Happy 2013! The start of a new year is the perfect time to begin a healthy lifestyle change.
In the U.S., the majority of resolutions every year revolve around health improvement – be it exercising more, eating less or finally smoking that last cigarette. Unfortunately, these are also the most often broken resolutions.
Statistics show that in the U.S., more than 1/3 of people are obese and therefore at an increased risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke, just to name a few. But obesity doesn’t only negatively impact one’s personal health, it represents a major economic burden, with estimates of obesity related costs exceeding $110 billion annually.
To increase your odds of success, here are some medically proven ways to boost your metabolism.
#1 : STAY AWAY FROM DIETS | Fad diets which require dramatic changes in behavior often fail to provide long-term solutions. Experts suggest, instead of eating less, eat more nutritionally dense food to keep you full longer. Restricting food will actually make you feel hungrier thereby causing your metabolic rate to decrease.
#2 : MAKE GOOD FOOD CHOICES | Choose healthy lean proteins like fish, chicken or turkey. Also avoid adding extra fat when you cook. For example, frying a 3.5-ounce portion of chicken verses grilling it adds an extra 120 calories to the meal. Over the course of a year, making this change with dinner every night could result in over 12 pounds of weight loss!
#3 : EAT BREAKFAST | Countless studies have also touted the importance of eating breakfast, advertising the meal’s ability to jump start your metabolism and increase your energy levels all day. One study found that those who skipped breakfast are more than four times as likely to be obese.
#4 : AVOID PROCESSED REFINED CARBOHYDRATES | By decreasing your carbs and increasing your fiber intake; you’ll feel fuller longer. Fiber can also increase your ability to burn fat by as much as 30%. Don’t forget protein. It’s recommended you eat approximately one gram of protein per pound of your body weight. Protein is needed to maintain lean muscle, which in turn increases your metabolic rate.
#5 : DRINK WATER | What you drink is also important in determining your metabolic rate. Increasing your water consumption to six cups a day can raise your resting metabolism by approximately 50 calories a day. Also drinking two caffeinated beverages a day can raise your metabolism 5-8% a day. Choose low calorie beverages such as coffee or tea and avoid sodas, which are high in sugar and calories.
#6 : DON’T GO IT ALONE | A study, recently published in New England Journal of Medicine, found that people who were held accountable to a weight loss plan did better than those who tried to lose weight alone. Find someone to partner with, because with the support of a family member or friend, patients tend to be more successful at achieving their weight loss goals.
[From an article by Dr. David B. Samadi, published Dec. 30, 2011]
EDENS is WellAware 