| "> | | | | diet: |
| Ever been told that your metabolism is 'fixed'? | | | | Soybeans - are excellent to start with, make sure |
| That you were either born with a fast or slow | | | | you go for the non-GM kind that you can buy in |
| metabolism and that you're stuck with whichever | | | | health food stores. They contain lecithin, which |
| one you got? Or that your metabolism slows with | | | | guards your cells against accumulating fat, and can |
| age? Do you really understand what your | | | | help to break down already accumulated fat |
| metabolism is? | | | | stores in your body. Try to have soy products |
| Think of it this way - your metabolism is your | | | | about three times a week. If you are not into |
| body's engine, and the foods you eat are:o used | | | | soy, buy lecithin granules and put them on your |
| for energy to fuel your engine, oro stored as fat, | | | | cereal instead. |
| oro eliminated as waste. | | | | Garlic - is one of my favourite foods on the |
| There are generally three main reasons why you | | | | planet. Natural garlic, preferably uncooked or very |
| might carry more weight than you'd like: | | | | lightly cooked, not only has basic antibiotic and |
| 1. You're taking in more fuel (food) than your | | | | antioxidant qualities but it has also been known to |
| body can burn up and so the excess is being | | | | help mobilise stored fats in the body. |
| stored as fat. | | | | Chilli - can enhance the way that cholesterol and |
| 2. You're not moving your body enough to burn | | | | fats are processed. Studies have found that |
| the energy you are taking in and have already | | | | capsaicin (an ingredient in chilli) works in two ways |
| stored. | | | | to reduce fat levels: it decreases cholesterol |
| 3. Your metabolism has slowed to the point that, | | | | absorption by the body so that more is excreted |
| even though you may not be eating much, you | | | | in the faeces; and it increases the enzymes |
| are still holding weight. | | | | responsible for fat metabolism in the liver, so that |
| Now, I know that item number three on this list is | | | | more triglycerides (the hard insoluble fat) are |
| by far the most attractive reason to justify why | | | | secreted by the liver rather than accumulated in |
| we may be slow to lose weight. I know for | | | | the body. |
| myself, and from the majority of clients I saw in | | | | Vitamin C - food experts at Arizona State |
| my clinics, that it is easier to believe that our | | | | University reported in 2006 that vitamin C in the |
| metabolism is the problem, rather than that we | | | | blood is directly linked to fat oxidation, which is |
| are overeating or being under active! | | | | the body's ability to use fat as a fuel source both |
| The fact is that it is possible to speed up or slow | | | | during exercise and rest. Vitamin C is found in |
| down our metabolism at any age by adjusting the | | | | foods like citrus fruits, berries, red capsicums and |
| amount of exercise we do, the amount we eat | | | | kiwi fruit, which are easy to add to your daily diet. |
| and what we eat. Exercise is an obvious one - do | | | | Eat the whole fruit, instead of just sculling a big |
| more exercise, burn up more energy/do less | | | | glass of juice so you also get the fibre to help the |
| exercise, burn up less energy. But would you | | | | rest of your body as well. |
| believe you can actually slow your metabolism by | | | | Green tea - researchers in Japan have discovered |
| reducing the amount you eat and speed it up by | | | | that the long-term consumption of tea catechins |
| eating more? Before you reach for the Tim | | | | (antioxidants) found in green tea, is beneficial in |
| Tams though, yes, it does matter what you eat | | | | offsetting the obesity-inducing effects of a |
| and when. | | | | high-fat diet. The positive effects could be |
| You see, just like we need to keep adding fuel to | | | | attributed partly to the activation of hepatic lipid |
| a fire to keep it burning strongly, we need to | | | | catabolism (breaking down of fats) in the body. |
| keep giving our bodies regular good fuel to keep | | | | To tap into the fat-burning properties of green |
| our metabolism firing along. And the reason for | | | | tea you need to consume around four lightly |
| this is simple survival - if you reduce the amount | | | | brewed cups per day. I love green tea because it |
| of energy you are putting into your body, it | | | | is also loaded with antioxidants that protect your |
| thinks that you are experiencing famine conditions, | | | | body. In the hot weather I brew a jug in the |
| so it hits the brakes on your metabolism to give | | | | morning and drink it iced throughout the day. |
| you a greater chance of survival. And while this | | | | Lightly brewed green tea counts as part of your |
| was the perfect physiological response in times | | | | daily water intake, too. |
| when we had to go out hunting for our dinner, it's | | | | Remember, it is the total amount of calories that |
| not so great for our modern way of life. The key | | | | you take in during the day, compared to what |
| to speeding up your metabolism is to eat more | | | | you burn up by moving your body that gives you |
| frequently to keep the fire stoked. Five or six | | | | the calorie deficit and associated weight loss. So |
| small meals a day is ideal (you can read more | | | | to kick-start your metabolism, eat small, regular |
| about the ideal eating plan in 7 Steps to | | | | meals balanced with some protein, make your |
| Sanity®). And as well as eating more of the | | | | meals colourful and lively by adding chilli, ginger and |
| right foods more regularly, you can also | | | | garlic, and move your body (exercise) in some |
| supplement your diet with foods that have been | | | | way every day - and over time, you will see |
| shown to give the metabolism an extra boost. | | | | your weight start to move in the right direction |
| Try incorporating some of these into your daily | | | | again. |