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Stress Relief Savor the Sun! Rev it Up Wisdom about Heart Health Blueberries and Urinary Tract Infections Know Before Saying No! Curb the Crave	Rev it Up By Renée Lubinski Some people have a naturally revved up metabolism and seem to burn calories as fast as they consume them. Others, such as me, must find alternatives to better convert my metabolism from its smoldering slumber to a better burning blaze. Over the years I’ve learned some tried and tested ways in speeding up the metabolism through way of a few simple changes. Notice I said “simple”. And, if you’re like me, it has to be backed up by research and it’s got to work for the long haul. The following tips deliver all the above. A typical person can increase her metabolism by about 10 percent and drop a pound a week without grueling restrictions. The more of these healthy habits you develop, on a consistent basis, the more unwanted pounds you take off or keep off as you age. 1 – Eating dairy or taking calcium supplements increases muscle mass and helps to burn more fat (specifically belly fat), according to Michael Zemel, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition and medicine at the University of Tennessee. 2 – Maximize your morning. Morning is the best time to rev up your metabolism by putting a log on the fire by eating breakfast. A great rule of thumb for optimal health is to eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. If you don’t eat breakfast, start! According to Cynthia Finley, R.D., at Johns Hopkins, “there appears to be a link between eating breakfast and increasing the number of calories you can burn. Your metabolic rate decreases about 10 percent while you sleep; eating breakfast restores that deficit.” 3 – Tone it up. Make use of those dumb bells or free weights. The more lean muscle tissue you have, the more body fat you shed – “even at night while you sleep,” says Jorge Cruise, author of 8 Minutes in the Morning (Harper, 2003). For example, adding just a pound of lean muscle mass will allow you to burn 50 additional calories a day, he says. A pound of fat, on the other hand, burns nothing. So if you build 5 pounds of muscle you will burn 250 calories a day. Multiply this by 365 days in a year and divide by 3,500 (the number of calories in one pound). The result indicates that with this added muscle you can lose an extra 26 pounds in just one year! 4 – Chose fats that burn fat. Omega -3 fatty acids boost your metabolism. Adding a 3-4 times a week serving of fish high in omega-3’s while reducing calories helped overweight people lose more weight than reducing calories alone, according to a 1999 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The researchers concluded that the omega-3’s helped subjects burn more calories. Examples are salmon, mackerel or sardines. Or you may opt to add 1 Tbls of flaxseed oil to your salads or take two 6g of fish oil supplements. 5 – Protein Packed for Power. Protein spurs one of your body’s fat burning mechanisms: the production of the hormone glucagon. Glucagon signals your body to move dietary fat into your bloodstream and use it for energy rather than just store it, says Jennifer Workman, author of Stop Your Cravings (Free Press, 2001). What’s more, when you don’t eat enough protein, your metabolism slows. That’s because your body breaks down muscle to meet its protein needs. And when you lose muscle, you lose a key calorie-burner. 6 – Exercise by varying your pace. All exercise increases your metabolism, but interval training gives you a bonus burn says Johanna Hoffman, exercise physiologist at the John Hopkins Weight Management Center in Lutherville, Md. Doing intervals consumes significantly more calories than exercising at a moderate pace. Intervals consist of spurts of intense aerobic exercise followed by short periods of slower-paced activity, which allow you to recover. It is recommended to do intervals (alternating, for example, between two minutes of intense activity and two minutes of easy activity for 20-30 minutes three times a week.) You can do these intervals while walking, running, cycling, or using any aerobic equipment. 7 – Spice it up to fan the flames. Spices can stroke your metabolic fire according to Workman (see point #5). Spices have a thermogenic, or heating, properties that increase fat burn, she explains. A 1999 Canadian study found that people who consumed 10g of ground red pepper (about 5.5 tsp) with a meal showed significantly higher metabolic rate than those who didn’t eat any pepper. The boost lasted for 20 minutes. Grant it, you probably can’t imagine yourself adding that much spice to your food, but smaller amounts will still help increase your fat burn. You can season dishes with cayenne or pungent spices like black pepper, cumin or Japanese horseradish. You can also garnish meals with spicy condiments like salsa, Tabasco and chutney, or use fresh spices like garlic, ginger, chilies, jalapeño peppers and onions liberally when cooking. I find these tips easily applicable and I trust you will too! To help you fan the flame, I have a great, better burger recipe to share that contains both Tabasco and jalapeño peppers! It’s a deliciously juicy and healthful way to “rev it up”! * * * * * Feedback is welcomed. Please feel free to email your comments, questions or suggestions!