4 ways to make your metabolism more efficient

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The science of metabolism efficiency is new to sports medicine and performance, but all of us can learn from it how to eat to optimize our weight and fitness. The old idea of carb loading is starting to give way to new methods that maintain energy and help us lose weight. 

A registered dietician and exercise physiologist, Bob Seebohar stumbled on the idea of metabolic efficiency when he was trying to find ways to keep athletes from having upset stomachs during races. Athletes were loading hundreds of calories before and during races trying to keep from running out of energy late in the race. But in high intensity races, the body diverts blood from digestion to the muscles. And this always seemed to lead to digestive disaster. 

Seebohar began to see a pattern in himself and in other athletes showing that carb loading actually did more harm than good. As he began to incorporate diets more similar to those recommended by Jim Ayres for us at Xyngular®, he found that athletes could take in fewer calories, perform better, and become leaner (though athletes are already leaner than most of us on average). Here are four ways to make your body more metabolically efficient.

#1: Be precise with your ratios of carbs/proteins/fats
Jim Ayres recommends equivalent carbs and proteins for breakfast, snacks, and lunch and a higher percentage of protein at dinner. Adjust the amounts of your healthy fats and proteins to keep yourself from cravings between meals.
#2: Cut out the "Franken-foods"
Is your food high quality (close to the way it grew from the ground and prepared in a kitchen) or highly processed (developed in a laboratory and prepared in a factory)? Are you deliberately planning and making healthy meals or eating prepared convenience food on the go? Do you have plenty of high quality proteins in your fridge so you can grab and go? Is your fridge full of handy raw and cooked non-starchy vegetables (everything except potatoes, corn, peas, and winter squash)? Do you have enough healthy fats in your pantry and fridge from nuts, seeds, olives, olive oil, coconut oil, and avocados? Remember, ditch the sodas, juices, and refined starches.

#3: Makeover your recipes
The Internet is a treasure of great recipes using healthy ingredients. When is the last time you heard a dietician tell you, "don't eat too many vegetables"? If you're hungry, look for more vegetables. If you're eating more plant food, you'll be getting fiber along with it. Pack as many vegetables as you can into each recipe and use a balance of protein and healthy fat so you stay satisfied for hours after every meal or snack. If you pack as many veggies as you can in your diet first, you won't be hungry for as many grains. Try recipes that offer many types of whole grains...in moderation. Opt for flavor and fiber.

#4: Eat and work out for fat burning not fat storage
Most people try to melt fat by working out at the gym at intensities that are either too hard or too easy. If you are sweating but can still carry on a conversation, your intensity is probably in the right range. Your workout isn't just for burning calories. It's for reprogramming your body to be more metabolically efficient. Don't load up on empty carbohydrates before exercise. Opt for adequate proteins, fats, and fibrous veggies. 

ACTION STEPS:
1. Make a shopping list and screen it through this article. Fill your pantry and fridge with quick, easy choices to grab and go with flavors and fiber. 

2. Spend some time on the Internet finding recipes that pass muster. 

3. Evaluate your workout habits for fat-burning efficiency according to the guidelines in this article.

Visit:
http://www.xyngular.com/lrivera 

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