Amarillo Chiropractor Discusses Giving Your Metabolism A Boost!
Chiropractor in Amarillo addresses the issue
Many of us that are making our way through middle age are finding it harder and harder to boost metabolism and to drop excess weight. After the holidays roll around, we used to be able to simply run around the block for a few nights in a row and – BAM – the weight was gone. Not so much anymore.
When it became painfully obvious that losing weight was becoming more and more of a challenge, I decided that I needed to learn things that I did not already know in an effort to battle my ever-expanding belt size. I began searching the internet, asking colleagues, and planning for success!
Men’s Fitness defines metabolism as “a series of chemical processes by which your cells produce the energy needed to sustain life – and the higher it revs, the more energy your body burns.”(1)
1. Eat Protein at Every Meal – Protein increases your metabolism by 15-30% while also making your feel more full, preventing instances of overeating.(2)
2. Drink More Water & Make It Cold – We have all heard, “Drink more water.” We know water is healthy and we know we should all do it, right? In the case of boosting your metabolism, the advice is the same. Drink more water! Researchers showed that drinking 16 oz. of water rose your capability of burning calories. Even 30 minutes later, the test subjects were STILL burning 30% more calories!(3) Make it cold water because your body will use energy to heat the cold water up to match your body temperature. How smart is that?(2)
3. Eat Breakfast – When there is no food in you, your body goes into “snail mode.” In a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, test subjects that skipped breakfast put themselves at 4.5 times the risk of obesity. Recommendations from Women’s Health Magazine for a good breakfast include an omelet consisting of one egg and two egg whites with half a cup of mixed peppers and onions, half a cup of cooked steel-cut oats, and 1/4 cup of frozen berries with a teaspoon of omega-3-loaded fish oil.(4)
4. Exercise Right – When you exercise, try kicking it up a notch in 30-second intervals. When you use this technique, you increase the number of mitochondria which are the “powerhouses” of your cells. Here’s an example from health.com: “Exercise for 5 minutes at 3.5 mph. Increase your speed to 4 mph for 60 seconds. Then go back down to 3.5 mph for 90 seconds. Repeat the entire sequence 5 times, twice a week. (To get a more challenging workout, increase the incline or your pace.)”(5)
5. Lifting Weights – Strength training not only helps boost your metabolism but there is also research showing that it helps lower your blood pressure!(1)
What About Energy Drinks? – Energy drinks are a mixed bag. You cannot drink energy drinks full of sugar and expect to boost your metabolism while loading up on sugar. However, some have taurine which is an amino acid and can speed up metabolism and possibly aid in burning fat. WebMD warns that these drinks can cause high blood pressure, anxiety, and sleep disorders so, if used, should be used with caution.(6) Speaking of supplements, in addition to taurine, caffeine and ephedrine are potent as well but come with a downside when you consider adrenal glands and drive stress responses according to Men’s Fitness and add Omega-3’s to help balance blood sugar and reduce inflammation.(3,5)
6. Drink The Coffee! – According to Women’s Health, a paper published in the journal of Physiology & Behavior showed that drinking caffeinated coffee in the mornings boost your metabolism up to 16% when compared to those drinking decaf. (4)
7. Snack Right – Don’t spread your meals out so far that your metabolism slows down in between. A small, smart snack every 3-4 hours keeps the metabolism clicking along. As a bonus, you typically eat less when it’s time for a regular meal. (6)
8. Cut Down On The Wine Please – If you are one of those that has to have wine at night, understand this: drinking just two glasses of wine, beer, or mixed drink can bring your metabolism to a halt. To the tune of 73% less fat-burning. Why, oh why?!? It’s because your liver will metabolize the alcohol and use that for energy instead of your fat stores.(4)
9. Sleep, sleep, you’re getting very sleepy… – Stanford researchers found that those sleeping less than 7.5 hours at night throw off the hormones that regulate metabolism increasing their body mass index. You should get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. Now you have your doctor’s order to sleep more. You are welcome.(4)
10. Green Tea – New research is suggesting that an ingredient in green tea may just pump up that metabolism while you sip. The ingredient is called catechin. Research shows us that green tea or oolong tea may increase your calorie-burning by up to 17%. (2)
11. Make It Spicy – Spicing food up with consistency may just kick up the metabolism a notch or two. Chopped red or green chili peppers and red pepper flakes go a long way toward making your dishes more interesting and possibly speeding up metabolism.(6)
12. MOVE – Did you know that an afternoon of standing at work rather than sitting burns and extra 174 calories and you didn’t really have to do much to earn it? Having a desk job is tough. At the very least, get a varidesk or a stand steady desk so that you can choose to stand up if you like but you can still get your job done at the same time. When you get tired, simply lower the desk and sit.
13. Fiber – Dr. Ryan Doss with Endurance Chiropractic & Sports Therapy in Lubbock, TX says, “This is one of the big ones as well, if you don’t get enough fiber to help regulate the digestive system. Your nutrient uptake is affected and, as such, will create inflammation, sluggishness, and overall malaise. This is a big one with the new craze on Keto diets. A ton of people aren’t getting the fiber intake which hurts their overall gut health.”(7)
There you have it. Some of the best advice to boost your metabolism from some of the best sources available. You no longer have an excuse to be inactive in addressing your metabolism issues. Boost your metabolism by adopting some very simple techniques.
Eating breakfast is not hard to implement. Getting more sleep is a GREAT thing! Who doesn’t love coffee in the morning and a snack before lunch? These are some easy fixes that can go a long way. With some small tweaks here and there, you’re sure to be burning the pounds away day by day.
The trick is to get started. A wise man once said that every journey started with a small step. So your friendly Amarillo chiropractor is telling you to get to stepping!
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Dr. Jeff Williams, DC, FIANM is a Fellowship-trained Neuromusculoskeletal specialist and chiropractor in Amarillo, TX. As an Amarillo chiropractor, Dr. Williams treats chronic pain, disc pain, low back pain, neck pain, whiplash injuries, and more. Dr. Williams is also the host of The Chiropractic Forward Podcast. Through the podcast, Dr. Williams teaches fellow chiropractors and advocates weekly for evidence-based, patient-centered practice through current and relevant research. If you have any questions for Dr. Williams, feel free to email at [email protected]
Learn more about Dr. Williams and his practice at https://www.amarillochiropractor.com. Dr. Williams's full-time Amarillo chiropractic practice is Creek Stone Integrated Care at 3501 SW 45th St., Ste. T, Amarillo, TX 79109
Source Material
https://www.mensfitness.com/weight-loss/burn-fat-fast/valentines-day-power-couple-workout-for-you-and-your-girl
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-ways-to-boost-metabolism#section1
https://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/boost-your-metabolism
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/boost-your-metabolism/slide/2
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20306911,00.html#kick-it-up-a-notch-1
https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-boost-your-metabolism
http://endurancechiro.com/index.html
