets after eating.

7. Drink green tea. The Asians have known this for a long time and have consumed green tea. Recent studies are showing how healthy green tea is for your body. The polyphenols that are found in green tea are natural metabolism boosters.

8. Don’t forget Water. Staying well hydrated is essential to flushing the body of toxic byproducts that are released when fat is burned. Cold water may also give your metabolism at least a small boost because energy is required to heat the body. The January tip of the month has more facts about water.

9. Avoid stress. Stress is a necessary part of life, but must be controlled. If you lose control and allow stress to run your life, you’re going to be in some big trouble; Not only for your own health, but also for your body composition. Physical and emotional stress activates the release of cortisol, which can increase body fat levels if I it is not managed correctly. Always try to be in control of the situation and thinking positively will do wonders to reduce stress levels, and keep your metabolism going.

10. Sleep. Research shows that people who don’t sleep for seven to eight hours a night are more prone to weight gain. Additionally, we now know that lean muscle is regenerated in the final couple of hours of sleep each night, says Beyer. Which takes you right back to tip number one! Check out the September 2006 Tip of the Month for more sleep facts.

Adopted from Susan Woodward’s article http://health.msn.com/guides/weightloss/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100096731&GT1=8921&wa=wsignin1.0