It has been nearly two years since I launched the National Campaign against Obesity. When I launched that campaign in May of 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recently categorized obesity as a epidemic. At current, more than 50 percent of Americans are obese, and even more are considerably overweight, meaning that the epidemic has reached crisis level.
Many have simply failed to see the urgency involved with reaching a healthy weight. In a culture that has created a paradigm that encourages people to accept and even embrace the consequences of their poor lifestyle, it is difficult to convince these people of the need for change. It is much easier for a person to say that they are happy in their skin than it is to engage a lifestyle change that will lead to a longer and healthier life.
There are others who are attempting to battle the issues that they have with weight; however, they are finding effective and sustainable weight loss to be a challenging endeavor. One of the reasons that this is true is that there are so many fads and quick fixes on the market that many people simply can’t determine what is real and what is not. One common issue is the inability to understand how the human body’s metabolism functions and how it impacts the ability to lose weight.
Understanding the Basic Metabolic Principles
The term “metabolism” refers to the systematic manner in which your body converts calories into energy. All food can be measured in units of potential energy known as calories. When you consume food, these calories are then converted into energy by your body and used as fuel. The reason that people gain weight is they consume more calories than they are burning. Whenever you consume more calories than you are burning, your body will store the excess in fat cells as fatty acid. This is the body’s way of creating a reserve. The problem is the most people never manage their eating habits and activity in a way that would promote the burning of stored fat.
It is not my intention to become too technical in this article. I simply want to point you to some natural ways that you can boost your metabolism in order to assist in healthy weight loss. Before moving forward there is something that needs to be addressed. There is a common misconception that a calorie is a calorie. Contrary to what you may have been told by dietitians and nutritionist or anyone claiming to be a health and fitness expert, “a calorie is a calorie” is not true. The source of the calorie will play a major role in the body’s ability to break it down, its impact on your blood glucose levels (which can increase insulin spikes, which make it difficult to access fatty acid stored in fat cells), insulin resistance and more. Some calories are simply easier to burn than others. It will do you well to discover which foods have what I call empty and volatile calories.
Learn more ways to increase your metabolic rate.
Let’s take a quick look at some of the natural ways that you can boost your metabolism.
Green Tea
Green tea is rich in a specific type of antioxidants known as catechins, which have been shown in studies to help reduce body weight. This tea is also rich in cancer-fighting compounds that are capable of benefitting anyone’s diet.
Chili Peppers
Chili peppers are packed with bioactive chemicals called capsinoids. That are a number of studies that reveal that capsinoids help to increase energy expenditure — increasing the body’s metabolic rate. It is believed that a consistent diet of chili peppers can increase your body’s metabolic rate by as much as 50 calories per day.
Coffee
You may be surprised that coffee is added to the list, but coffee has a number of health benefits, one of which is an increased metabolic rate. The problem is that most people consume coffee that has been contaminated with pesticides and multitudinous other chemicals. It is rarely fresh and most likely rancid by the time they consume it. Coffee contains caffeine, which in small amounts can increase the body’s metabolism without any health complications. One cup of coffee per day should be sufficient. When you add too much caffeine to your diet, you can develop sleep disorders, an irregular heartbeat or an upset stomach.
Protein Foods
Right after you eat, your body experiences what is known as the “thermic effect of food.” What this means is that your body actually requires extra energy in order to digest the food that you eat. Protein takes the most time and energy to digest, so meals high in protein require more energy, effectively boosting your metabolism.
Iron-Rich Food
Iron is an essential mineral that is necessary to help your body transport oxygen to tissues throughout the body. Iron is also responsible for helping our body create energy. This is why low iron levels or anemia leads to fatigue. It is extremely important to increase your iron levels if you are looking to boost your metabolism.
There are numerous other ways that you can naturally stoke your metabolism. The more active your metabolism the more effective you will be in burning calories and losing weight. If you are looking for effective way to enhance your metabolism you should read Turbo Metabolism. The information is simple to understand and easily applied. Simply click here to find out more.
Remember, losing weight is not about aesthetics, it is about your health. Also remember that change starts here. ~ Dr. Rick Wallace