Get the Healthy Edge: 7 Natural Ways to Speed Up Your Metabolism

There’s something working nonstop inside your body to help you burn calories and fat. It’s your metabolism! Every time you eat enzymes in your body's cells break down the food and turn it into energy that keeps your heart beating, your mind thinking, and your body moving! The faster your metabolism, the more calories you burn. The more you burn, the easier it is to release weight. And get this—you can make your metabolism work harder 24 hours a day.

To some degree, metabolism is determined by gender and genetics, but there's still plenty of room to improve. These tips from nutrition experts are simple but very effective for kicking your metabolism into overdrive, and have done the trick for many of my clients!

1. Eat (a good) breakfast. If you don't, your body goes into starvation mode, so your metabolism slows to a crawl to conserve energy. And the heartier your first meal is the better. In one study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, volunteers who got 22 to 55 percent of their total calories at breakfast gained only 1.7 pounds on average over four years. Those who ate zero to 11 percent of their calories in the morning gained nearly three pounds. 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 took the time to eat.

Eat food that is slow to digest and leaves you feeling fuller longer. Try a mix of lean protein with complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. For instance: an omelet made from one egg and two egg whites and a half cup of mixed peppers and onions, plus a half cup of cooked steel-cut oats mixed with a quarter cup of frozen berries and a teaspoon of omega-3-loaded fish oil.

2. An apple a day is still good advice. Apples are full of fiber and antioxidants which help keep digestion humming along and make you stronger. The type of fiber – pectin – found in apples actually helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol in your liver and the flavonoids (a cousin to antioxidants) can prevent inflammation and overproduction of fat in your liver cells.


3. Pick protein for lunch. Consuming protein at every meal helps build and maintain lean muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories than fat does, even at rest. Aim for about 30 grams of protein—the equivalent of about one cup of low-fat cottage cheese or a four-ounce boneless chicken breast—at each meal.

4. Drink green tea. "It's the closest thing to a metabolism potion," says Tammy Lakatos Shames, R.D., author of Fire Up Your Metabolism: 9 Proven Principles for Burning Fat and Losing Weight Forever. The tea contains a plant compound called ECGC, which promotes fat burning. In one study, people who consumed the equivalent of three to five cups a day for 12 weeks decreased their body weight by 4.6 percent. For maximum effect, let your tea steep for three minutes and drink it while it's still hot.

5. Get more iron. Women lose iron during their period every month. That can throw a wrench into your metabolic machine, because iron helps carry oxygen to your muscles. If your levels run low, muscles don't get enough O2, your energy tanks, and your metabolism slows. Stock up on iron-¬fortified cereals, beans, and dark leafy greens like spinach, bok choy, and broccoli.

6. Go fish. Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines are loaded with appetite satiating omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fats help trigger the rapid transfer of "I'm full" signals to your brain, according to the National Institute of Health. Bonus: A 3.5-ounce serving of salmon nets you 90 percent of your recommended daily value of vitamin D, which will help preserve your precious metabolism-stoking muscle tissue.

7. Hit the rack early. When you sleep less than you should, you throw off the amounts of leptin and ghrelin—hormones that help regulate energy use and appetite—that your body produces. Researchers at Stanford University found that people who slept fewer than 7.5 hours per night experienced an increase in their body mass index. So make sure you get at least eight hours of rest.

Preventing Metabolic Syndrome - What's That?

According to the American Heart Association, about 50 milliion Americans have metabolic syndrome - which is a precursor to type 2 diabetes.

This condition is characterized by:

high triglycerides
low HDL cholesterol (50 mg/deciliter or lower)
high blood sugar (120 or higher)
high blood pressure (above 120/80)
above average waistline (for women that's about 35 inches)

Genetics do play a role in metabolic syndrome, but it is mostly lifestyle according to doctors.

Exercise and eating clean are extremely important to combat this. Cut out the high fat, sugar and processed foods for a start. Regular cardio and resistance training sessions should be added as well. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends moderately intense cardio 30 minutes per day, five days a week (or vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week) - plus 8 to 10 strength training exercises (with 8 to 12 reps of each exercise) twice a week.

Visit www.oxygenmag.com/metabolic for more information on how a healthy lifestyle can help you avoid dangerous medical conditions

Spring clean Your Fridge & Freezer

Most people, it turns out, don't understand the dangers of improper food storage. The American Dietetic Association found that only 40% of consumers knew that eating food that has been stored in refrigerators warmer than 40 degrees Fahrenheit can increase the risk of food-borne illness.

Food poisoning and other food-borne illnesses are common. Last year, there were an estimated 76 million cases of food-borne illness in the United States, according to the CDC.

When in Doubt, Throw It Out

You can't always tell if a food has spoiled by its smell or appearance. Don't take chances with your health. The advice from the FDA: When it doubt, throw it out.

If food looks or smells strange, don't even risk tasting it -- just toss it. Mold you can see on the surface is just the tip of the iceberg; there could be poisons under the surface of the food that aren't detectable by the naked eye.

With a few foods -- such as hard cheeses, salami, and firm fruits -- you can cut the mold away, but be sure to remove a large section around any mold you can see. In general, food with mold should be tossed.

You already know that you need to throw out those containers of "mystery food" found in the bowels of your fridge.
But what about those jars of condiments that have been open and around for years? Most will stay fresh for two months on the door of the refrigerator. That part of the fridge is designed for storing condiments, because their acidic content tends to make them more resistant to bacterial contamination than other foods. Still, their quality is likely to decrease with time.

Food safety starts as soon as you leave the grocery store. Go home and immediately put away your groceries. Check the labels of foods to determine the best way to store them.
Make sure your refrigerator is at 40 degrees or less and your freezer 0 degrees or less. The only sure way to check the temperature is by putting a clearly visible thermometer inside each compartment (but not on the door). Check it often as temperatures can fluctuate, especially in warm weather. If temperatures get too high, adjust the controls.

It's also important to keep your refrigerator and freezer clean. Wipe up any spills immediately. And once a week, wipe down the interior walls, shelves, and rubber gaskets with a weak cleaning solution to sanitize.

Food Storage Dos and Don'ts

Here are some tips to remember when storing and using foods:
•Wrap foods tightly with two layers of freezer wrap before putting in the freezer or use shrink wrapping for an air-tight seal around the food.
•Store eggs in their cartons -- and don't keep them on the refrigerator door.
•Don't wash fresh produce until you're ready to use it. Store it in perforated plastic bags, and use within a few days. Bananas should not be refrigerated.
•To allow for air circulation in either your fridge or freezer, don't overfill the compartments. Without good circulation, it's difficult to maintain the proper temperatures.
•Store leftovers in tightly covered containers within two hours after cooking. Use in 3-5 days.
•Store food and cleaning supplies separate.
•Keep potatoes and onions in a cool, dry location. Don't refrigerate them or keep them under the sink, where moisture from pipes can cause damage.
•Check use-by or sell-by dates on food packages. Remember, these dates don't apply once the package is opened.
•Best-if-used-by dates are the most reliable ones to follow. They take normal handling into account.
•Put raw meat on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator, in a plastic bag. This will keep the juices from dripping onto other foods.

Food kept in the freezer so long that ice crystals dominate its appearance is safe to eat, since no organisms can live in subzero temperatures. And the nutritional quality remains intact. Still, you probably don't want to eat it -- the quality of this frozen tundra will certainly be less than ideal.
To prevent freezer burn, make sure that the food is tightly wrapped or shrink wrapped with freezer-quality wrap, and get as much air out between the food and the wrap.

Your 5 Best Muscle Building Foods

I've done pretty well incorporating everything on this list except salmon. Can you believe I live in the Pacific Northwest and I DON'T like salmon? :( The good news is I can substitute tuna. :)

1. Chicken breast: This is about as lean as you can get. Skinless they have 7 grams of protein and nearly zero grams of fat per ounce.
2. Oatmeal: A slow digesting carb that won’t spike insulin levels. Keeps your arteries and intestines spic and span.
3. Salmon: Promotes muscle growth and is full of omega-3 fatty acids. Has 1.8 grams of omega-3’s per every 3 grams of total fat.
4. Cottage cheese: Eat it at bedtime. Its signature curds are primarily casein, the slow digesting protein that will carry your muscles safely through seven or more hours of enforced fasting, aka, your night’s rest.
5. Quinoa: This ancient South American grain is almost a meal in itself. It is a complete protein in that it contains all nine essential amino acids, and it is a slow digesting protein, full of fiber.

Make Your Kitchen Fit!

Make your kitchen Fit – Fast, easy ways to make the most important room in your home (outside of the bedroom!) meet your health and fitness needs.

If you’re like many of us who are stretching our food budget by eating more meals at home, or you just want to make a commitment to cleaner eating, you need to have a kitchen that’s in shape! A clean, well stocked kitchen is like a strong body core – it stabilizes your body to keep you strong. Keep healthy go to items on hand so you can put together meals in minutes and aren’t tempted (like me!) to fall back on takeout.

Invest in different sizes and shapes of storage containers to save leftovers. Refrigerate promptly, food should be stored within 2 hours of cooking. Eat or toss after 3-4 days.

Clean eating basics you should always have in stock: fresh fruit, veggies, herbs, salad mixes, low or nonfat dairy, egg whites/eggs, cooked lean meat, 100% juices, olive oil, condiments (mustard, lemon and lime juice, vinegars), pork tenderloin, chickn breasts,l whole grain breads and wraps, nut butters, whole wheat flour, canned beans, low sodium soups, water packed tuna and salmon.

Don’t store spices over the stove or on the windowsill. Store in cool dark places and always keep lids closed tightly. Crush the herb in your hand, if it lacks aroma or color it probably has lost most of its antioxidant capacity and flavor.

Use 2 cutting boards – one for raw meat and one for veggies, fruit, and cheese.

Check your freezer/fridge temps regularly. Fridge should not be beyond 40°F and freezer should be a steady 0°F.

Don’t rinse raw meat of chicken before cooking, it simply splatters bacteria around.

Organize the fridge and pantry so the healthiest foods are at eye level and easy to grab. Keep a bowl of fresh fruit front and center in the kitchen – and eat it!

Confused? Answers to 8 Common Weight Loss Questions

We hear so many weight loss tips it's downright mind boggling. Should you eat after 8 p.m.? Will eating grapefruit help you lose weight? A team of nutrition experts gives you the skinny:

1. Does chewing sugar free gum and eating low cal foods like celery help burn calories?
Hardly enough to matter. This is called the "negative calorie" approach to weight loss whereby chewing low cal foods takes more energy for your body to chew and digest than the calories they contain. At a Mayo Clinic study, it was determined that a peson who a piece of gum every waking hour of the day would lose less than a pound in one month. Bottom line: Stop chewing and get moving if you want to lose weight.

2. Does coffee rev my metabolism?
Resounding yes, if you drink it black. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system signaling the body to release a small amount of energy from its fat stores. When you add milk, cream, or sugar it causes insulin levels to rise which diminish the metabolic effect.

3. Will I gain weight if I eat after 8 p.m.?
It depends. The most important factor affecting weight is the total calories you eat each day, not when you eat them. That said, skimping on meals during the day may set you up to overeat at night which WILL pack on pounds. Research is showing that eating a larger breakfast, a moderate lunch, and a smaller dinner can help you consume fewer calories and reduce the temptation to snack at night. Turns out grandma's old adage was correct: Eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch, and a pauper at dinner!

4. If I'm rushed in the morning, should I grab a donut or whatever's handy or have nothing at all?
A donut is technically better than nothing, but not by much. The sugar, fat, carbs, and white flour are quickly absorbed in the bloodstream making your blood sugar rise so you will be hungry shortly thereafter. Over time this kind of eating may lead to weight gain. Studies at St. Louis University showed that women who eat carb rich meals over high protein ones ate about 400 more calories and had stronger cravings over the next 36 hours. Skip the cream filled and cake versions, and muffins.

5. Should I blot the oil on my pizza to cut calories?
It will help. Blotting a medium sized piece of cheese pizza can remove up to 50 calories and 5 grams of fat. But blotting won't help you if you're ordering cheese stuffed crust, meat-lovers, or double cheese pies which can add up to 800 calories per slicke and contain more than a whole days' worth of fat and sodium. Order with extra veggies and half the cheese and switch from deep dish to thin crust.

6. Does exercising on an empty stomach burn more fat?
It does, but if you're like me, you might not be able to work out as long or as intensely as you would if you had eaten first. A 200 calorie snack about 30 minutes before working out could actually help you lose weight in the long run, because you're able to work out longer. Exercisers who work out on an empty stomach may become so hungry post workout that they make poor food choices. Eat a banana, yogurt, protein drink or bar before working out can give you the energy you need to crank up the intensity.

7. Does eating grapefruit help you flush fat?
Despite the long standing rumors on this one, there is no science behind any food burning or melting away fat. If you lose weight on a grapefruit plan it is probably because you have cut calories by restricting food intake.

8. Does eating carbs, fat, and protein separately help with weight loss?
Nope. Food combining has gone in and out of favor over the last 10 years. The theory is that different food types (proteins, fats, straches, sugars, etc.)require their own digestive enyzmes in order to metabolize properly. The claim was that mixing these groups or eating them at the wrong time could cause weight gain. Recent studies indicate that a balanced diet worked just as well if not better (consuming healthy carbs, protein, and healthy fats at meals) than food combining plans.

Hungry or Just Mindlessly Munching? Use the Hunger Meter Test. . .

Before you sit down to eat, try this simple test:

1. Take a minute to assess your hunger level.

2. Rate it on a scale of 1 (ravenous) to 10 (totally stuffed).

3. If your hunger is at a 4 or higher, it's time to eat. Waiting until you're at a 2 or a 3 will put you at risk for overeating.

4. Start to slow down when you get to a 6 or 7 and reassess. Are you still eating to satisfy hunger at this point? Or are you eating for the sake of eating?

The Magic 8 Rules for Healthy Eating

1. Eat 5 meals per day. Smaller, more frequent meals boost your metabolism, increasing the rate at which you burn calories for some time after the meal. DO NOT SKIP the snacks, even if you aren’t hungry. Eat a little something. It will boost your metabolism and your energy level. As you get fitter, you’ll find you are burning more calories and will need the fuel.
a. Breakfast (DO NOT EVER SKIP BREAKFAST)
b. Mid-Morning Snack
c. Lunch
d. Afternoon Snack
e. Dinner

2. Redistribute your calories throughout the day. This is an extremely important aspect to weight loss that is often overlooked. The best way to PUT ON MORE weight is to skip breakfast, eat a light lunch and then power feed at dinner. The old adage from our parent’s day turned out to be true and will guarantee you shed pounds:

a. Eat like a KING at breakfast (biggest)
b. Eat like a PRINCE at lunch (moderate)
c. Eat like a PAUPER at dinner (lightest)
d. Add to that – 2 healthy energy boosting snacks per day

3. Consume 25-30% of your total daily calories at each meal and the remaining 10-25% comes from your snacks.

4. Be wary of portion distortion. Overly large meals actually cause your body to store fat. Consuming a large number of calories at one sitting makes your body secrete an abnormally high amount of insulin, known as an insulin spike. Insulin’s job is to take glucose (sugar) out of the bloodstream and lay it down as body fat – exactly what you DON’T want.

5. Set an eating cutoff time. Stop eating a minimum of 2 hours (and preferably 3) BEFORE BEDTIME. You don’t want to feel ravenous, but feeling a little hungry is a good thing – it’s your body’s way of telling you it is losing fat. Just this step alone will translate into some weight loss.

6. Eat from the rainbow. Eat a variety of healthy foods from all the colors of the rainbow – red, green, yellow, purple, etc. The greater the variety and balance of foods, the healthier you will be. This may take some attitude adjustment but try to think of eating clean as a gift not a punishment.

7. Strive for a balance of carbs, protein, and fats every day. .

a. Carbs are the major source of energy for the body and primary source of fuel for the brain. Without adequate carbs, you can’t burn fat efficiently.
b. Protein is important, but too much reliance at the expense of other nutrients puts strain on the liver and kidneys and will cause the body to break down its muscles to gain energy, resulting in weight gain.
c. Healthy fat is necessary for digestion, creating hormones, and increases your immunity to disease.

The healthiest balance is approximately:

50-60% of calories from healthy carbs
25-30% from fats
15-20% from protein

o Eat 2 servings of fruit and 4 of veggies per day
o Eat 5-7 servings of whole grains/day for necessary fiber

o Fats: Canola oil, avocado, flaxseed, omega 3’s from fish

o Protein: Eat high quality sources that are low in saturated fat.

8. Limit alcohol and drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day.
Alcohol has more calories per gram (7) than either carbs or protein (4)
Alcohol slows the metabolism and the effects can last for days.
You tend to eat poorly when drinking and exercise less effectively the next day.

What's the Calorie Story Anyway?

Most people cut too many calories from their diet in order to achieve weight loss, and eventually give up out of frustration. You should only cut 500 to 700 calories from your daily intake to lose weight.
A healthy weight loss goal is to lose .5 to 2 pounds per week. Losing more than 2 pounds per week will mean the weight is less likely to stay off permanently. Never cut back to fewer than 1,200 daily calories without medical supervision.

Cut your calorie intake by 500 to lose 1 pound each week or cut by 700 calories to lose 1-½ pounds each week. There are 3500 calories in one pound of fat. To lose 1 pound, you need a calorie deficit of 3500 calories. This calorie deficit should happen over the course of one week.

A diet with too few calories is hard to maintain and will slow your metabolism. Eat too many calories and you will not lose weight. The healthiest eating method is to eat 5 to 6 small meals per day and include a daily aerobic exercise program 5 days per week. This will increase your metabolism and help you lose weight quicker.