Diane Hindman, PhD
Wouldn’t it be great if you could burn fat all day long instead of just during your exercise session? Research shows that there are some proven strategies to increase your metabolic rate and burn fat for longer periods throughout the day. To understand how metabolic rate can be increased, we must first understand normal glucose and insulin metabolism. After a meal, blood sugar increases and triggers an increase in insulin. This sends a signal for sugar to be taken up into muscle and fat cells until there is a drop in blood sugar. Many people have created a dysfunction in this system from over-consumption of carbohydrates (as simple sugars) and saturated fats, causing insulin to be more dominant. This is a signal for fat to be stored. In addition, chronic high stress situations release cortisol and other chemicals in the body that signal fat to be stored. This dysfunction is typically due to poor eating habits, physical inactivity, and stress. However, with some simple changes to your diet, exercise program, and lifestyle, anyone can rev up their metabolism and start burning more calories throughout the day.
Eat The Right Way
Eat enough of the right food in the right amount and right proportions. Doing this on a daily basis will help get your metabolic rate functioning correctly again and even speed it up. The right food means healthy, lean protein (chicken, wild salmon, tuna, egg whites), low glycemic index carbohydrates (oatmeal, whole-grain bread, apples, berries), and healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, almonds, sunflower seeds). This is just a short list of examples, for more information check out the “Glycemic Index Food Guide” by Shari Lieberman, PhD.
The right amount means that you have calculated how many calories you need on a daily basis to maintain a healthy weight, and you are knowledgeable about portion sizes (the biggest culprit in weight gain!). The right proportions means balancing your meals with carbs, fat, and protein. A good ratio to start with is 40-50% carbohydrate, 30% protein (or 1 gram per pound of body weight), and 20-30% fat. Then space your meals evenly throughout the day as to maintain less fluctuation in your glucose and insulin levels. Five to six smaller meals a day is much healthier than 2-3 larger meals. Many people think that in order to lose weight they need to cut calories. Well, this may be true if you’re eating at McDonald’s every day and taking in twice the amount of calories you need on a daily basis. But for the average person, it’s not too many calories that is the problem – it’s not enough of the right kind of calories.
Exercise the Right Way
Research has been showing us for years that the best way to burn fat, lose weight and keep it off is through increasing lean muscle mass. The more lean muscle mass one has, the more efficient their metabolism or metabolic rate is in burning calories. In addition, having a greater muscle mass allows more glucose to be cleared from the bloodstream in a faster and more efficient way and this prevents excess glucose from being stored as fat. This is especially important after a high carbohydrate meal composed of simple sugars or high glycemic index foods. Yet, it seems the medical community is missing the boat because the standard prescription for weight loss is still cardiovascular exercise. While cardiovascular exercise will burn calories and fat, it does not increase lean muscle mass. Therefore, you will burn calories while exercising, but once you cease the physical activity your metabolic rate slows down again. However, the more muscle mass you have, the longer your metabolic rate will stay high, thus leading to more fat burning for longer periods of time. The best prescription for weight loss and wellness should be both cardiovascular exercise and strength training. Adding strength training to your exercise routine will trigger your body’s release of growth hormone, which is essential for fat burning and an increased metabolic rate. Numerous studies have shown that participating in a strength training session pumps up your metabolism for 2-3 hours post-exercise and sometimes even longer.
Another way to change up your aerobic exercise routine is to include interval training. The higher the exercise intensity, the greater amount of fat and carbohydrate burned during the exercise session. An added benefit of high intensity training is that more fat will be burned post-exercise during your recovery period. Instead of running for 30 minutes at 70% of your max heart rate, try interspersing one minute sprints. Sprint for one minute and slow to a light jog or walk for two minutes. Repeat until reaching 30-45 minutes.
Rest and Rejuvenate the Right Way
First…get enough sleep. It’s as simple as that. If you read the informative article on “Balancing Your Body with Sleep” by Gary Kobat in Natural Nutmeg January 2013, you hopefully learned that all the benefits of the right diet and the right exercise program can be negated if you’re not getting enough sleep. Growth hormone is released while you sleep and is necessary for rebuilding muscle and many other important metabolic functions. Sleep deprivation and fatigue accelerates every aspect of the aging process, setting off a cascade of events including fat storage; increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and even brain degeneration. Chronic fatigue impairs the body’s ability to use insulin and break down fat, decreases endurance due to glucose inefficiencies, and causes poor muscle recovery due to high cortisol. In addition to all of those physical impairments, sleep deprivation also causes mental disturbances as well in the form of decreased reaction time, communication breakdown and lack of focus. Without the right amount of sleep, we might as well pack it up and call it a day.
Lastly, taking the time to renew and recharge our body and mind is essential for igniting that fat burning potential. There are so many different types of spiritual and rejuvenating practices one can explore in order to do so. From meditation to journaling, taking yoga or tai chi classes, getting a massage, walking in nature, reading inspirational books…or my favorite – taking a much needed vacation to your favorite mountain or beach! Practicing one or all of these on a regular basis will enable you to deal with the day-to-day stressors in your life and keep your body and mind healthy.
Add all these up and you’re on the right path for firing up that metabolic rate and burning more fat all day long!
Dr. Diane Hindman is the co-owner and publisher of Natural Nutmeg Magazine and founder of Dr. Diane Speaks. She is a speaker, writer and workshop facilitator. For 20 years, her work has focused on inspiring individuals to learn about the power of thought and emotion and how it shapes their lives. She holds a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from the University of Maryland and is a Certified Empowerment Life Coach. Her passion centers on helping people bridge the gap in understanding and using spiritual, sustainable and natural living tools to achieve their personal and professional goals. You can learn more about her online at www.naturalnutmeg.com or www.drdianespeaks.com.