metabolism-related stories
Female Hair Loss, Uncontrollable Eating and Celeb Abs - Links We Love
That's right ladies, hair loss isn't just a guy thing -- some experts believe that dramatically-thinning hair is as common in women as it is in men. Find out why, who's likely to be affected by it and what you can do to preserve your locks.
Uncontrollable hunger and a sluggish metabolism -- sounds like any of us on a bad day, right? For some, it's a constant way of life. This week on AOL Health we examine the condition -- known medically as Prader-Willi syndrome -- and how one woman lives her life feeling like she's always starving.
You probably think you're pretty savvy about your favorite stars, but could you pick their tummies out of a lineup? Take our quiz to determine your "Celeb Ab Q."
Liver Fat More Dangerous Than Belly Fat
 |
| Photo: Darren Hester, Flickr |
Recent findings from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are suggesting that our obsession with belly fat is misguided -- it's actually the fat that's collected in the liver that we should be concerned with. "Visceral (abdominal) fat tracks closely with liver fat," lead author Dr. Samuel Klein says in a press release. "We have found that excess fat in the liver, not visceral fat, is a key marker of metabolic dysfunction. Visceral fat might simply be an innocent bystander that is associated with liver fat."
The bad news? Unlike belly fat, you can't really tell if your liver is fatty (well, not in a mirror, anyway.) But there is good news. "Fatty liver disease is completely reversible," says Klein. "Even two days of calorie restriction can cause a large reduction in liver fat and improvement in liver insulin sensitivity." So what are you waiting for? Help that liver of yours slim down.
Can make-up help? Find out if lip balm can lead to weight loss.
Enzyme Allows Some to Never Get Fat
 |
| sxc.hu |
You know those super annoying people who seem to eat endless amounts of junk and never gain an ounce? The ones who swear up and down that they don't work out and don't watch what they eat and yet they effortlessly slide into size 4 jeans every day. Well, as it turns out, a few of them might just be telling the truth. Recent studies have found that there's an enzyme at least partially responsible for making you fat, and some people just don't have it. Lucky jerks.
According to research at the University of California at San Francisco, the enzyme MGAT2 -- found in your intestines -- determines how our food is metabolized; it can either be turned into energy or stored as fat. And studies on mice found that when they were missing MGAT2, they didn't gain either, regardless of how much they ate. That's not all -- the absence of the enzyme also prevented them from developing obesity-related disorders like diabetes.
Still, it'll be a long time until this kind of research can be applied to humans, so in the meantime, make sure you keep eating healthy and exercising.
If you're needing to slim down in a hurry, why not try the Skinny Jeans Workout?Rev Your Metabolism
 |
| Photo: frankjuarez, Flickr |
- Add high intensity interval training to your workout mix. Because HIIT's work bursts are performed at full throttle, it takes longer for your metabolism to return to its normal resting rate than other forms of fitness. This means that up to an entire day after you work out, you'll still be burning up to 15 percent more calories than if you hadn't exercised.
- Slow it down. Any weight training other than those featherweight dumbbells builds muscle, a major fat burner. But you can turbocharge that muscle repair and growth by slowing the pace of your reps while increasing the intensity. According to a study conducted at Wayne State University in Detroit, this can pump up your metabolism by 8 percent for as long as 72 hours after your session. Raise and lower to a three count and choose weights heavy enough that you struggle to maintain proper form for the last few reps, says New York City trainer Mike Monroe.
The Ups and Downs of Yo-Yo Dieting
Diet & Weight Loss, Fit or Fiction
Liz Neporent is a diet and fitness expert and author of 12 fitness bestsellers. She regularly appears on national TV programs and is the president of Wellness 360, a New-York based wellness provider. You can also follow her on Twitter @lizzyfit.
 |
| Photo: lockstockb, sxc.hu |
"Hey, I can lose 10 pounds – I've done it a hundred times." That seems to be the mantra of the typical American dieter. Repeatedly losing and regaining weight may be frustrating, but this pattern does not appear to make losing weight more difficult.
In the 1980s, when scientists first began researching weight cycling, better known as yo-yo dieting, they speculated that it would make weight loss tougher by causing a metabolism slowdown. The theory seemed sound enough: When dieters lose weight, they lose (in addition to fat) large amounts of muscle, but when they regain weight, researchers guessed, they primarily put on fat. So, the repeated cycle of losing muscle -- which burns more calories than fat -- and gaining fat would only slow down a dieter's metabolism, making weight loss that much more difficult.
This Week on AOL Health - Speed Up Your Metabolism
 |
| jupiterimages |
Your Burning Questions About Metabolism Answered
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Fit or Fiction
 |
| Photo: Rance Costa/Flickr |
Even when you're sound asleep, your body uses energy to keep your heart beating, your kidneys functioning, your skin cells regenerating, and so on. Typically, your resting metabolism -- the amount of energy you need to keep your bodily functions like digestion, circulation and skin regeneration humming along -- accounts for 60 to 75 percent of your total calorie burn for the day. It varies quite a lot between individuals, depending primarily on body size, genetics, and muscle mass. Your activity level accounts for another 15 to 30 percent, depending on how much you move around; the calorie burn associated with eating and digesting food accounts for about 10 percent of your total daily energy expenditure. Now that you've had a quick education on what metabolism is, I'd like to dispel three common myths about it.
"Survivor" Host Works Out in the Wild
Celebrity Fitzness Report, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Nutrition & Supplements
Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Our fitness expert Fitz sits down with the stars and digs out their great and not-so-great methods for staying healthy.
Jeff Probst is best known as host of CBS's long-running hit show "Survivor," but he should also be known for his amazing body and fitness routine. Think you have no time to look like him? Think you have no access to fitness equipment? Jeff offers great advice on how to pull off quick and effective workouts, even if you're stuck in some freaky part of the world.
Fitz: You seem to be more fit now than you were when "Survivor" began. What have you been doing?
Jeff: I think I have put on a bit more muscle, but it could also be that my shirts fit better! I have bulked up a bit in the past couple of years; I'm just trying to stay ahead of the toll that aging takes on the body. It's hard to stay fit while on location, though, because I don't have the same routine. I've also found that to stay in shape, it doesn't necessarily matter what you eat, but when you eat. Eating frequently teaches your body that food is on its way, so it doesn't have to store extra calories as fat. I eat about six small meals a day. They are more like snack-size portions than meals. I'm not necessarily in love with eating, so I truly treat food as fuel.
Fitz: Have you ever really blown it while on location and came back in worse shape?
Jeff: Oddly, my fitness level never suffers while shooting "Survivor." But I recently spent a few months traveling domestically, and my diet was really different. It was the first time I noticed a change in my body that I didn't like, so I quickly got back on the track with eating to manage my metabolism.
Jeff Probst
Jeff Probst doesn't just survive on location -- he thrives! He always brings fitness equipment with him while shooting "Survivor," and in unusually hot climates, which tend to be an energy-drain, Jeff does a 20-minute intense workout each day. An hour would be too long.
Monty Brinton/CBS ©2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Jeff works his back, shoulders and triceps with a One Arm Clean and Jerk using a Kettleball. Step 1: Jeff Squats with the ball close to the ground while keeping his back flat.
Monty Brinton/CBS ©2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Step 2: Jeff simultaneously curls the Kettleball towards his shoulder and rises up using his legs.
Monty Brinton/CBS ©2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Step 3: Jeff performs a squat again and explosively rises out of it while extending his arm and lifting the Kettleball high into the air.
Monty Brinton/CBS ©2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
While on location shooting "Survivor," the art department hangs Jeff's pull-up bar for his daily workouts. A pull-up bar would hang quite nicely from a sturdy tree branch. Have a big tree in your back yard? This might be the perfect way for you to utilize it!
Monty Brinton/CBS ©2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Find Your Perfect Running Pace
Did you know that everyone has a perfect running pace? If you're a runner, you've probably felt it -- it's the pace where you feel like you could keep up for miles and miles and miles. And it's not just a mental thing. Science backs it up!
According to a recent study, everyone has a specific pace that uses the least amount of oxygen to cover a distance. The study tested runners on a treadmill (both men and women) at six speeds, then recorded their oxygen intake and carbon dioxide output. Every runner's outcome was different, but a "perfect pace" was found for each.
The men's average was about 8.3 mph, or a 7:13 minute mile, and the women's average was closer to 6.5 mph, or 9:08 minutes per mile. I found this particularly interesting because that exact speed is my go-to on a treadmill -- who knew I was so average?
Flip Your Metabolism Switch On
If you're not a natural bean pole, you can still rev up your metabolism. High metabolisms aren't solely connected with good genetics and youth. Sure, metabolism slows as you age -- at 41, I must eat eat less per day to keep my weight steady -- but there are ways to fight back.The "Chicago Tribune" suggests a variety of strategies to keep your metabolism humming through the day, at any age:
Eat Three Almonds -- To reassure your body you're not starving, eat small and healthy every 90 minutes: three almonds, celery, a couple carrots. Don't forget to eat breakfast, and avoid skipping meals.
Avoid Blogger Disease -- Your morning run doesn't justify desk-job behavior the rest of the day. Continue moving by walking around the office, take the stairs, unobtrusively flex your muscles during a meeting.
Muscle, Muscle, Muscle -- You can fight aging's effect on your metabolism by lifting weights. Your body burns significant calories to maintain those muscles. The more muscle mass, the more calories burned. Cross-training not only avoids a fitness plateau, it keeps you from resting on a metabolism plateau, too.
Don't Be a Vampire -- Uh oh, one metabolism expert says sitting inside all day is like sitting in the dark, stimulating the same physiological process as sleeping and gaining weight. Outdoor smoke breaks are not the solution here, take your lunch outside.
Maximizing Weight Loss and Muscle Gain - The Power of Accountability
Venuto: It's a misconception that weight training is only for body builders -- it's actually the most important type of training while you're restricting calories for fat loss. The weight training helps you maintain the lean muscle you already have, while stripping off the fat, burning calories and keeping your metabolism elevated.
Some of the best free weight exercises include squats with dumbbells or barbells, lunges or split squats, deadlifts, bench presses, shoulder presses and rows. There are also body weight exercises that can work as the equivalents of the free weight exercises such as chin ups and push ups, but I'd encourage everyone who wants to get leaner to get more serious about weight training.
You can join a gym if you choose, but all it takes to get started is a set of dumbbells and some space in your home. The training program in my book "The Body Fat Solution" can be done without any fancy or expensive equipment at all.
Overeating Triggers Overeating
Jonny's Take, Diet & Weight Loss
We've long known that inflammation is a huge part of every degenerative disease from Alzheimer's to heart disease, and it's a big part of obesity as well. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of California-San Diego found that overeating can induce inflammatory responses that underlie Type ll Diabetes and obesity. So what's the big news? We've known since forever that eating too much makes you fat.
Eat Five to Six Small Meals a Day
Walk the Walk, Diet & Weight Loss
Let me let you in on a little secret: Despite my poker-straight hair, I'm like the girl with a curl. When my habits are healthy, they are very, very healthy. When they are not ... well ... you know.
Lately, I've found myself grazing -- skip breakfast, eat a granola bar around ten, start to get ravenous around two, binge, feel guilty, vow to do better. It's ugly. I know myself; regular, nutritious meals are the foundation of maintaining my healthy habits, probably more than anything else. The minute I start skipping meals, I'm headed for diet disaster.
With that in mind, I've decided to try eating five to six small meals a day for this week's "Walking the Walk." Though I tend to be more of a three squares and one or two small snacks kind of girl, I think this will help me get back into the habit of eating consistent, healthy meals. (Plus, it might just jump-start my metabolism.)
I aim for a 1500-calorie day, so I'm going to try and divide those calories equally -- 300 each meal for a total of five meals. If you're trying this at home, be sure to eat the amount of calories that are right for you.
Metabolism - Improve Yours in 2 Weeks
A new study demonstrates -- as I've argued for years -- that you don't have to spend an hour in the gym or on the track in order to get the significant health benefits that exercise has to offer. In the study, researchers had young healthy male volunteers use exercise bikes to perform quick, rigorous 30-second sprints, Over the course of two weeks, the subjects performed 30 of these sprints (about two or three a day) for a grand total of 15 minutes total exercise. You read that right: 15 minutes. Over the course of two weeks. And the researchers found that this low-volume high-intensity training substantially improved the body's ability to process sugar.
Fat - It's Complicated
When you step on the bathroom scale and it registers a higher number than it should, you probably chide yourself for eating too much and moving too little. And, while I am certainly the last person to let you off the hook for flagrantly abusing the first law of thermodynamics, I do think it's important to understand that physical activity and diet – what researchers refer to as "The Big Two" – are probably not entirely the reason more than 60 percent of Americans have trouble zipping up their pants.
Scientists increasingly suspect that the worldwide epidemic of excess poundage has other contributing factors. Thought I'd share three of the more surprising ones with you this week, just to give you a sense of how complicated this issue truly is. Once you read this, it's OK to stop judging yourself so harshly, but promise me you'll eat a piece of fruit and go for a brisk walk anyway!
Heavy Sleepers
Lack of shut-eye appears to be strongly linked to obesity, probably because it has an effect on the hormones that control metabolism. Numerous studies tie short sleep to larger size. In one decade-long study of 740 people, Laval University researchers in Quebec found that men who reported getting seven to eight hours of slumber per night were 16.5 pounds lighter than those who said they only caught five or six hours of sleep nightly. Women who got a full night's rest were more than 11 pounds thinner than those who didn't. So it seems likely that getting a good night's sleep will help your weight loss efforts. At the very least, you'll be less groggy when choosing between oatmeal and ice cream dippers for breakfast.
