Its very common to feel like your metabolism isn’t working how you want it to work, it can become very frustrating when your body just won’t let go of that stubborn body fat, even though you’re making good dietary choices and exercising frequently? First of all lets look at chronic inflammation. When your metabolism gets stuck in reverse we can start by looking at what foods you are eating regularly. Food sensitivities can lead to insulin and leptin imbalances, this can seriously but a downer on your metabolism. If you have a food allergy or have a sensitivity to a certain food group, your body feels attacked and naturally goes on the defence. In addition to food allergies, inflammation can be caused by other factors, including poor sleep, environmental toxins and stress. Sometime over exercising can stall your metabolism by triggering inflammation through muscle, bone and joint stress. The foods most likely to be pro-inflammatory are junk foods and highly processed foods, grains, foods high in sugar. Many people have food sensitivities to what would normally be considered healthy, such as gluten, nuts, and dairy products. It’s important to not rule out the possibility that you may be having an unhealthy reaction to a healthy food. These food sensitivities can be very subtle, so they can sometimes be challenging to identify, requiring some trial and error. Next, I advise on increasing your protein intake, by doing this it increases your calorie burning ratio which increases fat utilisation. It also helps the body maintain muscle and triggers the brain to decrease hunger levels Protein in general has a tendency to ignite your metabolic engine due to its thermogenic effects, this means it makes your body produce more heat and in turn, burn more calories. Humans seem to lose muscle mass as they age, however the leaner you are, the more effective your metabolism will be, regardless of your age. There is only about a two-hour window after exercise for optimal muscle repair and growth, and supplying your muscles with the right food at this time is essential. Next up, Intermittent fasting- Recent studies show that intermittent fasting can provide the same health benefits as constant calorie restriction, which may be helpful for those who cannot successfully reduce their everyday calorie intake. Intermittent fasting has been shown to increase fat loss and improve metabolic diseases. Besides turning your body into an efficient fat burner, intermittent fasting can boost your human growth hormone production by as much as 1,200 percent for women and 2,000 percent for men. I am personally a huge fan of intermittent fasting so I will revisit this subject at a later date in more depth. Strength exercises drive the core of fat loss, this type of exercising is a combination of body weight, resistance and weight training. Strength training has many factors including boosting your metabolism, increasing your brain power and is also an excellent way to reduce aches and pains, while at the same time preventing osteoporosis and age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia). If you’re not engaging in strength training, chances are you’ll become increasingly less functional with age. If you would like any advice and guidance on where to start with this then please don’t hesitate to ask me. Coffee and Green Tea with Caffeine If you’re a coffee lover, I have good news! When consumed correctly, high-quality organic coffee can be used as a health & fitness enhancing tool (as long as you aren’t pregnant in which case it’s best to avoid it altogether). When consumed before exercise, caffeine has been shown to exert the following positive effects: Improved energy and endurance Increased blood circulation Reduced pain Better muscle recovery Improved fat burning Also, when consumed after exercise, the caffeine from coffee inhibits the mechanism that increases protein synthesis in your muscle tissue. Your muscle repair in the recovery period after exercising, so on that note if your main goal is to maximise fat burning, having a coffee after exercise could be the best thing you could ever do as it will help keep you in fat burning mode longer. Green Tea is arguably one of the healthiest drinks you can consume, it benefits both your brain and your heart. The positive effects of green tea are due to its rich source of antioxidants. They are my top tips on how to kickstart your metabolism, I incorporate all of the above into my own life and also encourage the above with my clients. Next month I’ll be talking about fat loss during and after the menopause cycle. Adam Irving, Health & Fitness Coaching
