Fire Away!

Before I start, here's a friendly reminder to the MALE readers :

    " Don't navigate away from this page please. I know you are weight watchers too just like us girls"


Alright boys and girls, let's get this show started!

FORGET DIETING. If you want to sustain a healthy body weight, metabolism is the key. Essentially, your metabolism is your body's fuel pump system. It influences a network of hormones and enzymes that work together to convert food in to fuel and then burn that fuel to give you energy.

"Your metabolism also impacts on how fast you gain weight and how fast you lose it"

                                                                                        ( Pete Mathason, hormone specialist) 

The following lifestyle changes will shift your metabolic rate into top gear so that you're burning more fat and calories even when you're sleeping :

1. EAT 5-7 SMALL MEALS A DAY

Do you often skip lunch or breakfast? Then you're not doing your waistline any favours. Prolonged hunger triggers the body's defences against starvation, so when you skip a meal you go into fat storing mode and your metabolism slows. Everytime you eat your metabolism speeds up to help digest the food. As long as you ensure your calorie intake doesn't increase, regular healthy snacking may speed up your metabolism enough to promote weight loss. 


2. SPICE IT UP

If you love hot, spicy food you're in luck! Ingredients like chillies, curry powder, Tabasco sauce and cayenne pepper cause little spikes in your metabolic rate. These food contain capsaicin, which has been shown to slightly increase metabolism - that's the reason you often get a flushed feeling after eating a spicy meal.

3. MOVE IT

Your metabolism benefits from doing a low intensity workout such as going for a stroll but it also benefits from doing a moderate intensity workout such as walking briskly or jogging. What's important is that you aim to exercise at least five days of the week. 


4. ORDER A SHORT BLACK

Though caffeine gets a lot of bad press as being over-stimulating and dehydrating, studies show that a cup of coffee can mildly boost 'thermogenesis' - a process where the body generates more heat or energy by increasing the metabolism. So don't be afraid to have one or two cups a day to give your metabolism a little lift. 

5. MAXIMISE YOUR MUSCLES

Add some weight training or resistance bands and dumbbells to your workout and you will build more muscle, which will make you a lean fat-burning machine. Muscle tissue is more active than fat, so the more muscle you have the more active your metabolism and the more fat you burn. 


6. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER

Even being mildly dehydrated can reduce your metabolism by as much as 3 percent. Research found that metabolism increased by about 30 percent after patients drank 17 ounces of water. The study concluded that increasing your water intake by 1.5 litres a day could help you burn an extra 17,400 calories which is equal to 5 pounds!

7. GO FOR GREEN TEA

Research shows that green tea has a positive effect on metabolism. A study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland found that green tea can help make the metabolism work faster and more effectively, while also helping the body burn fat faster.  There are different varieties of green tea out there with the likes of sensha, gyokuro and matcha. Try them, it's delicious!


8. EAT LESS CARBS AND MORE PROTEIN

The sugar on your breakfast cereal has an immediate effect on your insulin levels and flicks your metabolism into fat storage mode. Insulin is produced whenever the level of glucose in the blood rises. This happens more sharply when we eat foods like carbs which are broken down and absorbed into our guts as sugars. The glucose in your blood can be converted into fat in your liver or shunted directly into the fat cells to make you fatter.

In particular, you should add more fish to your shopping trolley. Salmon, tuna and sardines are all high in omega 3 fatty acids, which may do wonders for your metabolism. The more fish you eat, the more your body produces a hormone called leptin, which helps yo break down calories. 


9. TURN OFF THE AIR CONDITIONING

Air conditioning is not good for the metabolism. Your metabolism speeds up to help your body adjust its temperature on a hot or cold day- especially in the case of cold weather because it has to work harder to keep itself warm.


The thing is, it is simple to manage our weight. We just have to be fully disciplined to follow the rules. But, hey, here's something easier which you can do anytime and anywhere.

Try to walk as much as you can. Here are a few examples :

• get off the bus several stops early and walk the rest of the way
• use the stairs instead of the lift
• when driving, park a few metres away from your destination, and walk for the remaining distance
• do something physical during your lunch hour
• stand up while you read the papers or making phone calls
• banish cordless phones and get up to answer every call

                               Life is not merely to be alive, but to be well.