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Metabolism Boosters or Not?

FitSugar — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:00:12 -0700

Who doesn't want to give their metabolism a little bump? Can you separate out the facts from fiction when it comes to increasing your calorie burn? Take this quiz and see.

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Exercise Doesn't Boost Fat Burning After All

FitSugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:00:00 -0700

Eating well and exercising regularly work together to promote overall health, but when it comes to weight management, the two factors do not act equally. Consuming fewer calories for weight loss is old news, and a recent study suggests exercise is less influential at burning fat than previously thought.

The new research, involving 65 exercisers with controlled diets, disproves the notion that exercise boosts fat burning up to 24 hours after working out. It found that participants burned more fat during exercise, but that postexercise they didn't burn any more fat than the days they sat on the couch. Exercise physiologist Edward Melanson explains, "If you exercise and replace the calories you burn, you’re no better - with regard to how much fat you burn off - than if you didn’t exercise."

To find out the bottom line behind weight loss, read more.

Melanson asserts that while it's harder to lose weight through exercise than diet, the benefits of working out should not be discounted. MSNBC summarizes Melanson's logic perfectly with this comment: "That’s not surprising when you consider that it might take an hour to burn 400 calories but just five minutes to consume them." When you're weighing in on weight management, it's all about calories in versus calories out.

The scale might not care whether you're tweaking your diet or working out more, but keep in mind the many virtues of exercise outside of weight issues. Reconnect with the countless other reasons to exercise, and stay fit!

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5 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

FitSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 05:50:00 -0700

Who couldn't benefit from a little lift in their metabolism, especially with beach season approaching fast? You can boost your metabolism with physical activity and simple tweaks to your diet. Here are five simple ways to positively affect your metabolism, making it more efficient, which ultimately means a healthier you.

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Weekend Reading: Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels

FitSugar — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:30:00 -0700

The key to mastering your metabolism, according to the new book by Jillian Michaels? Hormones! But not in the way you normally think of hormones.

In Master Your Metabolism: The 3 Diet Secrets to Naturally Balancing Your Hormones For a Hot and Healthy Body!, the Biggest Loser trainer explains how the myriad hormones that make up your endocrine system - including cortisol, ghrelin, testosterone, and leptin - work to keep your body healthy and balanced.

One of the new anti-diet books, this incredibly detailed guide combines personal memoir, serious science, and healthy eating recommendations to shed light on how artificial additives and other external factors can sabotage our weight-loss efforts. The book starts out incredibly academic, defining the various hormones and how they work; it was too much scientific jargon for me. But after wading through that I learned a lot. To find out what, read more.

Michaels's basic premise is that the toxins in processed foods, nonorganic produce, prescription medications, and the environment can throw our hormones out of whack, wreaking havoc on our systems. She writes, "Any and every body function you can imagine is controlled by your hormones." Her "three diet secrets" divide the book into three phases: removing these toxins from your life, replacing them with healthy foods, and rebalancing your hormones through diet, sleep, and exercise.

She offers a strict and simple meal plan that involves eating every four hours and tells you how to look at all the labels in your pantry and toss out the really bad stuff. She also acknowledges that we can't eat perfectly all the time and offers suggestions for good but not great foods. Along the way, she adds personal touches, like memories of being an overweight kid and confessing that she hates to exercise (which I have a hard time believing).

I like how the book offers different reasons for eating healthy than the ones we're used to hearing. It really made me think about how bad junk food really is and how every decision about what we put in our bodies has a ripple effect. This certainly isn't a book you can absorb with a quick skim; it's very dense with information. But I learned a great deal reading it and plan to return to it as a reference.

Minutes to a Healthier You . . .

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:00:00 -0700

It is more than just your time at the gym that makes you healthy; it is the simple everyday acts that take mere minutes to complete that add up to healthy lifestyle.

Here is one simple thing that you can do to start your day off right: drink eight ounces of water before breakfast. After sleeping for seven to eight hours your body needs water as well as food - being slightly dehydrated can actually slow down your metabolism. Before downing your latte, green tea, or juice, have a glass of water because according to the journal Obesity well-hydrated cells not only work better, but they help you flush out fat.

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Helena Christensen Is in Better Shape Than She Was at 25

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:30:00 -0700

While supermodel Helena Christensen says she's obsessed with food, she doesn't attribute her smoking good looks to any trendy superfoods. In the April issue of InStyle UK, the gorgeous 40-year-old gives her rigorous fitness regimen credit for maintaining her model body and says, "I'm in better shape than I was at 25 because I'm actually doing something physical."

She's leaving it open for us to assume that she didn't exercise when she was in her 20s, and it's hard to believe that she looked as good as she did without working out. Helena explains, "I'm super lucky with my metabolism. I have to be realistic - that might not always be the situation. That's why I chose really intense training."

Helena is smart to use exercise for revving up her metabolism. While her statement that she "eats like a pig" might make some of us a little jealous, I love Helena's realistic attitude that her amazing metabolism might not last forever. She's chosen a healthy way of dealing with that reality, and she looks fantastic.

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I Don't Buy It: Celsius Calorie Burning Beverage

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:00:11 -0800

Products that seem too good to be true typically leave me feeling cold, and Celsius is no exception. Hoping to be a super soft drink, the new beverage is being marketed with claims that you can burn 100 calories simply by guzzling one can of the carbonated stuff. The drink apparently boosts your metabolism and causes your body to burn more calories, creating a net-negative-calorie effect.

With enough caffeine to cover about two cups of coffee (one can has 200 milligrams), this beverage is not for the caffeine sensitive. Steve Haley, CEO of Celsius Holdings Inc., defends the product's calorie-burning claims by citing clinical studies paid for by his company and mentions the drink's vitamin components that he says counteract the effect of caffeine on buyers' bones.

There are still many unknowns about the effectiveness of Celsius, and I agree with one nutritionist who commented, "Exercise is a better way to jump-start your metabolism, and it's healthier as well." I prefer to drink metabolism-stimulating green tea for a natural, inexpensive way to benefit my health.

5 Things to Eat to Boost Your Metabolism

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 05:30:00 -0800

Boosting your metabolism means burning more calories, and who wouldn't want that? You can positively affect your metabolism with what you eat. Food can stoke your metabolism, making it more efficient, which ultimately means a healthier you. See five foods to eat to boost your metabolism when you start the slideshow.
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Does or Doesn't It Boost Your Metabolism?

FitSugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:00:00 -0800

Who out there doesn't want to boost her metabolism and burn calories more efficiently? Take this quiz to see if you know how to rev up yours.

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Does It or Doesn't It Boost Your Metabolism?

FitSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Who out there doesn't want to boost her metabolism and burn calories more efficiently? Take this quiz to see if you know what foods can help rev yours up.

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Question 1 of 6

Does eating breakfast boost your metabolism?