18 Years of Experience in Psychiatry Acupuncture and Micronutrients
Boost your metabolism by eating special foods, advertisers claim. That sounds great, doesn't it? If you are one of the estimated 50 million Americans who will go on a diet this year, you may be tempted by advertisements for products promising easy, quick ways to lose weight. You should know that when it comes to losing weight, gimmicks usually don't deliver on their promises. It's very easy to get lost amid all the claims and sales pitches. What is your metabolism and can some foods magically increase it? If not, what can?
In very simple terms, your metabolism is the rate at which your individual body engine operates as it performs all its bodily functions, like the creation/building of various substances (heat, muscle, proteins, RNA, hair, nails, enzymes, storage fat, bones) and the breaking down of others (food, storage fat, etc.). Both the creation/building process (anabolic, as above) and the breaking down process (catabolic) occur simultaneously, every moment. The fuel for all the chemical reactions which make up the metabolic process is food.
Your metabolism has four components.
Women - Multiply your weight in pounds by 9.817. Example: A 130 lb. woman burns approximately 1,276 calories every 24 hours to keep the body alive and functioning properly (130 X 9.817 = 1,276).
Men - Multiply your weight in pounds by 10.908. Example: A 190 lb. man burns approximately 1,963 calories during resting metabolism (basal metabolism) every 24 hours (180 X 10.908).
Both men and women should avoid reducing their caloric intake below these minimum levels. This represents a safe level of caloric intake to provide enough energy for moderate exercise, adequate nutrition and also prevent a slowing in metabolic rate. Basal metabolism accounts for the majority of calories you burn daily and several factors effect it. Age, height, genetics, body composition (lean people have a higher BMR), stress and diet (fasting/starvation lowers BMR) are some of those things. To date, there is no solid research that any specific food can boost your metabolism significantly. Some foods might increase it slightly, but not enough to have an impact. Those foods include flax seeds, grapefruit, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. A good rule to follow with weight loss is that if it seems to easy, then it probably is not legitimate.
Fiber does more than regulate your bowels -- it regulates your metabolism, too. Fiber is digested more slowly than other nutrients, because it's composed of long molecule chains that must be broken down into single glucose molecules before they can be used by the body. This slow process can compensate for poor food choices, like excess sugar, which is metabolized quickly and causes insulin spikes in the bloodstream. Eating more fiber will keep you from riding high and then crashing from your body's response to that addictive glucose.
Every year, book publishers and supplement companies come out with miracle diets and supplements that promise to lift your metabolism and melt away unwanted pounds. Unfortunately, most of this advice is at best laughable and at worst dangerous. The best way to reach your goal is slowly and sensibly with one of the eDiets plans.
These articles are not intended as Medical advice, and the author assumes no responsibility for actions taken based on the information contained in this article. If Medical advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.