Busting Metabolism Myths - Get Slimmer Quicker

DOES TEA REV UP YOUR NATURAL CALORIE BURN?

YES! The Catechins found in green and oolong teas can boost the body's fat-burning fire! A Japanese women study compared drinking green tea, oolong tea, or water effects on various days. Just one large cup of oolong tea can increase calorie burning by up to 10%, a boost that peaked 1-1/2 hours later. Green tea can raise metabolism 4% for 1-1/2 hours. Other studies showed drinking 2 to 4 cups of green or oolong each day (about 375-675 mg of catechins) could translate into an extra 50 calories burned EACH day - about 5 pounds a year.


TIP: Try a cup of oolong or green tea in place of your coffee for a metabolism boost and wake-up call! Instead of milk or a sweetener, add a squeeze of lemon which will help your body to absorb the catechins.


DO HOT & SPICY FOODS SPEED UP YOUR METABOLISM?

YES - Capsaicin, the bioactive compound that makes chile peppers give off their heat, can turn your metabolism up while also enhancing satiety and lowering hunger pangs. If you were to eat 1 tablespoon of chopped red or green chile pepper - which is equal to 30mg of capsaisin - will result in up to a temporary 23% boost in metabolism. One other study, 0.9g of red pepper was given in a capsule form or naturally in a tomato juice before a meal, and the same results were obtained. These researchers noted that individuals reduced their calorie intake by 10 or 16%, respectively, for 2 days after and still reported feeling full.


TIP: Sprinkle red pepper flakes on pasta dishes and into your chili or stews; fresh chile peppers work well in salsas and add tons of flavor to many other dishes.


DOES EATING A GRAPEFRUIT BEFORE EVERY MEAL SPEED UP YOUR METABOLISM?

NO! - Grapefruit will not work miracles, but it can help you lose some weight. Have half a grapefruit before meals and you can lose up to 4 pounds in 12 weeks, according to the Journal of Medicinal Food. The reason: the fiber and water in it will fill you up on fewer calories, so you eat less at your next meal.


TIP: Instead of soup or salad, try a nice juicy piece of fresh fruit - half a grapefruit, or an orange, before your main course.


IS CELERY A "NEGATIVE CALORIE" FOOD ?

NO! - The thermic effect of food does cause your body to burn up calories as it processes meals, snacks, and drinks. But this process accounts for anywhere from 0-30% of the calories you eat (protein, for example, takes more calories to digest than fat or carbohydrates). A medium-size rib of celery has only about 6 calories; its TEF is approximately half a calorie. Therefore, in reality, "negative calorie foods" are just than wishful thinking.


TIP: Include celery as a low-cal but fiber-filling addition to salad, stir-fries, and soups only to help you fill up; but you can't depend on it to magically melt away your love-handles. Having said that, it is healthful: Celery has phthalides, compounds that can help reduce blood pressure!


ARE PMS CRAVINGS RELATED TO THE BOOST IN METABOLISM BEFORE WOMEN'S PERIODS?

YES - The silver lining to PMS is that women's resting metabolic rate may increase during the part of the menstrual cycle known as the luteal phase (the day after ovulation to the first day of your period). The metabolic boost women get from being "hormonal" can equal as much as 300 calories a day - which is why women's appetites increase during this phase.


TIP: Women - Keep a journal of what you eat the week before and the weeks after your period. Try to maintain your eating pattern over the course of the month so that you can take advantage of this hormone-driven calorie burn. If you give in to cravings, make sure that you keep portions in check.


DOES YOUR BODY BURN MORE CALORIES DIGESTING ICE-COLD BEVERAGES AND FOODS?

YES - But before you give yourself an ice-cream headache, there's more. "The small difference in calories probably won't make a significant dent in your diet", explains Madelyn Gernstrom, PhD, DNS, founder and director of the UPMC Weight Management Center in Pittsburgh. On the bright side, studies have suggested that five or six ice-cold glasses of water could help you burn about 10 extra calories a day - equaling about 1 pound of nearly effortless weight loss each year.

TIP: Although the metabolism-boosting effects are small, it can't hurt to pour no-calorie drinks - water, tea, coffee - on the rocks to maximize your body's calorie-burning potential. Why not?


DOES DIETING DROP YOUR RESTING METABOLIC RATE, MAKING IT HARDER TO KEEP WEIGHT OFF?

YES - For every pound you lose, your resting metabolism drops by about 2-10 calories a day. Lose 10 pounds, and you have to eat 20-100 fewer calories to maintain your trimmer physique, if you do not include exercise. However, you can prevent your metabolic rate from slipping while you get thinner. One way is to lose fat, but keep muscle. You can do this by reducing calories and increasing aerobic and resistance exercise. Crash diets (fewer than 1000 calories a day) may result in a higher percentage of muscle loss.


TIP: Lose weight by cutting 250 calories a day and burning 250 calories per day through exercise. That will help you retain - or even gain - muscle while you lose a greater percentage of body fat.


DOES EATING MORE PROTEIN REV UP YOUR METABOLISM?

YES - Protein provides a metabolic advantage compared with fat or carbohydrates because your body uses more energy to process it. This is known as the thermic effect of food (TEF). Studies show that you can burn up to twice as many calories digesting protein as carbohydrates. In a typical diet, 14% of calories come from protein. Double that (and reduce carbs to make up for the extra calories), and you can burn an additional 150-200 calories a day, explains Donald Layman, PhDS, a professor of nutrition at the UOI.


TIP: To get the most of protein's rewards, try to get 10-20g at each main meal. Try an 8-oz cup of low-fat plain yogurt with breakfast (~13g), a 1/2 cup serving of hummus at lunch (~10g), and a 3-oz salmon fillet for dinner (~17g). Each of these are your main meals. Keep your meals small, and add in a small, healthy snack in between - equaling 5 small meals a day.


CAN DRINKING THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF WATER HELP YOU BURN MORE CALORIES?

YES - All body chemical reactions depend on water, including your metabolism. If you are dehydrated, you may be burning up to 2% fewer calories. Drinking 8-12 eight ounce glasses of water a day have a higher metabolic rate than those who had only four glasses.


TIP: If your urine is darker than light straw in color, you may not be drinking enough fluid. Sip at least one glass before each meal and snack to stay hydrated.


IS IT TRUE IF YOU HAVE LIMITED TIME, IF YOU EXERCISE AT A HIGHER INTENSITY WILL IT MAKE A HIGHER METABOLIC AFTERBURN?

YES - People who exercise at a very high intensity will experience a post-exercise boost in resting metabolic rate that is larger and last longer compared with those who work out at a low or moderate level. Increase the effort of your workout and you can expect to burn at least 10% of the total calories used during the workout in the hour or so after exercising. If you do a combo of walking and jogging for 4 miles (about 400 calories) instead of just walking, you may burn an extra 40 calories in the next few hours.


TIP: Mix in bursts of speed with your workouts. Gradually work your way up to 2-minutes intervals, 3 times a week.


CAN LIFTING WEIGHTS BOOST METABOLISM MORE THAN A CARDIO WORKOUT?

YES - When you strength-train enough to add 3 pounds of muscle, you increase your calorie burn by 6-8%, which means you burn about 100 extra calories a day. Aerobic exercise doesn't significantly increase your body's lean muscle mass, on the other hand. Resistance training is the best way to gain muscle mass.


TIP: It's best to focus on exercises that recruit the largest muscles and use two-part movement, because this will help build more lean mass. Ryan Andrews, RD, a certified strength-training specialist in Colorado feels that his favorites for this result are squats, push-ups, and any exercise that combines upper and lower body movements.

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