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!

You can’t Out-Train a Bad Diet

Bruce Gilbert, a trainer I share clients with uses the above statement with his clients.

“I’m working out, so I can eat what I want, right?”

NOT.

I often hear:  “I’ve been exercising much more than before so why am I not losing weight?”

Let’s crunch the numbers.

You work out 4-5 days per week at a pretty rigorous clip – maybe burning 300-500 calories per session.  Let’s say the average amount of calories per day utilized is equal to 450 or about 2000 additional calories per week which is a credit in your health account.  Sounds pretty good so far, right?

Your metabolism calls for about 1800 calories per day.  You eat fairly reasonably – after all – you consulted with an R.D.- with 500 calories per meal and a reasonable snack.  However, a few times a week you spurge on the cookies lying around the office and usually have 2 glasses of wine a few times per week.

Although these splurges sound reasonable they can add up to equaling the extra calories you utilized from working out.  In other words, a debit to your health account.

2 medium cookies 3x per week equals 1200 calories and 2 glasses of wine 3x per week equals 720 calories or close to 2000 calories per week.

If you add in anything extra you are now officially over the amount of extra calories you so diligently burned during your exercise sessions.  And, now you’ve overdrawn your account.

What drives weight loss?

Research shows diet drives the weight loss and exercise maintains it.  Exercise keeps your metabolism strong while you cut back on food so your weight will not rebound.  It maintains muscle integrity besides contributing to improved sleep, mood and sense of well-being.

But….it can’t make up for eating more than your metabolism calls for.  Although working out is critical to good health it cannot blanket additional calories or a plethora of food.

So enjoy your holidays and the best gift you can give yourself is to eat mindfully…and maintain credit in your nutritional health account.

Green Tea and Me

If you had asked me 2 months ago if I drink green tea I would have replied:  I only drink black tea and avidly drink a pot a day.  Although I know green tea was better for your health, it was not as appealing to me.

All that changed recently when I got a bad allergy attack with sinus issues.  For some odd reason my black tea did not interest me.  We had a few packets of green tea from the Naturals Food Expo so I tried them and felt better.  In fact, I felt so much better I went out and bought a few boxes of green tea and haven’t looked back.

What are the studies showing regarding green tea?  It contains important polyphenols called Catechins.  Polyphenols are antioxidants that are known for reducing heart disease and cancer since they can lower cholesterol levels and inflammation in the body.

Green tea also contains a bonus polyphenol called EGCG which has been associated with reduced risk of prostate, stomach and colon cancer.

A few studies show a slightly elevated metabolism from drinking green tea although this benefit is still under investigation and questionable.  I’m not questioning the studies since my clothes are fitting looser.

This week I posed the question on twitter:  what is your favorite green tea? Of all 730 people I received one response- proof that not many people are drinking it.

So far the brands I preferred are Tazo Zen, Allegro Organic Decaf and Pomegranate and Matcha green tea which is supposedly the cream of the crop type in Japan and considerably more expensive.  A usual box of green tea is 3-5 dollars and the Matcha was 20 dollars although it came it a beautiful tin and I savored each cup.

Give green tea a try – hopefully you won’t have to be sick to be willing.  The benefits are compelling.  And if you want a few months of black tea give me a call – I have a stock of it I won’t be consuming anytime soon.

Avoiding the Menopausal Middle

Some days I feel like I am talking about the menopausal middle all day long. Many women in perimenopause and menopause start to gain weight in places they never knew existed on their bodies.  It is like their body is not their own and is now being inhabited by an alien takeover. 

Weight gain during this time is common for a variety of reasons.  One key to this season in life is linked to hormones.  Hormones are basically messengers that give the body signals about what to do, similar to traffic lights.  Hormones can control the immune system, metabolism, and reproduction, in addition to many other systems in the body.  During menopause these systems can change or become disrupted.

The hormone insulin becomes more dominant and resistant, which makes weight gain, especially around the middle exponentially easier.  The balance of what you ate and foods you tolerated your can now cause whole life cause problems.  Several studies show women who eat a low fat high carbohydrate diet during menopause gain more weight.  Shifting the diet towards more protein, healthy sources of fats and lowering starches is fundamental to keeping your weight under control.

A balanced health plan during menopause might look like:

• Regular meals and snacks with high-quality protein
• Fruits, vegetables and healthy carbohydrate sources at meals and snacks with avoidance of starchy and processed carbohydrates
• Healthy fats – from monounsaturated and omega-3 rich sources
• An exercise program incorporating cardiovascular and strength training
• Incorporating omega-fats into your diet such as ground flax seed and fish oil since they help rebalance hormones
  

Since bone loss occurs with changes in hormones and age, weight gain around the middle is more prevalent.  Weight training can stop muscle atrophy or bone losses, which will then increase the metabolic rate and stop or minimize weight gain.

In addition, exercise can assist with mood stabilization, reduction of hot flashes, anxiety and insomnia.  Yoga is extremely helpful with moods and symptoms of menopause.  Acupuncture also helps rebalance the systems of the body.

Having an individualized plan to cope with the hormone shifts and weight gain can be very helpful.  You can dismiss the alien in your body and reclaim your body – it might require shifting the balance of what you are consuming and adding other therapies such as weight training to achieve your goals.

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