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The Free Fitness
Tips Newsletter - February 2009
brought to you by
http://blog.freefitnesstips.co.uk/
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The Free Fitness Tips Newsletter -
February 2009 is sponsored by:
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Hello everyone. Welcome to the
February 2009 edition of the Free Fitness Tips Newsletter.
This month's newsletter includes:
1)
Featured Article
This month I
mainly focused on the topic of
boosting your metabolism but I also covered
cancer,
carbohydrates. Again there were lots of contenders for
this month's featured article but I decided to go with...
9
Top Tips for Maximising your Metabolism
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In my last three articles I revisited
the topic of
boosting your metabolism discussing the effect that both
food and
exercise can have. I explained that metabolism generally refers
to the number of calories your body burns in a day. It is
influenced by three main things:
- Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) (the number of calories you
burn performing the basic functions that keep you alive).
- Your level of Physical Activity.
- The Thermic Effect of Foods that you Eat (the number of calories
it takes to digest and absorb the foods you eat).
Today I would like to bring all this
information together and give you nine top tips for maximising your
metabolism.
1)
EAT HIGH FIBRE CARBOHYDRATES:- High fibre
carbohydrates are harder to digest than simple carbohydrates and
therefore have a greater thermic effect. On top of this foods that
are high in fibre are generally lower in calories (because fibre
itself contains zero calories), help suppress your appetite and
provide you with many more
fantastic benefits. High fibre foods include fruits, vegetables
and
wholemeal products so where possible make sure your dietary
carbohydrates come from these sources. Not only will they help you
burn slightly more calories but they will also make it easier for
you to lose weight. However, you need to make sure that you do not
go overboard on the fibre.
Excessive fibre consumption has been linked with wind, diarrhea,
constipation and more.
2)
EAT VITAMIN RICH FOODS:- Your body relies on
vitamins and minerals to perform a number of essential functions.
If you become
deficient in any of the
thirteen vitamins you may not be able to perform some of these
functions properly which can have a negative impact on your BMR.
There are lots of vitamin rich foods including fruits, vegetables,
eggs, liver and nuts. To maximise your metabolism you need to make
sure you are getting the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for all
your vitamins from the foods you eat. It will keep your BMR at its
optimal level and also promote
good overall health. However, like with fibre you need to make
sure you don’t overdose. Getting
too many vitamins has a number of adverse effects including cell
and organ damage.
3)
DRINK LOTS OF WATER:- If your body is not properly
hydrated it may not be able to perform certain vital functions.
This can lead to a reduction in your BMR. Therefore, you need to
make sure you are drinking enough water to maximise your
metabolism. I find that keeping a water bottle at your desk and
topping it up regularly plus making an effort to drink extra water
whilst exercising helps me stay hydrated throughout the day.
4)
MAKE SURE YOU ARE GETTING ENOUGH PROTEIN:- Most
people’s diets are rich in fats and carbohydrates but contain very
little protein. However,
protein is a very important macronutrient that is essential for
the growth and repair of your body’s cells. It also has a greater
thermic effect than fats and carbohydrates with research suggesting
that 25% of the calories in protein are burned during digestion and
absorption. Therefore, you can give your metabolism a boost by
making protein a richer part of your diet. However, you need to
make sure that you are not consuming too much. Overdosing on
protein can place stress on a number of vital organs including your
kidneys.
5)
ADD SOME SPICE TO YOUR DIET:- Spicy foods can
temporarily increase your BMR. For starters they increase your
body’s temperature for a short period after consumption meaning that
you will burn more calories as your body attempts to regulate this
temperature. Secondly, spices such as cayenne are thought to have
thermogenic properties meaning that they temporarily increase the
rate at which your body burns fat. Like with the other foods
mentioned in this article you need to exercise moderation when it
comes to spicy foods. Getting too much can lead to unpleasant side
effects such as heartburn, stomach ulcers and an irritable bowel.
6) CUT BACK ON THE
ALCOHOL:- Alcohol has a dehydrating effect and can
therefore reduce your BMR. Many alcoholic beverages are also full
of simple carbohydrates meaning that they have a reduced thermic
effect when compared with high fibre carbohydrates and protein rich
foods. On top of this excessive alcohol consumption can cause
vitamin deficiencies which further slow down your BMR. You don’t
need to eliminate alcohol from your diet completely but if you drink
regularly perhaps you should consider cutting down.
7) REDUCE YOUR CAFFEINE
CONSUMPTION:- Like alcohol, caffeine has a dehydrating
effect and can lower your BMR. Drinking a couple of cups of coffee
each day is unlikely to have any adverse effects on your metabolism
but if you are getting all your fluids from caffeinated beverages
you might want to think about substituting in some water.
8)
START A CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE ROUTINE:- Your
metabolism is partially affected by your level of physical
activity. Regular cardiovascular exercise helps in two ways.
First, you burn additional calories whilst performing the cardio.
Secondly, the number of calories you burn following a cardiovascular
workout remains elevated for a few hours after you finish. By going
for a
walk, jog, run, bike ride, swim (or whatever other
cardiovascular exercise takes your fancy) a few times a week you can
burn extra calories and boost your metabolism.
9)
START A RESISTANCE TRAINING ROUTINE:- A pound of
muscle burns around 6 calories per day whilst a pound of fat burns
around 2 calories per day. Therefore, by increasing your lean
muscle mass you can raise your BMR. If you perform a resistance
training workout a few times per week and combine it with proper
nutrition you can build additional muscle and increase the amount of
calories you burn whilst resting.
As you can see from this article it is
possible to boost your metabolism through a combination of smart
food choices and a well structured exercise routine. However, you
need to remember that metabolism is not the key to successful weight
loss. Whilst you can increase the number of calories you burn on a
daily basis by following the above tips there is a limit to their
effect. Maximising your metabolism will not compensate for eating
too much food BUT if you learn to control the amount you eat and
follow the above advice metabolism can be a powerful tool in your
weight loss arsenal. I highly recommend that you try and implement
the above tips in to your lifestyle because they will give your
metabolism a boost, help you burn more calories and more importantly
they will improve your overall health.
2)
Free Fitness Tips Blog Updates
This month I didn't manage to write as
many articles as usual but there are still some great reads.
The main focus was on
metabolism but I covered a few other topics as well.
-
What
is Cancer? - February 3rd 2009
-
What is Metabolism? - February 7th 2009
-
Eating and Metabolism Revisited - February 10th 2009
-
Exercise and Metabolism Revisited - February 12th 2009
-
9 Top Tips for Maximising your Metabolism - February 14th 2009
-
Kick Things Up a Notch: The Top 3 Everyday Cardio Exercises to Help
You Stay Fit - February 18th 2009 (Guest post from Nick Clipton)
-
What are Carbohydrates? - February 23rd 2009
3) Final Words
February has gone so quickly. It
seems like only yesterday that it was the start of the month.
In February I went back to the gym after a month of doing
bodyweight soccer sprints and it was good to return.
Next month I am not going to be
posting to the blog so much. There are a number of off site
things I've been meaning to get done for a while and the only way I
am going to have the time to get them done is to temporarily stop
writing for the blog. Hopefully, these off site tasks are
completed in a timely manner and I can get back to writing regular
posts for Free Fitness
Tips. Either way I will keep you posted.
Until next time,
Tom Parker (Owner and Creator of Free
Fitness Tips)
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February 2009 is sponsored by:
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