Debunking metabolism myths: How to actually boost your metabolism

We all have that friend who can eat anything and never gain a pound. You know, the one who’s dipping her cheese fries in mayo while you’re measuring out your low-cal vinegarette. Let’s face it: some people are genetically blessed with a super-speedy metabolism. But for the rest of us, there’s still hope!

First thing’s first: what is metabolism? Basically, it’s the number of calories we burn throughout the day. Regardless of our physical activity level, calories are always needed to keep us going. At any given time, these calories keep us breathing regularly, keep our heart pumping, and maintain our body temperature.

The number of calories we burn at rest is our Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). This number is dependent on a number of factors, like our age, gender, physical activity level, and the amount of fat and muscle in our body. Because our bodies use more calories to maintain muscle than fat, muscular people will have a higher BMR than their non-muscular peers. The amount of calories we burn also depends on the food we eat. For example, it takes more calories to digest a meal of complex carbs, like multigrain pasta, than simple carbs, like a bag of chips (see my previous post titled “In defense of carbs” for a definition of complex and simple carbs).

So how do you figure out your BMR and what does this number mean? You can calculate your BMR using the below formula. This number indicates the number of calories your body burns at rest daily. For example, my BMR is 1220, which means that if I sat on the couch all day and did absolutely nothing, I could consume 1220 calories without gaining weight. Realistically, our bodies require more calories, though, to account for the extra energy we expel by walking to work, exercising, vacuuming, talking etc.

Your BMR:
Female: [ 655+(9.6 x Weight in kilograms) + (1.7 x Height in centimeters) – (4.7 x Age) ]

Male: [ 66+(13.7 x Weight in kilograms) + (5 x Height in centimeters) – (6.8 x Age) ]


So now back to that poutine-loving-deep-fried-cheese-eating-skinny-bitch friend. How do you become her? Sorry to break it to you, but you can’t. While you can chalk your average metabolism up to genetics, there are, however, a few ways to help you speed it up. You probably sill want to hold off on the deep-fried Mars bars though. Bahhh, in a perfect world.

Tips:
EAT: For the love of God, don’t stop eating! This actually has an adverse effect on our metabolism, as it causes our bodies to go into crisis mode and store calories, resulting in a slower metabolism. Cleansing and dieting: also no-gos. You’re best to eat 5-6 small meals a day and snack every 2-3 hours.

But eat “healthy”: Whatever calories we don’t expend by the end of the day are stored in our body as fat. Not necessarily a bad thing since our bodies need fat, but if you’re trying to lose weight it’s best to lower your caloric intake to a number that’s below your outtake (what you expend). So if you have a BMR of 1500 and are burning 300 calories at the gym, you should aim to intake less than 1800 calories (don’t forget you’re also burning calories by walking, cleaning, and living your everyday life, so try not to go too much lower than 1800 or your body will panic and begin to store fat- it's a vicious cycle!). In short, if we take in more calories than we use, we will gain weight.

Say no to Sugar: This includes candy, cola, and cakes. These simple sugars have little to no nutritional value and take a very small amount of calories to break down. Thus, they are stored as fat.

EXERCISE: Even after we exercise our body continues to burn calories at a high rate. So if you’re only burning 200 calories on the treadmill, you’re BMR will still increase. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Build muscle: An increase in muscle mass increases your metabolic rate. For example, one pound of fat only burns two calories a day, while one pound of muscle burns 50. That’s a huge difference! The answer: strength training exercises that will help build lean muscle.

Eat these foods (maybe): Some studies show that chili, mustard, green tea, water, and dietary fibers can marginally increase your metabolism. However, you’re best to look at the whole picture and not just the foods you eat if you want to see any drastic changes.

All that being said, you're perfect just the way you are! Yes, even you. Now pass me my fibre-enriched chili-mustard-flavoured green tea.

Exercise: Just Do It

There’s a reason why Nike’s ubiquitous slogan has become an everyday catchphrase. Even after all these years, the tagline still rings true for most people looking to make a change in their lives. So you want to start exercising (…eating healthier, reading more, going to bed earlier…)? The answer is simple: get up and make it happen. Well, don’t get up just yet, but as soon as you’re done reading this, just do it.

When it comes to exercise, many beginners may feel overwhelmed by the prospect. We adapt excuses such as “I’m not a runner/jogger/athlete” in order to rationalize our idleness. The truth is, anyone can be a runner or an exercise-junkie, you just have to start. And trust me, it’s the best addiction you can have. Here’s how:

Don’t go to the gym… yet
Gyms can be intimidating. The intensity. The machines. The tight spandex outfits (yikes!). If you don’t feel comfortable with your level of fitness, don’t sweat it (hehe) the best place to start is at home.

But you don’t have equipment…
Who cares? You don’t need fancy machinery to get your heart pumping. Revisit classic exercises that use your own body weight for resistance (think push ups, the plank, squats, and lunges). Combine a few of those simple exercises with half an hour of cardio (jog around your block, dance to the radio, take an extra long walk on your lunch). Don’t stress about technique just yet, just get that heart rate-- and your confidence-- up!

Don’t push yourself too hard
Exercise can be a physically and emotionally liberating experience. However, once you start to associate it with dread and pressure to perform it can start to feel like more of a burden than a release. This can lead you to skip workouts or to quit completely. There will be days when you feel like you can run for hours and days when you feel sluggish after the first step. However, if you adjust the intensity of your workouts to the way you are feeling, you will be less likely to forge a negative association with exercise and more likely to pick up your running shoes again.

Don’t push yourself too little
That being said, there will be days when you don’t want to exercise, but then you step on the treadmill and you can’t stop. I usually promise myself to at least try for five to ten minutes and if I honestly feel like I don’t want to do it anymore I will stop and have a good stretch. The point is: you don’t know until you try.

Exercise shouldn’t just be a routine
Exercise should be a valuable and positive part of your life. So it’s important not to think of it as simply a part of your daily routine or schedule. It’s easy to fall out of routine, like say, when you go on vacation or are in the middle of a life change. I’m not saying you have to do wind sprints when you’re on an all-inclusive resort, but you can find other ways to get your blood pumping (think beach volleyball, salsa dancing, or a peaceful jog along the shore). If you’re overwhelmed at work, look for simple ways to raise your heart rate around the office. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, or park in the farthest parking spot.

So now I challenge you all to get up and do something. Do ten jumping jacks on the spot right now if you have to. Once you see how good that makes you feel, I promise you won’t want to stop.

Combat the Afternoon Crash: How to have more energy at the office

We’re all familiar with the scenario: You’re sitting at your desk staring at your computer screen when all of a sudden, without warning or reason, your eyelids feel heavy and you have to fight to keep your head from nodding downward. Your body begs you to please, just for a moment, let it curl under your desk and take a catnap. You begin to reason with yourself, and finally, you actually consider putting your head down for just a few minutes. Your boss probably won’t even notice. And if he/she does, won’t it be worth it anyways?

After you convince yourself that five minutes of blissful sleep is probably not worth losing your job over, your instincts tell you to reach for the coffee pot instead. But, wait: STOP! There is a better way.

The problem with caffeine, as I’m sure you’ve all heard, is that it is only a temporary stimulant. This means it will most likely lead to an energy crash. This may cause your head to hurt, but most often it just leaves you feeling drained. Unfortunately, the most effective way to end the crash is to—you guessed it-- consume more caffeine. But before you pour yourself another cup of java, you should try re-evaluating your eating habits instead.

If you’re feeling uncharacteristically fatigued, you are more than likely iron deficient. Around 20% of women and 3% of men are iron deficient, and most don’t even know it. I’ve been told that if you drag a silver ring over the skin on your face and it leaves a grayish streak behind, then you are deficient. However, the best thing to do is to have your blood tested. If you are iron deficient you should eat more leafy green vegetables and iron-rich foods such as red meat, or start taking an iron supplement.

However, just because you’re tired at work does not necessarily mean you’re low in iron. In fact, many times tiredness can just stem from boredom. The best way to deal with this is to get up from your desk and walk around for a few minutes, step outside and get some fresh air, switch the task you are doing, or, if the space permits, stretch out your limbs.

Finally, there are also foods you can eat to help keep your energy levels in check. To begin, the best thing you can do is eat a healthy breakfast. While skipping breakfast may make you think you’re cutting out calories, it actually causes you to rely on midmorning snacks that are high in sugar and low in nutrients. This causes your energy levels to spike and drop rapidly, and leads to a crash (not to mention that it slows down your metabolism and causes eventual weight gain). Also, packing snacks that are nutrient dense and filling is a good way to combat the afternoon crash. Examples of energy-increasing foods are almonds, bananas, yogurt, oatmeal, peanut butter, and beans.

And of course, let’s not forget the importance of exercise. Getting your heartbeat up for half an hour every day can drastically increase your energy reserves. Even if you don’t have the time to hit the gym every day, you can try simple tasks such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, riding your bike into work, or parking your car in the farthest spot (if walking or riding isn’t feasible). Finally, even doing a few sets of jumping jacks on the spot when you wake up will help, and, if your coworkers will allow it, beside your desk at lunch.

Unusual suspects: Foods to watch out for

Muffins: Sure that muffin looks harmless, with its crisp ridges and blueberry centre, but that little teeny tiny muffin can pack in as many as 900 calories. That’s almost half of your daily recommended calorie intake! When eating on the run at places like Tim Horton’s or Starbucks, it’s best to opt for non-baked foods such as a sandwich or yogurt parfait to reduce calories and increase nutritional value. Or, better yet, pack your lunch!

Movie popcorn: Popcorn has always been marketed as a healthy snacking alternative, and generally it is… As long as you’re eating the low-cal, no butter, portion-controlled sizes at home (who actually eats just one cup of popcorn anyways?). However, movie popcorn can be one of the worst things for you (don’t even get me started on extra butter!). A large popcorn can contain as many as 1600 calories, and a small can have around 400. The best alternative: pack a baggie of reduced salt, 100 calorie popcorn from home and sneak it in (this is frowned upon, I know).

Mixed nuts: Yes nuts are good for you and very high in protein and filling fibre, but pay close attention to portion sizes. People who eat nuts generally aren’t conscious of the amount they eat because they assume nuts are healthy and thus low-cal. However, only a handful of almonds contains around 250 calories. While this isn’t inherently a bad thing, eating more than the serving size can lead to weight gain.

Cheese: Cheese is another calorie-rich snack that often gets too much credit. While cheese does contain protein and calcium, it is not the best source of either and has way more calories than most people suspect. A small one-inch cube of cheese has around 250 calories (depending on the kind), and generally people consume more than that. If you love cheese (and really, who doesn’t?), opt for low-calorie pre-cut slices so you’re more conscious of serving sizes.

Chocolate bars: Obvious, I know. What I didn’t realize until a few weeks ago, however, is that chocolate bars are now sold in double-portion sizes. Even though the wrapper may say it is only 250 calories, this may only be for half of the bar. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to pay close attention to labels. Also, try satisfying your chocolate craving with a handful of dark chocolate chips.

Does salt make you gain weight?

Not too long ago a classmate asked me a really good question: does eating foods rich in sodium lead to weight gain? While the answer is generally no, salt doesn’t cause any long-term weight gain, consuming too much sodium can lead to bloating and water retention, as well as other health problems such as high blood pressure.

The reason why eating salty foods makes us feel bloated is because salt bonds to water. The more salt we consume, the more water our bodies retain. If you cut out salt from your diet, you will notice a slight drop in weight. However, this weight loss is only temporary and will appear when you start eating salt again.

While salt is not in itself a cause of weight gain (it has no calories), a sodium-rich diet can lead to permanent weight gain for other reasons. To begin, foods with a lot of salt are generally processed, contain many calories, and offer little nutritional value. Naturally nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, and lean meats contain very little salt and lots of vitamins and minerals. Secondly, there is some research that shows that eating salty foods only temporarily satisfies cravings and causes you to become hungry again sooner.

Although our bodies need salt to function (sodium aids with cell repair and fluid regulation), most of us intake way more salt than necessary. The maximum adult recommended daily intake is 2300 mg, or around 1 tsp. So the next time you feel inclined to give the salt shaker a few shakes over your dinner plate, try adding spices or herbs to naturally complement the dish in a calorie-free, antioxidant-rich way. Also, when grocery shopping, try sticking to the perimeters of the store to avoid the aisles full of processed, sodium-dense snacks.

Long weekend binges: avoid the dreaded food coma

It’s the long weekend and, if your family is anything like mine, this probably means it will be a weekend of eating followed by a good old belt loosening. It’s almost inevitable that on these occasions we will eat too much and then later complain about how much we ate. A little indulging never hurt anyone, but when we take it overboard we tend to become disappointed in ourselves later.

The best eating advice that I ever heard was this: Eat when you’re hungry and you’re unlikely to have any weight or health problems. Think about it: this means listening to your body and eating when you want to, and stopping when you feel full. There is nothing revolutionary about this, but most of us tend to forget it sometimes.

Here are some tips to prevent you from slipping into the dreaded food coma:

• Drink a lot of water with your meals- this will help fill you up so you don’t overeat.
• Eat an apple before your meal- this has a lot of filling fiber and will prevent you from eating too much later.
• Try to limit your alcoholic intake- alcohol is full of empty calories and will make you feel bloated. Stick to a glass of wine with your meal and stay away from beer.
• Think about how you’re going to feel when the meal is done- you don’t want to feel like you can’t move when you’re done, so be conscious of how lousy you’re going to feel if you eat too much.
• Keep occupied by engaging in conversation- it takes our bodies about 20 minutes to register how full we are, so eating at a slow pace allows us to realize we’re full before we’re ready for seconds
• Don’t be afraid to eat- if you over-fixate on everything you consume, you’re more likely to get frustrated and binge later on. Have a piece of dessert if you feel like it. And, if you feel like a few different kinds, cut the portions into quarters.

In defense of carbs

Somewhere between Atkins and South Beach, carbs became every dieter’s nemesis. People suddenly believed that a low carb diet was their magic bullet for weight loss. However, most dieticians will agree that cutting out carbohydrates is not the answer. Here’s why:

Carbohydrates are our bodies’ main source of energy. When we cut out carbs we will begin to feel weak, tired, and sluggish. There is a common misconception that protein can replace carbs as our main energy source; however, protein is only needed for the growth and repair of our body tissues and not to actually fuel our bodies. Because of this, we require substantially less amounts of protein than carbs. There is also a misconception that fats are bad. Just to clear the record, fats are essential for helping us digest the vitamins in other foods. These three groups, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, make up our diet. In order for our bodies to run smoothly, 55-60% of the food we eat should be carbohydrate-based, 30% should be fat-based, and 10-15% should be protein-based. Because we can only digest limited amounts of protein at a time, high protein diets are completely ineffective. Carbohydrates, on the other hand, are the fuel that keeps us going.

If all this sounds different from the four-food group breakdown that you’re used to, just remember that abiding by the food pyramid you learned in elementary school is still your best bet for staying healthy. Canada’s Food Guide recommends 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables, 6-8 servings of grain products, 2-3 servings of milk and alternatives, and 2-3 servings of meat and alternatives daily. Choosing foods that are nutrient-rich from these four groups will ensure you get more nutritional bang for your buck.

At this point you’re probably wondering why low-carbohydrate diets seem to be so effective if they don’t work. There is actually no proof that low-carb diets result in any long-term weight loss. When people start to cut out carbs, they are usually decreasing their overall calorie intake as well. This calorie deficit is what causes people to shed pounds. However, this weight loss is almost always short-term because a low-carb diet is too harsh for our bodies to tolerate for extended periods of time. People who cut out carbs usually end up gaining more weight because they resort to binge eating to satisfy their bodies' carb craving.

While carbohydrates are good, there are carbs that are better choices than others. There are two main types: simple and complex. Simple carbs are found in foods such as fruits, milk, and confectionary. Complex carbs are also known as starches and are found in grain products such as bread, pasta, and rice. When our bodies break down the simple sugars in simple carbs, they are able to do so quickly and so we are likely to feel hungry again sooner. Complex sugars, on the other hand, take longer for our bodies to break down and so they keep us feeling full longer. While neither simple nor complex carbs are inherently better than the other, it is best to get a variety of both. Also, choosing starches that are rich in fibre will make you feel fuller while providing you with more nutrients. It is always best to check the minerals and nutrients in carbohydrate-rich foods to ensure you are not consuming empty calories.