While I was pondering on the half dozen ideas I so badly want to blog about, while wishing I had a couple extra hours to actually pen my thoughts down … just remembered a question I had recently answered on my ” ASK ” column which had to do with metabolism, a topic I have struggled with as the ” Getting older and Wiser” process sets in !
Ever wish you could have the metabolism you had in your twenties when you could just burn off everything you ate ? ( and by that I mean copious amounts of any kind of food ) As each decade goes by, it seems like every extra delicious morsel of food that I enjoy just seems to deposit itself on some part of my person…. Blame it on a sluggish metabolism ! Well , unless you’re part of that one percent of people in the world that can eat all they want even as they get “Wiser”, and not feel the pinch, Welcome to the club! On the flip side some current research says that as you get’ Older ‘and ‘Wiser ‘having a few lbs more than your Ideal Body weight is actually good for you since the extra lbs seem to cushion your organs and make one less prone to fractures etc and actually prevent loss of bone density. I personally think this makes sense and is more realistic for me to work with. Important thing is to be comfortable with the way you are, but giving your metabolism a gentle boost is not a bad idea either ! Read on…..
As each decade goes by, it seems like every extra delicious morsel of food that I enjoy just seems to deposit itself on some part of my person…. Blame it on a sluggish metabolism ! Well , unless you’re part of that one percent of people in the world that can eat all they want even as they get “Wiser”, and not feel the pinch, Welcome to the club! On the flip side some current _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question: Submitted on 3/27/11
I am in my mid 40’s (years of age). What are some natural ways to increase my metabolism?Answer :
Good Question ! Unfortunately as we age …our metabolism slows down! Sadly,there is NO magic pill for raising your metabolism, but I can suggest some ways to give it a gentle boost.
Exercise – especially done in short spurts – two sets of 20 mts vs. one long session of 40 mts. Also,varying your exercise so you do not use the same body muscles seem to trick your body into burning Fat more efficiently.Weight training – Even twice/week seems to have a positive effect on giving your metabolism a quick boost. Simple but effective routines like Jorge Cruise’ s “Eight minutes in the morning” weight workout seems to work great.
Eating frequently as in 3 mini meals and 3 snacks. The science behind this is that your body uses energy every time you eat and burns calories thus boosting your metabolism with each meal.Don’t skip Break fast! This will trick your body into the “Save Mode “and seriously slow down your metabolism.
Meta Smart foods
- Water – Get your 8 or more glasses / day to burn more Fat and Increase Metabolism. Expend more energy drinking cold or cool water.
- Lean protein – Takes more time and energy to digest. Helps lose fat, build lean muscle and burn more body fat. Good sources are whey protein, lean meats, Low fat cottage cheese, nuts, lentils, beans.
- Green Tea, Oolong tea detoxifies the system, remove toxins and thus speed up metabolism.
- Hot Peppers – Capsaicin (found in jalapeno, cayenne, and chili) increases core body temperature thus stimulating metabolism.
- Cinnamon – appears to have the same effect as Hot peppers !
Some safe supplements -check with your physician since some supplements can interact with your meds.
- Conjugated Linolenic Acid ( CLA )a naturally occurring Fatty acid found in animals and dairy
- Resveratrol – Red wine extract= drinking several glasses of wine.
- Acai, Goji, Noni, Mangosteen – Not too sure about how they help but they are full of antioxidants which can help speed up metabolism and burn fat.
Most important SLEEP well ! Research has shown that not getting enough zzzzzzz ‘s seems to seriously lower your metabolism !
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I enjoyed answering that question, and although I can say I have tried most of these at some
time in my life, the ones I frequent the most are – Drinking water , eating small meals – down side to that is: people think I am always hungry !!! and food seems to be on my mind a bit ( No surprise to my FB friends ). I also drink Oolong and work the 8 minute workout when I can ! Everyone is different, so try some of these tips if you wish and if you have some ” Boost Metabolism ” tips of your own, do share !!
!!! and food seems to be on my mind a bit ( No surprise to my FB friends ). 
Hi there! I’m Sunithi, AKA Sue, a registered dietitian with a sweet tooth and a passion for eating healthy (quite a combo) currently working as an independent consultant in the DC Metro area. I’m also a blogger, health nut, nutrition geek who jogs to keep sane :)! I love to revamp recipes and add some ‘Nutrition Bytes’ to them. All my recipes are gluten free! I also blog on natural health and fitness! Visit often and drop me a note if you have any nutrition queries!
HeyI must try some of these ideas out! Keep your fingers crossed! Hope it works!
hey Sue,sorry i just saw this link, its AWESOME! thanks for the tip(s) , ohhhhhhhh i so need to get into shape! will try them all from today!
Hi Sue, love your tips on metabolism… aaaahhhhh!!!! you make it sound so easy…. am walking 40 minutes a day (five days a week) nothing much is shifting though… any ideas???? hahahahaha!!! can't wait for your next spot of advice..
Hey Sue… love your tips on boosting metabolism… aaaahhhhh!!! you make it sound so easy… been walking 40 minutes five days a week.. nothings shifting though!! HELP!!!!! Btw, keep up the good work… waiting for your next spot…
Sunithithanks for the info. great topic as a lot of us are battling the middle age bulge. Keep up the good work.Kavitha
Keep it going guys !!Getting your metabolism up … is the way to go !! I did not mention this, but some ways you can tell your metabolism is getting better is increased energy and you break into sweat quicker than you did before when you work out ! Hope that helps to monitor it !!
Vinoo, You may want to try breaking up that routine by trying 2 short sessions instead of one and see if you can vary your routine a bit … eg: Walk for 7 minutes followed by a 2 minute jog and then break into some streches while walking , repeat varying your routine everytime. If you can , try to fit in some ankle or hand wts( even 1 lb) to your walk routine!Also, watch your diet and see if you can get a protein source at every meal and snack… This revvs up metabolism. Healthy fats like Flax oil, Olive oil, Nuts, Avacado, fish oil supplements are good for revving up your metabolism too! All the best and please shoot any more Q's if you have.
Sue, This is good advice. I've heard several other sources say the same. I need to start doing more!Thanks! Karyn Fundaro
Very Welcome Karyn! Keep going !! Trust you are well!
Good tips. Looking forward to your post about how to regrow hair on my head. 🙂
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Sure ! I can do a post on that ! Rogaine , wigs and some other ….