Metabolism Enemy #3 - Inadequate Breakfast

One of the worst habits of overweight people is that they do not eat an adequate breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for anyone, but most especially for this people who want to lose weight and recover their metabolism.

When our body sleeps at night the metabolism slows down because our body enters a "repair" period. While sleeping, all of the basic functions of the body slow down and even our breathing is much slower than normal. In order to sleep it is necessary that the metabolism and production of energy slows down in the body. Experts estimate that our metabolism becomes as much as 40% slower while we are sleeping.

When you wake up in the morning your metabolism stays at a slow speed until one of two things happens: you eat food (which gives your body the signal that it should increase your metabolism) or you do exercise (which forces the body to increase its production of energy and the metabolism). In other words, only two things increase the metabolism early in the morning, eating or exercise.

It has been found that proteins (meat, egg, cheese, etc.) and fats increase the metabolism more noticeably than carbohydrates (bread, flour, sugar, oats, etc.). If one wants to "awaken" their metabolism early in the morning their breakfast should be high in protein and low in carbohydrates. People who don't eat breakfast and they to go throughout the morning with coffee and a piece of bread, are little by little slowing down their metabolism because they simply aren't "waking” it up.

There is a popular saying that expresses our food intake should be like. The saying goes, "we should eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and eat dinner like a beggar". This saying is true. The most important meal of the day is breakfast, it is called "breakfast" because it is the moment you "break the fast" of the long hours in which your body was sleeping and repairing itself.

The longest period in which our body is without food is during the hours we are sleeping. The lightest meal of the day should be dinner. Foods are made of condensed energy. Eating too heartily at night forces an entrance of energy (food) to the body and going to sleep lowers your energy use which forces a "storage mode" fat. It is an aspect of pure logic; dinner should be like a beggar, not a king.

If you want to strengthen your metabolism, it is necessary to begin your day with eating breakfast high in proteins that is good enough for a king. Later continue on to a lunch that has a good combination of proteins and unrefined carbohydrates (vegetables, salad). Make sure to consume very little refined carbohydrates (rice, flows, bread, sugar, act.). Finally, end the day with a light dinner to prepare your body for its period of sleep and restoration.

-Frank Suarez, Author of the book "The Power of Your Metabolism"

Metabolism Enemy #2 - Stress

Everyone talks about stress. But, what is stress? Stress is a reaction. It is the reaction that our mind and body have when our survival is threatened. Any threat, real or imaginary will all cause a stress reaction. Stress is an instantaneous reaction that can become so violent that it causes a heart attack. Generally stress doesn’t get to the point of causing a heart attack, but it does create a state of general alarm so extreme that our entire hormonal and nervous system is affected. Each cell in our body is affected by the reaction we call stress. It is an effect that is definitely cumulative. You only need to notice how worn out and tired a person looks who has recently lost a loved one in order to see how stress affects the entire body in a thousand and one ways.

Some people live in a state of stress that is so continuous that they can’t distinguish whether they feel stress or not. When someone is stressed out on a routine basis they find it difficult to be fully aware of the fact that they are living a stress filled life. For example, a person who finds himself or herself forced to work in a job in which he or she is mistreated will feel continuously stressed while at their job. The same thing happens when a person experiences problems with their family or with a romantic partner and they have to live with it day after day. When stress becomes part of our daily life we grow accustomed to it and sometimes accept it as “normal”.

Hormonal Response to Stress - Cortisol

Besides the observable damage that stress can cause to your body and health, there is a factor that is measurable. It is a hormonal factor. When you are stressed your body produces an excess of the hormone cortisol. This hormone cortisol is called the stress hormone because your body produces it when you experience a stressful situation. Cortisol is a vital part of our internal alarm system. Our body produces this hormone with the purpose of using it to handle any emergency that is detected in our environment. It is a hormone that prepares the body for fight or flight. It was designed by nature to allow us to overcome a dangerous situation using our best physical and mental resources. That is why when we produce cortisol in response to a stressful situation our body responds by producing internal changes that help us survive the supposed danger or threat. These are internal changes like raising the blood pressure and greatly increasing the level of glucose to higher levels. The glucose level is increased so that the cells have enough energy available to fight or flee.

If the source of stress were a tiger that was chasing us down to tear us to shreds, all of this excess glucose that the cortisol put in our blood stream would be consumed by our efforts in running to get away from the tiger and there wouldn’t be a surplus of glucose after the period of stress. The problem is that when the source of the stress is for a short period of time, say some bad news, the glucose levels increase due to the cortisol, but the excess glucose that is not taken in by the cells is turned into fat to be stored. Glucose is the principal source of energy of all of the cells in our body, but when it isn’t used and there is an excess, the body turns it into fat to store it, as a source of energy for future use. Thus, stress produces an excess of glucose in the blood through the action of cortisol and this excess of glucose ends up being converted to fat that is then stored into our waistline, hips and abdomen. Yes, stress definitely makes us gain weight.

People that live in conditions of stress from work, family or daily life gain weight much easier because their levels of cortisol tend to be excessively high. When a stressful situation occurs and the cortisol successfully uses our liver glucose reserves we automatically feel hungry, especially for sweet foods and those that are a source of glucose like carbohydrates: bread, flour, chocolate, pasta, etc. So it’s not just that stress makes you gain weight, it makes you feel hungry. That’s why a person that feels depressed by a personal problem many times seeks solace in the refrigerator.

The best way to find out if stress is affecting you too much and to see if it is one of the reasons that you are experiencing a slow metabolism is to take note of your quality of sleep. Since the cortisol hormone is an alarm hormone it creates a strong state of alert in the body that doesn’t allow us to sleep peacefully. To the body’s cells cortisol is like an urgent warning of impending danger. Cortisol excites the cells and puts them in a state of alert so you won’t sleep well when under stress. The cortisol produced while under stress keeps the cells in a constant state of alarm and impedes what is called the “deep sleep” stage, which is the most restful and invigorating sleep for the body. It is the state of alarm created by cortisol that steals our quality or sleep.

Something additional that we know about cortisol and about stress is that when we experience a condition of stress our levels of cortisol dramatically increase and remain in our body for more than 8 hours after the incident before going back to normal levels. So, the effects of high levels of cortisol are long lasting. However, when we do moderate exercise (walking, swimming) for 30 to 45 minutes our body eliminates huge amounts of cortisol through the liver and this also makes the state of alarm produced by cortisol to go away much earlier. That’s why many people find that if they have had a very stressful day, they will have a very difficult time sleeping unless they do a bit of exercise before going to bed. Exercise helps us get good sleep because it lowers the level of cortisol that is in our bloodstream.

Your metabolism will be affected greatly by the cortisol hormone that it generates during stressful moments. All of this is enough to help you realize that your lifestyle is very much related to the condition of your metabolism and to the general state of your health. Anything that reduces stress increases our metabolism and helps us in losing weight. A better job, a good partner, an entertaining hobby, 30 to 45 minutes of moderate exercise and enjoyable vacations are all successful and positive influences to increasing your metabolism and reducing stress.

-Frank Suarez, Author of the book "The Power of Your Metabolism"

Metabolism Enemy #1 - Excess Sugar and Refined Carbohydrates

The epidemics of weight and obesity problems are caused by various factors that lower the metabolism. Perhaps the most evident of these factors is the excessive use of sugars and refined carbohydrates (bread, pasta, flour, rice, sweets, chocolates, candies, etc.) Nothing has contributed more to the rampant obesity epidemic than the excessive consumptions of refined carbohydrates.

I should clarify that carbohydrates are necessary foods. However, there are different qualities of carbohydrates: Natural carbohydrates and refined carbohydrates. Natural carbohydrates are those that are in their natural state without having been industrially manipulated by humans. Examples are vegetables and fruits. Refined carbohydrates are modern products created by the food industry that have gone through a variety of polishing, bleaching, grinding and refining.

Within the natural carbohydrates there are some carbohydrates that have a very sweet flavor. The sweet carbohydrates can come from "natural" sources but the fact that they are sweet indicates they are very high in sugars like fruits that can turn into fat. Examples of very sweet carbohydrates can be fruits like bananas, mangoes, and raisins. There are fruits that aren't excessively sweet like strawberries, apples, and pears, which are acceptable as "natural" carbohydrates.

When carbohydrates are industrially processed they lose a good part of their nutritional value (vitamins and minerals) and they turn into foods that can easily make us fat. The industry processes to refine carbohydrates are rather harsh. These foods are so refined that the human body can quickly turn them into glucose without much effort. Bear in mind that anything that causes and increase of the bodies glucose will create excess body fat.

For Example:

When we eat a doughnut (wheat flour with sugar) the body quickly turns that into a large amount of glucose in our blood which sets the scene to gain weight. Those are the mechanics involved in the process of becoming overweight: lots of refined carbohydrates that turn into excess glucose that later become accumulated body fat with the help of the insulin hormone.

carbohydrates are addictive

Perhaps the most harmful aspect of refined carbohydrates is their strong addictive power. Yes, refined carbohydrates are addictive. When your body has a craving for something, what does it crave? Does it crave meat or cheese? Or does it crave chocolate, candy, ice cream, bread or cookies? Notice that the body only craves refined carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates are like a drug for an addict. People that are addicted to carbohydrates can't control themselves.

The consumption of their refined carbohydrates in excess doesn't only cause an addiction; it also causes a state of acidity in the body that decreases the metabolism. the excess of refined carbohydrates converts into excess glucose in the blood once it has been digested. Part of the excess glucose ferments within the body and turns into lactic acid, which created an acidic state that reduces oxygen and decreases metabolism.

A recent scientific discovery showed that the excess of refined carbohydrates turns into excess glucose (sugar in the bloodstream) which then forces the body to produce an excess of the hormone insulin and this hormone at the same time interferes with the hormones of the thyroid glands and brings with it all of the signs of hypothyroidism, including depression. People that are addicted to refined carbohydrates then start to have problems with their thyroid because their bodies produce an excess of insulin that interferes with the hormones produced by the thyroid.

More Water = 1st Step In Weight Loss

There is a direct correlation between how much water your body has and how much percentage of fat you have. Generally, we are made up of at least 65% water. The higher the number the less fat stores we have.

Here is the reason:

If we break down water it is H20 – 2 parts hydrogen 1 part oxygen. The molecular mass of an oxygen atom is 8 times higher than hydrogen making water 11% hydrogen and 89% oxygen. When we drink water we are mainly adding oxygen to our bodies. Oxygen is the element that allows the combustion of fat and is what drives our metabolism (how fast and efficient our cells perform their functions).

Now it must be clarified that drinking water and drinking juices are not the same thing. When the body detects taste the body will assume it is food and it will send the liquid through gastrointestinal tract which does little for hydration. While water is directly absorbed into the bloodstream and increases the hydration level and oxygen availability at the cellular level.

Why soft drinks slow metabolism:

Soft drinks with carbonation are one of the best ways to cause dehydration because they contain phosphoric acid. Acids by definition repel oxygen causing the body's metabolism to work slowly. Even though many of us consider coca cola, carbonated beverages, juices, coffee, etc. to be used for hydration they actually do the opposite. In order to rehydrate the body after any of these drinks we must consume 32 ounces of water per 8 ounces of these mentioned drinks (4:1 ratio). The body becomes dehydrated from these drinks because while getting rid of the excess acidity we will use our water stores to urinate which brings the blood back to an alkaline environment so that the body can perform its daily functions.

The reality is that if someone wants to lose weight their first step is to increase their intake of water. Water significantly increases the metabolism.

How much water do I need to drink?

We calculate the daily water consumption recommended for each person by dividing the weight of the person by the number 16. The result is calculated in 8 ounce glasses of water. For example: if a person weighs 160 pounds and we divide this weight by the number 16 then their daily consumption of water should be 10 – 8 ounce glasses (160lbs. / 16 = 10 glasses). If a person weights 240 pounds their recommended water consumption would be 15 glasses a day (240lbs. / 16 = 15 glasses). As you lose weight, you should also reduce your daily intake of water.

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