Hey Everyone. Hope you are enjoying all the information on the blog so far. I’m just making a quick post to let you know about a guest blogging spot that I have been offered by Kavit Haria of Wellness Junction. He got in touch with me a couple of weeks ago and asked me if I would be interested in contributing to his blog on a regular basis. I jumped at the chance and we came to the agreement that I would write a guest post at Wellness Junction every couple of weeks. Hopefully, this will give more exposure to the Free Fitness Tips Blog, improve my writing skills and turn Wellness Junction into another fantastic free fitness resource that everyone can enjoy.

Anyway, the reason I am posting about this now is because I wanted to wait for my first guest article to go live before I told you guys. My first article is now live and it is entitled ‘4 food groups that can boost your metabolism’. I have published an exert below (the full version is available from Wellness Junction). As always any comments, suggestions or descriptions of other foods which can boost your metabolism are welcome. If you want to leave any feedback at all please leave a post either on this page or the actual article itself.

4 food groups that can boost your metabolism

“Many people claim that they struggle to lose weight because they have a slow metabolism. Others are always looking for ways to boost their metabolic rate. But what do these people mean when they refer to metabolism and their metabolic rate?

In simple terms your metabolism or metabolic rate is the number of calories required by your body to maintain itself. The general calculation for working out your metabolism is to multiply your weight in pounds by 10 or your weight in kilograms by 22. So if you weigh 250 pounds then your metabolic rate will be around 2500 calories per day. However, this figure can be affected by a number of factors including age, genetics and lifestyle.

In this article I will be discussing how you can increase your metabolic rate by incorporating four different food groups into your diet...”

Read the full version of 4 food groups that can boost your metabolism by Clicking Here

Consumption of milk is a very controversial subject. On the one hand research suggests that milk is a rich source of calcium which has been linked with the reduced risk of osteoporosis (reduced bone density), diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. However, critics suggest that the above benefits are untrue and that consuming milk can also lead to diabetes and obesity. As a result of these criticisms many people who want to lose weight avoid dairy products. In this article I will discuss both sides of the argument and analyse whether milk really needs to be avoided as part of a weight loss plan.

There is a lot of positive evidence to support regular consumption of milk. Milk is full of calcium which is a very important mineral. This article in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association suggests that even lactose intolerant patients should try to drink a little milk with meals because of the calcium and also because it is rich in Vitamin D which helps the body utilise calcium. Milk also contains 7 other essential nutrients including potassium, protein and riboflavin all of which are very important for the proper functioning of your body. Furthermore, milk has been linked with reducing the risk of contracting a number of diseases. This study published in Diabetes Care looked at the link between type 2 diabetes and consumption of calcium & dairy products in 37,183 women who had no previous previous history of the disease. The conclusions found that consuming milk and dairy products could reduce the risk of contracting type 2 diabetes by as much as 21%. Finally, milk could actually help you lose weight according to this article suggesting that it definitely should not be avoided.

So with all this positive evidence why do people continue to criticise and avoid milk? Well critics suggest that milk is not all it’s cracked up to be. Many campaigns such as Not Milk suggest that the health benefits associated with milk are actually the result of highly effective marketing from the dairy industry. These critics even go as far as suggesting that milk can be damaging to your health. This article cites research to support claims that milk can actually increase the risk of osteoporosis, cause cardiovascular disease, lead to cancer and that it can also be responsible for a number of other health ailments. Furthermore, a number of studies such as this one suggest that consuming more milk makes you gain weight. Participants who drank more than 3 servings of milk per day were found to be 35% more likely to become overweight than people who drank 2 servings or less per day.

After reading the above information the pressing issue is should milk be avoided as part of a weight loss plan? In my opinion NO it should not. There are new studies coming out all the time promoting or criticising the consumption of milk. For every study that criticises milk you can find another that supports it. After reading this article you can probably see there are a lot of conflicting claims, opinions and studies out there. A product as popular and accepted as milk is always going to be scrutinised and there is always going to be too much evidence to come up with a definitive conclusion. However, the facts are that milk is rich in a number of important nutrients which help your body stay healthy and no study can change this.

I have drank milk for as long as I can remember and I have never suffered any adverse effects and it has definitely not made me fat. There are much more damaging foods out there including processed foods, heavily fried foods, fast foods, carbonated & sugary drinks etc. Plus, all of these foods will lead to much greater weight gain than one or two glasses of milk each day. Obviously, consuming too much milk can be bad for you just as too much protein, too many carbs, too many vitamins or too much of anything can. As long as you stick to a sensible daily amount you should have no problems and could even make a positive contribution to your health. If you are really that worried about milk making you fat then get a low fat or skimmed variety which comes in at a minimal 100 calories per glass . I for one will not be giving up milk anytime soon.

What do you guys think? Do you agree that we should carry on drinking milk? Have you given up milk? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this controversial topic.

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A number of diets recommend that you should increase your intake of meats to lose weight. Certain more extreme diets, such as the Atkins diet suggest that to lose weight you should seriously reduce your intake of carbohydrates and compensate by eating more meat. In this article I will be discussing whether eating more meat really can help you lose weight.

First, let’s look at the reasoning behind eating more meat to lose weight. By consuming more meat and less carbohydrates you force your body into a state of ketosis where it burns fat for energy instead of the usual carbohydrates. This turns your fat stores into your main source of energy.

So now you know the theory you are probably wondering whether high meat diets actually work? A number of studies suggest that they do. This particular study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) involved 311 premenopausal, nondiabetic women, aged between 25 and 50. It looked to compare four weight loss diets including; the Atkins diet, the Zone diet, LEARN (Lifestyle, Exercise, Relationships, Attitude, Relationships and Nutrition) and the Ornish diet. It found that the women who were on the high meat Atkins diet lost a greater amount of weight and realised more favourable metabolic effects after 12 months than the women on the other diets.

However, the problem with this and other scientific studies is that (at the time of writing this article) none have studied the effects of the Atkins diet for a period of greater than one year. Furthermore, a number of criticisms have been leveled at diets such as Atkins which recommend the increased consumption of meat. It has been suggested that the diet can promote heart disease, that it can be dangerous to reduce your carbohydrates to such a low level, that it does not meet nutritional needs and that such diets are too high in fat.

So what conclusions can be drawn about eating more meat to lose weight? In two of my previous articles I have recommended eating more protein to boost your metabolism and control your hunger. I believe that meat has a place in any weight loss plan and the ideas behind the Atkins diet are sensible. However, until more scientific evidence is available regarding the safety and effectiveness of low carbohydrate, high protein diets I would advise you to keep eating a good level of carbohydrates too. Ketosis is not the only weight loss method out there. By participating in regular exercise and eating a healthy, balanced diet with a little additional meat thrown in you can lose weight gradually without forcing your body to change its energy source.

One effective way to boost your metabolism is by making smart and creative food substitutes. If you think about all the food you eat you will find plenty of areas where you can make some changes. For example, if you enjoy your mayonnaise maybe you could substitute it for a low fat mayo or even salad cream. I’m not talking about drastic changes to your diet here but there are certain foods that can easily be substituted. In this article I am going to discuss a number of common foods that lend themselves to substitution.

1) SALAD DRESSINGS:- Instead of going for full fat salad dressings why not try a healthier option. Extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar are both quite tasty and are a lot lower in calories than the other options.

2) WHOLE GRAINS:- Certain carbohydrates are better than others and this is one key area of your diet where you can make food substitutions. Rather than eating potatoes, white bread and white rice try whole grain rice and breads. Crunchier whole grain foods make the body work harder to break then down and really ensure that your body’s metabolism functions better.

3) SMART SNACKS:- Instead of going for the chips, cookies and ice cream try healthier options. Fruit, nuts and seeds are all great snacks. If you like the taste of salt, sunflower or pumpkin seeds can help you with that craving. Fruit is great for curbing a sweet tooth without resorting to the chocolate.

4) FULL MEAL SUBSTITUTIONS:- I know I have mentioned it in previous articles, but substituting your standard three meals a day for six smaller meals can really boost your metabolism. Alternatively, reduce the size of your three main meals slightly and then substitute in some additional smart snacks. By substituting your meals in this way you can increase the number of calories you burn a day.

Transforming a slow moving metabolism into a highly charged metabolism is not usually possible. However, by substituting smarter foods into your diet you can start slowly improving your metabolic rate, noticing change and reaping the rewards.

In my previous articles I have discussed how diet and exercise can be used to improve metabolism. On the diet side of things there are particular foods that can help increase your metabolism. In this article I discuss the metabolism boosting properties of pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkin seeds are a very healthy snack food which can be a valuable substitute for foods such as crisps, cookies and sweets. These low nutrient snacks are packed with calories and easy to digest, whereas pumpkin seeds are low in calories, high in fiber, rich in protein and make your body work harder to digest them. Not only do pumpkin seeds provide better nutritional value than the aforementioned snacks but they also burn more calories in the digestion process.

Apart from the above metabolism boosting benefits, pumpkin seeds provide a number of additional benefits. They are very high in zinc which is known to boost the immune system and also help men maintain prostate health in later life. Pumpkin seeds are also believed to benefit the digestive system and the immune system.

As with many steps towards boosting your metabolism, pumpkin seeds are just part of an overall process. They will not yield miraculous results alone. However, if you introduce them as part of a metabolism boosting program you will start to notice improvements to your metabolic rate.

As I have discussed in previous articles you can boost your metabolism by making simple changes to your diet. Increasing your consumption of lean proteins is one of the ways you can fire up that metabolism.

Lean proteins can be found in poultry, fish and white pork and most importantly they can help the body burn through energy faster. Studies have shown that diets which are high in protein burn an increased number of calories after eating, compared with diets high in carbohydrates and sugars. According to a study by McArdle et. al (1986) [1] up to 25% of the calories consumed when eating a meal consisting of pure protein can be burned during the digestion and absorption process.

The reason that lean protein helps increase your metabolism is that your body requires more energy to process high quality proteins. Therefore, more calories are burned during the digestion process if your diet is high in protein. There is also less chance that proteins will be stored in the body as fat and extra calories.

Increasing your intake of protein can be beneficial but there are certain things you need to be aware of when consuming a high protein diet. Firstly, you do need to consume carbohydrates. You can reduce your intake but do not completely cut them out of your diet. Instead, lower your intake of carbohydrates to a minimum (it is advisable to consult a dietitian regarding this) and then replace fattier proteins with leaner options. The list below provides some advice on increasing your protein intake effectively:

1) KEEP LEAN MEATS LEAN:- Lean meat is a great source of lean protein. However, if you fry it in large amounts of oil this can add a lot of additional fat and calories. Instead, bake or grill your lean meats to ensure you are maximising their metabolic benefit.

2) SELECT DISHES CAREFULLY:- When selecting your side dishes you need to be careful that you are not overloading on carbohydrates. Fruits or vegetables are usually a suitable side dish which contain adequate amounts of carbohydrates. With breads try and get the whole grain fiber option instead of white bread. Breads that are whole grain and high in fiber require more calories to digest than white bread and therefore help increase your metabolism.

3) EAT SMALLER, MORE FREQUENT MEALS:- You are probably sick of hearing this now but smaller, more frequent meals really are the key to boosting your metabolism. If you cook a large chicken breast do not eat it all at once. Instead split it up and eat half right after cooking and half a few hours later. If you add some vegetables, you have now created two mini-meals from one main meal.

Increasing your metabolic rate is not easy. However, by making the correct changes to your diet it is possible. Increasing your intake of lean proteins is one change that can help boost your metabolic rate.

Losing weight and increasing metabolic rate is more than possible when the right foods and actions are taken. Lean meats can help a great deal along the way.

References:

[1] McArdle, W.D., Katch, F.I., Katch, V.L., (1986) Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance Lea and Febiger Philadelphia p. 134, 135

If you want to boost your metabolism you have to feed it. Yes, I know it may sound strange but if you want to increase the rate at which your body burns calories - you have to eat more. While this may sound great and you will be able to eat more frequently, it is not as simple as that because you will also have to watch what you eat.

To fully understand the idea let me explain the concept further. If you feed your body in regular, short intervals, your metabolism and digestive systems will keep working most of the time. If you skip meals or try to eat less you will lose weight initially. However, in the long term your body will go into “energy conservation mode”, meaning that your metabolism actually slows down and your calorie burning efforts are impeded overall.

To maximise your metabolic rate many dietitians recommend that you eat a small meal or snack at least every four hours. If smart meal choices are made your metabolism will increase and if you add in a bit of exercise too, your results will be even more impressive. But what constitutes a smart meal choice? Well for starters there are a number of things you should avoid:

1) SUGARY FOODS:- Foods that are high in sugar can actually trick the body into conservation mode because they rapidly increase your blood sugar levels. You should try and reduce your intake of sweets, processed sugars and foods that are high in starch or simple carbohydrates. Although it is difficult to avoid sugary foods completely try to substitute some of the sugary foods in your diet with fruit.

2) ABNORMAL PORTION SIZES:- When preparing your small meals you need to understand what the correct portion sizes for foods are. This information can often be found on the food packaging itself. Many people eat portion sizes that are too large and as a result consume too many calories. You need to avoid this trap and consume smaller portions which will reduce your caloric intake for each meal.

3) FRIED FOODS:- You should try to avoid having heavy, fried foods in the majority of your small meals. Not only do they contain additional calories but they can also make you feel sluggish and tired. I know it can be tempting because they taste nice and are easily cooked. However, they contain a lot of saturated fats which are deposited inside your body.

4) WHITE BREAD:- A lot of people are unaware that white bread can be detrimental to your health. White bread is very easy to digest, lacking in nutrients and full of sugar meaning that it causes your blood sugar levels to rise and burns very few calories whilst being processed. You should therefore avoid it where possible and try to substitute it with wholemeal bread.

5) PROCESSED FOODS:- Processed foods such as ready meals, crisps and chocolate bars are very popular because of the convenience factor, with many people being too lazy to cook. However, processed foods contain lots of chemicals in the form of preservatives which can be seriously damaging to your health.

As you can see it is possible to eat your way to a higher metabolism. However, it is very important that you manage the process correctly. If you follow the advice given in this article you will be rewarded with an improved metabolic rate.

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If you want more information on how diet can be modified to improve your metabolic rate, you should check out The Hospital Diet. As the title suggests, this diet was originally developed for use in hospitals to create fast and efficient weight loss for patients. It is now available to the general public having been professionally proven to increase metabolism.

Are you one of those people who orders chicken chicken with the mild, lemon sauce? I know I am. However, if you do this you may be missing out on a simple secret that will help boost your metabolism. So what is this secret? Surprisingly, it is spicy foods.

Spicy foods help burn fat because they increase your metabolic rate temporarily. According to Weight Loss Resources some spices can raise your metabolic rate by as much as 50% for up to three hours after consumption. The reason spices boost your metabolic rate is because they raise your body’s temperature (you will notice this yourself when eating spicy foods) which in turn raises your heart rate. Spices are also believed to have thermogenic properties which means they stimulate your body’s fat burning process. Indeed cayenne, a red hot chili pepper, is found in many weight loss pills because it stimulates fat burning. The overall result is that eating spicy foods can increase the amount of fat and calories you burn temporarily.

So what foods can you use to boost your metabolism? Take a look at the list below for some inspiration:

1) BUFFALO WINGS:- Try to choose baked wings instead of fried wings. The extra calories from the fried option will have a negative effect on your weight loss efforts.

2) THAI FOODS:- Spicy Thai foods are a really great way to incorporate spice into your diet. Plus, a lot of Thai food is healthy with particularly good choices including lean meats, such as chicken or fish and vegetables.

3) INDIAN FOODS:- Indian food is well known for being spicy and is a great way to help boost your metabolism. The spiciness can range from the relatively mild Chicken Tikka to the hot Balti Curry so there are a lot of options available to you. Furthermore, lots of Indian dishes are low in fat.

4) MEXICAN FOODS:- Mexican foods are often spicy and hot. However, you need to watch out for the fat content in the meals. A lot of Mexican dishes come with heavily fried ingredients.

5) PEPPERS:- You can add peppers to everyday dishes and really spice them up. Try adding a few jalapenos, Thai peppers or other hot peppers. Just make sure that the peppers you choose complement the flavour of the meal you are eating.

The above list should give you a few good ideas on how to spice up your diet. However, it is important to remember that although spicy foods can boost your metabolism and increase the rate that your body burns fat, it is not wise to gorge out on them. One reason is because the fat burning properties of spicy foods are limited and temporary. There can also be some negative effects associated with eating too much spicy food including stomach ulcers and acid reflux, which can lead to heartburn. Too many spices can also irritate your digestive tract and damage your taste buds.

The key, like with many aspects of healthy eating and burning fat, is balance. You need to eat spicy foods in the right quantities and balance this with the factors outlined below:

EATING MORE FREQUENTLY:- Instead of eating your usual three meals a day, break them down into five or six smaller portions. By eating smaller portions you will boost your metabolism. Plus, your body burns a large amount of calories every time it absorbs and breaks food down (the thermic effect of food). Eating more meals will boost this thermic effect and increase the number of calories burnt.

HEALTHY EATING:- Just because you are eating spicy foods does not mean you can neglect other areas of your diet. Sure, your body will have an increased metabolism and increased fat burning properties for a short period after eating the spicy food. However, this does not mean you can substitute the positive fat burning effects of the spicy food by eating a pizza every night. You need to be eating the spicy foods as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

REGULAR EXERCISE:- If you add aerobic and muscle building exercises to your routine, this will really help increase your overall metabolism. Furthermore, the actual exercises will help you lose weight and burn fat.

Spicy foods can boost your metabolism and help you burn fat. However, you need to realise that this is just one factor which cannot act alone. If you just eat spicy foods all day, every day, you are unlikely to lose weight and will probably experience some damage to your digestive system. However, as part of a balanced weight loss plan which incorporates healthy eating and exercise, spicy foods can give you that additional boost you have been looking for.

Many people are sceptical regarding the idea that there are super foods out there which burn fat and boost your metabolism. On the one hand these sceptics have a point because a diet consisting of a single food is not good for you and will not boost your metabolism. On the other hand it is true that a combination of these super foods can assist you with weight loss, increase your metabolic rate, lower your cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease and improve your mood.

So which foods fall into the category of super foods? The list below provides just a few:

• Beans
• Blueberries
• Celery
• Grapefruit
• Oranges
• Pumpkin
• Salmon
• Tomatoes
• Walnuts
• Yoghurt

Before you rush out and buy any of these super foods it is important to understand that they are not a magical solution that will instantly improve your metabolism and burn the fat. Switching to a diet which consists solely of super foods will not yield many benefits. However, incorporating super foods into an overall fitness program will maximise the benefits you gain. To effectively introduce super foods with an overall fitness program, follow the advice below.

1) EAT SMARTER:- Try to eat smaller portions of food more frequently throughout the day. Instead of the traditional three meals a day, break it down to five or six mini-meals. This will help reduce your metabolism. In each of these small meals include some super foods but make sure they do not consist entirely of super foods. Balance is the key when preparing your meals.

2) INCREASE CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE:- Increasing the amount of cardiovascular exercise you do will help increase your metabolism. This does not mean you have to participate in a ten mile run every day. Try walking to places you would normally drive, playing with your kids or doing some gardening. Anything that makes you a little more active will improve your metabolism.

3) BUILD MUSCLE:- The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn each day and the higher your metabolic rate will become. Again, you do not have to do anything substantial but incorporating some weight lifting into your weekly routine will help boost your metabolism.

Overall, super foods can boost the effects of leading a healthy lifestyle but they cannot make you healthy on their own. A diet consisting of just super foods is damaging in the long term. However, if you consume super foods as part of an overall fitness program, they will improve your results. If you are thinking about incorporating super foods into your routine seek advice from a dietician. They will be able to formulate a plan that is right for you.