Raise Your Metabolism
One way to help lose weight is to raise your metabolism. We hear this a lot but what does it really mean?
Let’s start at the beginning. Did you know that metabolism was originally called “insensible perspiration”?
In the 1600s, Santorio Santorio performed controlled experiments by weighing himself in a chair suspended from a steelyard balance before and after eating, sleeping, working, fasting, etc.
He learned that nearly all of the food he ate was lost from his body through what he termed “insensible perspiration”.
We now know this as metabolism.
How can we apply the results of his research today to help us lose weight? You can:
• increase your lean muscle mass through weight training and shorter rest periods (weight training increases metabolism for hours after you finish your workout)
• participate in aerobic exercise
• eat 5 or 6 smaller meals throughout the day (versus 3 large ones) to provide continual energy to your body; by doing so, you reduce the need to “store” what you eat
• drink water (the colder, the better)
• drink green tea (this also has many health benefits)
• get enough sleep (although the recommended average is 7-8 hours, each person is different); studies have shown that those who do not get enough sleep are more prone to gain weight. Read more about the benefits of sleep If you have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, consider a natual sleep aid
• eat breakfast or for a convenient on-the-go option, have a meal replacement bar
• reduce sugar intake
And last, become a man and grow taller. Ok, I’m not really suggesting either of these, but in general men have higher resting metabolisms than women, and taller people have higher metabolisms than shorter people.
