FitSugar

Make the Most of Your Metabolism

FitSugar — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 02:00:00 -0700

Most of what controls your metabolism is not under your control, some folks have fast metabolisms and others have slow ones. Also, as we age our metabolism slows down. Scientists have estimated that metabolism slows about 5 percent per decade, beginning at age 40 as we lose muscle mass and increase body fat. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so when you lose muscle mass your caloric needs decrease. Luckily you are not completely at the mercy of your genetics - There are a few things you can do to keep your metabolism up.

Basically, metabolism is the total of all body processes that burn calories - your basal metabolic rate (calories burned by simply being alive) plus your activity factor since we all know that exercise burns calories.

The basal metabolic rate includes the energy we need for body processes, including digestion. About 10 percent of our calories are used to process the food we eat. This phenomenon, known as the thermic effect of food, is influenced by how much, how often and what we eat. In addition, food can directly affect metabolism by altering the way the body functions, which changes the amount of energy it needs.

According to Joy Bauer, nutritionist and author of the book Food Cures, there are ways to maximize your metabolism. Curious to know what they are? Then read more

Eat at least 1,000 calories per day (I would say 1,200 calories, myself). Although it is generally true that eating a low-calorie diet will help you take off weight, if you eat too few calories, your metabolism will get slower and slower as it tries to conserve energy. As your metabolism crashes, the weight you take off will most likely creep back on over time. Plus, you'll be more likely to binge on junk food if you reduce your calories by too much.
Eat every four to five hours. A regular meal schedule helps keep your body working to digest and absorb foods. Between breakfast and bed, aim to eat a meal or snack every four to five hours. Try to eat breakfast within 90 minutes of rising - People who regularly eat a healthy breakfast are more likely to control their weight. If you wait to eat until you're ravenous, you're more likely to overeat later in the day. Also, breakfast helps fire up your metabolism after a full night on a slow simmer.
Eat protein with every meal. All foods contribute to the thermic effect, which means that all foods – carbohydrates, fats and proteins – help to give metabolism a gentle nudge higher when we eat them, but protein has the greatest thermic effect of all. In addition, protein can increase metabolism by helping to maintain and build muscle mass.

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Is It FIT For News?

FitSugar — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 03:00:00 -0700

For some reason this week's news was full of truly bizarre "health" stories. The following stories really caught my eye, piqued my interest or made me squirm (the top headline especially).

Man Eats Live Frogs and Rats for Health - from AOL News

On Yahoo News there is a great article on a man suing Boost Energy Drink maker Novartis AG for long lasting, yet unwanted arousal caused by the energy drink. Seems it gave him an unrelenting boost where it wasn't wanted.

Vancouver doctors report rare finding of man whose blood was green - from Canada.com

If you thought you did some wacky things in your youth to get a tan read these: Tan tales that could make a dermatologist cry on MSNBC.com - they will inspire you to wear lots and lots of sunscreen.

I think this headline understates what is really going on, since death threats were involved: Obesity expert takes heat from Sparks fans - from MSNBC.com

8 Habits of the Super Healthy

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:00:10 -0800

If you are looking to keep colds and flu bugs at arm's length, I researched habits of healthy women. Here are eight habits that will help keep you well over the following months.

First, start by upping your vitamin C intake. While the vitamin won't prevent you from catching a cold, it will boost your immune system. And if you do happen to catch a cold, vitamin C will decrease the duration of runny nose time. Try to eat foods naturally high in the vitamin, like citrus fruits and red bell peppers.

To see the other seven habits, just start the slideshow.
Source: Getty

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6 Natural Ways to Boost Your Energy

FitSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:00:00 -0700

If your busy life is leaving you feeling depleted, I have these six ways to boost your energy. Make sure that you are getting adequate sleep - seven to eight hours a night. Then start this slideshow to learn more ways to stay energized.

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Another Reason to Exercise: Boost Your Immune System

FitSugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 04:00:00 -0700

We're nearing the end of flu season and heading into allergy season, but that doesn't mean we should get complacent about fighting off illness. Since I am always looking for new reasons to exercise and new ways to avoid getting sick, I was excited to find this research suggesting that consistent exercise can boost your immune system.

Moderate exercise temporarily increases your body's production of macrophages, the cells designed to fend off bacteria, and allows them to travel more efficiently through the body. Though these are temporary responses to working out, new research suggests that the more often you exercise, the more permanent the health benefits become. According to Dr. David Nieman of Appalachian State University, moderate exercise on a regular basis also strengthens your immune system in the long run.

But for super-serious athletes like marathoners, exercise can actually make the body more susceptible to illness, so be sure to give yourself plenty of recovery days if you're training for a big event.

Do you exercise daily? If so, do you think it helps you avoid getting sick?

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Came Down With a Cold? Eat These Foods

FitSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:00:57 -0700

A balanced diet can boost your immune system and prevent you from getting sick, but if you happen to catch a cold or worse, the flu, a healthy diet is essential in helping you recover faster. Here are some foods you should eat when you're sick.

Source: Getty

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Another Reason to Eat Carbs: Boost Your Mood

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:00:56 -0800

The majority of Fit readers call themselves carb queens, and Winter can make those carbohydrate cravings even more intense. But have no fear: scientists are finding even more reasons not to avoid this essential food group.

A recent study of more than 100 obese and overweight adults in Australia found that dieting put people in a better mood; a drop in pounds led to increased satisfaction. But for people on low-carb diets, the mood boost didn't last.

The study group was split, with half the subjects on a lowfat diet and the other half low-carbing it. Interestingly, folks in both groups lost the same amount of weight on average, about 30 pounds. But after a year, the low-carb dieters also lost the positive mood effects, while the low-fat dieters did not. Here's more from the study.

Low on Energy? More Tips to Try...

FitSugar — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 07:30:00 -0700

Sometimes we just feel tired all the time or just a little low on fuel. There are so many reasons you could be feeling like this (hormonal change, lack in sleep, stress, etc.) and you're not alone.

So instead of turning to a Red Bull or agonizing over the fact that you have no energy, here are more tips from RealBuzz.com on giving your energy a boost:

Join a gym or try to start some sort of structured physical activity that gets you training about three times a week. Ideally this is on top of your 30 minutes of daily activity.
Dedicate just a few minutes a day to doing some stretches. If your job involves sitting, using a computer or involves repetitive movements, muscles will tighten very quickly and this is often the cause of lower-back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain and more.
Sit down and examine your work load. It could be the case you are trying to do more than you are capable of in terms of private life and work life.
Appreciate any stress you are under and try to have time periods where you are not carrying problems around with you constantly. This is another advantage of the gym; for that couple of hours you don’t think about work related problems.

There are even more great tips, so read more

Consider having a therapeutic or sports massage once ~~a fortnight~~ in a while. Again it helps keep tension out of the muscles and gives you time to yourself to switch off.
A hobby is another really good escape route from stress. If you don’t have time, you may have an unsustainable work load which could result in illness.
Sit down with your partner and / or business colleagues and look at time management. There are always ways of cutting work load by increasing communications and working together better.
Plan frequent short breaks. Even if you just get in the car and decide to drive somewhere you have never been to before. The old saying, 'a change is as good as a rest’ is true.
Try not to put to things off. If you take action against something rather than delaying it you will get a lifting sense of achievement and a positive feel.
Make a list of all the things that are bothering you and plan when you can sort them out.

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Low on Energy? Try This...

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 08:45:00 -0700

Sometimes we just feel tired all the time or just a little low on fuel. There are so many reasons you could be feeling like this (hormonal change, lack in sleep, stress, etc.) and you're not alone.

So instead of turning to a Red Bull or agonizing over the fact that you have no energy, try these tips from RealBuzz.com on giving your energy a boost:

Ensure you get the right amount of calories per day.
Ensure your food balance is correct and made up of the right amount of carbohydrates, proteins and essential fats.
Drink at least two liters of water per day, more if you exercise.
Eat small meals throughout the day instead of nothing all day then a huge meal at night when you least need the energy before going to bed.
Ensure you get enough quality sleep every night. Preferably seven hours uninterrupted.
Take part in at least 30 minutes of activity everyday. It all adds up: walking to the shops instead of driving, taking the stairs instead of the lift or cycling instead of driving, all make a difference.

There are more great ideas so read more

Avoid tea and coffee because of the caffeine it causes energy peaks and troughs.
Avoid cakes, biscuits and chocolate during the day as the high sugar content will cause energy peaks and troughs leaving you feeling wiped out.
Bread can make a lot of people feel very tired shortly after eating, so try to cut down on sandwiches and see if that makes a difference.
Eat the recommended five portions of vegetable or fruit per day.
Try not to rely on alcohol as a means of unwinding of a night. It has very negative effects physically in terms of muscle recovery, weight gain and on sleep patterns. Or, if you can’t give it up, try and have a glass of wine rather than the whole bottle!

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How Do You Re-Fuel When Long-Distance Running?

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:00:04 -0800

FitSugar reader AZDaisy posted this question in the RunningSugar community group.

Hey everyone! So I've been running off and on for years now, but I just started getting serious, and I'm running my first half marathon this February! The longest I've run before was 7 miles . . . so replenishing my energy mid-run has never been an issue thus far. But I've read that for every hour you work out, you need to eat something, and that's where the gels, gummies, and bars come in. However, I've also read that you need to drink water when you eat these things, and where I run there's typically no water source, nor do I like the idea of carrying a water bottle with me on my long runs. I'm just curious . . . what do you long distance runners do when it's time to boost your energy mid-run?

If you love chatting about running or have a question, then post your thoughts to the RunningSugar community group. Not a runner? Then take a look at our other community groups - there's something for everyone. If you want to see your health or fitness post featured on FitSugar, then private message me here to pitch your ideas.