By Hallie Levine, Redbook:
Stock up on green tea
Green tea isn't known only
for its cancer-fighting benefits: It may help boost your metabolism,
too. People who took green-tea extract three times a day saw their
metabolic rate increase by about 4 percent, according to a study
published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (Translation:
You could burn an extra 60 calories a day, which equals about six pounds
a year!) It may be because green tea contains catechins, which increase
levels of the metabolism-speeding brain chemical norepinephrine, says
Joy Bauer, a New York City nutritionist and author of Cooking with Joy.
Pump iron
Weight training is the ultimate way to burn calories fast. "A pound of
muscle burns up to nine times the calories of a pound of fat," explains
Richard Cotton, M.A., chief exercise physiologist for
myexerciseplan.com. Weight training increases your resting metabolic
rate, which is the number of calories you burn while sitting on your
butt. What's more, it gives your metabolism an added boost after you
exercise: It remains in overdrive for up to two hours after the last
bench press, according to a study
published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Strapped
for time? Try these quick moves: squats, bench step-ups, lunges,
push-ups, pull-ups and crunches. In a pinch, just do single sets of 10
for each exercise - you'll get optimal results for the time invested.
Eat iron
Yeah, we just told you to pump iron, but you also need to eat it. "If
you don't have enough of this mineral, your body can't get enough oxygen
to your cells, which slows down your metabolism," explains Samantha
Heller, R.D., a nutritionist at the New York University Medical Center.
Most multivitamins contain around 18 mg (the RDA for adults); you can
also get your fill by eating three to four daily servings of foods rich in iron,
such as lean red meat, chicken, fortified cereal and soy nuts. If you
are feeling symptoms such as fatigue and weakness, ask your doctor to
test you for anemia (it's a simple blood test) at your next physical.
Order water - and ask for a refill
A German study found that when you drink 17 ounces of water
(about two glasses) within a certain time frame, your metabolic rate
shoots up by about 30 percent. Using these results, they estimate that
by increasing your current water intake by 1.5 liters a day, a person
would burn an extra 17,400 calories a year, resulting in about a
five-pound weight loss.
Get your thyroid checked
Suspect you have a sluggish metabolism? You might have hypothyroidism,
or an underactive thyroid gland, which afflicts about 25 percent of
American women - many of whom don't know they have the condition,
according to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. "The
thyroid gland controls your body's metabolism, so one of the first
signs that it may be off is an inability to lose weight," explains
Pamela Peeke, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of Maryland
and author of Fight Fat After Forty. Your doctor can determine if you're
suffering from hypothyroidism by running a blood test. If you do have
an underactive thyroid, you'll be treated with a synthetic thyroid
supplement, which you will need to take for the rest of your life (it
will return your metabolism to normal, so it should be easier to lose
weight).
Avoid alcohol
Want to keep your favorite meals from going straight to your hips
(thighs, belly)? Wash them down with water, not wine. Alcohol slows your
metabolism by depressing the central nervous system. A British study
found that when alcohol was added to a high-fat, high-calorie meal,
less dietary fat was burned off and more was stored as body fat.
Rev up workouts
Interval training - in which you add bursts of high-intensity moves
into your workout - is a surefire metabolism booster, says Glenn
Gaesser, Ph.D., director of the Kinesiology Program at the University of
Virginia and author of The Spark. Researchers at Laval University in Quebec found
that high-intensity interval training burns more fat than regular,
consistent aerobic exercise. If you usually jog at a 10-minute-mile
pace, for example, add a 30-second sprint every five minutes. Or add a
one-minute incline to your treadmill workout every five minutes. "Even
if you just have 10 minutes for a quick workout, you can walk at a
normal pace and then add in a 30-second bout of speed-walking every
three minutes," recommends Gaesser.
Do more dairy
Women who ate low-fat dairy products,
such as nonfat yogurt and low-fat cheese, three to four times a day
lost 70 percent more fat than low-dairy dieters, according to a study published in the journal Obesity
Research. "Calcium serves as a switch that tells your body to burn
excess fat faster," explains study author Michael Zemel, M.D., director
of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Sorry, but you won't reap the same benefits from calcium-fortified O.J.
Research shows that you get the best results from dairy products
themselves, not fortified foods. Aim for 1,200 mg, which includes about
three servings of dairy a day.
Take up a new sport
Are you like Old Faithful when it comes to your morning walk or evening
jog? Know this: The more you do an activity, the more your body adapts
to it, so you burn fewer calories. If you want to light a fire under
your metabolism, consider cross-training. For example, if you normally
walk, try biking instead. "Since you're not used to working all those
different muscles, it's a more intense workout, which can translate into
a greater metabolic after-burn because your body is working harder to
recover and get oxygen to all your tissues," says Carol Espel, M.S., an
exercise physiologist for Equinox Fitness Clubs in New York City.
Go fish
Break out the lemon wedges: Regular fish eaters tend to have lower
levels of the hormone leptin - good because high levels of leptin have been linked
to low metabolism and obesity, says Louis Aronne, M.D., an obesity
specialist at the New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center.
Try to consume three to four servings of a fatty fish, such as salmon,
tuna or mackerel, each week.
No comments:
Post a Comment