Where Did My Metabolism Go?

Maybe your favorite jeans feel a little tighter than the last time you put them on. Perhaps the numbers on your bathroom scale have crept slightly higher recently. You aren't eating any more than usual, so what's going on?

As we age, our metabolisms start to slow, particularly in our 30s. Although time and heredity make a difference, how fast your body burns energy is also influenced by your lifestyle. You can't change your genes, but you can do a few things to keep your metabolism in the best possible shape. Here's how: 

1. Thinking of skipping breakfast? Think again! If you eat within an hour of getting up, your metabolism wakes up too and gets ready to do more work. If you wait too long to eat, you are already behind the eight ball. Since our bodies are in a fasting state overnight (unless you've been at an all-night party) your metabolism is at its lowest level when you wake up. 

Kick-start your day with at least 20-30 grams of protein, like two hard boiled eggs and a banana, or some Greek yogurt and sliced almonds. Besides a higher metabolic rate, eating enough protein evens out your blood sugar for the rest of the day. This extra bonus keeps you from eating the morning donuts, afternoon cookies or hitting up the vending machine late in the day. 

2. Get up and get going! Exercise most days in the morning. If you are not a morning person and the thought of exercise first thing in the day is unthinkable, exercise anytime that will work. However, a morning workout boosts your metabolism for the reminder of the day. In addition, those who exercise in the morning are more likely to stick with their programs as a schedule change is less likely first thing in the morning than later in the day. Incorporate consistent exercise 4-5 times a week for best results. 

3. Don't go more than four hours without food. This may seem like a no-brainer, but I cannot tell you how many clients I see going hours without food. Eating regular meals throughout the day not only keeps your metabolism strong, but also helps prevent overeating in general. Going long periods of time without food sets you up for overeating or binging. 

4. Get your ZZZs. Getting rest keeps your stress levels down by keeping away the stress hormone called cortisol. Increased levels of cortisol can increase the hormone insulin that stores fat. 

Going to bed on time helps you get consistent sleep, which means you will be ready for breakfast and a workout before you're off to work. 

If you are skimping on sleep, the two hormones that control appetite -- ghrelin (which grows your appetite) and leptin (which lowers your appetite) -- get out of whack. This keeps your body in a hungry, stressed state which indirectly affects your metabolic rate. 

Following these steps can keep your metabolism healthy and strong. Becoming older does not mean you have to let nature takes it course. A little positive interference goes a long way!

Shrink your Waist with Sleep and Protein

 “I’m hungry Mother, I really am,” said the little puppy Rolly on 101 Dalmatians.

I often hear “I’m always hungry; I don’t feel full after a meal; I still want something after I eat but I can’t put my finger on it.”

Appetite is affected by both physiological and psychological issues.  Since the psychological may be a whole research paper in itself let’s stick to the physiological things you can do to keep your appetite normal and healthy.

Two hormones affecting appetite are Leptin and Ghrelin.  An easy way to remember them is leptin lowers your appetite and ghrelin grows your appetite.  When they are in sync your appetite is in line with your metabolism.  Things that can throw them off are lack of sleep and imbalances in the diet.

If your sleep is compromised it affects your hunger levels.  Eve Van Cauter at the University of Chicago has done 25 years of research on how hormones affect sleep.  Her research shows that when you are sleep deprived your leptin levels are 18% lower and your Ghrelin levels are 28 percent higher.

Her subjects also reported they were much hungrier than usual and craved salty, sweet food when they lacked sleep.  Think of late night pizza and nachos when you stayed up too long.  Craving salty, sweet food and increasing leptin and lowering ghrelin are the perfect combination for weight gain.

Appetite can also be thrown off by the wrong combination of carbohydrate, protein and fat.  David Cummings, M.D. at the University School of Medicine in Seattle found that protein was the best suppressor of appetite.  Fats seemed to have a neutral affect.

Carbohydrates initially lowered the appetite, but then rebounded later with a vengeance.  I still remember my days of eating a “healthy” bowl of cereal for breakfast only to be famished 2 hours later – unaware that it was due to a lack of protein at the most important meal of the day.

Good sources of protein include:

• lean meats, poultry, fish
• eggs
• plain yogurt, cottage cheese, hard cheeses
• nuts/seeds and nut butters

Take home message?  Getting your rest and making sure you eat some sort of protein at each meal and snack will keep your appetite even keeled.  So maybe a good idea is to eat your protein and get some rest with Rolly.  What have you got to lose…besides weight?

This piece is part of Prevention not Prescriptions

Agave Syrup worse than High Fructose Corn Syrup

When I attended the National American Dietetics Association conference in Denver a few months back I heard 2 female biochemists discussing the nitty gritty of carbohydrate metabolism and how different sources of carbohydrate are digested and used by the body.

One fascinating detail they discussed was Agave syrup.  I had not paid much attention to it since I don’t recommend anything other than 100% raw sugar or honey to sweeten foods or recipes.  Most people know that high fructose corn syrup is not good for us but did you know that agave is actually more harmful?  How can that be true?

When I was at Whole Foods today I noticed how Agave is in everything from coconut ice-cream to cookies and crackers.  The power of marketing has played a large part of this phenomenon.

High fructose corn syrup is approximately 55-60% fructose and not the natural kind like in fruit.  When you consume a large percentage of this type of fructose it goes directly to the liver, which not only increases your triglyceride levels but causes fatty liver, increased hunger levels and a plethora of other health issues you would rather avoid.  High levels of fructose make your brain deaf to leptin, the hormone responsible for making you feel full.

Agave is 85-90% fructose.  According to the experts, Agave plants are crushed and the collected sap is heated to 140 degrees to concentrate the liquid into a syrup.  The heating process is necessary to hydrolyze it into fructose to obtain the desired sweetness.  Therefore, Agave is not a natural or whole real food by any sense of the imagination.  It is actually a fractionated and processed food to be avoided that comes from Mexico with very few quality controls.

AND it has more fructose than high fructose corn syrup.  If you want to sweeten a recipe or add something sweet to your hot beverage use a little sugar or honey.  Your body and liver will thank you!

Juice equals Soda?

The last 2 lectures I gave were well received, with the individuals open to knowing new information except for one thing that touched a raw nerve – my assessment of drinking juice.  This morning’s Los Angeles Times sums up what I have been saying:  drinking juice is equal to the same amount of sugar as drinking a glass of soda.  This information has not been well received.  Many people like their morning juice!

What exactly are the experts saying? Dr. Charles Billington, a researcher in obesity at the University of Minnesota, quoted in the Times article, states that juice is “pretty much the same as sugar water.”  Think of all the oranges or apples you would have to squeeze to obtain a cup of juice.  You are drinking all the sugar from the juice minus the fiber that helps stabilize your blood sugar when eating the fruit. 

Earlier this year a new study showed that women drinking juice during their pregnancies have a 37% higher rate of gestational diabetes.  Numerous studies show that a high concentration of fructose not only increases fatty liver but also makes your brain deaf to leptin, the hormone that lowers your appetite.  Studies with children drinking juice show they are more than twice as likely to have weight issues as children who don’t consume juice.

So the bottom line on juice?  Enjoy once in a while but stick to drinking water or other beverages without the extra sugar.  Your body and liver will thank you!

Corn Syrup on Trial?

In yesterday’s Los Angeles Times there was a full page advertisement that stated:  High Fructose Corn Syrup ACQUITTED!  I did not realize HFCS was on trial, but maybe I missed that news.  In recent months, TV ads have been telling us that corn syrup is the same as sugar.  However, what do the studies reveal?

Last week David Kessler, whose new book The End of Overeating recounted his statements of corn syrup being dangerous stating its effects were similar to sugar.  This made the Center for Consumer Freedom very happy and well as many others that make money from this “food.”  Mr. Kessler’s book is excellent.  However, I would disagree that corn syrup is similar to sugar.  Today’s LA Times had a nice summary of the arguments going back and forth.

For detailed information on HFCS see my blog April 3^rd.  The bottom line manufactured corn syrup has a higher percentage of manufactured fructose which has a straight shot to the liver, thereby causing fatty liver.  In addition, when consuming high fructose corn syrup a hormone that helps you feel full called Leptin does not kick in.  Therefore, your brain does not get the signal you are indeed full, and you may continue to eat.

Fatty liver and gaining weight – not a good combination to me.  I have HFCS on my NOT TO SHOP list in my new book A Recipe for Life and this is not something I intend on going back on.