Burn more calories--even while you're sleeping!
The word metabolism is thrown around a lot when it comes to weight loss--so much so that most of us don't even know what it means anymore. Simply put, metabolism is the process of converting calories from food into fuel. Your body is always burning calories--when you're eating, walking, working out or just sitting around breathing. Want to get more calorie-zapping power from all of these activities, 24/7? Our experts tell you how.
Eat Several Times a Day: Your metabolism is your body's furnace. Let it go too long without fuel and the fire will start dying down: You'll burn fewer calories all day long. Stoke it regularly with the right food, though, and it will burn happily away. British researchers learned that women who ate the same amount of food as usual but divided it into six mini meals got a small but notable metabolic boost compared to those who ate more irregularly. Why? Metabolism climbs during digestion, explains Roberta Anding, R.D., director of sports nutrition for Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. (Eat this food for breakfast if you want to lose weight!)
Munch on Protein: You may be able to maximize the calorie burn you get during digestion by eating proteins like lean meat, cottage cheese or eggs with each meal. A study of college women found that their metabolism jumped twice as high after eating a high-protein meal than one packed with carbs.
Strength-train: "Lean muscle tissue uses up more calories than fat tissue--even when you're just sitting around," says Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., fitness research director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts. "So the more muscle you have, the more you'll burn." The average woman can replace two to three pounds of fat with the same amount of muscle in just two months by lifting weights twice a week, research has shown. "That increases metabolism by 6 to 8 percent, which translates to burning about 100 extra calories a day," says Westcott. Nutritionist Anding is proof: She had her resting metabolic rate (the number of calories you burn in a day doing absolutely nothing) measured before and after she started strength-training two to three times a week. It jumped from 1,200 calories a day to 1,600 a day over the course of one year. (Get the body you were born to have with these workout tips from our celebrity trainer!)
Rev Up Your Cardio: The more intensely you exercise, the higher your metabolism climbs during your workout--and afterward, says Westcott. Since most of us would keel over if we sprinted for an entire 30- to 45-minute cardio session, your best bet is intervals: alternating one to two minutes of as-fast-as-you-can-go activity with three to four minutes at a more moderate pace. Work out like that and your body will continue to burn calories at a higher level for well over an hour after you finish, says Westcott. A Canadian study found that intervals helped women burn 36 percent more fat during their workouts compared with less intense sessions.
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Rev Up Your Cardio
The more intensely you exercise, the higher your metabolism climbs during your workout—and afterward, says Westcott. Since most of us would keel over if we sprinted for an entire 30- to 45-minute cardio session, your best bet is intervals: alternating one to two minutes of as-fast-as-you-can-go activity with three to four minutes at a more moderate pace. Work out like that and your body will continue to burn calories at a higher level for well over an hour after you finish, says Westcott. A Canadian study found that intervals helped women burn 36 percent more fat during their workouts compared with less intense sessions.
Bonus: For an Extra Bump, Sip Some Coffee!
Research has found that drinking a caffeinated beverage, like coffee, tea or even soda, can temporarily increase metabolism by around 3 or 4 percent. One study by Danish scientists found that the amount of caffeine in one cup of coffee burned up to nine extra calories an hour, for at least three hours after you drink it. “The effect is very modest, but it could help you burn 40 or 50 calories a day,” says Anding. Just don’t go crazy, she cautions: Too much only equals more jitters, not additional calories burned
Worst 'Healthy' Drinks - And What You Should Drink Instead
Staying hydrated can be great for your body. Drink enough of the right liquids and your mood will improve, your focus will sharpen, your heart will beat stronger, and you’ll be less likely to suffer from headaches and fatigue. All that, plus if you pick the right potions, you’ll receive beneficial nutrients, antioxidants and protein as a chaser.
Bottoms up, right? Not so fast. Some bottles are better than others, as you’re about to learn. Too many Americans are problem drinkers — and I’m not talking about bourbon for breakfast. As a nation, we love high-sugar, high-calorie drinks like sodas and smoothies; a whopping 21 percent of American’s calorie intake comes from drinks, and that’s an increase of 150 calories since 1977. The big-bottom line: Half of that caloric payload comes from sweetened beverages such as soft drinks, fruit punch, and other sweet drinks.
The sad part is: Nobody actually needs any of those calories. Water — by the glass and in the foods you eat — should be plenty to top your tank. But if you find it kind of bland, we hear you. That’s why we’re slapping warning labels on the big-calorie guzzlers, and pointing you toward the thirst-quenchers that won’t make you fat.
Iced Coffee
Drink This
Dunkin’ Donuts Caramel Crème Iced Latte (16 oz)
260 calories
9 g fat
40 g sugars
Not That
Starbucks 2% Iced Dulce de Leche Latte (16 oz)
420 calories
16 g fat
52 g sugars
In the hierarchy of espresso drinks, lattes sit squarely at the bottom. That's because they're more milk than java, and are susceptible to huge pumps of sugar syrup from eager-to-please baristas. A macchiato gives the same caffeine kick for a tiny fraction of the caloric cost by swapping out the excess steamed milk for a crown of frothed milk. It's a simple but meaningful switch for caffeine junkies looking for a healthier fix. For other easy foods swaps for effortless weight loss — without ever having to diet again — try these fabulous fifteen.
Protein Shakes
Drink This
Slim Fast High Protein Extra Creamy Strawberry (11.5 oz can)
190 calories
5g fat
13 g sugars
Not That!
Boost Plus High Protein Strawberry (8 oz bottle)
240 calories
6 g fat
16 g sugars
Besides having fewer calories and sugar than the smaller Boost shake, the Slim Fast drink also has more protein and five extra grams of fiber, which means it will work harder at keeping your belly full in the hours after you sip it.
Yogurt Smoothie
Drink This
Dannon Light & Fit Strawberry Banana Smoothie
70 calories
12 g sugars
Not That!
Stonyfield Farm Organic Wild Berry Smoothie
150 calories
25 g sugars
The Stonyfield smoothie is smaller but more than doubles up on the calories and sugar in the Dannon Light. Don't be fooled by the "organic" name — this yogurt smoothie is thick with added sugars, which spikes your blood sugar and tells your body to start storing fat — not the best way to start your day.
The Dannon Light shake jumpstarts your morning metabolism with a nice protein kick, but spares you the sickly Stonyfield sweetness. Watch out wherever, whenever for added sugars by avoiding this great list of the most sugar-packed foods in America!
Functional Beverage
Drink This
Dasani Plus Orange Tangerine Vitamin Enhanced Water (20-oz bottle)
0 calories
0 g sugars
Not That!
Snapple Agave Melon Antioxidant Water (20-oz bottle)
140 calories
33 g sugars
If you were fooled by the words “agave” and “antioxidant,” don’t be embarrassed — for a product that’s supposedly water, it’s totally shocking how many calories and grams of sugar are packed into this fraudulent “health” beverage. But that doesn’t mean you should run the other way when you see an enhanced water; in fact, adding a little flavor (such as the orange tangerine in the Dasani water) can make staying hydrated easier and more pleasant — without adding calories or sugar.
Bottled Beverage
Drink This
Sobe Lean Blackberry Currant (20-oz bottle)
15 calories
2 g sugars
Not That!
Sobe Lizard Lava (20-oz bottle)
310 calories
77 g sugars
To glance at these two mysterious containers, you might think they contained exactly the same liquid — they’re both pink, they both come in a chunky glass bottle, they’ve both got some kind of creature on the label — but once you take a closer look at the nutrition facts, an entirely different story becomes clear. The Lizard Lava bottle contains about half a meal’s worth of calories and as much sugar as 11 popsicles.
That doesn’t exactly spell refreshment, does it? Instead try the other pink bottle, with Sobe’s Lean Blackberry Currant. With only 15 calories and 2 grams of sugar in a bottle, it just goes to show you that you can’t judge a drink by its bottle. In fact, make sure you’re always on the lookout for things like these sneaky "health" foods that aren’t! You’ll be shocked.
Energy Drink
Drink This
Monster Lo-Ball Java Monster Coffee + Energy (16-oz can)
100 calories
8 g sugars
Not That!
Rockstar Original (16-oz can)
280 calories
62 g sugars
I’ll put it all out on the table here: I’m not a big fan of energy drinks. It’s much healthier to boost energy by exercising, eating healthy foods, and getting enough sleep. But let’s face it — sometimes you’re desperate for a pick-me-up, and it’s easy to reach for one of those shiny cans of liquid fuel.
However, if you guzzle down a can of Rockstar Original, I’m pretty sure you’re just going to end up with a jittery buzz instead of the boost you’re seeking — with 62 grams of sugars, you’re looking at a major sugar crash not too far down the road. Better to stick with a low-sugar, low-calorie option like Java Monster Coffee + Energy.
Juice Imposter
Drink This
Fuze Slenderize Strawberry Melon (18.5-oz bottle)
23 calories
4.5 g sugars
Not That!
Arizona Kiwi Strawberry (23.5-oz can)
360 calories
84 g sugars
Unfortunately, most of the drinks that come in flashy containers and purport themselves to be juice quite simply aren’t. That goes for both our “Drink This” and our “Not That” option here — even the healthier Fuze drink is only about 5 percent juice. That said, it’s also a low-carb, low-sugar drink that provides nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins, so it’s not all bad — unlike Arizona’s “juice.” Bottom line: These days, if you want juice, you probably need to squeeze it yourself.
Kids' Juice
Drink This
Minute Maid Kids Multi-Vitamin Orange Juice
120 calories
24 g sugars
Not That!
Welch's Grape Juice
170 calories
40 g sugars
Kids love grape juice for one reason: It's loaded with sugar. That also means it's loaded with calories. Grape just ain’t so great. On the other extreme, Minute Maid’s enhanced orange juice is mother nature's multi-vitamin, providing your kids with monster doses of calcium and vitamin D for bone growth and protection, plus a host of powerful antioxidants. To make the best choices for your kids when eating out, check out this great comprehensive listing of the Best and Worst Restaurants for Kids!
Kids’ Drink
Drink This
Capri Sun Tropical Fruit Roarin’ Waters (6.8-oz pouch)
35 calories
9 g sugars
Not That!
Sunny D with Calcium (8-oz serving)
140 calories
31 g sugars
If you believe the commercials, stocking your fridge with Sunny D will make you the coolest mom (or dad) in the neighborhood, and your kids will be smiling and thanking you, and you’ll be wearing a cashmere sweater, and your whole house will be bathed in soft, buttery sunlight. Right. Well, believe it or not, if you’re interested in giving your kids a fun drink that’s actually reasonably healthy, hand them one of those silver Capri Sun pouches — OK, so they’re not exactly a health drink, but they’re better than Sunny D — cashmere or no cashmere.
For other belt-busting beverages, don’t miss these other drinkable disasters. And for other incredible tips to keep the weight off for good, take this eye-opening quiz to learn how much you can eat for just 100 calories.
Have other smart swaps? Please share them with the rest of us here.
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Sleeping Less: What to Do About It?
Generally, it has been assumed that the need for sleep does not decrease with age, but rather that other factors gradually come to interfere with our ability to sleep through the night.
Older individuals, for instance, are at greater risk not only for developing medical and psychiatric disorders but also for taking medications that can disrupt sleep. In spite of these influences, however, it may be that an actual biological deterioration of the sleep drive might also be playing a role.
A new study published in the journal Current Biology has been able to shed some light on this puzzle of sleep and aging. The researchers, who wanted to determine the maximal sleep capacity of both young and older persons, arranged for groups of younger adults (ages 18 to 32 years) and older adults (ages 60 to 76 years) to lie in bed for 12 hours during the night and for another 4 hours in the afternoon.
The subjects tended to sleep significantly longer at the beginning of the experiment, presumably because they were making up for a sleep debt accrued during their usual daily sleep routines. When the sleep patterns stabilized, however, the younger adults were capable of sleeping for much longer times — an average of 8.9 hours daily — than were the elderly people, who got only 7.4 hours daily. This 1.5-hour difference in maximal sleep capacity is impressive.
If your biological drive for sleep seems to have decreased, make sure that you are following the kinds of routines and behaviors that will give you the best chance of getting as much refreshing sleep as possible. Here are some examples of good sleep hygiene:
Make sure that you're going to bed early enough to allow yourself to get an adequate night's sleep.
As your bedtime approaches, develop a relaxing routine in the evening — don't keep busy until the moment before you expect to fall asleep.
Avoid watching TV in bed.
Sleep in a cool, relatively dark room.
Consider going to sleep to the sound of white noise, either from a bedside fan or a machine that generates calming sounds.
Increase your exercising, but don't do it so near to bedtime that it gets your adrenaline flowing and keeps you awake.
Limit your daily intake of caffeinated beverages and avoid them completely after lunchtime.
Avoid alcoholic beverages
7 Ways to Slash Stress
Chronic stress seems to be our national disease, especially these days. Millions suffer from symptoms of stress: nervous tension, restless sleep, difficulty focusing and remembering, irritability, and health complications. Generally speaking, stress speeds up aging. Learn the ways to manage stress, and you will look and feel younger.
1. Start your day with meditation
Spend time every day in meditative relaxation, with calming music if you desire. Start with five minutes and work your way to 15 or 20 minutes each day. Meditation is your number one way to reduce the output of stress hormones and avoid adrenal exhaustion, serious threats to your health.
2. Manage your mood with diet and herbs
Chinese Medicine considers the liver to be the center of your emotions. To allay stress and balance your emotions, keep your liver healthy and happy:
• Every day, eat lots of green leafy vegetables, barley grass, seaweed - anything high in chlorophyll - to keep the liver in good health.
• Take 500 mg dandelion daily for a month or longer to cleanse the liver and help release built-up anger.
• Take 400 mg white peony root daily for 1 to 3 months to soothe the liver and balance your mood.
• Schisandra berry protects the liver from chemicals and calms the spirit. For emotional anxiety, take 200 mg daily for a month.
Take these herbs anytime during the day and before bed in tea or capsule form. All the herbs are available from health food stores and Eastern medicine practitioners. Many of my patients have had remarkable results with Calm-Fort Elixir, an all-natural formulation of herbs to calm your spirit.
3. Suppress stress with positive thinking
Instead of letting your thoughts run wild with anxiety, say affirmations to yourself, such as "I can handle the tasks I have ahead of me. I enjoy my responsibilities and fulfill them well." In fact, repeating positive affirmations can actually suppress the cortisol that the adrenal gland releases in times of stress - leaving you peaceful and calm.
4. Get stress out of your head and on paper
Writing in a journal every day can help you release thoughts and emotions that are causing you stress. Write from the position of an observer, recording your thoughts without any judgments. Just write it down so that you can see clearly what is going on inside. The next step is to identify the source of any anger or stress so you can begin to make changes. Looking into your thoughts give you the opportunity to gain insight into your feelings and reflect the underlying issues.
5. Unblock tension with exercise
The constant pressures of your job and family can lead to chronically elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is a direct cause of muscle and joint pain. Clenched jaw? Lump in your throat? Chronic back and neck pain? These can all be manifestations of stress in your body. Release physical tension and clear these emotional blockages by using massage therapy, exercise, yoga, tai chi, or qi gong to get the circuits moving.
6. A Retreat to Avoid Burnout
Overloading your brain is a recipe for stress and health problems. Information overload is particularly harmful at midlife because we have less tolerance for stress, which can contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease. Press the "reset" button on yourself. Give yourself a retreat from the stresses of modern life. Take one day out of the seven-day week to minimize "screen" time. Don't watch TV, don't check email, and don't look at the news - it will be there tomorrow, and after a day of rest, you will be refreshed and ready to look at them.
7. Perspective from the Natural World
Use nature to reduce stress. Go outside, hike in the woods, walk on the beach, anything that puts you in contact with the natural world. It is difficult to feel stressed when you are surrounded by nature's abundance of vitality and wonder.
I hope you find the ways to have less stress! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.
May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
-Dr. Mao
Dr. Mao's Secrets of Longevity Try These Healthy, Low Cost Food Choices
Posted Fri, Oct 31, 2008, 12:48 pm PDT
92% of users found this article helpful.
Post a Comment View All 25 Comments No matter what your economic hardships are, you always want to invest in your own health and eat the foods that will nourish you and give you valuable nutrients. There is no substitute for proper nutrition, and today's savings on foods can spell tomorrow's medical bills. That said, there are ways to have it both ways - healthy and economical. Here are some tips to get you started:
1. Produce that is big in health, small in price
Here are some healthy autumn staples that won't break the bank.
• Vitamin-rich vegetables can become the centerpiece of your meals without putting a dent in your wallet. In season right now are broccoli, mustard greens, arugula, bok choi, chard, carrots, onions, parsnips, sweet potatoes, leeks, beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, mushrooms, and squashes of all shapes and sizes.
• Opt for apples, pears, and cranberries for inexpensive fruits packed with nutrients.
• Some healthy, flavorful foods that can spice up any dish are ginger, garlic, burdock, scallions, and parsley.
2. Get protein from less expensive sources
Soy Products: Get in touch with tofu, which is much less expensive than high-quality meat. Tofu, or bean curd, has very little flavor of its own, so it can be seasoned or marinated to work with any dish. You can get more mileage out of your scrambled eggs by combining half soft tofu and half eggs. How about making a vegetable stir fry that is seventy percent bean curd and thirty percent meat. Low in calories and relatively high in protein, iron, and fiber, soy is filled with histidine, an amino acid that helps your body digest protein, protect red blood cells, and maintain healthy immune function.
Beans and legumes also cost very little, but bring a robust flavor and a bounty of benefits to your health. Beans and legumes are packed with protein and fiber, provide the good kind of fat, and are loaded with complex carbohydrates, the nutrients that provide energy to the body. And you can buy in bulk - another savings tip - because dried beans and legumes will keep their quality for 6-12 months in an airtight glass container stored in a cool, dry place.
Whole Grains: Few other foods offer such a diverse array of benefits at such a small cost. A good source of dietary fiber, protein, and essential fatty acids, whole grains are filling and delicious. Also, there is much evidence that suggests eating whole grains reduces the risks of coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and obesity. Try barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, sorghum, spelt, organic wheat pasta, buckwheat pasta, and amaranth. Again, you can buy in bulk and store in glass containers for up to 6 months.
3. Smart tips about leftovers
When you make more than one meal at a time, you save money and time. The trick is to plan in advance so that nothing goes to waste. Get creative so that you don't end up eating the same meal over and over. Yesterday's chili can be today's Southwestern quesadillas and tomorrow's stuffed bell peppers.
4. Soup: the low-cost, low-calorie superhero
Not only is soup one of the healthiest ways to fill up, due to the ease at which the body can assimilate liquid nutrients, it is also one of the most cost-effective. Yet another bonus? Studies have shown that soup, because if its liquid content, is a wonderful way to lose weight. You can use the vegetable scraps from the preparation of other meals to make your own vegetable broth. Nothing could be simpler than throwing in leek tops, onion remainders - whatever is left over - in boiling water with a couple of garlic cloves. It's healthier than the high-sodium canned broth found in the market, and perfect for making soups or sautéing vegetables with.
5. Eat in
Eating out is fastest way to blow the budget. Get in the habit of bringing lunch with you. Be adventurous; bagged lunch doesn't have to be a sandwich every day. Get a short wide stainless steel thermos and bring soup, marinated vegetables and couscous, or eggplant parmesan - whatever will satisfy and inspire your tastebuds.
For dinner, why not prepare a fancy, candle-lit meal? Go all out and have an appetizer, a main course, and even a dessert, just like the restaurant you are dreaming of going to. To make it yourself is an enjoyable, creative experience - and it will cost less and taste better. Another option is to throw a party. Have a potluck where each of your friends brings a dish, and have fun being on a budget together.
6. Leave the bottle behind
Buying a bottle of water every day, or sometimes several times a day can really add up! Instead of subtracting from your wallet and adding to the recycling bin, invest in a water filtration system. What seems like a big cost at first ends up saving you money - and the environment - in the long run. To learn about a high-performance filtration system that I recommend, click here.
7. Grow your own food
Bring back the victory garden! Start simply by just growing your own sprouts in a jar. Then upgrade to making your own yogurt. Eventually, as weather in your region allows, start planting a garden of fresh herbs and vegetables that will bring you a bounty of health benefits. Take it one step farther and learn how to preserve your food - you will be stocked no matter what. And nothing tastes better than food you have grown and prepared yourself.
I hope you find the ways to eat well on a budget! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.
May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
-Dr. Mao
Look 5 Years Younger Today
I'm not interested in hopping into a time machine (return to my teen years? No thanks!), but sometimes I do wish I could turn back the clock for the sake of my skin. I grew up a devoted sun worshipper and all the running, biking and fun activities I do outdoors these days doesn't help (though now I'm better about wearing sunscreen).
The freckles and little spots I have certainly make me look older than I'd like, which is typical, according to a recent study from the University of Gottingen in Germany. Testers estimated that people whose uneven pigmentation was digitally removed from photos were five years younger than their age. When wrinkles were also erased, they guessed a 15-year age drop! Luckily, the guys in white lab coats have been hard at work finding fast, easy ways to reverse the appearance of aging without resorting to a scalpel.
Want to look younger? Try a few of these skin-saving solutions:
-- Uncover glowing skin: After washing your face for a full 30 to 60 seconds -- the time it takes cleansing agents to loosen dirt, oil and makeup -- gently apply a microdermabrasion cream (Estee Lauder Idealist Micro-D is one I like). It works like a peel to slough off surface cells and reveal newer, younger-looking skin beneath. Or try this at-home tip: Soak a washcloth in whole milk and drape it over your face. The fat in the milk soothes skin while its lactic acid gently exfoliates.
-- Get even: Blotchy pigmentation can tack on up to 12 years to your perceived age, according to a study in Evolution and Human Behavior. Roll back the years with tinted moisturizer, which hides imperfections but still appears natural (so you look like you, not some fake Claymation version). Apply your regular moisturizer first so the tint won't seep into dry spots, resulting in splotches.
-- Cover spots: To hide imperfections, choose a thick stick concealer one shade lighter than your foundation. For a natural effect, dab it on with a makeup brush, then top it with a light dusting of translucent powder to keep it in place.
-- Freshen up your fragrance: Choosing the right scent could take years off your face, reports the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. In a study, men guessed women's ages while smelling three scents and judged women to be nearly six years younger when wearing a perfume with notes of pink grapefruit.
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