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Speed Up Your Metabolism By Eating More—Not Less

Have a friend or family member than can eat a pint or more of Hagen Daz without gaining a pound while you gain weight after eating a spoon or two? The answer lies in your metabolism-the energy burning furnace we all have in our bodies that burn calories 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Metabolism is every metabolic process that is going on in your body. Each time you eat, whether its fat, protein or carbs, the chemicals in the cells of your body tear apart the food and turn it into energy that keeps your heart beating, your brain working and your body warm. The faster the metabolism, the faster calories are being consumed. The more you burn, the easier it is to lose weight.   Our daily metabolism is

consists of several factors:

The graph to the right shows how aily metabolism

is broken down into several

different functions. By far

the largest factor is the

”basal” metabolism. This

is the energy we all need

for our heart beat, brain

function and keeping warm.

This cannot be changed.   

The dark blue pie is the

calories we burn simply

to digest the food. This

is a small number and can be only slightly altered.

The yellow pie section is the calories we burn during daily activities of life. This includes shopping, cooking, cleaning and working, but not planned exercise. This value can vary from 100 calories a day to 1000 or more calories a day depending upon the individual. Not included is the contribution of planned exercise, like biking, walking, sports or going to the gym. There are many variations in daily metabolism.

Some metabolic furnaces run faster than others: young people faster than older people, men faster than women, and people with active jobs burn thru energy much faster than people with sedentary jobs.     

Part 1: How You Can Increase Your Metabolism, First Find Out if it is

Really Low

Our body’s metabolism is set to some degree by our genetics, gender and age. However, that does not mean that there is no room to increase it. You have seen many of the reasons for metabolism to slow down... We all have a large amount of  control over your metabolic rate You can't change the number of calories your heart needs to beat or the energy you need to keep your body warm, but you can burn a few extra calories every day and make some better food choices.  This does not take hours in gym. To make those changes simpler, we enlisted the help of leading experts and came up with a round-the-clock, turn-up-the-burn plan complete with new moves that will throw that slow metabolism into overdrive.

But there are easy things you can do to stoke your fat-burning potential. But age, weight, diet, and exercise habits have greater and greater influences.  Role

Before you can make some good changes, you need to review the causes of a slow metabolism and see if you can find 3 or 4 things you can change:

Solving Your Metabolism Riddle: The Answer to Quick and Easy Weight Loss

Here are the questions that will tell you if you have a slow metabolism. Starting with information about yourself: sex, age, and daily activities, then moving to your eating patterns, medical problems and medical history. As you go the questions, it’s "the YES" answers that are important Here is you chance to really find the answer that may help you lose weight.

Note: If you are viewing this on-line, than you can use the Quick Link (QL) feature and move directly to your personal problem. Questions #1-3 are more informational and cannot be changed. Starting with question #4, watch the “yes” answers.

1. Are You A Women?  QL

Women have a slower metabolism than men. Its all about male hormones. So ladies if you want a man's metabolism you will need to grow a beard.

• YES

• NO

•

•

•2. Are you over the age of 35 years? (QL)

People over the age of 35 years, both male and female experience a slowing metabolism

• YES

• NO

3. Do You Spend Less than 2 hours a Day Outside of a Building, Home, Job, School or Vehicle?

This question has to do with what you do all day, is it an inside or outside job Tells about your daily, non exercise activity

• YES

• NO

4. Do you do less than 30 minutes of planned exercise 3 days a week?

• YES

• NO

• DON'T KNOW

5. Do You Skip Breakfast or Lunch More than 2 Days a Week?

Skipping meals slows down your metabolism

• YES

• NO

• DON'T KNOW

6. Do You Get Up From a Sleep In the Middle of the Night and Eat, more than 2 days a week?

All of the hormones that are released from the brain are released in the middle of the night. Eating just before sleep or in the middle of a sleep slows your metabolism.

• YES

• NO

• DON'T KNOW

7. Do You Regularly Have Dinner After 8 PM?

Eating Late in the Evening May Slow Your Metabolism

• YES

• NO

8. Do You Snack More than 200 Calories Within 2 Hours of Going To Sleep?

Snacks, especially high carb snacks slows your metabolism, even more If eaten late a night

• YES

• NO

9. Do You Drink 2 Drinks of Alcohol on 4 or more Days A Week?

Alcohol slows metabolism, a single drink of wine, or beer or straight alcohol can stop the

metabolism of other foods.

            YES

• NO

10. Have You Had Unexplained Weight Gain and Fatigue?

These are Some Symptoms of low thyroid

• YES

• NO

11. Have You Noticed Your Hair Becoming Coarse or Are You Losing Hair?

Other symptoms of low thyroid function

• YES

• NO

12. Have You Noticed a Goiter or Enlarged Thyroid Gland Around Your Neck?

This is another symptom of a low thyroid

• YES

• NO

• DON'T KNOW

13. Do You Have Kidney Disease, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Adrenal Disease or Anemia or Heavy Periods? These are some of the disease interfering with your metabolism

• YES

• NO

• DON'T KNOW

14. Are You Taking Any Medications Known to Interfere With Your Metabolism? Drugs for diabetes, hypertension, anti-depressants, mood stabilizers, some cardiac medicines many drugs lower metabolism

• YES

• NO

• NOT SURE? Loot at reference at the end of this survey

15. If You Are Female, is Your Waist Line greater than 35 inches, and If You Are a Man Is It Greater than 40 inches Fat accumulation around the belly is a definite sign of slow metabolism Increase waist size, causes large fat cells which slow metabolism

• Yes: Woman with a waist greater than 35 inches

• YES: Man with a Waist size greater than 38 inches

• No-my waist is less than above

16. Are You Unusually Tired With Simple Activities? Unusual Fatigue is often the First Sign of Slow Metabolism

12345

very tired

not at all tired

17. Do You Have Sleep Apnea?

Sleep Apnea Slows Down Your Metabolism

• YES

• NO

• DON'T KNOW

18. If You Don't Know About Sleep Apnea, Does Your Sleeping Partner Complain You Snore a Lot at Night? A symptom of sleep apnea is snoring

• YES

• NO

• DON'T KNOW

19. Do You Feel Like Sleeping During the Day? An early symptom of sleep apnea

12345

Not At All

All of the Time

20. Have You Tried To Diet Without Success?

• YES

• NO

• Don't KNOW

21. Are Your Having a Lot of Carbs at Breakfast?

Carbs lower metabolism, protein increases it, think about bagels, muffins, sugary cereals, pancakes, waffles, Pop Tarts, fruit juices

• YES

• NO

• NOT SURE

22. Are You Having a Lot of Carbs at Lunch or Dinner?

High carbs at lunch such as pasta, rice, potatoes, sugary drinks, slow metabolism

• YES

• NO

• NOT SURE

23. Are you drinking beverages with sugar more than 3 times a week?

Soft drinks, fresh or non fresh fruit juices, health and sports drink contain sugar which lowers metabolism.

• YES

• NO

24. Are you having a lot of protein, especially for breakfast? Protein increases metabolism, sugar and carbs decrease metabolism.

• YES

• NO

25. Review the "YES" Answers to questions 1 to 10 Check off the number of "Yes" answers below

12345678910

26. Similar to Question # 22, How Many of Questions 11 to 24 Did You Check "Yes"

12345678910

27. Add up Answer to # 21 and #23 You have definite slow metabolism when the total "YES" answers exceed-- 10, There are many ways to change your metabolism once you see the many factors slowing it down, here are some of the categories again,

• Personal: Age, Sex, Activity, Recent Weight loss

• What You Eat: Eating carbs, late at night, skipping

• Medical problems: Diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure

• Medications

• Re-Check for the symptoms of slow metabolism

Part 2: Factors Slowing or Increasing Metabolism:

Age and Metabolism:

Changes in energy regulation occur during normal aging including changes in food     intake and energy expended (metabolism.).

Changes in Food IN:

Older adults have difficulty controlling food intake due to slow absorption of nutrients. This can be due to changes in taste and smell as well as numerous hormones that change with aging. There are also changes in patterns of dietary intake and a reduction in the variety of foods consumed in old age that are thought to further reduce energy intake.

Changes in Energy OUT:

As people age, their metabolisms slow down, mostly because they are losing five or six pounds of muscular tissue every 10 years starting in the late 20’s. You can wind up burning 110 less calories a day at 38 than at 28 years old.   Investigators at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University <http://www.hnrc.tufts.edu/> in Boston--showed a connection between metabolism and the weight of the cells- known as leaner fat-free mass. They applied measurements of body composition and resting metabolic rate for 131 healthy men and women that were as young as 19 and as old as 87 years. Investigators discovered a clear diminution in muscular tissue mass of middle-aged and elderly men and women over 10- and 12-year periods when they calculated the participants leg muscles by CAT scan. The shrinkage of muscular tissue accounted for at least half of the subjects’ loss of strength in those muscles. Mitochondria, the little energy furnaces in our cells convert nutrients to energy. With aging, these mitochondria simply become fatigued and slow down their function. 

Barry Stein of Wake Forest University School of Medicine explains, “As we age, we are subject to ..muscle wasting. Since muscle burns more energy than fat, this means the metabolic load goes down and metabolism reflects that.” That is, if you do nothing about your loss of muscle.”

The US Department Agricultural Research Service <http://www.ars.usda.gov/>’s  new findings shows that the step-by-step loss of body cells, especially muscle cells which require lots of energy, can help explain why older people burn fewer calories while at rest--which so often leads to obesity   Don’t cave in  just yet and fault all those mitochondria. There are things you can do to keep your metabolism effective. Exercise is No. 1. Exercise actually step-ups the amount of mitochondria. It also increases their metabolic activity. This all suggests that elderly people may recover some of the resting metabolic rate by day-after-day anaerobic exercise exercises. Maximizing muscular tissue mass would assist elders get off the process to obesity.

Gender and Metabolism

There are relatively small differences in metabolism between men and women. On the average, women's total metabolism(the number of calories burned for basal metabolism -respiration, heart beat, maintaining  body temperature,  digestion and non exercise physical) is around 5 to 10 percent lower than men's. This is explained by differences in fat and muscle mass between the two sexes. Muscle mass and bones size are far larger in men than in women, even of equal weight. Women have a higher percentage of body fat.  than men. For example:

•A 30 year old male, weighing 160 lbs, has 72 lbs. of muscle and about 25 lbs. of bone and fat.

•A typical female of the same age who weighs only 125 pounds, has 38 pounds of muscle, 15 pounds of bone, and almost double the amount of fat or

30 lb.

Even the expected body fat for females is between 20 to 30 percent while for men it is between 12 to 20 percent... The differences are believed to be a genetically determined variation for childbirth and narrow with increasing age.  Because of these differences in muscle mass, a male simply burns up more calories at rest than a female.

It is not as simple as built in genetic differences in resting metabolism between men and women. Almost every recent study finds that men are more physically active then women. Some of the differences can be explained by difference in job related activities, while others by differences in intensity of extra exercise, such as gym activities and outdoor sports.  

Since men burn more calories even when they are resting and definitely more when they are moving about, women have greater difficulty losing weight than men. Sorry ladies.  Before the men can, run off and think they can eat what they want, several weight loss studies revealed only minor differences. In a 10 week report, men lost 17.6 pounds, while the women lost 13.4 pounds. Different, but not a drastic difference considering they started at different weights.

While gender differences in metabolism do exist, the differences in terms of total weight loss are small.  For both men and women, making positive lifestyle changes is still the most important determinate of body weight, lifespan and fitness.

  Daily Activities and Metabolism

Non Planned Exercise of Daily Life (NEAT)

NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) are the activities than burn calories not related to planned exercise, occupation or food digestion. It’s the calorie burned  everyone does doing day to day activities like shopping for shoes in a mall, walking in a hall way of school, or walking to the school bus.  NEAT can account for much greater calorie consumption than standard exercise and can. It can differ by 100 or even 1000 calorie among individuals. (NEAT is also the exercise of working, standing, walking and fidgeting-like activities).

NEAT is the new secret to weight loss. Your children and teens do not need to beat themselves up in gym or spend hours outside. All they need to do is to add some NEAT

to their daily lives. Dr James A. Levine coined the term NEAT for non-exercise activity

thermogenesis. This is this calories burned with daily activity including walking, standing, playing, and driving.  Thermogenesis is the scientific word for calorie burning.

In the figure above, the black column represents how all of the days calories are used: part of the  calories for NEAT, & those calories for basal metabolism (digestion, heart beat, body heat).  Not included are any calories burned up by exercise or burned on a job.

Dr Levine divides NEAT into 2 types for adults and one type for children and teens.

Occupational NEAT represents  those calories burned doing one’s occupation. A highly ambulatory or strenuous job like a package delivery man or a construction worker burns 1000 calories a day, while most of us with sedentary jobs only burn 100-200 calories a day. Remember, being busy is not the same as strenuous. A good definition of a strenuous job means that 75% or more of the day’s work occurs outside a building or vehicle. Teenagers can increase their NEAT by walking neighbors dogs, cleaning pools, raking leaves, cleaning driveways or other jobs that they may get paid.

Non-occupational NEAT are those calories burned doing our daily activities, excluding those related to occupation. Dr Levine found that thin people even with sedentary jobs spend 150 minutes more a day on their feet than overweight people and overweight people spend 160 minutes more than thin people sitting. This is not a genetic change in obesity people because it happened only in the last 20-30 years but an adaptation to the sitting environment. Some people like to sit more than others.

What are the thin people with sedentary occupations doing? They are fidgeting, standing on their feet instead of sitting, climbing steps instead of using the elevator, going from room to room- often with little purpose, cleaning, watering the yard, and cleaning their car. They get out of their car, instead of going to drive- thru restaurants, banks, and even pharmacies. They will walk instead of taking the motorized walkways. 

The overweight person has learned to do daily tasks with the least amount of effort. Instead of getting up from his feet to get a file 4 feet away, he will slide his chair, or ask a colleague to grab it for him.

The figure above in black and white shows the time lean and obese people spend in various activities. The color figure shows that lean individuals burn more calories than obese people just by walking a little more each day.  The time and calories do not include occupational or additional exercise beyond the normal day. Graphs are courtesy of The American Heart Association and Dr James A. Levine who I thank for sharing this very important information.

Obesity and Genetics: What We Know, What We Don’t Know and What It Means (from the Center for Disease Control.)

http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/resources/diseases/obesity/obesknow.htm

The rapid rise of obesity in both adults and children has been attributed to the most part to increasing availability of pleasing, high calorie and convenient food along with a marked decrease in physical activity. Although 2/3 of adults are either overweight or obese, there are still a large number that are normal weight or even thin. (These numbers are falling quickly.) What’s the difference between these people. Are they simply genetically “thin” or are they doing something different than most of the rest of us.

Here is a summary from the CDC outlining the state of knowledge of genetics and obesity. My additions are in italic.

“What We Know: What We Don’t Know:

Biological relatives tend to resemble each other in many ways, including body weight.

Individuals with a family history of obesity may be predisposed to gain weight and interventions that prevent obesity are especially important.

With a single parent obese, each child has a 50% chance of becoming an obese adult. When both parents are obese, it rises to 80% that a child will be an obese adult. Why are biological relatives more similar in body weight? 

What genes are associated with this observation? 

Are the same genetic associations seen in every family?

How do these genes affect energy metabolism and regulation?

In an environment made constant for food intake and physical activity, individuals respond differently.

Some people store more energy as fat in an environment of excess; others lose less fat in an environment of scarcity.

The different responses are largely due to genetic variation between individuals.Why are interventions based on diet and exercise more effective for some people than others? 

What are the biological differences between these high and low responders? 

How do we use these insights to tailor interventions to specific needs?

Fat stores are regulated over long periods of time by complex systems that involve input and feedback from fatty tissues, the brain and endocrine glands like the pancreas and the thyroid.

Overweight and obesity can result from only a very small positive energy input imbalance over a long period of time.What elements of energy regulation feedback systems are different in individuals?  How do these differences affect energy metabolism and regulation?

Rarely, people have mutations in single genes that result in severe obesity that starts in infancy. 

Studying these individuals is providing insight into the complex biological pathways that regulate the balance between energy input and energy expenditure.Do additional obesity syndromes exist that are caused by mutations in single genes?  If so, what are they? 

What are the natural history, management strategy and outcome for affected individuals?

Obese individuals have genetic similarities that may shed light on the biological differences that predispose to gain weight.  This knowledge may be useful in preventing or treating obesity in predisposed people.How do genetic variations that are shared by obese people affect gene expression and function? 

How do genetic variation and environmental factors interact to produce obesity? 

What are the biological features associated with the tendency to gain weight?  What environmental factors are helpful in countering these tendencies?

The tendency to store energy in the form of fat is believed to result from thousands of years of evolution in an environment characterized by tenuous food supplies.  In other words, those who could store energy in times of plenty were more likely to survive periods of famine and to pass this tendency to their offspring.How can thousands of years of evolutionary pressure be countered? 

Can specific factors in the modern environment (other than the obvious) be identified and controlled to more effectively counter these tendencies?”

 

Genes and Metabolism:

1.For people who are genetically predisposed to gain weight, preventing obesity is the best course.  Predisposed persons may require individualized interventions and greater support to be successful in maintaining a healthy weight.

2.Obesity is a chronic lifelong condition that is the result of an environment of caloric abundance and relative physical inactivity modulated by susceptible genes.  For those who are predisposed, preventing weight gain is the best course of action.

3.Genes are not destiny.  Obesity can be prevented or can be managed in many cases with a combination of diet, physical activity, and medication.

Medical Disorders and Slow Metabolism

Thyroid disorder – Only disorders of the thyroid-hypothyroidism (under active thyroid gland) and hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland) can actually slow down or speed up metabolism.  While fairly common, only 4% of the US population have an under active thyroid gland. On the other hand, less than 0.3% of the population has an overactive thyroid gland-hyperthyroidism. 

Low levels of thyroid hormone causes bodily functions to slow down. The symptoms of hypothyroidism are subtle and gradual and may be mistaken for depression. Facial expressions become dull, the voice hoarse and the speech slow, eyelids droop and the eyes and face become puffy and swollen. Many people with hypothyroidism gain weight become constipated and are unable to tolerate cold. The hair becomes sparse, coarse, dry, scaly and thick. Many people develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome which makes the hands tingle or hurt. The pulse may slow, the palms and soles appear slightly orange and the side part of the eyebrows slowly falls out. Some people, especially older people may appear confused, forgetful, or demented - signs that can easily be mistaken for Alzheimer's Disease or other forms of dementia.

Diabetes may be another condition that causes metabolism to slow down. It's not completely clear why diabetics have slow metabolisms, but they seem to have more trouble taking off weight than non-diabetics. This may be related to their higher blood sugar levels which fools the body into believing there's lots of energy around, resulting in a slow down in metabolism.

Medications and Slow Metabolism

Struggling to lose weight and not getting anywhere? Maybe Gaining Weight on Medications? Are your prescription medications slowing your weight loss?

Steroids, Estrogens, Diabetic and Blood Pressure Drugs:

Numerous drugs have been associated with unusual weight changes. These drugs are well known causes of weight gain and include the well known steroids such as prednisone estrogen’s and birth control medications. While no one knows exactly how many prescription drugs can cause weight gain, experts estimate the list includes more than 50 common medications.

The anti-seizure medication Depakote, diabetes drugs like Diabeta and Diabinese, and the high blood pressure drugs Cardura and Inderal. Heartburn drugs like Nexium and Prevacid may also cause drug-induced weight gain.

The medication-associated weight gain can be a few pounds -- or as much as 30 pounds over several months.

And in some cases, it is unrelated to the action of the drug itself," she adds. "For example, if an antidepressant makes people feel better, their appetite may be restored and they eat more."

A few antibiotics  like sulfa, Bactrim, Levoquin and pain medication produce modest weight gain. .

Psycho -active Drugs Lead the Way in Weight Gain:

Older antidepressants such as Elavil and Tofranil, and second-generation antipsychotics like Zyprexa are the biggest -- and most recognized -- promoters of weight gain.

However psychoactive drugs, especially anti-depressants have been associated with weight gain to far greater degree. Starting with mono amine oxidase inhibitors (Parnate and Nardil) and Remeron. Some of the newer psychoactive drugs have less associated weight problems.

Zoloft, Prozac and Effexor are well known for their weight increase potential. Paxil may be the most significant weight inducer in this group. Wellbutin, not an SSRI, is associated with weight loss. Celexia and Lexapro are in between, with Celexia perhaps causing less weight problems.

It is not possible to predict who's most likely to gain weight from taking antidepressants. However, recent research has shown that people who gain weight within the first few weeks more commonly have weight problems latter on during the treatment. Many factors can be associated with the weight increase including improving mood, and increasing appetite as well as reductions in metabolism.

Depression in it self can cause weight gain, so maybe its not the medications at all. It is clearly a problem with the majority of anti depressant drugs. It does not occur for everyone, but when it does it can be very significant. Overall, its estimated that the chance of gaining significant weight gain with anti depressants is about 25%. That’s a very large number and needs to be considered carefully. One of the first things I do with a new patient struggling to lose weight is to review the medications, especially the prescription ones and the dose levels.

What to do if you suspect your medications may play a role in difficult weight loss.

First, never stop them cold turkey. That may be even worse.

Keeping in mind that everyone responds to these drugs differently, switching from one to the other often can lessen the weight problems. Paxil has the most problems among SSRI's while Celexia probably has the least. Recent evidence suggesting adding small doses of seizure drugs such as Topamax or a drug used for alcoholism, naltrexone may lessen the problem.

Dosage: Many professionals recognize that the dose of these drugs needs to be changed as time goes on. Often in a rush to get depressed or anxious patients better, doctors will

increase the dose too quickly and actually overshoot the optimal dose. Often lower doses work just as well after a few months. You need to check with your own physician.

Other means to prevent weight gain may simply be adding the same modalities people without depression use to treat their obesity. This includes limiting high calorie foods, especially carbs, as well as exercising. Exercise, especially has great benefits for depression.

Part 2: Your Metabolism, Calories and Weight Loss

Calculating Your Metabolism

Calculate your resting metabolic rate (RMR). RMR is often used interchangeably with basal metabolic rate (BMR). Although they are slightly different, estimating either is sufficient for the purpose of losing weight. To calculate your RMR, use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation There are also calculators online that can do this for you:

oRMR = 9.99w + 6.25s - 4.92a + 166g-161

w = weight in kilograms; if you know your weight in pounds, divide by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms

s = height in centimeters; if you know your height in inches, multiply by 2.54 to get your height in centimeters

a = age in years

g = gender = 1 for males, 0 for females

Adjust your diet accordingly. Your RMR will tell you how many calories you need to maintain your body at rest. Your daily consumption to maintain your weight should be.

oRMR x 1.15

E.g. RMR = 2000, so the maintenance intake is 2000 x 1.15 = 2300

oTo lose weight safely, do not exceed your maintenance intake or have a caloric intake lower than your calculated RMR.

oCount calories by recording what you eat and looking up how many calories each food item contains (either on the food packaging or in tables provided in books or online).

These are complicated calculations that few people are willing to do. Its much easier to

go on –line and use a RMR or BMR calculator. Here is one of many:

RMR on line: http://www.start-losing-weight-today.com/rmr.html

When you go this, have some fun and plug in values for the opposite sex and younger and older people and see the vast differences in what is normal.

A pound of body fat equates to approximately 3500 calories. So if you have a calorie deficit of 500 calories (meaning that you burn 500 calories more than you eat each day) you would lose approximately one pound per week:

500 x 7 = 3,500

It's easy to see that a calorie deficit of 1000 calories would mean that you'd lose approximately two pounds per week. And that's a good number to remember, because two pounds a week is commonly accepted as the maximum rate of weight loss that is healthy.

Using the Calculations

As BMR and RMR only represent resting energy expenditure, an adjustment must be made to reflect your activity level. This is done by multiplying your BMR or RMR by an activity factor (McArdle et al 1996).

Activity FactorCategoryDefinition

1.2SedentaryLittle or no exercise and desk job

1.375Lightly ActiveLight exercise or sports 1-3 days a week

1.55Moderately ActiveModerate exercise or sports 3-5 days a week

1.725Very ActiveHard exercise or sports 6-7 days a week4

1.9Extremely ActiveHard daily exercise or sports and physical job

.

Exercise and Metabolism

Weight Lifting: The more you increase your muscle mass the more your metabolism will increase.

Muscular tissue burns up a lot of calories, much more than fat does. Therefore the additional muscle you build up, the greater your resting metabolic rate (RMR).  Every muscle fiber that you acquire corresponds to a tiny factory that perpetually burns up calories for you, even while you rest, and increases even more when you exercise. This is the only way to truly increase your metabolism permanently.

Do not think you have time to go to the gym? You will be able to capture large results with only two 12-minute weight lifting sessions per week.  Executing just a single set results in about the same bodybuilding benefits as three sets, as long as they're performed to muscle fatigue. Weight training also gives your metabolism a short-term boost. A study published in 2001 found that women’s metabolism remained elevated for as long as 2 ½ hours after heavy weight lifting. Not a bad way to add an extra 100 calories a day.

Get Enough Aerobic Eexercise.

As much as you can is really a help for your metabolism, and if you do it in the morning, you'll raise your metabolism all day. Generally speaking, aerobic activities like running burn more calories than strength building activities like weight lifting. But it is important to note that muscle burns calories, while fat does not. This means that the more muscular you are, the higher your metabolism will remain at all times.

Keep yourself in motion regularly

After regular exercise such as walking, biking and swimming your metabolism rate will increase not only during the activity but for several hours after. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator is a great and natural way to embody exercise in your daily life. Even house cleaning or cutting the lawn can increase your fat burning rate.

.

The 3 Nutrients and Our Metabolism

Our chief nutrients are found in three groups:  fats, proteins or carbohydrates. They are called macronutrients because they are our source of calories and energy. Metabolism is the way our cells, organs and tissues in our bodies treat these foodstuffs.

Macro means big, and these foods are required in huge amounts to keep up our development, metabolism, and other bodily processes. Our organic structure demands other nutrients, too, including vitamins and minerals. However, these nutrients are required in more modest measures and are named micronutrients. In this context "micro" means a very small amount. While decisive for our body , micronutrients don't supply people with energy or calories.

Protein Necessary for Structure of Cells

Protein is the principal element of our organs, muscular tissue, all our living cells, and is present in all body liquids. . Proteins are amino acids stitched  together in chains. Twenty amino acids are needed and all must be present in sufficient quantities in order for body processes to function. Nine of the 20 amino acids are termed essential because they cannot be produced by the body; and must come from food sources.

Proteins that contain all 20 amino acids are called complete proteins, and they are found in animal sources: meat (poultry, fish and other meats) and dairy (eggs and milk products). Proteins that come from plant sources are considered incomplete because they do not contain all 20 amino acids, though you can combine different plant sources to obtain all of them. Proteins come in different forms and can be found in plants just as much as in animal products.

Fat: The Good, Bad and the Ugly

Fat, like protein, is necessary part of building body organs and cells, and it a helps in the absorption of some vitamins and other nutrients. And just as there are essential amino acids, there are essential fatty acids which must come from food sources. The secret is to consume as much of the unsaturated “good” fats and avoid as much as possible the highly

Saturated “bad fats.”

Carbohydrates: High or Low? It Really Matters

Carbohydrates are chains of small, simple sugars that are a major source of energy. When consumed in the body, they are broken down in the stomach by various enzymes and absorbed as sugar or glucose into the blood circulation. When carbs are eaten in excess, some of them are stored for future use in the liver as glycogen, the rest are turned into fat. This process explains why everyone wakes up in the morning, often after 15 hours of no eating and the blood sugar is not zero. 

Carbohydrates come in two forms: simple sugars like glucose, fructose, lactose and sucrose which are small molecules and are quickly absorbed by the stomach and raise blood sugar. Other carbs are larger molecules and take longer o process. The latter group includes starch, and cellulose. They are found in vegetables and unrefined whole grains.

Think you will lose weight using brown sugar instead of white, or avoiding the high fructose corn syrup for real sugar? Think again. Over the last year sugar research has revealed that all sugars: white, brown, raw and even high fructose corn syrup is the same 15 calories per teaspoon. No sugar is really "natural" and that high fructose corn syrup once thought "toxic" is not so bad. Thinking has swung around.

The real issue is the difference between all the sugars and the artificial sweeteners. That’s where the obesity epidemic needs to be focused. Artificial Sweeteners Are Safe

Sugar has been taking a real beating in the past several months. Jane E. Brody a science writer for the New York Times (February 10, 2009) discusses some of the newest information on the role of He  points out that all sugars contain a combination of glucose and fructose, all are processed and all have exactly the same calories. If you understand the process, you will see how little difference there is:

White Sugar: (15 cal/tsp)

Sugar cane or sugar beets are crushed and then filtered to produce a juice. The juices are treated with lime to remove impurities and then neutralize it. Boiling the juice then allows the sediment to settle to the bottom for dredging out, while the scum rises to the surface for skimming off. In cooling, the liquid crystallizes, usually in the process of stirring, to produce sugar crystals.

Brown Sugar: (15 cal. /tsp)

Brown sugar, "natural sugar" or "raw" sugar is made exactly the same as white sugar, except that molasses is added to give it a brown color. It is not less natural or pure than "white" sugar.

High Fructose Corn Syrup :( HFCS) (10-15 cal. /tsp.)

High-fructose corn syrup is produced by milling corn to produce corn starch, then processing the starch to yield corn syrup which is almost entirely glucose. Adding enzymes changes the glucose into fructose. The resulting syrup contains 90% fructose. To make the other common forms of HFCS the syrup is mixed with 100% glucose corn syrup in the appropriate ratios to forfffrfm the desired HFCS, either 45 or 55% corn syrup.

What Is the Sugar in Regular Sodas?

The soda's in the US are sweetened with HFCS contains 55% fructose and 42% glucose. Table sugar has 50% fructose and 50% glucose.

Dr George Bray explains that fructose comes from 3 main sources: common table sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and fruits. He estimates that 10% of daily calories come from fructose. Dr Bray notes a lack of any nutrition in high fructose corn syrup beverages and the tendency for beverages sweetened with this type of sugar to cause hunger and alter some metabolic functions.

Jacobson notes that it’s an “urban myth that high fructose corn syrup has a special toxicity.” Cane sugar and sugar derived from corn are both “natural.” Both are extracted from plants and then processed. Sugar extracted from fresh fruits is equally bad. If orange juice is being consumed for its vitamin C content, take a look. You get just as much Vitamin C in a single Centrum vitamin pill without the calories or the sugar. Tropicana says it takes 3.5 whole oranges to make an 8 oz. glass of orange juice. Look at the calorie differences and the amount of sugar between the fresh fruit and the juice.

Reviewing the studies of Drs. George Bray, Barry Popkin and Michael Jacobson, she notes that the previous emphasis on the high fructose corn syrup in soft drinks as the only culprit in the obesity epidemic is rapidly changing. The average American is consuming more than 20 teaspoons of sugar, in all kinds of forms. She points out that it does not make any difference whether it’s called brown or white sugar from sugar cane or high fructose sugars from corn or sugar from beets, fruits or fruits juices. It’s all the same, sugar is sugar and calories are calories. All contain some combination of fructose and glucose and all contribute to weight gain.

Dr Bray suggests all of the obesity epidemic could be solved by recognizing the dangers of all types of sugars. There is no difference in absorption, calories, or glycemic index. Fructose is metabolized in the liver. Choosing diet sodas sweetened aspartame or sucralose far outweighs the dangers of sugars.

Speeding Up Your Metabolism with Exercise

Regular, organized exercise involves a tremendous commitment of time and effort and is surely not the “favorite” pastime of most people with weight problems. Beginning dieters often start a weight loss program by spending thousands of dollars on home exercise equipment or go to a local gym, pay the $150.00 membership fee and sign up to have $45.00 withdrawn from their checking account each month. Whether the driving force is guilt from a lifetime of inactivity or the desire to be part of the “skinny crowd,” the result is usually all or nothing. Unfortunately, failure occurs more often because exercise has never fit into many people’s lifestyles before.

You need to understand that increasing your metabolism with exercise and shaping or toning your body are two different undertakings. In my program the goal is clear. I aim for successful, sustainable, and permanent weight loss by increasing metabolism.  As Gary Taubes points out, our genetic structure makes losing specific localized fat deposits very difficult. Doing hundreds of sit-ups to produce those rock-hard abs, toning your arms and legs, or trying to sculpt a better butt only exhausts yourself. It diverts your attention from what you really need to do first—burn off the layer of fat that covers these areas.

I do not expect you to do physical exercise at the levels that would actually make you lose weight. Unless you are a professional athlete or plan to work out like one over the course of at least three to six months, that goal is achieved much more easily by doing light life style exercises and moving about more. In his extensive clinical study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in 1999, Dr. Anderson proved what many people suspected: overweight individuals do not have to act like athletes or spend hours in a gym to lose weight and become healthy. Dr. Anderson and other researchers emphasize that sedentary, overweight individuals can be successful in their weight loss plans with a simple and slight increase in the amount of physical activity in their daily lives.

Discovering the Lifestyle Exercises

Any extra calorie-burning movement that you can add to your life as a part of your normal daily routine is what I like to call a lifestyle exercise. The concept is to integrate these extra activities in a way that does not disrupt your normal daily routines. This will allow a few extra calories to be burned off and adds some other health benefits to your life. The old saying “habits are hard to change” can apply to positive as well as negative behavior. In this case, the “habit” we want to incorporate is almost unconscious daily exercise.

Dr. James Hill at the University of Colorado has written extensively on the use of lifestyle exercises for weight loss and maintenance. He advocates walking an additional 2000 steps per day which translates to burning an extra 100 calories per day.

The emphasis on what I call lifestyle exercises are both realistic and simple and can be done by just about anybody, anywhere, at any time. 

Examples of lifestyle exercises include:

•Taking the stairs instead of the elevator

•Parking the car at the far reaches of the parking lot

•Getting off the bus a stop early and walking the distance to your destination

•Walking or biking on errands

•Delivering a message in person in an office, instead of by e-mail

•Walking your dog an extra block

•Doing yard work

Some people have enough self-discipline to implement these lifestyle exercises naturally. However, the majority of people need a more formal plan and something more structured than taking the stairs every day, but less structured than going to the gym four days a week.

For a more formal lifestyle exercise program, try walking. Most of us have the equipment with us to do this every day, even when traveling. Walking costs nothing and can take as little as a few minutes. Even walking for ten minutes several times a day can help stimulate weight loss and, more importantly, will improve your cardiovascular health.

However, there are some challenges associated with walking, as your ability or willingness to be outdoors may be affected by the weather, pollution, or safety concerns. And remember, just because you are sweating does not mean that you are burning calories. It could simply be hot outside! Most people vastly overestimate the amount of calories they burn while walking. Here are three easy methods to quickly estimate the calories you are burning while walking:

MethodHow does it work?ProsCons

PedometerA tiny meter-like device attached to your belt that measures each step and converts them into calories; 1,000 steps equal about ½ mile or 50 calories*AccurateYou have to wear it

“Walk a mile”Measure out a mile with your car; a mile equals about 100 calories* EasyCalories burned depends on other factors

Factor of “4”Multiply the time you walk by 4 to give you close to the calories you burned; 3o minutes walking = 120 calories* SimpleA quick way to see how hard it is to burn calories

*Depends on height, weight, fitness level, terrain, clothing, temperature, and many other factors.

Realizing how many calories you actually burn during physical activities or lifestyle exercises gives you an idea of how much effort you would need to make to burn off some of the common foods that you eat. Once you understand this, you will understand why selecting the right foods instead is so much easier and a lot more realistic for you. The following table illustrates the time it takes to burn off the calories in some of the more common foods we eat:

FoodCaloriesMinutes of Walking to Burn the Calories

Soda, juice13035

Cheese (2 oz)25050

Bagel, pizza, fries, chicken Caesar salad450–650150

Fast food: burgers, fries, chicken nuggets800–1300160

Hot lunch950180

*Calories burned and times are approximate and depend on speed, body weight, resistance, elevation, and other factors.

Benefits from Regular Lifestyle Exercises

What I call regular lifestyle exercise can actually assist your weight loss and, more specifically, help you through plateaus. I’m not talking about two hours in a gym. Instead, the addition of small amounts of physical activity to your daily routine can improve many aspects of your health. Moreover, such improvements can be experienced by virtually everyone, regardless of age, sex, or physical ability. They will not require great commitments or an enormous amount of will power. Following are some of the additional benefits of regular lifestyle exercises.

Strengthens your cardiovascular system

The term “cardiovascular system” refers to your heart and your blood vessels. Cholesterol buildup in your arteries can cause strokes and heart attacks. Regular physical activities prevent this from happening in three different ways:

•Lower the buildup of bad cholesterol (LDL) in arteries by increasing the concentration of good cholesterol (HDL)

•Prevent the onset of high blood pressure if you are at increased risk of developing this condition

•Lower your blood pressure if yours is already high

Keeps bones and muscles strong

Regular physical activities are one of the best methods to prevent osteoporosis and strengthen your muscles. Choose lifestyle exercises that bear your body’s weight, such as walking and jogging.

Can help to break through plateaus

Physical activities will help to increase your metabolism again after the normal slowing that accompanies weight loss. In this case, I do recommend working a little harder while doing your lifestyle exercises. Walk a little faster and maybe a little longer to break a sweat. And maybe add one or two more physical activities to your day during those periods.

Prevents and manages diabetes

Regular physical activities, coupled with weight loss, are important ways to control your blood sugar. Exercise helps insulin work and can lower your blood sugar.

Eases depression and manages pain and stress

Regular physical activities can help fight depression by activating the neurotransmitters (chemicals used by your nerve cells to communicate with one another) serotonin and norepinephrine. Exercise also stimulates the production of endorphins, other neurotransmitters that produce feelings of well being.

Reduces your risk of certain types of cancer

Regular physical activities may help lower the risk of cancers of the colon, prostate, uterus, and breasts.

Helps you sleep well

A good night’s sleep helps maintain your physical and mental health. Moderate physical activities at least three hours before bedtime can help you relax and sleep better at night.

Helps prolong your life

In addition to making you feel better, regular physical activities definitely prolong your life expectancy.

As you can see, there are many benefits that can come from regular physical activity. Here are the four things you need to know about the role that exercising plays (or does not play) in my weight loss program:

1. “Lifestyle” exercises are equally or more effective than structured aerobic or weight lifting exercise for weight loss.

2. Having an idea about the calories you really burn during exercises permits you to understand the effort it takes to burn off the calories of bad food choices.

3. Exercise plays only a minimal role in short-term weight loss; the obsession with hours of working out in gyms often diverts attention from what is really important—the foods that you eat.

4. Diet and/or exercise cannot remove genetically determined fat deposits in most individuals.

Increasing Your Metabolism by Changing Your Eating Patterns and Food Choices.

(Not Eating Less, Maybe Eating Even More!)

Don't Over Do Calorie Cutting and Force Your Body To Slow Down Its Metabolism

Committing yourself on a very-low-calorie diet is a best way not to lose. Our bodies have been set to support our   usual weight “whenever you all of a sudden cut down 800 calories from your food intake your metabolism will quickly slow down in order to keep you weight from falling. This mechanism served us well when we were cave men; ally slow down, because your body now assumes that you're starving."

Our calorie needs are typically determined by a number of factors, including:

- Our present weight

- Our height

- Our age

- Our gender

- Our exercise routine

- Our health

- Our body-fat-percentage

- Our environment

- How fast we want to lose weight

Estimate of Calorie Needs to Lose Weight

Women

To Maintain Weight - Multiply your weight (in pounds) by 12 (10 if you

are very sedentary)

this is a rough estimate of daily calories needed to maintain weight.

To Lose Weight - Deduct 500 calories from this figure

This gives you a rough estimate of the daily calories needed for you to lose about 1 pound per week.

Men

To Maintain Weight - Multiply your weight (in pounds) by 14

this is a rough estimate of daily calories needed to maintain weight.

To Lose Weight - Deduct 500 calories from this figure

This gives you a rough estimate of the daily calories you need to lose about 1 pound per week.

Research shows that women who consume less than this amount see their resting metabolic rate plummet by as much as 45 percent

Food Patterns and Choices to Maximize Your Metabolism:

Increasing Metabolism Means Eating More Protein.

Nearly every recent study reveals that eating plenty of protein can increase your metabolism, causing you to burn an extra 150 to 200 calories a day, says Jeff Hampl, Ph.D., R.D., a spokesman for the American Dietetic Association. "Protein is made up mainly of amino acids, which are harder for your body to break down [than fat and carbs], so you burn more calories getting rid of them," he explains.

”That doesn't mean you have to live on the high-protein Atkins diet. But you should make sure that 10 to 35 percent of your total daily calories come from protein. So if you're on an 1,800-calorie diet, 360 to 630 of those calories should come from lean sources of protein, such as fish, chicken, low-fat cheese, yogurt and legumes. Aim to have a serving of protein, a hardboiled egg, a stick of low fat string cheese a small can of tuna, a turkey or ham roll, or even a small protein bar or shake

Eat breakfast: Controls Your Metabolism for The Rest of The Day 

"Going to the gym or breakfast" may be the choice facing some well intentioned dieters every morning. If you had only time for one of these, which would be more important?

The answer is clear, breakfast trumps exercise every day. How can that be? Why is breakfast so important? It can add calories. The answer is simple, if you look at all of the overweight people that lost and kept their weight off, the one thing in common that stick out are the fact that they have breakfast. 90% of weight loss maintainers do not skip breakfast. Almost 100% of successful dieters have breakfast 6 out of 7 mornings a week. In terms of exercise: 50 to 60% exercise 4-5 days a week.

Here are the reasons breakfast is more important than exercise: It's about eating and it’s about metabolism.

1. It's easy for something in everyone's life to come in the way of exercise-exercise for most busy people is low down on priorities.

2. Breakfast, especially when eaten in the car, at school or at work takes no time.

3. Breakfast prevents most people from crazing during the morning, and making poor selections at lunch. It helps us slow down how fast we eat lunch. Fast foods and big restaurant type of lunches are easy to consume, especially if co-workers are eating them, breakfast helps protect us from this kind of eating.

4. Eating breakfast speeds up your metabolism, just like eating small meals all day. However, it’s not nearly as great as you might think.

If you are struggling to lose weight, think "breakfast." At home, in the car, at work, at school anywhere as long as you don't skip it. If you don't eat breakfast, you slow down "Your metabolism slows while you sleep, and it doesn't rev back up until you eat again," explains Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at Penn State University and an author of The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan. So if you bypass breakfast, your body won't burn as many calories until lunchtime as it could. ,

For most people breakfast is about convenience. We will eat what is easy to get, cravings at this hour of the day play a little role. The obvious choices are the bagels, pastries, sugary cereals for adults and Pop tarts for kids.

That is exactly what we do NOT want for breakfast. Protein is the key to a good breakfast, we have learned that from the Atkins and South Beach diets. Protein prevents hunger and helps maintain blood sugar stability through out the morning. It prevents picking up the first snack we see around the office and then overeating at lunch. Adding protein into every meal starting with breakfast helps build and maintain lean muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories than fat does, even at rest.

Proteins like eggs, ham, cheese, high protein cereals, high protein bars or shakes make the perfect breakfast. A good guide is to have at least 15 grams of protein for breakfast. Aim for a breakfast that has plenty of high-fiber carbs in the form of cereals if you don’t like the protein. Researchers discovered that people who ate a fatty meal got hungry sooner afterward as compared to a high fiber carbs that take longer to digest and absorb than fats. Foods that is slow to digest end up producing fullness and stabilization of the blood sugar all morning long. "High-fiber carbohydrates take longer for your body to digest and absorb than fats; thus they don't cause rapid changes in your blood sugar, so your hunger is kept at bay longer," says study coauthor Susanna Holt, Ph.D.

Some good choices: a bran-rich breakfast cereal with low-fat milk; whole-grain toast topped with low-fat ricotta and or berries; egg-white veggie omelets with whole-grain toast.

In a study from the American Journal of Epidemiology, volunteers who got 22 to 55 percent of their total calories at breakfast gained only 1.7 pounds while those that ate zero to 10% of their calories at breakfast gained more than 3 lb. over the same time period. In another study published in the same journal, volunteers who reported regularly skipping breakfast had 4.5 times the risk of obesity as those who had at least something to eat for

breakfast. 

Pick Protein for Lunch

More than 140 years ago, Dr. Burney highlighted the misconception that lunch should be the large meal of the day. This remains a misconception to this day. Your lunch should be a small meal. For many reasons, people think they will not burn off a large meal if it is consumed at night. However, most of us with sedentary jobs (you spend 75% or more of your work time inside a building or vehicle) cannot burn off large meals any time, regardless of whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Do not confuse strenuous with busy or stressful. A strenuous job involves working outside of buildings or vehicles for more than 75% of the day. It takes four to five hours of nonstop walking to burn off a typical fast food lunch or a hot meal containing protein and carbs. Have a relatively small meal at lunch and save the large meal for the evening. This will help you to limit your large meals to just one a day. You need to be able to eat well at the end of the day, because you cannot reasonably expect your feelings of satisfaction after lunch to carry through the rest of the day, once you are off work and enjoying your evening. At 1 PM, you don’t know how hungry you will be at 7 PM. Smart dieters assume that they will be fatigued and very hungry at the end of the day. They “save” the bulk of their “calorie allowance” for the evening.

Most of my patients face their “danger zone” after work and during their evening hours. That’s the time when they hit the TV, go to the cinema, go out for dinner, or hang out with friends and family. You need the reserve that you built with a small lunch so you can still have the dinner you want, without exceeding the total calories for the day in order to lose weight.

Any possible differences in metabolism from eating large meals in the evening are trivial compared with the consequences of consuming two large meals a day.

The perfect lunch contains low calories and high protein, and has portions that are easy to control. Foods usually served cold (they may or may not be warmed up) are your best choices. These include sandwiches, subs, wraps, salads with tuna, slices of cold chicken or turkey, fruits, cottage cheese, and yogurt. Having a sandwich or a sub at lunch is a far better choice than, for example, half a chicken with brown rice. The carbs from the bread on a sub or sandwich are not nearly as significant as the hundreds of calories in the chicken and brown rice, which also have portions that are difficult to control.

Skip alcohol: Decreases Your Metabolism, Makes You More Hungry 

Having a drink before a meal causes people to eat around 200 calories more. Research has found that the body burns off alcohol first, thus the calories in the rest of the meal are stored as fat. Drinking alcohol makes easy weight loss difficult: Alcohol causes far more significant problems than might appear by looking at the number of calories in a drink. After all, a glass of wine is only 90 calories.

   * Alcohol has empty calories; it has no nutritional benefit

   * Alcohol has almost the same calories as fat (7 calories per gram).

   * Alcohol is accompanied by high calorie snack foods

   * Alcohol lowers inhibitions making  portion control difficult

   * Alcohol mixes are often higher calories than the alcohol itself

   * Alcohol stimulates appetite

   * Alcohol often interferes with sleep it may or may not be cardioprotective.

All of these effects, especially the unplanned calories that often accompany alcohol, cause weight gain. Studies in the journal Angiology in 2008 found few problems with small amounts of alcohol, but significant increases in weight and medical complications with heavy drinking.

No doubt the best and fast weight loss is when there is the least amount of alcohol.

1. How alcohol stops fat burning- It decreases your metabolism.

When we eat protein, fat, or carbs, some of the food is burned immediately and some of it is stored for future use. However, this does not occur when drinking alcohol. Alcohol is used for metabolism first, and is used for energy until all of the alcohol is gone from the blood stream. As this is happening, the body cannot use protein, fat or carbs for metabolism. Less than 5 percent of the alcohol calories you drink are turned into fat. The beer belly occurs not because alcohol is turned into fat but because for long periods of time the alcohol, instead of the stored fat, is being used for energy.

2. Alcohol stimulates appetite as it suppresses control:  Slows down weight loss.

Alcohol suppresses control, the brain’s ability to say it has had enough—of both alcohol and food. At the same time it makes people hungrier. The combination of more hunger with less control is very dangerous for some dieters.

3. Alcohol causes poor sleep making weight loss more difficult.

Small amounts of alcohol make you feel sleepy but too much alcohol results in poor sleeping, often the result of falls in blood sugar in the middle of the night. Some people wake up and eat. Poor sleeping in itself contributes to weight gain. As we all age, our metabolism slowly decreases. Most of us don't need to further decrease it by daily alcohol!

4. Alcohol is associated with food mistakes:

This is the big difference between Western Europe and the U.S. Few Europeans eat chicken wings with bleu cheese dressing, cans of nuts, chips, popcorn, trail mix, pretzels, crackers and cheese, dips and candy. They drink their wine slowly and with no snacks. When the main course comes the portions are small, so that portion control is easy -they are small from the beginning and there are no "seconds."

If You do Chose to Drink, What Are the Real Secrets to Not Gaining Weight?

How Often to Drink Alcoholic Beverages:

It’s usually not the calories of the alcohol that are the problem in a diet plan, but the other effects that make weight loss difficult. A good plan is to limit drinking to no more than 3 days per week, usually the weekends and special events at the most. Drinking every night, especially for relief of stress, often alone, should be avoided. Most individuals, especially those with slow metabolism due to age or a sedentary occupation, simply cannot afford to further lower their metabolism every day of the week by the nightly consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Choosing the “Right” Alcoholic Beverage:

Deciding to drink alcohol is a very personal choice. The secret, similar to the key to selecting foods, is to make the best choice among all of the many possibilities. Similar to the process of choosing foods, the smart dieter keeps the calories as low as possible and avoids high-calorie mixes, often containing lots of carbs that cause hunger, such as juices or tonic. At the same time, he seeks drinks where there is possible “dilution” with zero-calorie fillers. Examples of the latter are soda water mixed with scotch, vodka, or whiskey; tomato juice mixed with vodka; and diet cola with rum. Using these zero-calorie “fillers” results in larger volumes of beverages, each having fewer calories.

No Fat Milk: Produces Fullness, Low Calories, Increases Metabolism

Women who consumed milk, yogurt, and cheese three to four times a day lost 70 percent more body fat than women who didn't eat dairy.  Calcium, along with other substances in dairy products tends to increase metabolism, while the low fat protein produces fullness for hours.  Michael Zemel, Ph.D. states that  “ Women reap the largest fat-burning benefit when they consume three servings of dairy and 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day.”

Capsaicin, a compound found in jalapeño and cayenne peppers, temporarily stimulates your body to release more stress hormones, such as adrenaline, speeding up your metabolism and thus increasing your ability to burn calories, says study coauthor Angelo Tremblay, director of the Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods at Laval. Bonus:

Caffeine is America’s drug- almost 90% of Americans ingest caffeine in one way or another.

There is no doubt of its   effects on mental alertness and well being, but what about the long term. Is there a sustained, lifetime, benefit or harm from drinking coffee regularly?

Does drinking caffeine loaded beverages have heart or blood pressure problems.

Does caffeine help or hinder weight loss?

Does caffeine increase metabolism?

More than half of all American adults consume more than 300 milligrams (mg) of caffeine every day, making it America's most popular drug. Caffeine is a natural component of chocolate, coffee and tea, and is used as an added energy boost in most colas and energy drinks. It’s also found in diet pills and some over-the-counter pain relievers and medicines. But coffee is the main source of caffeine for most people.

Fifty six percent of Americans drink coffee everyday- three cups each, more than 336 million cups a day. Coffee is the second most important commodity after oil. This data from the National Coffee Association reveals that more than 112 million Americans drink coffee everyday. Nearly 60% is consumed with breakfast.  It’s not the taste that drives the coffee sales it’s the drug.  Caffeine is the drug and coffee is the delivery vehicle.

Bennet Weinberg has written two books on coffee the most recent "The Caffeine Advantage." Weinberg says caffeine is the world’s most popular drug. "If coffee didn't contain any caffeine, would it be the popular beverage … the dominant beverage that it is in our culture?'" asks Weinberg. "Well there's no question it would not be. You know, it can't be a coincidence that all the most popular drinks on earth, which taste quite different from each other, all contain caffeine." The U.S. Food and Drug Administration list caffeine as a "multiple purpose generally recognized as safe food substance".

Adrenaline, which acts as a chemical messenger between cells, was the first hormone to be identified. Intense fear, anger or stress mobilizes adrenaline from the adrenal gland providing us with energy, increase our blood flow, respiration and heart rate. As it stimulates the brain, it shuts down less vital functions such as digestion, and salivation.

Caffeine works by stimulating adrenaline levels all over the body. Two cups of coffee contain 250 mg. of caffeine enough to triple adrenaline in the blood. A single eight-ounce cup of regular brewed coffee has about 150 mg of caffeine. Espresso has about double the caffeine of regular coffee. Tea has about one-third, at 50 mg or less per cup. A 12-ounce can of soda (cola) has about the same caffeine as a cup of tea, a little less than 50 mg. Chocolates contain caffeine, ranging from 5 to 35 mg per ounce.

Our body makes a chemical ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) from the energy we consume in fat, sugar and protein. Our muscle makes adenosine as a by product.  It serves as a battery to store energy during the day. When our cells need a shot of energy, they break down ATP into adenosine and three phosphate molecules. Breaking those chemical bonds releases the energy that was stored when ATP was synthesized. Over the course of a day, as we are physically and mentally active, we consume energy (ATP) and release adenosine. The problem is that the by product of this energy release is adenosine, which binds to adenosine receptors in the brain. The binding of adenosine causes drowsiness by slowing down nerve cell activity. That's why we get tired after exercise and  normally as the day progresses.

Our brain thinks caffeine looks like adenosine. Caffeine, therefore, binds to the adenosine receptors which has the effect of blocking the slow down effects of adenosine. That’s why a shot of coffee late in the afternoon gives us energy, the normal rise in adenosine as the result of working all day is blocked at the cellular level. Nerve cells begin to fire when adenosine is blocked. Thinking there must be an emergency somewhere, the adrenal gland makes adrenaline and all of the side effects of caffeine occur.

Here are some of the side effects of caffeine:

•Eyes: blurred vision

•Brain: Alertness, thirst, anxiety, irritability, insomnia,

•Sense of balance: dizzy

•Mouth: dry

•Skin: pallor, cold sweats, flushing

•Heart: rapid heart beat, slight blood pressure rise

•System: low blood sugar

•Stomach: nausea, ache

•Muscle: slight tremor

•Respiratory: fruit-like breath odor

•Urinary: increased urination, mild diuretic effect

•Bowels: loose bowels

Since coffee is the main source of caffeine worldwide, the safety of caffeine has been obtained from numerous coffee studies:

Cardiovascular Disease:

Blood pressure was found to be slightly elevated in a group of 1000 former medical students drinking large amounts of coffee. However, there was no indication of hypertension due to heavy coffee intake. A new study of coffee drinkers in Finland - one of the biggest coffee consumers - brings good news. The study found no evidence that coffee drinking is connected to heart disease. The study did find that heavy coffee drinkers have poorer health habits than those who drank no coffee. Those who drank coffee heavily were more likely to smoke and have greater amounts of body fat. More important however, deaths from heart disease were highest in those who did not drink coffee. In terms of strokes, coffee drinkers had a 23% lowered incidence compared to people who did not drink coffee.  Daily coffee consumption among drinkers averaged 5.7 cups.

Diabetes:

A 2003 study by researchers at Harvard found that people Coffee contains antioxidants and can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk for incident Type 2 diabetes, the study showed. Among adult males, coffee helps prevent blood clots that cause embolic strokes.

Brain impairment:

In A 2000 study by researchers in Hawaii that surveyed 8,000 men found that those who drank three or more cups of coffee per day were five times less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease. Coffee appears to provide strong protection from

Parkinson's disease. Other long term studies have found less dementia in coffee drinkers.

Caffeine and Weight Loss

Caffeine and Weight Loss studies indicate that drinking coffee or tea with caffeine may slightly boost weight loss or prevent weight gain. But there's no evidence that increased caffeine consumption results in significant or permanent weight loss... In addition, some studies found that decaffeinated coffee may contribute to modest changes in weight, suggesting that substances or factors besides caffeine may play a role in weight loss.

•Appetite suppression: Caffeine may reduce appetite for a short time. But there's not enough evidence to show that long-term consumption aids weight loss.

•Calorie burning: Caffeine may help burn fat. But this is not significant so you will not see it on a scale. You need to be careful not to confuse studies on rats in a laboratory and humans. Just because metabolism may increase in lab animals, this data cannot be transferred to humans.

•Water loss: Caffeine acts as a mild diuretic, the mild water loss may temporarily decrease your body weight

One study observed the effects of green tea (300 mg.) on metabolism and weight loss. For the group of people who used the higher levels of caffeine, weight loss numbers were also higher which suggested a connection between caffeine intake and increased metabolism. There was a suggestion of decrease in appetite as well. However, the group’s ability to maintain that weight loss was less.

The answer is that caffeine is probably weight neutral. It neither helps nor hinders weight loss. The answer, so far, contains good news and bad news. The good news for coffee drinkers is that most of the long-term results are positive.  No clear harm seems to occur with caffeine ingestion. The bad news is that it is not clear so far whether caffeine has beneficial effects on general brain functions. No doubt heavy use is associated with reduction in fine motor coordination, insomnia, cause headaches and nervousness in some individuals. These however, are only very short term effects and are not persistent.

As to increasing or decreasing metabolism, the evidence is also not clear. Some studies show an increase, while others show no change. One needs to be careful because the

well known increase in figidetting with caffeine may account for some increase in metabolism.

Supplements May or May Not Increase Your Metabolism:

Get Enough B vitamins.

Among supplements, if you are suffering from flagging energy, you need to make sure that you are getting enough B vitamins. Vitamin B-12 in particular is one that is essential for energy. To ensure you're getting enough B vitamins, consider taking a B complex, plus a separate sublingual B-12.

Try Supplement for Fatigue.

Some  supplements that have been found helpful are those that are naturally produced in the body. They include:

Co-enzyme Q10, also known as CoQ10, which supplies energy to muscles

L- Carnitine NADH (Nicotinamide Adenine Finucleotide) which helps cells convert food into energy

Green Tea extract: Green tea is the main source of epigallocatechin gallate, known better as EGCG. This healthy catechin speeds up your brain and nervous system, causing your body to burn more calories.

Try Chinese Herbs:  Schizandra--a Chinese herb that is used for fatigue and  Ginseng are also popular for energy. Before trying any herbs, supplements, or vitamins, you should of course consult with your practitioner to ensure they are safe for you. Ginseng, for example, is not recommended for someone with high blood pressure and many herbs and supplements are not recommended during pregnancy.

Get some shut-eye.

Skimping on sleep can derail your metabolism. In a study at the University of Chicago, people who got four hours of sleep or less a night had more difficulty processing carbohydrates. "When you're exhausted, your body lacks the energy to do its normal day-to-day functions, which include burning calories, so your metabolism is automatically lowered," explains Peeke.

There are easy ways to get a good night's sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Schedule your workouts earlier in the day; exercising within two to three hours of bedtime can keep sleep at bay. And try soaking in a hot bath, since studies show

Evening Eating Has No Effect on Metabolism; Unless it Represents Extra Calories Research has shown no link between evening eating and weight gain. You may be more likely to overeat when you eat in the evening as opposed to during the day, but your metabolism does not slow down significantly after 7 p.m. (though it does once you fall asleep).

An increase metabolism provides many benefits to help maintain continuous and permanent weight loss:

•less exercise would be needed - gain more time for yourself

•Less effort when you did exercise - no need to spend hours of exercise to burn sufficient calories!

•less chance of weight regain later

•still enjoy your favorite foods - no more strict dieting

•less time spent preparing low-fat recipes

•save money by not buying the expensive low fat varieties

•experience a higher percentage of fat loss over water loss