Weight Loss

Oct 22 2021

5 Important FAQs About Metabolism

Metabolism is best known for its role in the chemical reactions of our body’s cells that change food into energy. Our bodies need this energy to do everything from moving to thinking to growing and healing. (1)

Pronounced: meh-TAB-uh-liz-um, here is your Metabolism101.

We’ll start with helping you learn that metabolism wears two functional hats in our bodies.

1. What Is Metabolism?

Metabolism is a balancing act involving two activities that happen at the same time:

Building up body tissues and energy stores (called anabolism)
Breaking down body tissues and energy stores to get more fuel for body functions (called catabolism) (1)

When energy is required, the body can use amino acids, sugar, and fatty acids. These compounds are absorbed into the bloodstream, where they are carried to the cells. (1)

Other enzymes act to speed up or regulate the chemical reactions involved in “metabolizing” these compounds once they enter the cells. The energy from these compounds can be released for use by the body – or stored in body tissues. (1)

Metabolism is a complex chemical process. As a result, it’s not surprising that people think of it in a basic form: as something that influences how easily our bodies gain or lose weight. This is where calories come into play. (1)

Because a cake contains more calories than an apple, it provides the body with more energy — which can be too much of a good thing.

The body stores calories, in the same way that a car stores gas in the gas tank until it is needed to fuel the engine. When you overfill a car’s gas tank, it spills onto the road. Similarly, if a person consumes too many calories, they “spillover” as excess body fat. (2)

The amount of calories burned in a day is determined by how much a person exercises. Take that, fat! (1,2)

But is there more to it? Read on, for more metabolism 101.

2. What Is A High Metabolism?

If you have a “high” (or fast) metabolism, you will burn more calories both at rest and during activity. You need to consume more calories to maintain your weight if you have a fast metabolism!

A person with a “low” metabolism will burn fewer calories at rest and during activity, requiring them to eat less to avoid becoming overweight. (2)

3. What Parts Of The Body Are Involved In Metabolism?

Major organs are involved:

Your liver manufactures carnitine, which takes fat to the mitochondria (body’s fat furnaces in your cells) —- which influences 90% of your metabolism. The faster you produce carnitine in your liver, the faster your metabolism.
From your adrenals the secretion of stress hormones regulates the release of glucose from the muscle and liver cells, to stimulate or slow down your body’s metabolic rate.
Your thyroid extracts iodine from food to produce hormones T3 and T4. These hormones travel through the bloodstream and influence metabolism.
Your pituitary gland stimulates the thyroid to secrete its thyroid-stimulating hormone TSH. If your TSH hormone level is high, that means the thyroid is requiring a lot of motivation.
Your body stores your reserve fuel in either muscle or fat. Because muscle is constantly contracting, relaxing, pushing, and pulling, it takes a lot of fuel to maintain it.

4. What Is Metabolism Affected By

Poor dietary habits, insufficient exercise, and hormones are the most likely culprits if you’re thinking you may have a slow metabolism. (1)

Yet there is a list of other proven factors:

Family genes
Lack of sleep
Strict, or drastic diets
Dehydration
Not enough calcium
Living in a cold climate
Certain medications
Poor sleep/ wake cycle
Stress (1,3,6)

5. How Do I Boost My Metabolism?

Most importantly, boosting your metabolism means watching what you eat. Fats are concentrated sources of energy. They produce twice as much energy as either carbohydrates or protein on a weight basis. Protein is ideal as it has been shown to help feeling more full, preventing overeating. (4,5)

There are lots of other tips like drinking water 30 minutes before eating, drinking green or Oolong tea, eating spicy foods, drinking coffee, even cooking with coconut oil. (3, 5)

Aerobic exercise is excellent. High-intensity cardio workouts, involving quick bursts of activity, or any mode of exercise that gets your heart rate up will increase your metabolic rate, burning fat. (5)

If you would like to kickstart your metabolism naturally you can speak with an online expert such as https://rhythmichealth.com/o/hhm-wsl/.

To be able to make informed decisions about food, nutrition, exercise, hormones, and general well-being, can be a saving grace for many. The more you know about metabolism, the more you can leverage this too, to support your good health.

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Oct 18 2021

Do High Salt Diets Cause Weight Gain?

If you’ve already cut out sugar, lowered your calorie intake, and started exercising, but still finding it tough to drop the pounds, do you ever wonder if salt and weight gain are linked? Fat loss can be a real battle, and high salt intake may be sabotaging your diet plans.

Simplicity has all but disappeared when it comes to knowing if salt is okay to consume, and how much. The truth is salt and weight gain can be linked, but probably not in the ways that you think.

Here is a synopsis of the process of how a diet of high salt and weight gain can be related.

Salt Has No Calories

Like all natural foodstuffs, salt can be good for you. We’ve also learned that natural sea salts such as Himalayan rock salt, and Celtic sea salt are better for our health than regular table salt.

Owing much to the fact that they contain more beneficial minerals, sea salts are unrefined, and unprocessed, having all their additional elements still present. (12)

Sea salt is a source of electrolytes, which can prevent muscle cramping during exercise, containing sodium, magnesium, potassium, and calcium – all of which you need for great health. (13)

Salt in general also supports a healthy nervous system by regulating water flow throughout the body, and pink Himalayan rock salt in particular, can even promote blood sugar health, and promote a healthy PH in our bodies’ cells. (12)

With salt and weight gain, the problem isn’t calories. Salt has no calories at all. Consuming a lot of salt can cause you to gain weight temporarily because it causes your body to retain water. (5)

Excessive salt consumption increases thirst. The extra fluid consumed by your body is used to dilute the excess sodium that your body is unable to excrete quickly enough.

However, your urine volume remains constant, indicating that the extra fluid remains in your body. As a result, a sudden increase in sodium intake causes you to gain some fluid weight. (5,7)

Salt, The Trickster

A high salt diet may also make the body resistant to leptin, a hormone responsible for preventing hunger and making you feel full and satisfied, according to research in mice. (6)

Salt-rich diets may also indirectly cause you to gain weight because they often contain large amounts of ultra-processed foods. Highly processed foods are less satiating, which can ultimately cause you to eat more calories and gain weight. (4)

When equal in calories, a high salt diet won’t cause you to gain or lose more body fat than a lower salt one. (8)

Foods that tend to be higher in salt: snacks, chips, fast food, pizza, fried foods, processed foods, restaurant meals, condiments, even bread, are also high in calories. These foodstuffs are notoriously high in calories (and salt), sometimes packed full of additive ingredients, and also lacking essential nutrients. (4)

So if your diet contains a lot of these highly processed foods, it’s likely your stomach feels less satisfied and full than it otherwise might, ultimately causing you to eat more calories and gain weight

Midnight Run

If you have nocturia, a condition in which you wake up several times during the night to urinate, your sodium intake could be to blame. (1)

In one study, when those experiencing frequent night-time urination who also consumed a high-sodium diet reduced their sodium intake, they reported a reduction in nightly trips to the bathroom, and an increase in quality of life from better sleep habits. (3)

Although it may sound counterintuitive, drinking lots of water during meals, and throughout the day, can help to flush sodium from your body, causing you to urinate less during the night. (9)

A night of poor sleep can cause weight gain, affecting hormones that regulate hunger — ghrelin, and leptin. That lack of sleep can also lead to fatigue, and can result in less physical activity, making it more likely for you to gain weight. (10,11)

For Your Best Self Cut Back On Salt

Unfortunately, many peoples’ salt habit fails to meet the government recommendations of less than 2,300 mg per day—that’s equal to about 1 teaspoon of table salt! (4,8)

Cofactors such as obesity, hormones, age, and lifestyle further muddy the waters when trying to conjure up a clear picture of what salt intake may or may not be doing to our bodies.

If you want to give your body what it’s been craving while remaining healthy, why not consult an expert in weight loss? With step-by-step help, you will be able to crush your goals and beat your cravings for good.

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Oct 18 2021

Making One Simple Substitution For Table Salt Could Save Millions of Lives, Study Shows

What is salt? Also known as sodium chloride, salt is an ionic compound with the chemical formula NaCl, representing a 1:1 ratio of sodium and chloride ions. In its edible form, table salt, it is commonly used as a condiment and as a food preservative. (1)

Many of us use salt when cooking. We sprinkle it liberally over our meals, and we even enjoy it on the glass rims of our cocktails! (2)

Yet salt intake can negatively affect our hormones, and our hormones can affect salt retention within our bodies.

Elevated insulin levels can cause salt retention, inducing high blood pressure. Also, the cardiotonic steroid hormone, marinobufagenin (MBG), has been shown to play a physiological role in response to salt intake. High levels of this steroid hormone can affect heart structure, and increase the stiffness of our blood vessel walls. (6,7)

Excessive salt consumption can also incite kidney problems, fluid retention, strokes, and osteoporosis. (3)

Salt substitution involves swapping sodium chloride for potassium chloride, as a potential strategy to reduce sodium intake, while at the same time increasing our potassium levels. Optimal potassium levels are vital for the normal functioning of our hearts (including maintaining normal heart rhythm). (9)

Today’s issue isn’t a lack of sodium, but rather that we consume far too much of it. Humans cannot survive without sodium, true, but we only require small amounts. Every year, millions of people die as a result of conditions caused by excess sodium intake. (2,5)

A recent study has revealed that instead of ignoring advice to try salty alternatives, we should be listening up.

Spotlight On Salt

The study, conducted in China, involved examining over 20,000 villagers from rural areas, recruiting participants with a history of stroke or poor blood pressure. The people came from 600 villages, with an average age of 65 at the outset of the trial.

Spanning longer than five years, during the experiment, half the participants were given a free supply of a salt substitution with less sodium and added potassium to use for the course of the trial.

They were encouraged to use it more sparingly than they normally would salt in order to maximize their overall sodium reduction.

The other half of the villagers served as a control group, continuing to use salt in their cooking and food preparation as before.

Over the course of five years, more than 4,000 of the participants died, with over 3,000 having a stroke and over 5,000 having some kind of major cardiovascular event.

However, when compared to regular salt consumers, the salt substitute group was significantly less likely to experience strokes (29.14 events vs. 33.65 events per 1,000 person-years), as well as lower chances of major cardiovascular events (49.09 events vs. 56.29 events), and death (39.28 events vs. 44.61 events). (4)

The findings suggest that salt substitutions on a national scale could save the lives of an estimated 460,000 people each year and that millions of lives all over the world could be saved if humans switched from regular salt to a modified alternative. (4,8)

Salt Substitution: Buy or Pass-By?

While salt substitutes are more expensive than regular salt, they are still inexpensive, and shelves are now stocking trendy salt substitution fare.

What are salt substitutes, and what aren’t they? What should you buy, and what should you pass by?

Most salt substitutes contain potassium chloride. Potassium chloride tastes somewhat like sodium chloride (salt) – though some people do not like the more metallic taste.

‘Lite’ salt replacements are often labeled “low sodium” and contain a blend of sodium chloride and potassium chloride. (9)

Potassium is an important mineral that helps lower blood pressure, so manufactured salt substitution products may be a healthy option for some people. However, they can be dangerous if you have conditions such as kidney disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, liver disease, or diabetes. (9)

These conditions may raise the risk of high levels of potassium in your blood — normally well-controlled by the body. The potassium in salt substitutes can tip that balance. Also, using salt substitutes while on certain medications can raise your blood potassium to unhealthy levels. (9)

Some healthier, real food substitutes include dill, dried seaweed, dried onion, celery seeds, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, rosemary, coconut aminos, or truffle oil. They all give a burst of flavor with no side effects. (10)

Don’t just take your health with a pinch of salt. Do research on what next-level salt substitution products you should be choosing.

If you’re still not sure which trade-off to take, consider talking with an expert such as Dorian Marie about your cravings, your food choices, and your overall health.
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Oct 15 2021

Tone Your Core with These Exercises

The core is the part of the human body located between the pelvic floor and diaphragm. It consists of the muscles surrounding your trunk and provides stability to the trunk for balance, posture, and daily movements like lifting, standing, sitting, twisting, and bending. A strong core will help to enhance your sports performance while helping to avoid issues like lower back pain.

According to the Mayo Clinic, core exercises train the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips, and abdomen to work in harmony. This strength will keep you from injury as the center musculature of your body is important in protecting your major organs in this area. A stronger core will also make it easier to perform most types of movement involved in your daily life. (1)

What are the signs of a weak core?

Even if you work out and think you are fit, you may be surprised to know that your core could use some strengthening.

Here are some common signs recognized by physical therapists indicating you might have a weak core:

Lower back pain
Poor Posture
Bad Balance
Low Endurance for Standing
Shortness of Breath
Weakness of the Body

Most coaches suggest starting with positions for beginners. These are easier to do and less stressful on your body, especially if you have not done any fitness for core toning or yoga. If you are not familiar with these descriptions, find instructional videos on YouTube.

“Building a strong core is all about keeping still, not doing hundreds of abdominal curl repetitions,” says Richard Tidmarsh, strength and conditioning coach at Reach Fitness. “These exercises will create the foundation of a strong core, teaching you to keep your hips aligned and how to control your posture.” (2)

For the core exercises presented here, you do not need any special equipment or expensive gym memberships. These exercises can all be done at home on your own schedule. Invest in a yoga mat to make yourself more comfortable and keep you from slipping while you work out.

Beginner Core Exercises

Choose three or four of these positions. Hold each one for 30 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and proceed to the next position. After you have done each one, rest for a minute then repeat the same routine for 5 repetitions. If you tire or feel pain, hold for less or stop and rest.

Bridge: Lie on your back, with your legs bent to 90 degrees, your feet flat on the floor. Slowly raise your butt to form a bridge. Lower back down one vertebra at a time.
Forearm Plank:The plank involves minimal movement but maximal effort, requiring you to support your body on your forearms and toes while holding your body in a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. You can make it easier by resting on your knees, or harder by extending your arms so you are supported by your hands.
Side Plank:The side plank works your obliques and the little-known quadratus lumborum, which is part of the posterior abdominal wall and a key muscle when it comes to avoiding lower back pain. Rest on your forearm, stack your feet, keep your body at a right angle to the floor in a straight line.
Dead bug:Lie on your back with your arms extended straight up towards the ceiling and your legs raised with your knees bent at 90 degrees. Slowly lower your right arm and left leg at the same time until they are hovering just above the floor, then return to the starting position. Alternate sides.
Leg Raises: Leg raises hit the lower abs hard, as well as improving the flexibility of your hips and lower back. Lie on your back, raise both legs to 90 degrees, slowly lower back down.
Flutter Kick: Lie on your back with legs and shoulders raised slightly off the floor, arms at your sides. Move your legs by alternating kicks.
Bird Dog: Also known as the quadruped exercise. This simple exercise improves your balance and coordination as well as your core strength. Get on all fours, place your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, extend one arm and the opposite leg out straight keeping the back level. Alternate sides.
Boat: Sit on the floor with your knees bent. Lean back slightly, keeping your back straight, and hold your arms out in front of you as you raise your feet off the ground with your legs together. Extend your legs so they are straight and your body forms a V shape.

Intermediate Core Exercises

By adding movement to your controlled core positions, you intensify the workout while continuing to build core strength. Follow the above routine for each position and repeat for 3 repetitions.

Metronome: Also known as the windshield wiper. Start in the Leg Raise position, rotate legs from side to side all the way to the floor keeping legs together. If this is too hard, bend your knees and rotate from side to side.
Bird Dog with Knee/Elbow Touches: Instead of bringing hands and knees back to the floor, touch them together then extend them straight out again alternating sides.
Plank with March: While in plank position, alternate lifting left foot then right foot.
Side Plank with Hip Dip: While in the side plank position, dip your hip down until it almost touches the floor then raise it again. Repeat on the alternate side.

Advanced Core Exercises

You can continue to increase the difficulty of your positions by holding them longer or increasing the number of repetitions.

Maintaining a strong core is not only good for the strength of your body, balance, and posture but will help if you have lower back pain. These exercises may even help you lose weight. Remember, go slow and advance at a pace that feels good. You will eventually notice an increase in ease of movement and a decrease in your lower back pain unless you have other lower back issues. Always check with your healthcare provider if your discomfort does not get better or if you have increased pain.

Sources

Oct 15 2021

4 Tips For Portion Control For Weight Loss

We’ve all done it. Ordered too much in a restaurant, gone back for seconds in our kitchen, or overindulged at a hotel buffet. Many eateries nowadays serve large portions, and even in our own homes it’s easy to have ‘eyes that are bigger than our bellies.’

Overdoing it at meal time can contribute to weight gain, and generally make us feel sluggish in between meals. Becoming overweight can then lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, gallstones, osteoporosis, and many other diseases and disorders. (1)

Even if we exercise and eat well, we can still become overweight. Basically, we have to burn off more calories than we consume.

There can be a lot of math involved to arrive at the correct numbers to keep our bodies in balance. And determining our needs is an inexact science at best, especially when trying to individualize a weight loss program to suit our body composition and genetics. (2)

Without getting too bogged down, below are some ways to focus on balancing weight, while eating a healthy and balanced amount of food, utilizing portion control for weight loss.

#1 Don’t Let Calories Consume You

Portion size is not the same as serving size. A standard amount of food, such as a cup or an ounce, is referred to as a “serving size.” Serving sizes can help you choose foods and compare similar items while shopping, but they are not recommendations for how much of a particular food to eat.

The term “portion” refers to how much food is served to you or how much you eat. Portion sizes can differ from meal to meal. At home, you might serve yourself two small pancakes in one portion, but at a restaurant, you might get a large stack of pancakes in one portion. Serving size can also be larger than portion size. (3)

Because we don’t have access to serving spoons or measuring scales at all times, getting to know portion size, by eye, is extremely helpful.

Many foods correspond to everyday objects. A medium pepper is about the size of a baseball and equals one vegetable serving. While not all foods correspond to visual cues, this method can help you improve your ability to gauge serving sizes and practice portion control for weight loss.

It may take some practice to become a better judge of serving sizes and portions, especially when assembling entire meals. However, the more you practice, the more control you’ll have over how much you eat — which is essential for portion control for weight loss.

Use these tips for culinary victory:

A baseball or an average-sized fist measures about 1 cup – An appropriate portion size for raw or cooked vegetables, or 100% fruit juice
A tennis ball or small scooped handful measures about ½ cup – Equal to 1-ounce equivalent for grains, such as pasta, fruit, rice, and oatmeal
A deck of cards or the palm of the hand measures about 3 ounce-equivalent – An appropriate portion size for fish, chicken, beef, and other meats
The size of the thumb measures about 1 tablespoon – An appropriate portion size for peanut butter or other nut spreads such as almond butter
A postage stamp or the tip of the pointer finger to the first joint measures about 1 teaspoon – An appropriate portion size for oils, or other fats. (3,7)

#2 Easy Does It When Eating Out

Some planning before a restaurant meal can help stave off overindulgence. Try drinking a few glasses of water before leaving the house, or a small healthy snack such as a handful of nuts, so you are not starving on arrival.

Take a look at the restaurant menu online in advance, and make a plan as to what you will order. Choose starters, mains, and desserts with an appropriate amount of calories. Once in the restaurant don’t be too liberal with extras, such as bread on the side, extra sauces, and toppings, etc.

Instead of a large entrée, order one or two small appetizers. You could also split an entrée with a friend, or eat only half and put the rest in a container to take home.

Remember also that alcoholic drinks contain calories. Drink more water, or stick with one or two drinks with a lower calorie count, such as gin, or vodka, and be careful with mixers. (4)

#3 Don’t Cheat At Home

At home, you have more power and control over portion size. But you still have to exercise discipline.

There is a lot you can do to make it easier on yourself. Some people find that using smaller plates and cutlery helps, others eat a small salad, or soup before their meal.

Preparing spicier food with lots of flavors, or making at least half the plate vegetables, may help others.

Another trick is eating mindfully – the art of paying full attention to what you eat without distractions. This helps you notice hunger and fullness cues, allowing you to know when you’ve had enough. (5)

If you have a habit of emotional eating, try exercising, calling a friend, drinking a cup of tea, or journaling, just before you eat. Instead of multitasking at meals, try devoting at least 20 minutes to tuning into your food, taking time to smell, taste, and really feel its effect on your body.

According to researchers, picturing yourself indulging in the foods you crave most may actually decrease your desire to eat them. Visualization exercises appear to trick your mind into thinking you’ve already eaten the desired foods, significantly reducing cravings for them. (6)

#4 Rapid Reduction With Support

Our bodies are always seeking balance, health. When you start to make portion control and nutrition a priority, you’ll start noticing changes in the shape of your body (and the way you feel in it) very quickly.

It’s good to know that other people can cheer you on. Paying it forward are people like Dorian Marie who have helped many women gain a healthy, happy body.

If you’re on the journey toward a better balanced body, the foods that you love don’t have to change. Portion control for weight loss can be about balance and moderation, not denying yourself. Give yourself time, do your research on calories, get support from others, and in doing so, serve your body a huge portion of self-love.