That's Fit

Twenty-five seems to be a watershed age for a lot of guys. Our testosterone level joins hands with our metabolism and together they slowly wander off into the sunset, leaving us to come to terms with difficulty in gaining muscle and seemingly effortless weight gain.

One way to fight back -- and keep your testosterone level and metabolism from absconding -- is to follow a weight training workout. Studies show that resistance training can help boost testosterone levels in men and also increase metabolism (in women, as well). But, in order to effectuate these changes, it takes performing the right resistance training exercises. In short, doing set after set of bicep curls like Ron Burgandy is not going to cut it (for the Anchorman himself or you). Instead, focus on compound exercises -- movements that target major muscle groups, rather than isolation movements that target specific, smaller muscles.

As we grow older, the slowing of our metabolism literally is a force of nature. Our bodies begin to change; we gain weight, lose muscle mass, and everything begins a gradual descent toward our southern hemisphere. It's a natural and, if left unattended, entirely unavoidable process. Sucks, doesn't it? I agree. Thankfully, all hope is not lost, as there are several ways to keep your body young by boosting your metabolism.

To help your muscle stay and ensure that the fat stays away, try following some of these tips from DivineCaroline.com to supercharge your metabolism:

Eat Protein and Eat Often. The website recommends eating three protein-rich meals and two protein-packed snacks each day. And, never consume less than 1,000 calories per day, as doing so can cause your body to become catabolic (meaning that you'll start to use your hard-earned muscle for energy).

Supercharge with Supplements. Promote fat burning and stabilize blood sugars with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12 and other key supplements. However, be sure to speak with your physician first before rushing out to GNC.

I visited my niece this weekend and she was complaining about a few pounds she can't seem to shed. She has a health condition that prevents her from doing more than walking, swimming, stretching, and using light weights, but she remains very active. She said that it used to be so easy for her to lose 5-10 pounds when necessary. But now that she's getting older it seems to be harder. I hated to break it to her, but she should just wait until she hits her late 30's!

According to a Good Housekeeping article, our metabolism decreases by about 5% each decade. So, at age 35 you may burn up to 100 calories less per day than you did when you were 25. (Assuming your fitness level is roughly the same.) But there are things you can do to ward off middle-age pounds:

• Get a body-fat reading. Muscle burns more calories than fat. If your muscle mass is low, you're more susceptible to gaining weight (even if your BMI is right on target). Start incorporating more strength exercises into your fitness routine. You may want to book a session (or two or three...) with a personal trainer for some custom advice.

Each week, we'll be naming a Super Food and offering unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

Being someone who loves to travel, I'm drawn to ethnic foods, tastes from around the world. So many cultures have different forms of curry, but my favourite is a good, spicy Indian curry. Provided it's not loaded with too much cream or sodium, curry is loaded with healthy ingredients like fresh veggies and spices. One of the key ingredients, of course, is Turmeric, and it's one of the main reasons you should eat more curry.

Why? The reasons are almost endless.

I'm forever hearing stick-thin celebrities credit a good metabolism for their trim waistlines. How lucky they are to have been awarded such a gift. But what about the not-so-skinny folks whose metabolisms do them no favors in the weight department? It doesn't leave them stuck, that's for sure.

A crummy metabolism can be overcome, say the America Takes It Off experts. All it takes is a healthy dose of exercise and adherence to a high-metabolism diet. Here are a few easy tricks.

• You've got to cut calories to lose weight -- but don't go too low. Eat just enough so you're not hungry -- a 150-calorie mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack between three meals (about 430 calories each) will keep your metabolism soaring.
• You've got to eat a healthy breakfast -- it jump-starts your metabolism and keeps energy high all day.
  
• You've got to try coffee -- it can rev your metabolism by five to eight percent. Tea does the same, but by 12 percent.

Losing weight comes down to one basic principle: You need to burn more calories than you consume. And we all know that some of our calorie burn comes from exercising, but did you know that the majority happens away from the gym, when you're sitting at your desk, reading a book, even sleeping? That's your metabolism at work.

Now, metabolism gets a bit of a bad rap -- We usually blame it for the gradual increase of the numbers on the scale. You know, the 'I'm gaining weight because my metabolism has slowed down' excuse. But I've got news for you: You can change your metabolism. In your favour. Yes, you can increase the amount of calories you burn doing everyday things, and it's not that difficult.

Our Friends at AOL Body recently talked about the High Metabolism Diet, which involves adopting habits that can increase your calorie burn. These are easy things, like drinking coffee or tea, snacking throughout the day and so on. So here's my challenge to you this week:

I have vivid memories of frequently going to McDonald's as a kid and enjoying a Happy Meal. My metabolism revved like a jet engine at that age, so almost anything that made it down my gullet was used as energy and not stored as fat. Nowadays, If I still at McDonald's as often as I did back then, I'd probably have a body like Grimace.

It's a natural -- though very unfortunate -- fact that our metabolisms tend to slow down somewhere around the age of 25. From there, it slows down by around five to ten percent with each subsequent decade that passes. Does this mean that you're fate is sealed and that you must accept your overweight destiny? Not at all.

By exercising regularly, you can keep your metabolism decline under a great deal of control. For the most part, if you get up and start moving every day you can very well increase your metabolism, or at least keep it to around a 0.3 percent drop per decade, says Dr. John Berardi, author of The Metabolism Advantage.

Raisins are the perfect pre-workout snack, reports a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. They taste better than commercial sports gels and have the same effect on performance. Raisins also help athletes meet their daily needs for vitamins, minerals, and fiber, says lead researcher Mark Kern, Ph.D. of San Diego State University.

Kern's research, gathered from a group of male and female cyclists, was designed to examine potential differences in metabolism and cycling performance after consumption of moderate glycemic raisins vs. a high glycemic sports gel. Through blood samples taken before and after exercise, performance was deemed no different between the raisin and gel trials. Minor differences in metabolism were detected.

The bottom line: Raisins appear to be a cost-effective source of carbohydrate for pre-exercise snacking in comparison to sports gels for short-term exercise sessions.

Coffee has a bad reputation. Is it the jitter-inducing caffeine content? The bitter taste that for some people makes it necessary to load it with sugar? The fact that it's often served topped with whipped cream? Maybe all of the above. But take a second chance on coffee -- it could be help you get slim.

Yes, that's right: Coffee is slimming. Regular coffee has 0 calories, so it can help curb your hunger without doing too much damage to the numbers on the scale. It also has all-important antioxidants. And even more importantly? According to AOL Body, it can help boost your metabolism for up to two hours after you drink it.

Of course, this doesn't apply to fancy, fat-laden coffee drinks at Starbucks. When grabbing your java, make sure to keep it simple: Black is best, but adding a little skim milk and splenda won't hurt. And be sure to stick to no more than one or two cups a day.

Trying to drop some fat from your body? If so, you may want to try adding more fat into your diet. If you're scratching your head right now, that's to be expected. Fat makes you fat, doesn't it? Not always, especially when we're talking about medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) -- a type of saturated fat found in many natural oils (such as coconut and palm oils).

In a study published in a 2007 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Metabolism, researchers followed 40 patients with type 2 diabetes to determine if MCTs had similar effects on weight and overall health as long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) -- which can commonly be found in such foods as corn oil. After receiving 18mg daily for 90 days, the MCT group exhibited a statistically significant reduction in waist size and body weight, in addition to shaving points off their "bad" cholesterol and lessening resistance to insulin. The LCT group, by contrast, did not show any signs of change.

Time for another installment of Sample-6, examples of an easy combination of meals and healthy snacks that will help you eat the desired 6 times per day. In case you haven't heard, eating 5 to 6 small, healthy meals per day is the optimal way to increase your metabolism and lose fat using only dietary change.

What happened to 3 squares, you may be wondering? Nothing, really. They've just been split up into smaller meals.

With that, here's a great Sample-6:

BREAKFAST: 2 eggs; half a glass of skim milk; 1 slice of whole wheat bread topped with 1tbs of natural peanut butter

MID-MORNING SNACK: Fruit of your choice

LUNCH: Chicken Caesar salad with 2tbs of low-fat dressing

MID-AFTERNOON SNACK: 1/2 cup of almonds or walnuts

DINNER: 4oz lean steak or chicken, served with 1/2 cup of broccoli and 1/2 sweet potato

EVENING SNACK: 1/2 cup of cottage cheese mixed with 1tsp of sugar-free jam

Life Fitness is a process of continuous growth: physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Need motivation
and guidance to facilitate positive changes in your life? Ask Life Fit Expert Laura

Dear Laura:

What do you think about fasting? I have been on all sorts of "diet" programs and really can't seem to lose weight. I am thinking about fasting...the kind where you don't eat at all for a few days. Or is there a better alternative?

Signed,

Debbie G., Atlanta, Ga.

Dear Debbie,

When many people think of fasting they might correlate it with not eating any food at all. When in reality there are all sorts of ways that people fast. Heck, I have even heard of the "air" diet. Um, something that I probably wouldn't want to do since I actually enjoy eating!

But here is what I know from personal experience having conducted many workshops on health, fitness and nutrition. People I met who have been on the "metabolic roller coaster" by going for hours without eating and then gorging themselves once a day, end up having slower metabolic rates. Why? Because your body is quite intelligent. If you deprive it of fuel, your body says "Hey...you know, if you are going to starve, I want to survive, so I will slow my metabolic rate down or the rate I burn calories. Cool? Oh, by the way, if you start eating normally again, I will still have a slower metabolism...and you will end up gaining back your weight and more!"

I do like the concept of fasting and "cleansing" or detoxing. But not for long periods of time. I would rather see you go on a "mono diet" for a day, such as eating watermelon all day, for one day only. Your kidneys will ultimately thank you for the cleanse! Oh, if you are diabetic and need to eat a well-balanced diet each and every day, eating watermelon is probably not the best thing to do! I do believe there is something to letting your internal organs rest, such as your liver, kidneys and bowels! They play an integral pary of your health. I usually encourage others, if they are on some sort of self-prescribed food program that they only really need to eat every four to six hours! In that time you may hear a rumbling stomach, but, you know...your stomach may get a chance to "wake up"!! And it will help you not to eat so much in the future if you actually deprive it of being full all the time! What a concept!

Here is what I propose overall. If you want to lose weight, you need to get serious. Serious about your workouts by doing interval training cardiovascularly, 4 to 5 times per week for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Or by walking or running for at least thirty minutes. I personally love the Eliptical trainer and change up the levels from easy to very difficult like in interval training. Working out with weights three to five times per week will build your muscle, which in turn will crank up your metabolism. Next, eat three balanced meals per day that include lean protein, lots of steamed or fresh green veggies and a few fresh fruits, plus a good complex, nutritious carbohydrate such as lentils or black beans. Oh and let's not forget the "good fat!" Consume olive oil and either flax oil or fish oil/omega 3 fatty acids.They are so good for your overall health, assist in balancing hormones and reducing inflammation. Avoid refined products such as white bread, soft drinks, cookies, chips and more. Like I said previously, if you still have the "hankering" to fast, why not go on a "mono diet" of watermelon all day long? And if you really don't want to eat for an entire day, drink herbal teas with lemon or lime, rest, don't overexert yourself and take it easy!

Do I support starving yourself for days at a time? No. One or two days? Yes. But I really would prefer for you to just eat sensibly, drink plenty of water, throw olive oil on your salad at least once a day and work out! Hope this helps! Most importantly, check with your primary health care provider about not eating and how it might effect you!

Healthfully Yours!

Laura Lewis

Send your questions to me, Laura Lewis for this column! Life fit is all about fitness, nutrition as well as mental, emotional and spiritual issues! I would love to hear from you! LL

Here's something Sarah Jessica Parker recently said at an interview:

"Forgive me for eating potato chips in front of you, but I'm hungry. I'm always hungry. My metabolism just marches through everything."

You know, I can relate. I love food so much that I think sometimes that I could eat all day without taking a breath, but of course, I don't. What I can't relate to is having that kind of metabolism--the kind of metabolism that lets you eat potato chips at will without gaining the dreaded love handles. It kind of makes you want to hate her, huh?

Ok, so we're not all blessed with fabulous metabolisms, but all we can do it make the best f what we've got, right? And, there are things we can do to change how our body burns off calories and fat. Check out these excellent tips:

• Muscle Up, Metabolism Up
• 11 tip to help jumpstart your metabolism
• Eat more to lose more

Carbs are generally considered the enemy when it comes to weight loss, so we fervently avoid pasta, bread and potatoes, usually without seeing the results we wanted. What's behind the notion that carbs are a no-no for weight loss? And is there any truth to it?

Evidence shows that at least one carb--potatoes--isn't counter-productive to weight loss, and in fact can even help you lose weight. How so? Here are the reasons you shouldn't give up on 'taters:

• They can boost your metabolism
• They help curb hunger hormones
• They can prevent cancer and heart disease
• They can help boost your immune system.
  

Want to know more? Click here. But remember, French fries and potato chips don't count. When eating potatoes, stick to ones cooked with as little fat as possible.

I've come across research suggesting that water has a thermogenic affect on fat. I've also come across research suggesting that research suggesting that water has a thermogenic affect on fat is unsubstantiated and untrue. As this scientific tennis match continues, new research gives the advantage to those who believe the former.

Based on a study conducted in Germany, water can cause a rise in metabolism and contribute to the burning of fat. In said study, researchers found that drinking a 16 ounce glass of cold water increased the metabolism of volunteers by as much as 24 percent over their normal metabolic rate, with this increase lasting as long as 90 minutes.

What caused this increase? Researchers posit that it has to do with the energy generated by the body as it warms the water during digestion. This could very well be the case, as there was no mention of the volunteers drinking warm water or any subsequent effects.